Datsun 510 v8 swap question

[Unknown007]

thanks but i live in california.i think its alos funner to build it yourself but i already have one.it just needs the swap.

[qwik510]

hey qik510 i appricate you telling me all this but i did say all i needed to know was about the engine.ok here i'll make it easier for you my plans right now that i need help on is the engine swap.i wanted to go v6 but one of my friends has a friend who did it and took him a year to get it all running good.so now i'll ask about the ka24de?i dont want to go turbo just all motor.what will be needed for this swap?and sorry i didnt respond but lets just start fresh right now.these are my two or three simple questions thanks.

I know that you only asked about the engine but from reading that post, I figured that you are new to 510s and probably to engine swaps too. I thought you would appreciate some good advice from someone that has completed 2 small block V8 engine swaps into Datsuns.(was I wrong?)

Actually, in your first post, you asked about doing a chevy 350 small block, if there were other cheaper and lighter v8s to swap and what rear to use. you mentioned the 240sx rear and also the 89' 240z rear. (see your post below)
The Datsun 240Z was only made from 1970 until 1973 so there wasn't an 89 240z. I think you meant the 1989 300ZX which has an R200 CLSD rear in it with a 3.70:1 ratio. Yes. That rear is stout and will go into a 510 with minimal modifications. The 240SX rear is shorter and would require a bunch more fabrication to install. It is similar to the Infiniti Q45 R200 VLSD that I put into my 240Z.

Again, I really think you need to do more research.

As for your friend that took over a year to do a V6 swap, different people do things at a different pace. If I was highly motivated to do a V6 swap into my 510 (I have been planning a 510 VG30 swap since May 2005) I could get it done in 2-3 weekends. That being said, I don't want to rush and do a crappy job. I have spent time collecting all of the parts I will need and I will first upgrade the brakes and the suspension before I add more power. I know from experience that I will need more braking power to stop the VG30 that almost doubles the power of the stock 510 engine. Then Again, I am not a young kid anymore that thinks he can do a motor swap and drive it on stock brakes. (been there and done that)

As for the KA24DE, it is a good motor and a common swap. It has the same power as the VG30 but less torque. Both the KA and the VG will require better brakes, upgraded suspensions and all the other upgrades to cooling and fuel delivery, wiring, etc.

So now that I have answered your questions, how about answering mine. Below is my first reply to you. Read through it again and answer my questions. If you do, I will continue to offer you help and advice, if you don't then I will no longer invest my time as you will be showing me that you don't appreciate it. Your choice. Before you decide, look at what I have built.

My LS1 240Z.









My V8 510





And my 2 510s.





Ok. Now the choice is yours. Be a contributing member of this 510 community and get the help and knowledge you desire or not.

Read your first post here and then mine below yours.

i was thinking of doing a chevy 350 small block swap.im just wondering what all would i need to do to accomplish this?brakes i already know and suspension well im putting it on air.it's something maybe all you never heard of but you'll love in the end.i just need info on what differential works best.i hear the 240sx have a bullet proof one and so does the 89' 240z.as for the engine bay what mods?what engine mounts?any kind of help of that would work thanks.if there's any other cheaper and lighter v8s to swap that would fit let me know thanks.and yes i know i should do a sr but i dont like sr it comes to be too much mostly on replacing parts.the ka24de could turbo it but i just want an all motor that has over 200hp or something like that thanks.

By the way, you asked for trouble with this post when you said " you can call me stupid"

i looked at that.i just want to know what v8 fits best with power and light.also what has to me changed and removed for example new motor mounts and cross member you know?to be honest i maybe sound stupid because that page may have the answer but im half asleep so you can call me stupid ahhaha.any more info all info i can get would be great before i do it and have a v8 flying out the front end

Hi,

I don't want to disswade you but it seems like you are not too sure which way you want to go. In the course of one hour you went from V8 to Cheap 300ZX engine. So I as someone who has done 2 V8 swaps ( an Olds 215 into a 510 and a GM LS1 into a 240Z) I will offer my 2 cents worth.

You want to have a fast, cool 510. That is great. But what will it take to get you there? 510s are great handling cars but they start to loose their great handling when you add too much weight. Yes, with enough money and engineering, you can do a V8 swap that will still handle (ask Matt Guzetta with the Ford 5.0 V8 510) but for most guys that start a 510 V8 swap the car ends up being a cut up unfinished project car. There are not enough decent 510s out there anymore so please don't start cutting it up until you are quite certain that you can finish it.

What kind of shape is your car in now?

First things first figure out what your goals are.

You say you want "well i dont want to go turbo.i kind of want to go v8 lol but what ever cheap and gets me over 200 or 250 hp im good with."


I will ask you this. Have you ever driven a true 150 HP 510? If you haven't you will be surprised just how fast a 150 HP 510 is.

