zach's sbc build thread
07-18-2008, 07:05 AM
#1
Big Poppa
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mission, British Columbia
Posts: 4,499
zach's sbc build thread
hey everyone, im going to start a thread for zach for his swap. over the next 2 weeks or so, his car shall be transformed from an l6 car (motor is really dead) to a 12 second v8 car. there will be pictures and almost a step by step process of the whole build for all those who may be considering it. for those that say im building an impure car, go screw yourselfs! 
lol, he figured its cheaper to put in an already built chevy, and 700r4, which is correct, and he gets more power for his dollar at this point. zach is a member on zdriver, from cali, so hopefully he will chime in, and love the transformation by shady280. he is using a flexalite 220 fan, jtr mounting kit, and msa thottle cable and acc. parts. stay tuned for pix, and feel free to comment. hopefully i get some video of some cruising too!!! 
lol, he figured its cheaper to put in an already built chevy, and 700r4, which is correct, and he gets more power for his dollar at this point. zach is a member on zdriver, from cali, so hopefully he will chime in, and love the transformation by shady280. he is using a flexalite 220 fan, jtr mounting kit, and msa thottle cable and acc. parts. stay tuned for pix, and feel free to comment. hopefully i get some video of some cruising too!!!
07-26-2008, 02:58 PM
#2
Big Poppa
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mission, British Columbia
Posts: 4,499
aight, so the stock engine is out, and the ecu harness gone, speedo cable removed. i took pix on my phone, but cant get them downloaded. so next time im taking my dang real camera. the new motor mounts are in, the tranny mounts are ready to go in, and the engine/tranny combo is ready after that, pix to come, i know this thread is useless without pix
07-27-2008, 01:18 PM
#4
Big Poppa
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hey took some pix today when i went to the shop, got the shifter mounted and all the mounts for the engine and tranny together. the engine is almost ready to be put in the hole, then plumbing and wiring has to be done.
07-27-2008, 06:40 PM
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Anaheim, California
Posts: 154
Oh wow lol my baby looks like it got knocked the f out.
Well the way I see it... I'm spending 1/5 the price it would cost to make the car run that fast. So maybe in 5 years a hopped up Skyline engine might have paid for itself, and had more problems, but yeah I don't care much. My car guzzled gas as it is, so this isn't a change really. This engine is easy to work on, cheap parts, and as shady told me, only 100 or so lbs heavier than the old one. I dont really see any negatives besides the purists who think that putting another Japanese engine in a Japanese car is different than just switching the entire engine out.
It's nice having a friend with a shop who will just pass me through smogging =D
Well the way I see it... I'm spending 1/5 the price it would cost to make the car run that fast. So maybe in 5 years a hopped up Skyline engine might have paid for itself, and had more problems, but yeah I don't care much. My car guzzled gas as it is, so this isn't a change really. This engine is easy to work on, cheap parts, and as shady told me, only 100 or so lbs heavier than the old one. I dont really see any negatives besides the purists who think that putting another Japanese engine in a Japanese car is different than just switching the entire engine out.
It's nice having a friend with a shop who will just pass me through smogging =D
07-30-2008, 10:06 PM
#8
Big Poppa
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mission, British Columbia
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o.k. the engine tranny are in, fits pretty good, but the jtr header kit doesnt fit the drivers side worth crap, so i gonna prolly use a rear dump manifold i have laying around. started the plumbing and wiring, new fuel pump and all the picky crap, gonna get it done b4 i do the simple stuff like rad and dizzy wires. then itll hopefully start!
07-31-2008, 01:23 AM
#10
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Anaheim, California
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A word of advice too...
JTR doesn't seem to do anything right. The guy knows practically nothing about the cars, the customer service is friendly, but they are horrible at it. It took them an entire month to let me know "Oh by the way, we dont have your part in stock.. but you can pay 50 bucks more for ceramic coating". Gee.. thanks. I told them I was on a tight schedule, and called them at the 2 week mark and they said "Oh it should be sent out". Meanwhile I've screwed my schedule up now. I was supposed to have this all ready and done with a month ago.
Now, the headers on the driver's side wont fit? They're going to get an earfull.
I just need to tell him what exactly is wrong. See about sending back some of it for a refund.
Will that manifold work and not have any problems? If not, i'll have to figure out something else.
