S13 302 build

[broke 20]

Hello zilvia. I am new to this forum and kinda new into the 240 world. I have worked on a lot of friends' cars but never owned a 240 myself until recently. I picked up a roller for pretty cheap off a friend, and did some research on a cheap swap that I wouldnt really want to mess with too much later down the road. I couldnt find much information around the net about a 302 swap, but the cost of domestic parts pretty much sealed the deal. If there is interest in this build then I will make this a legit "how to" thread, but if I am going to get flamed I would rather just keep it to myself.

Like I said the only reason I went with this swap is because of part pricing and availability. Ford parts are STUPID cheap, and they are EVERYWHERE. My budget for this build was $1500 and that includes buying the car and a healthy amount of aftermarket parts. I am converting the car from EFI to carb just to make the swap easier. I would prefer to run EFI, but for now I just want the car to run and carb very simple when it comes to wiring.

Current Parts-
1991 s13 hatch chassis ($100)-friend
1994 5.0 HO from a mustang gt ($499 + $160 shipping)-prestigemustang.com
T5 transmission ($80)-craigslist
'94 mustang motor/tranny mounts ($36)-rockauto.com
Edelbrock Torquer 2 manifold ($55)-cragslist
Holley 600 cfm carb ($25)-friend
Summit HEI distributor ($84)-ebay
Carter Mechanical Fuel Pump ($26) ebay
Modified chrome front sump oil pan ($40)-local shop

Total cost so far- $1105 screw the budget, I want to have a car I can enjoy for a while

I should get my clutch and flywheel in next week, then I can mount the tranny and take measurments for a custom driveshaft. After that, its a toss between having a custom manifold made to clear the steering rack or modify the steering rack itself. I am going to go with whatever is cheaper since this is a budget build. Here is a pic I took of the motor last week while test fitting the mounts.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/310301_638415270680_215904627_33319534_1219083067_ n.jpg

Here is a picture of the biggest problem with this swap. This is on the driver's side, and as you can easily see the steering shaft is an issue. I have sourced parts online to be able to modify the steering shaft, but I am going to take this picture to some local fabricators so I can get an accurate quote on a custom manifold. I would rather not modify the steering shaft, but we will see how much a custom manifold will cost.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111106_142548.jpg

As promised here are some pictures of the cross member I drilled out for the motor mounts to fit. I used a step bit, and drilled the exisiting holes to make them bigger.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111112_150652.jpg


http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111112_150619.jpg

The motor sits in pretty well with the modified cross member, but it sits a little too low. The oil pan wont have much clearance over the cross member, so I am going to space the mounts for more clearance underneath. I am still waiting on parts that I expected to get last week, but here soon I will be able to get the oil pan on so I can find the final position for the motor. Here is a picture of how it currently sits in the car.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111113_165537.jpg

And here is a picture of the passenger side motor mount. You can see how low the mount holds the motor, so I need to find a way to space the motor up for more oil pan clearance.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/s2k%20parts%20for%20sale/IMG_20111117_003330.jpg

Also got the transmission "test mounted" today. Looks like its a little more forward than what I thought it was going to be. Everything is currently loosely mounted, but will be pulled farther back once it finds final position. I am also probably going to have to persuade the tranny tunnel with a hammer a little bit once I raise the motor to where it needs to be. Sorry for the horrible picture, and I know its off center, but you get the general idea where the shifter currently wants to come through the floor.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111113_165619.jpg

Here is a picture of the firewall clearance. The motor sits about 2 inches forward of the firewall. If I can find a way to move it back for better shifter clearance I will, still a work in progress.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/s2k%20parts%20for%20sale/IMG_20111117_003744.jpg

Drivetrain parts were pretty dirty.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111111_152727.jpg

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111111_150930.jpg

So I took the sand blaster to them and got them prepped for paint.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/IMG_20111111_152233.jpg

I was pretty busy most of this weekend but I finally got some time today to make some progress. I let a friend borrow my electric grinder so I didnt get to the steering like I wanted to, but I was able to space the motor up like I wanted, which made a HUGE difference. Also was able to move the motor back in the engine bay today. I wanted to do that so I would have more clearance for a radiator and get closer to lining up the shifter with the chassis.