Sounds to me like you don't have alot of money to devote to this project.
200 - 250 HP in a 510 will not be cheap. You will need brake upgrades to stop that much power and suspension ugrades to get the power to the ground and keep the car handling well. Then you will need a cooling system upgrade and a fuel system upgrade and a rear diff upgade and on and on.

Do you want a high horsepower car for racing? Will it be roadracing, auto-x, dragstrip? Will this be a dedicated race car or will you need it as transportation too?

Is reliability important to you?

How much money and time do you have to devote to this project?

Any non L series engine swap will not be cheap. Most swaps will run a minimum of $2000 (I can hear the flaming starting) to do a clean reliable swap. Most will be double that or more. I know that many on this list will say that they did a swap for $500, $1000, etc. but doing a swap requires more then just bolting in a high HP motor and calling it good.

Once you have your goals sorted out, write them down. Read them and see if they are realistic. Then write out a PLAN. Break it down into sections and then write out a BUDGET. Assign an estimated cost to each section. Then double it. Now you can start to see how much your project will actually cost you.

We have seen too many decent 510s end up as parts cars do to lack of money and planning. It is easy to rip apart a car and be excited about a project. It is much harder to see it through and get it finished.

Let us know what your real goals are and how you plan to accomplish them.

If it isn't realistic to complete your dream 510 now, start doing things you can afford to do now. Upgrade the brakes and the suspension first and enjoy driving the car now. As you get more money, move on and start collecting the parts you need.

My V8 took me many years to finally get on the road. I did get the mechanicals finished but never got the body and paint done and ended up selling it in 2005. I had owned that car since 1987 and the V8 dream started in 1989. I finally drove that car in 2001. Life, work and family always got in the way.

Good luck to you. I sincerely hope that you get to build your dream 510. I hope we all do before we can't afford to buy the gas for them.

[510Freak]

Qwik510,
the shot of your Zed (first pic) is awesome ,The reflection is amazing..

[qwik510]

Qwik510,
the shot of your Zed (first pic) is awesome ,The reflection is amazing..

Thanks. That was taken in October at the International Z convention in Daytona. They had a studio set up in the paddock and it had rained so the reflection was from the rain water on the floor.

[510Freak]

Qwik510,
the shot of your Zed (first pic) is awesome ,The reflection is amazing..

Thanks. That was taken in October at the International Z convention in Daytona. They had a studio set up in the paddock and it had rained so the reflection was from the rain water on the floor.

Thats a pic to be very proud of for sure

[Unknown007]

ok here ler me number your questions ok.
Q.You want to have a fast, cool 510. That is great. But what will it take to get you there?
1.research and alot of help from experienced 510 owneres who've so swaps and etc. to their car's would most likely help me get there.
Q.What kind of shape is your car in now?
2.in pretty good shape, just need to fix interior.
Q.I will ask you this. Have you ever driven a true 150 HP 510?
3.i havn't ever been in one, i think i answered this one before but no i havn't again i'll sya im not experienced with 510's.
Q.Do you want a high horsepower car for racing?
4. no horsepower for regular driving and maybe racing later on but now that i knoe they can go sideways with alot of horse power i want to stick over 150hp and below 300hp.
Q.Will it be roadracing, auto-x, dragstrip?
5.maybe drag stip not sure.
Q.Will this be a dedicated race car or will you need it as transportation too?
6.as i here their good race cars, i dont like them as race cars just transportation.
Q.Is reliability important to you?
7.yes it is.
Q.How much money and time do you have to devote to this project?
8.money let's just put 2k for now but i can get more.i'll be buy parts before installoing all together and for time hopefully all summer.

there questions answered.by the way i want to go air ride on suspension the ka24de would run good with it still right?
the reason why i dont want to go springs is, because incase i talk more people i dont wnat to be scraping.
incase you got lost in my engine swap i'll just be goin ka24de all motor now i saw the prices on the rest and this fits my budget to get air ride,engine,brakes,etc.so please help me on that and i'll be writing my budget and plans tomorrow.i'll post them on here thanks.

P.S.nice 240z and 510's.

[goichi1]

WOW! nice to see everyone calmed down! I can't wait to see a pic of your car, sounds like you have a decent one to start with if all it needs is interior......If I were you, I would save more money, or just start collecting parts as per your plan....then when you have most of the parts, you can hit it hard and do most of the work all at once....there is nothing worse that having to go back and redo something......trust me, i know this , Planning is key! remember, if you fail to plan....you plan to fail!!!! good luck and get some pics up....that's the best part of making your dream......sharing it!! later, Rich

[Unknown007]

well it's because the paint and body is done already i just need a paint job on it.my friends dad knows how to paint so i'll tell him to and my girlfriend's dad has a paint gun.thanks it's late bye.

[thisismatt]

Is your 2k budget for motor or for motor + other things? $2k is a very small amount for a decent quality motor swap (you have to think of more than just the motor - fabrication of custom parts, new engine accessories like radiator, fuel pump & fuel tank or tank modification, fuel lines, cooling fan(s), electrical modifications, etc., but it can be done and is mainly a matter of quality and appearance, and dependability of the motor given its aged and "used-ness."

