n00blar

I did a little search and couldn't find what I was looking for.

I finally get my engine this Friday, so I'm ready to mount my new engine and MT, so my question is: is there a preferred way (easier/faster way) on mounting an engine and a MT? Should I bolt up the trany to the engine block or should I mount one before the other one?

Edz280zx

Just did this last week. The easiest way, for me anyway, would be to drop the motor and tranny in together. Drop the tranny cross member until you get the motor bolted up and then mount the tranny x-member afterwards to the tranny and then lift and bolt into place.

skittle

^^^^ yeah thats an easy way to do it.

FubarI33t

that's the way i did it. except, i supported the trans at the correct hight with a jack stand. made them motor mounts line up a bit easier.

n00blar

Cool, thanks for the info.

One more question. Since I'm doing a tranny conversion (AT->MT); I can use the same drive shaft, correct?

How did you guys handle this? Did you connect the tranny to the drive shaft as you moved in the block & tranny or did you have to remove the drive shaft and then, once block and tranny were in placed, connect the drive shaft back to the MT?

snwbrderphat540

yup i did the same as fubar. i dont think you can use the same driveshaft, not sure about that but i think they are different some how.

and put engine and tranny in all together once its fully secured you can put in the driveshaft, and it may help you to drop the rear sway bar, assumming the rear sway bar is the same place and stuff as on the S30.

n00blar

Hmm, so I need to get the drive shaft out of my parts ZX then.

Ryan280

Sounds like you'll need to pull out that trany then bolt it up to the new engine. For sure pull the trans cross member and slide it all in together.

However, didn't you already fill the trans with oil? If you did, it will pour out of the tail when you go to install it.

NismoPick

Or rubberband a plastic bag around the end.

n00blar

Nah, I still have my trany sitting in the driver's seat of my parts ZX

I will have to remove that drive shaft of my parts ZX this weekend though. I'm doing a lot of the prep work this weekend and I'll do the actual mounting the following weekend.

n00blar

I just want to double check on something...

The two pictures here are from the AT driveshaft and I closely looked at the MT driveshaft and they seem to be identical. They both have a gap at 90 and 270 degrees in the circumference. Both have 11 grooves at each side, so I'm just thinking if I really need to replace the driveshaft when they look almost identical.

snwbrderphat540

i tried that once, lets just say i have to pay child support now.

n00blar

Bumping just to get a quick reply on this

3XAZOWNER

I usually use a spray can cap ducktaped to the end of the tranny to contain the fluids. It worked good, of course it was my sons idea, so i give him the credit.

A plastic bag will work like Nismo said, but it may give you the same results it gave snowy if you use it and you pay for those results for 18+ years.

n00blar

Another question, just because I don't want to start a new thread.

Ok, so the original clutch pressure plate had 6 bolts, but the new clutch pressure plate I bought has an additional 3 holes and I noticed that the flywheel also has matching holes for the pressure plate.
Should I go out of my way and get those 3 additional bolts or should the original 6 do the job just fine?

Here's a picture that will explain it better....Oh! and some pictures of my 'new' engine