Datsun 510 v8 swap question

[Unknown007]

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.

[merlin]

do a search, but i think its the buick v8 you want to make it fit.. its a differnt angle and makes it possible for the headers to clear... why not go VG30de instead? twin cam rock solid V6 that can be had pretty cheap

[Unknown007]

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.the buick engine what ones that?what would i have to do to fit it?

[merlin]

http://www.the510realm.com/phpBB3/viewt ... t=buick+v8

read through this one... lots of info...

[Unknown007]

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

[Unknown007]

ok i reread it so im guess a v8 swap would make the car way too hot?especailly while racing?well any sites then on a cheap 300zx engine?with mounts etc?and im guessing i have to buy motor mounts,cross member,sway bars, and push out the trans hole a little out to fit it and then cut back the shifter hole?if im correct?

[merlin]

theres about 8 of them on ebay right now from japanese engine importers... about a grand with tranny ecu, all the goodies.. lots of low mileage ones come out of japan... great engines as they mostly come out of non abused sedans etc scrapped because older cars in japan face nasty regulations and taxes. theres a couple 40,000 km engines on there right now...
all you need are crossmember and engine mounts... a couple people on here and the bluebirds mailing list can can surce them for you. lots of people have done this swap, a few have done the vg30et single cam single turbo, and eeven fewer have done the twincam twin turbo swap...

[qwik510]

ok i reread it so im guess a v8 swap would make the car way too hot?especailly while racing?well any sites then on a cheap 300zx engine?with mounts etc?and im guessing i have to buy motor mounts,cross member,sway bars, and push out the trans hole a little out to fit it and then cut back the shifter hole?if im correct?

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.

[RWD_NissanMan]

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

Heed this person's advice. Get back to us with an answer to these two simple questions and this community of 510 enthusiasts will be able to offer you a lot of good advice. Without this info though, you will be involved in a lengthly discussion with dreamers and a lot of hot air. Rough estimate - $50,000 and 1000 hours. Are you good with that??

[merlin]

Davids' absolutely right... i was aiming you at a vg as you seem to want a big motor, theres lots of expierence with this swap, and there are lots of low km engines floating around. pick the right engine for the car... A Ka or SR turbo is the way to go for the best all round handling /torque/hp.... but! bucks are involved and time.

I'm building an EFI Z24 - Z20e 4 plug head, z24 block with an auto tranny for my 65 nissan cedric... why? because Uncle cedric originally had a 1.9 inline 4 with a three on the tree standard, so this engine is just taller... lots of hoodroom in Ceddy - (think Checker cab front end wth a 55 chevy rear end )and i can make the three on the tree work with some form of modded auto linkage or electronic actuator out of any hot rod catalogue... i get enough torque to push this 2700 lb beast around, enough hp to do it nicely, and a good tranny that doesn't require me to hack up a very rare car..... sure i could put a V6 in there, but hacking it up?


Tell us what your goal is with the car and someone will help you with the whole set up of a great car, not just HP.

[qwik510]

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

Rough estimate - $50,000 and 1000 hours. Are you good with that??

I like the way you estimate.

This is the shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be amongst the stars theory.

If you plan on it costing $50000 and it only cost you $35000 you will have lots of money left over to pay for the many track days you will need to improve your driving skills.

Everyone thinks they know how to drive until they attend their first HPDE Track Day. Talk about a humbling experience. Man I love track days.

[Unknown007]

well i read alot of forums about the v8.i hear the car drives sideways and thats it.at first i didnt know because i was like "WOAH a v8 datsu that's very fast" because i like fast and no i havent so since most you are experienced with a 150hp datsun i believe you.i found some cheap VG30DE also and i just think im going with that.it's simple kind of cheap and a swap correct?again i dont want to turbo yet.but i'll be back alter.ight then thanks and for the V* swap jsut scratch it.circle the VG30DE thanks.

[qwik510]

well i read alot of forums about the v8.i hear the car drives sideways and thats it.at first i didnt know because i was like "WOAH a v8 datsu that's very fast" because i like fast and no i havent so since most you are experienced with a 150hp datsun i believe you.i found some cheap VG30DE also and i just think im going with that.it's simple kind of cheap and a swap correct?again i dont want to turbo yet.but i'll be back alter.ight then thanks and for the V* swap jsut scratch it.circle the VG30DE thanks.

The VG30DE is a difficult and expensive swap. The VG30E is the swap that is well documented and much easier to do. The VG30E motor came out in 1984 in the 300ZX through 1989.

The VG30DE came out in 1990 in the new Z32 300ZX.

For good VG30E info go here: http://www.vg30.com

Research, Research, Research. Do not just jump into something you don't understand.

[okayfine]

well i read alot of forums about the v8.i hear the car drives sideways and thats it.at first i didnt know because i was like "WOAH a v8 datsu that's very fast" because i like fast and no i havent so since most you are experienced with a 150hp datsun i believe you.i found some cheap VG30DE also and i just think im going with that.it's simple kind of cheap and a swap correct?again i dont want to turbo yet.but i'll be back alter.ight then thanks and for the V* swap jsut scratch it.circle the VG30DE thanks.

I don't even know what this means...

sigh...look, feller, David wrote a very long, incredibly nice treatise a few posts up and he asked you a lot of questions. He wants to help. Most people here reading your posts want to help. You need to be honest with yourself and with us and answer the questions he posed. You have obviously done zero research on your own, and that's quickly going to become a problem.

What kind of experience do you have with things mechanical? What kind of tools do you have? What kinds of fabrication have you done? Do you have a place to work on your car so that it doesn't need to be moved for a period of many weeks? Do you have $1000 just to spend on fitting the VG30E into the 510? What kind of shape is your car in at the moment?

[merlin]

selling the gtr to anyone is like selling howitzers at the gun shop. "I had gun once, i know how one works..." sooner or later, someones a gunna get a hurt!