Spacing the motor up was pretty easy. Just used longer bolts for the motor mounts to the block, then re-inforced the bolt with a steel sleeve. The leaves were a little short, so I threw two nuts :naughtyd: at the top of the bolt to fill the gap. Also, I was able to tighten the top nut against the block for a little more peace of mind. Going to eventually weld up some support brackets but thats not coming til later.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_212527.jpg

Got a couple of really good benefits out of raising the motor. With a little persuading with a hammer on the oil pan, I was able to get the stock oil pan to clear the crossmember. The only place the pan was hitting was on the hard lines on the back of the steering rack. Dimpled the pan in a little to clear that, and it fit like a charm. I know its a bad picture, it was really hard to get a good angle. When I have the motor back out again I will take a picture of the pan.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_214811.jpg

Then after raising the motor I wanted to try to figure out how to get it farther aft in the engine bay. The simplest solution I could come up with was just switching the mounts. Moved the driver side to the passenger and visa versa. This gave me the exact clearance I wanted. I will have to persuade the tranny tunnel with a hammer now that the motor is farther aft and up, but overall it fits much better in the bay.

Firewall clearance is now very close.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_212457.jpg

And I am going to have to run the original heater lines through the A/C ports in the firewall. I dont care about air conditioning, but I want to keep the heater.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_212438.jpg

But this frees up A LOT of space near the steering shaft. I did a quick test fit and I think the OEM manifold will fit now without modifying the steering which is huge. If the OEM manifold fits, it also means that most shorty style headers will fit. I am going to modify a little more and try to get some long tubes in there.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_212715.jpg

Here is a picture of clearance in the front. I dont have a radiator yet, but I put the water pump pulley on and set a shroud with slim fans in place just to get a general idea.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_213213.jpg

Here is a picture of how the motor now sits in the bay, and this will be its final spot. I am going to have an issue with hood clearance, but I plan on the spacing the back of the hood to clear the air cleaner.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/IMG_20111120_212907.jpg

Slowed down a lot on the car and started taking my time with a lot of details. That along with my wife giving birth to our first baby stig, project has been taking a lot longer than I originally anticipated, my apologies for the long overdue update.

The two studs I had as an extension were not going to work. There was no way they were going to be strong enough. I was able to pick up some aluminum from work, hit them on the drill press and make perfect motor mount extensions. The driver side had to be notched a bit to fit around the block, but other than that they were a perfect bolt up.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/302motormount.jpg

I picked up some aftermarket shorty headers and got the steering figured out fairly easily. If for some reason I wanted to change the headers later on, I wanted to modify the steering instead of notching the header. You can pick up double U joints from flaming river or jegs, but I couldnt justify spending $150+ on one when I could make it myself. I just took 2 stock steering single U joints, put a socket between them and welded them together. Yes, its not as pretty as buying an aftermarket one, but it was free. The catch with a double U joint, is you MUST brace the steering shaft to prevent it from binding over itself. You can buy the steering shaft braces from jegs for about 30 bucks, then just make a bracket and weld it to the frame. I dont have any pics of this right now, but it was very simple and relatively easy to do. The hardest part was welding the steering shaft perfectly straight after shortening it.

Also got the ignition setup complete. I decided to run an MSD ignition box and blaster coil. I mostly wanted this setup for a rev limiter. I knew one day I would get a little hyper and blow the mullet madness sky high, so I wanted something to prevent that.