JTR doesn't seem to do anything right. The guy knows practically nothing about the cars, the customer service is friendly, but they are horrible at it. It took them an entire month to let me know "Oh by the way, we dont have your part in stock.. but you can pay 50 bucks more for ceramic coating". Gee.. thanks. I told them I was on a tight schedule, and called them at the 2 week mark and they said "Oh it should be sent out". Meanwhile I've screwed my schedule up now. I was supposed to have this all ready and done with a month ago.
Now, the headers on the driver's side wont fit? They're going to get an earfull.
I just need to tell him what exactly is wrong. See about sending back some of it for a refund.
Will that manifold work and not have any problems? If not, i'll have to figure out something else.
07-31-2008, 07:35 AM
#11
Big Poppa
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mission, British Columbia
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its just the one header, we need a rear dump for the drivers side to clear the steering box. i have one, but tis not as pretty as the ceramic coated headers. really good quality sanderson ones, but jtr screwed up, maybe we got the 280z onbes instead of the zx ones? i dunno, ill give you a call today zilla, you can come take a peek. i just read jtr's site, you need power rack to make the header work, the steering shaft goes between it and the block. that means that header will not fit. they say to swap out to a power rack setup, thats a sucky job too. you have the recirculating ball joint setup, which fits the engine better down low, i didnt even have to dent the pan. the tranny was a tight sqeeze tho, looks like manifold it is, untill rear exit headers are found. yep we are screwed, i just read hybridz ( http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread...rs+side+header ) you gotta use manifolds on the drivers side. could always build one, but itll cost a bit (200-300), but ittl look and function really nice.
Last edited by SHADY280; 07-31-2008 at 07:47 AM.
08-02-2008, 07:15 PM
#13
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Location: Anaheim, California
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lol nice.
Probably the same shitty MPG I got with my last engine lol. Standard mpg for a car that size, maybe better since it's a small car (Then again I drive the thing hard). So I'm guessing anywhere from 15-20mpg depending how I drive lol ><
PS... NICE z man lol
Probably the same shitty MPG I got with my last engine lol. Standard mpg for a car that size, maybe better since it's a small car (Then again I drive the thing hard). So I'm guessing anywhere from 15-20mpg depending how I drive lol ><
PS... NICE z man lol
08-03-2008, 04:27 PM
#15
Big Poppa
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yeah hes got 16's i think me gonnabe swapping out to my rack and peanut setup. cheaper than the custom header my brother can make. then he gets to use the nice jet coated header from jtr.
08-06-2008, 08:16 AM
#18
Big Poppa
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heres some pix of the steering swap and the now the header now fits!!! took about 3 hours and all i have left is to tighten some bolts up. managed to do it without pulling the engine, i was sure happy about that.
heres a pic of the custom steering hose adapter i made to make the chevy pump work with the stock dastun lines.
heres a pic of the custom steering hose adapter i made to make the chevy pump work with the stock dastun lines.
08-09-2008, 11:18 AM
#20
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Location: out in the country. =]
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wow man, looks good. i would have thought you'd have a heck of alot less room then you did. because well.. im putting a 350 small block in mine as well. cant wait. =] funny thing is.. the money i spend on this L28E to get it running i could have 1/2 the stuff to put the 350 in.
08-09-2008, 11:20 AM
#21
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: out in the country. =]
Posts: 168
hey now, blue is my favorite color!
along with my Z car! =P
along with my Z car! =P
Originally Posted by wake2wake21
yo zach why blue? who would paint thier car blue
looking good. what kind of mpg do u think ur gonna get with it????
looking good. what kind of mpg do u think ur gonna get with it????
08-10-2008, 04:06 PM
#22
Big Poppa
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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aight it runs everyone!!!!!!! its a really stout motor, revs increadibly fast. still got cooling system to do and some minor stuff. weird part is it wont start with the key, there is no 12v signal down to the starter soiliniod. i gotta start tracing, i removed the ecu, and its harness, hope that doesnt have anything to do with it. there still is a 12v signal at the key, but not at the starter, if anything im just gonna run my own wire and relay, i gotta hook up a neutral safety switch anyhoo.
08-16-2008, 08:54 PM
#24
Big Poppa
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Mission, British Columbia
Posts: 4,499
aight its getting very very close, tranny lines power steering pump, fluids and exhaust pipes. heres some pix of the almost finished engine bay. these show the fuel reg, dizzy clearance, dual electric fan (2500cfm)