Anyone can have a paint gun...seriously, you can buy one at harbor freight for like $10, but I wouldn't want to paint my 510 with it. Good paint can run high hundreds to over a thousand dollars just for the paint itself. Try to look at things realistically or you'll be disappointed with the results.

[Unknown007]

i am looking at things realisticly.my friends dad paints cars.he said i get the paint and maybe equipment,unless he has it,he'll paint my car black which is the color i want.for the enigne theres alot i can find for 300 with low miles.im pretty sure the swap will run around 1k.

[qwik510]

i am looking at things realisticly.my friends dad paints cars.he said i get the paint and maybe equipment,unless he has it,he'll paint my car black which is the color i want.for the enigne theres alot i can find for 300 with low miles.im pretty sure the swap will run around 1k.

I have seen several complete KA motors for less then $500 including the trans, wiring and computer. but most of them have over 100K miles on them. If you can fabricate and weld stuff yourself and scrounge used parts at the junk yard then I would think you could do a KA swap for $1000 but this will be a BUDGET swap.

If you can't fabricate and weld then you better plan on at least double that figure.


$500 drivetrain (or more)
$150 shorten and balance the driveshaft with new U joints.
$125 walbro fuel pump
$250 Aluminum Radiator and fan
$ 50 air intake and filter
$300 custom front crossmember
$100 custom trans mount
$225 custom front sway bar
$300 for misc. hardware, hoses, fittings, etc.
$2000 total

This would be a low budget estimate buying the fabricated parts you would need. I am sure I am missing something in this list but it will give you a rough idea of the cost.

[goichi1]

man......2000...I paid that for my radiator/fans and intercooler......I feel cheated! lol......jk...you get what you pay for!

[Unknown007]

thanks for telling me the prices.im not going to say your wrong but only research will take us to the budget.i dont remember if it was for a vg30e swap or the ka24de but they had motor mounts for $100,cross member for $100,and sway bars for $100,but like i said i dont remember which one it's for.the complete motor would run around 300-500 of course depending on miles.i can try to find very low miles on a ka24de locally,which in this case most people say it's the cheapest than buying over seas or from other states.ecu that maybe a bit money if i cant find it for cheap.little things that i maybe need,i'll go to a junk yard for.but other than that i'll still make an estimate.hopefully i'll be lucky and swap it all for 1k and i hope the swap lasts.thanks for your help again keep it coming.there might somebody out there who knows a website on where to get good quality cross members and stuff i think?



would this crossmember fit?


these engine and transmission mounts?


this fuel pump?

[qwik510]

thanks for telling me the prices.im not going to say your wrong but only research will take us to the budget.i dont remember if it was for a vg30e swap or the ka24de but they had motor mounts for $100,cross member for $100,and sway bars for $100,but like i said i dont remember which one it's for.the complete motor would run around 300-500 of course depending on miles.i can try to find very low miles on a ka24de locally,which in this case most people say it's the cheapest than buying over seas or from other states.ecu that maybe a bit money if i cant find it for cheap.little things that i maybe need,i'll go to a junk yard for.but other than that i'll still make an estimate.hopefully i'll be lucky and swap it all for 1k and i hope the swap lasts.thanks for your help again keep it coming.there might somebody out there who knows a website on where to get good quality cross members and stuff i think?

The VG30 swap parts from Dave Carroll of Experimental Engineering (http://www.vg30.com) cost $200 for the motor mounts for both sides, $125 for the trans. crossmember (prices on the site are wrong, they went up) and $250 for the modified oil pan and $50 for the modified oil pickup. That totals $625.

In addition to that you will need to get a set of headers ($350) or find a set of 1987/1988 Nissan 200SX VG30 exhaust manifolds. The last set I saw cost $150. SO if you want a bolt in VG30 swap, you need to come up with at least $775 before you buy a motor.

So I know you hope to do it for $1000 but it is not that cheap.

The KA swap components are going to cost about the same.

Either do all the fabrication yourself and maybe do the swap for $1000 or buy the stuff from the people that make it and double your budget. IMOHO, You will have a better chance of completing your swap if you buy the stuff.

Just Sayin'

[qwik510]

http://www.the510realm.com/phpBB3/viewt ... =10&t=8838


here is what you can get for $450

James Tarver
Fremont, Ca
Best way to contact is PM here
Best availible time to look at the motor is Sat or Sunday

I have a Ka24de with the original tranny that I need to sell. I got it with plans of putting it into my Datsun 510 but I have changed my mind and will be going L series. I was told it had 96k miles at time it was removed. The clutch is also still good and flywheel is included as well.

The intake mani and related parts as well as valve cover and cams have been removed. I was planning on tearing it down for a full rebuild since it needs a new HG. Its taking up space where the car should be so I want it out. Its all included in the sale

So you get Complete motor + Trans $450 picked up

I will not ship so local pickup is best

Ill start at $450 obo