After I had most of the motor figured out, it was time to start on the interior. Took out all the panels/wiring/sound deadening.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/shinyfloor.jpg

Starting fitting up the cage and get it welded in.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/cagefab.jpg

Finally picked up some interior parts. F1 spec buckets (decent seats and got them for a crazy price) G Force 6 pt camlock harnesses (5 year FIA legal), OMP wheel w/ nrg hub assembly, Jegs digital gauge cluster and ARC 8000d switch panel

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/f1seats.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/seatharness.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/ompgoodness.jpg

There is a tinted plexi panel to go over the cluster
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/jegscluster.jpg

Got the full custom interior harness made and checked everything for power. The ARC 8000D is stupid simple to install. I have a battery kill switch setup inline to the relay box, then everything is literally plug up and go. My dash also looked like complete garbage, so I decided to wrap it with some purple zebra print fabric. Also in the process of carbon wrapping the swtich panel and gauge panel. Not too happy with how this first turned out, so I am going to go back an redo it.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/zebraprint.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/switchpanel.jpg

Then time to paint the interior before everything starts going back in. Still waiting on paint to dry, florida humidity blows.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/s13interior.jpg

Went on a spree of paint that day and decided to clean up the motor as well. I dont think it looks too bad for a polished terd.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/302.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/302assembled.jpg

Getting there slowly but surely...more updates soon

Honestly I completely forgot I had started this thread. The car is finished, and I am currently trying to sell it. I wish I could keep it after all the work put into it, but I got orders and just moved to alaska, where this car would be completely pointless. I will post up the few pictures I have, and if you have any questions about the build, just send me a pm and I will try to help you out. The car is currently in panama city if anyone is interested in buy it!

Transmission Mount
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/transmountfromprincess.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/forwardtransmount.jpg

Exhaust Routing- Dual 2.5" to a single 3"
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/exhaustdropout.jpg

Steering Mod. Not beautiful, but effective and VERY cheap
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/steeringshaft.jpg

Pretty Flush with a little camber
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/intialwheeltest.jpg

Crappy Picture of the digital dash
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/ignitionon.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/photo4_zpsbd6faca6.jpg

All said and done it led to this:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/photo8_zpsc45df52f.jpg

[aoiken3]

this is going to be interesting. can you include a detailed list of costs along the way as a reference for everybody else?

[pandaroo]

holly shit someone from pcb! looks like a good start man! i need to find me a 5.0 but its going in my 4runner lol.

[turboboost12004]

If you can try to put some gt40 heads and intake off an explorer..... maybe an e cam or f cam.... then youll be set :)

[Edwin562]

oh dear......

[Pray And Spray]

woww this should be rather interesting..

[broke 20]

this is going to be interesting. can you include a detailed list of costs along the way as a reference for everybody else?

Yep no problem. I will start putting together a list tonight and post up

holly shit someone from pcb! looks like a good start man! i need to find me a 5.0 but its going in my 4runner lol.

the car scene down here is so thin I am surprised to see another panama city member lol. Do you go out to those practices in pensacola? I got my motor from a place called prestige mustang up in atlanta. I caught them on a sale and got my 94 HO with 90K miles and a 3 month warranty for $499 plus $160 shipping. Pretty damn good deal for what you are getting if you ask me. You can google them to find their website.

If you can try to put some gt40 heads and intake off an explorer..... maybe an e cam or f cam.... then youll be set :)

I think I am going to try porting these stock E7 heads first and see where that gets me before I look for some gt40 heads. Unfortunately aftermarket heads doesnt fit the budget. Right now I am torn between the e303 cam and the b303. This is my first time working on a v8, but from what I have read the e303 is more streetable, but it is hard to resist that idle of the b303 :drool:

If you are going to hate on this project, please keep comments to yourself. I am simply trying to add knowledge to the community since it seems there is not much information about this swap. When its all said and done I am hoping to be around 300whp and mid to upper 300 wheel torque. Not bad for $1500 and thats hell of a lot cheaper than an LSX swap.

[S13Missle]

Good shit man, get it down and on the road! Panama city here as well.

[broke 20]

Damn another one :wavey: you guys meet up anywhere around town here? I will post more pictures soon of the steering rack clearance issues and the oil pan clearance.

[broke 20]

edited into first post

[sodelS14.5]

Ford...D; but....we will see. Should be interesting.

[broke 20]

Yeah I am not thrilled about it either honestly. I am not a ford or chevy fan boy by any means. The only reason I chose a ford engine is because the distributor is in front. The chevy dristributor is on the firewall side, and I was concerned about clearance issues.

[sodelS14.5]

Chevy woulda fit lol well...then again I guess newer ls and lt models have the dizzy in the front as well.

[broke 20]

True, but that blows my budget WAY out of the water. Your looking at a couple of g's just for drivetrain. This is a much cheaper alternative while still making simple v8 power.

[sodelS14.5]

True my boy put a LQ4 out of a GMC Denali or whoever makes them, and the T6 trans was like 2k used lol rediculous...now his shifter sits verrrry close to the drivers side in the shifted hole...how does that trans line up as far as shifter clearence?

[broke 20]

Thats exactly what steered me away from any LSX or LT1 swap, parts are way too much money for what you are getting. I tossed around the idea of an older 350 swap, and thats when I came across the possible issue of fitment for the dizzy against the firewall. I did a very rough test fit last week and it looks like its going to atleast be very close to mating up in the factory position for the shifter. Also, the factory shifter of a mustang has a 45 degree aft angle, which I am hoping will work to my advantage. I will be able to do a better test fit when I get my clutch and flywheel.

[turtle m3th]

I can't wait to see how this one turns out! I've seen a few of them done, and even began one myself, but my attention turned to the chassis, so I have yet to finish the swap. Keep doing what you do man!

[ShakotanGazelle]

that looks pretty sick man!
but ford............ ew. hahahah
why not a 1UZ or something? you could pick up a running LS400 for like 700 these days and a W58 for like 200. weighs about the same as a KA too.

other than that its looking good! i wanna see this rip the shit outta tires when its done!

[S14DOOD]

Its nice to see something diff then the LS engines in these cars!

[nismoracingsx]

sub'd.

most of the 302 240's you see are ghettttooooooooooo

hope this one isn't so

[broke 20]

Don't worry this wont be a ghetto build. Not going to do that whole "flip the manifold" crap to avoid the steering. This car needs to be well built, safe and reliable so I can finish my s2k, then this will be my toy car. I will have more pictures and updates when I get time off work this weekend. I will get pics up of the mounts, oil pan and tranny fitment.

that looks pretty sick man!
but ford............ ew. hahahah
why not a 1UZ or something? you could pick up a running LS400 for like 700 these days and a W58 for like 200. weighs about the same as a KA too.

other than that its looking good! i wanna see this rip the shit outta tires when its done!

I honestly didnt look too far into motors once I found out more about these 302's. Most nissan and toyota motors were out of the question just because of price. I couldnt justify a ka because I would just want to scrap it in a few months anyway. Trying to finder a cheaper way to get solid power and I am thinking this might be it. Ford rates this motor at 225hp and 285 torque, and thats rumored to be low for some reason. But even at those numbers, these engines are extremely restricted from the factory. Before I could never understand how fox body's were picking up 100+hp with bolt ons, but after seeing some designs on this, it becomes very clear.

[240sxdriftin]

sub'd.

most of the 302 240's you see are ghettttooooooooooo

hope this one isn't so

Yeah if you knew this dude you would know he doesn't build ghetto shit...


Lookin good though buddy, get this thing together so when i come down to pcb we can have some fun!!

[Lamp Post]

If you don't mind, could you post up what you are doing for mounts and some pictures? I would really like to do this swap for cost effectiveness, plus cammed 5.0's just sound sick! It would be greatly appreciated!

[turtle m3th]

You can use stock explorer mounts and they line up perfectly, easy peasy! do a search over at silviav8.com

edit: here's a link of someone using the explorer mounts http://www.silviav8forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3053&sid=c4618115f01193377d2491a45dd27a69

here's also a vid I found showing shifter placement using the same mounts and a t5 tranny, which seems to be pretty spot on! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW65OockPEQ

[broke 20]

Yeah if you knew this dude you would know he doesn't build ghetto shit...


Lookin good though buddy, get this thing together so when i come down to pcb we can have some fun!!

I knew you would stumble across this thread eventually...spring break is right not too far off and I expect you to be here!

If you don't mind, could you post up what you are doing for mounts and some pictures? I would really like to do this swap for cost effectiveness, plus cammed 5.0's just sound sick! It would be greatly appreciated!

Yep I already said in the thread I will post up pics this weekend...is there anything more specific you are looking for?

You can use stock explorer mounts and they line up perfectly, easy peasy! do a search over at silviav8.com

edit: here's a link of someone using the explorer mounts silviav8forums.com :: View topic - NISSAN TUFF W/FORD STUFF (http://www.silviav8forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3053&sid=c4618115f01193377d2491a45dd27a69)

Yep...the explorer and mustang mounts both work, and both require the same modification to the crossmember to get them to fit. I just used a drill with a step bit and drilled out the exisiting motor mount hole until the stud on the new motor mounts would fit, took all of maybe 7 minutes including a smoke break. The only reason I went with mustang mounts is because they were like $6 cheaper each side.

[S13Missle]

Crazy crazy, id like to come out and check this shit out sometime. I'm over in Callaway by Tyndall AFB.

[defcon86nwh]

I like you am a Chevy guy at heart but I'm in the same boat wanting more solid power for less. Will be watching this thread.

[Lamp Post]

You can use stock explorer mounts and they line up perfectly, easy peasy! do a search over at silviav8.com

edit: here's a link of someone using the explorer mounts silviav8forums.com :: View topic - NISSAN TUFF W/FORD STUFF (http://www.silviav8forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3053&sid=c4618115f01193377d2491a45dd27a69)

here's also a vid I found showing shifter placement using the same mounts and a t5 tranny, which seems to be pretty spot on! 240sx 302 v8 engine startup - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW65OockPEQ)

You're the man, thanks for the info.

Yep I already said in the thread I will post up pics this weekend...is there anything more specific you are looking for?

My bad I must've skipped over that. I'll just wait for the pictures :D

[conrad_s13.5]

my buddies about to toss one in,... been trying to talk me into it....lol

should be awesome!

[broke 20]

updated :boink:

[DizzleFoShizzle]

Well hurry it up already so we can slide! Oh and watch out spring time i'll be doing the 1uzfe swap :)

[turtle m3th]

Nice update. I know it's hard to keep track of all the little details, but whatever info you can manage to document is greatly appreciated!

[coupster]

What's up you know who this is RHD s13 black and white LOL. the builds looking crazy, you should hit me up when your working on her, I'd be glad to lend a hand. You know were to find me 43rd :(. keep up the good work.

[broke 20]

Well hurry it up already so we can slide! Oh and watch out spring time i'll be doing the 1uzfe swap :)

Lets do it this weekend!!

Nice update. I know it's hard to keep track of all the little details, but whatever info you can manage to document is greatly appreciated!

Thanks bud. Trying to get everything, but if there is anything in particular anyone wants more info about just let me know and I will post up anything I can.

What's up you know who this is RHD s13 black and white LOL. the builds looking crazy, you should hit me up when your working on her, I'd be glad to lend a hand. You know were to find me 43rd :(. keep up the good work.

Damn dont remind me of that place lol. Hopefully I can get some more parts in this week and get some good wrench time in this weekend. My goal is to get the motor and tranny into its final spot this weekend so I can figure out the steering and driveshaft...then its all down hill from there!

[turtle m3th]

Can you post a pic up of how much clearance the motor has to the firewall? I'm curious as to how much further you can move it back.

[broke 20]

Can you post a pic up of how much clearance the motor has to the firewall? I'm curious as to how much further you can move it back.

Yep no problem...I will get ya some pics when I get time to wrench here in a couple of days.

[Walperstyle]

so tempted to find a s13 chassis.... being my 5.0L in my F250 is doing nothing right now. Would be interested in crossmember and mounts if someone can fabricate them. I don't have a welder yet. No emission laws here, i'll just route the exhaust thru the hood, lol.

[turtle m3th]

After looking over your mounts too, I now feel stupid... I purchased the explorer brackets that still require the mounts which appear to cost the same as your all in one units :facepalm: I'm probably gonna grab some poly mustang mounts now. Do you have a link from where you purchased yours from, or did you get them locally?

[broke 20]

so tempted to find a s13 chassis.... being my 5.0L in my F250 is doing nothing right now. Would be interested in crossmember and mounts if someone can fabricate them. I don't have a welder yet. No emission laws here, i'll just route the exhaust thru the hood, lol.

You dont need a welder or any fabrication to the crossmember. Check out my pictures on the first post. I used the stock crossmember and drilled out the holes for the factory mounts so the studs will fit. We dont have emission here either so I am doing a true dual blast pipes.

After looking over your mounts too, I now feel stupid... I purchased the explorer brackets that still require the mounts which appear to cost the same as your all in one units :facepalm: I'm probably gonna grab some poly mustang mounts now. Do you have a link from where you purchased yours from, or did you get them locally?

I picked up mine for pretty cheap...it was about $36 shipped for driver and passenger. I have the website posted up on the first post as well, but I picked them up from rockauto.com. I bought mounts from a 94 mustang, but from what I have found online any mounts from a 83-95 mustang will drop in after drilling out the crossmember.

[turtle m3th]

Do you think there may be a height difference between the two mounts (explorer vs mustang)? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/kisssodivine/dsc00886s.jpg

[broke 20]

Hmmm I am not sure...my mounts bolt up to the block differently though. Let me grab my phone real quick and go out and snap a pic for ya.

[broke 20]

updated first post. Mine may bolt up the same as those explorer mounts, but they are definitely a much lower profile...using those explorer mounts might give you a better first shot at oil pan clearance if you can get them to fit in.

[mkezzo16]

This motor is much better suited for a s-chassis..had a sn95 gt..liked the torque, but the weight and gas didnt justify it

[turtle m3th]

Thanks for the update! Got the exact info I was looking for. You should be able to space your motor back by welding a new plate directly onto the stock mounting surface and drilling the slit a little more offset. Should easily be able to get about an inch out of it that way, or at least that's just what I intend to do.

[broke 20]

This motor is much better suited for a s-chassis..had a sn95 gt..liked the torque, but the weight and gas didnt justify it

I cant wait for the torque...especially in the s chassis :wiggle:


Thanks for the update! Got the exact info I was looking for. You should be able to space your motor back by welding a new plate directly onto the stock mounting surface and drilling the slit a little more offset. Should easily be able to get about an inch out of it that way, or at least that's just what I intend to do.

No problem bud. Thanks for the tip...definitely will look into that when the time comes around to it.

[turtle m3th]

Don't mean to junk up your thread, just trying to offer some input, haha! Apparently you can use the stock explorer headers and they clear the steering shaft if staying on a strict budget is in order to get this thing running!

check it out!
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/jc543_240/240sx/005.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/jc543_240/240sx/002.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/jc543_240/240sx/003.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/jc543_240/240sx/006.jpg

and here's a link to the guys original build thread http://www.silviav8forums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2061&highlight=jesse

[broke 20]

Yeah I read that guy's thread a while back. It didnt make any sense to me...he spent his money on chrome instead of building it right the first time. I guess if you were on a really tight budget that would work, but I think thats what someone else was talking about most of these swap being ghetto. He can never change that manifold without modifying the steering, so why avoid it? I would not want to be seen running that thing. Good input though, I am sure someone will find that to be a good idea...for some unknown reason.

Dont worry, I believe I have found a way to mod the steering for CHEAP...if mine works it will cost about $5 :D

[turtle m3th]

Oh shit, I can't wait to see what you've got up your sleeve...

[broke 20]

I will have pics up tomorrow if it works out...using oem steering joints...just adding one and bracing the steering shaft

[s14l0v3r]

Out of the 30 million threads on here this was the only one I saw with 302 on it, instantly knew it was yours haha but good shit bra.

[broke 20]

updated :zombie:

[broke 20]

Out of the 30 million threads on here this was the only one I saw with 302 on it, instantly knew it was yours haha but good shit bra.

Thanks bud :wiggle:

[Walperstyle]

Dudes might want to have a heat shield around that fuel filter and lines on the passenger side.

also whats wrong with that explorer header? you are not running to a turbo, so what does it matter as long as it gets the exhaust away and out the back?

[Carbomb]

Keep it syck! Brahhhhhhhhh

[broke 20]

Dudes might want to have a heat shield around that fuel filter and lines on the passenger side.

Thats all coming out...running an inline filter underneath the car and the fuel line will come into the bay on the drivers side

[turtle m3th]

Ill be doing the same for my fuel lines with an ls1 filter that has a built in fpr

[broke 20]

Ill be doing the same for my fuel lines with an ls1 filter that has a built in fpr

Are you running carb or efi? I know the fuel pressure is crazy low on a carb, just curious about the fpr.

[turtle m3th]

I'm gonna be running an efi setup. And by the looks of how much further back your motor is now sitting, your shifter seems like its gonna line up in a pretty good location! Is there enough space between the firewall and motor to fit the tranny bellhousing?

[broke 20]

I'm gonna be running an efi setup. And by the looks of how much further back your motor is now sitting, your shifter seems like its gonna line up in a pretty good location! Is there enough space between the firewall and motor to fit the tranny bellhousing?

With the motor being as low as it was I wasnt going to have to do anything to the transmission tunnel. Now that its up higher though I am definitely going to have to go at it with a hammer a bit for the bell housing to clear. Not really too thrilled about that, but I can keep my stock oil pan which is nice, wont have to change the oil sump. Also, I am going to test fit the stock manifold on the drivers side without modifying the steering, its going to atleast be very close to fitting. And I am definitely hoping that shifter lines up...the motor came back a lot so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

[broke 20]

Any of you panama city guys down to wrench this weekend? I want to get this thing damn near running before I go home on leave next weekend.

[turtle m3th]

Got any updates?

[broke 20]

updated :s101:

[broke 20]

Mods if you could please move this to the build section....I started this thread before that section opened, sorry for it sitting dorment until I updated it

[ZdProjects]

Dude I just was going through my bookmarks and found your thread from awhile back! Let's see some updates man!

[broke 20]

^^added updates to original post

[90S13Pilot]

loving the progress! Looks good!

[zurud]

The exhaust manifold is restrictive as hell. Even D15 honda engine is double that size.

[broke 20]

The exhaust manifold is restrictive as hell. Even D15 honda engine is double that size.

You can barely see the manifold? And I guarantee the runners of a d15 manifold are not larger. The aftermarket shorties are much smoother/larger than the stock manifold on a 302.

Disgusting oem manifolds
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/302oemmanifolds.jpg

Aftermarket shorty manifolds
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/302aftermarket.jpg

[broke 20]

Life has been busy so I havent had as much time in the garage as I would like. Have been able to get some little things done though. I picked up some wheels of craigslist for $75. They arent the greatest looking wheels, but they were cheap as hell so I dont care. They are 17x8 +30 and 17x9.5 +20.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/intialwheeltest.jpg

Here is a picture of the completed steering. We used two of the OEM steering U joints and welded them together to make a double U joint. You can buy these from jegs/summit/flamingriver, but they are like 170 bucks or something like that. With any double you joint, you MUST brace the steering shaft to keep it from binding. Its pretty easy to do, pick up a steering brace online for like $30 and make a bracket. We made a triangular bracket and welded it to the top of the frame rail.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/steeringshaft.jpg

The custom wire harness is about 98% complete. Still need to wire up the turn signals, hazards and brake switch. I got the dash trimmed to fit around the cage, gauge panel and switch panel made/mounted. As soon as the wiring is done, I will mount the seats/harnesses, then just plumb up the hydro e brake and the interior will be complete.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/ignitionon.jpg

My 2.5 month old son inspecting my work :cool:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/landointhenissan.jpg

[blessedhellrider]

kinda like and kinda dont like the dash ..looks like 88mph is in the future.
and not a fan of the zebra print ..but definitely cool project. good luck.

[DizzleFoShizzle]

Duuuude dash looks sick! Love how everything is coming together. I'll definitely have to stop by someday, wish I had more time bud.

[OLDSCHOOLRICER]

So with this steering mod you can run long tube headers? That would be awesome

[broke 20]

Thanks guys. I know the gauge cluster is not for everyone, but I like it because its something different and was well priced for being a full digital gauge setup. And its super easy to calibrate, does 0 to 60 times as well as 1/4 mile times. I doubt I will ever use those features, but it might be fun to play with one day.

So with this steering mod you can run long tube headers? That would be awesome

I wish I had access to a lot of different styles of long tubes to test. Its still a tight clearance with the shorties I have, but it clears easily. I have only been able to try to fit a set of hedmen long tubes from a friends 67 mustang, and there was no way they were going to fit.

[OLDSCHOOLRICER]

Oh ok I see. So with what you did you no longer have to route the driver side header to the front....

[broke 20]

Oh ok I see. So with what you did you no longer have to route the driver side header to the front....

Exactly. Didnt want to have the ghetto look of the passenger manifold mounted properly and the driver side flipped upside down.

[OLDSCHOOLRICER]

Exactly. Didnt want to have the ghetto look of the passenger manifold mounted properly and the driver side flipped upside down.

Genius I tell you. Good luck I hope I can soon do this swap soon to

[broke 20]

Thanks bud. Post up a build thread. I think ford drivetrains will become increasingly common and nothing wrong with adding some knowledge about the swap.

[OLDSCHOOLRICER]

Thanks bud. Post up a build thread. I think ford drivetrains will become increasingly common and nothing wrong with adding some knowledge about the swap.

Yup and so will the prices on the swap and drivetrain. Need to get parts before cool factor/ drift tax/poor man cool v8 swap alternative comes into play

[240sxdriftin]

Get this thing going already! I'm ready to play!

[broke 20]

Get this thing going already! I'm ready to play!

Drive your broke ass to florida, you will even get your own room fo free :ssex:

[808drft]

nice build man had yur build saved under my bookmarks. looks like u finally go the ball rolling again. i just got my 302 swap finished and loving it. im thinking of doing the steering shaft mod like u or jus jus mod the shorty's around the column. is modding the steering shaft legal in fd and xdc?? jus wondering. ok enough of my talking lets see more updates! haha

[drscooper]

damm nice build man! intresting and for some reason i like that zebra print lol haha!

[broke 20]

nice build man had yur build saved under my bookmarks. looks like u finally go the ball rolling again. i just got my 302 swap finished and loving it. im thinking of doing the steering shaft mod like u or jus jus mod the shorty's around the column. is modding the steering shaft legal in fd and xdc?? jus wondering. ok enough of my talking lets see more updates! haha

Thats a very valid point and honestly I hadnt put much thought into until this post. Here is a quote from page 31 of the Formula D 2012 PDF Rulebook-

8.3.6. Steering
Modifications of steering components (steering rack, tie rods, etc) are free.
This includes mounting the rack to the front subframe.

And here is a quote from page 12 of the XDC Rulebook PDF-

4.2.6 Steering:
Modifications of steering components (steering rack, tie rods, etc) are free. This includes mounting the steering rack to the front sub-frame.

Looks like everything is legal :bigok:

[808drft]

Thats a very valid point and honestly I hadnt put much thought into until this post. Here is a quote from page 31 of the Formula D 2012 PDF Rulebook-

8.3.6. Steering
Modifications of steering components (steering rack, tie rods, etc) are free.
This includes mounting the rack to the front subframe.

And here is a quote from page 12 of the XDC Rulebook PDF-

4.2.6 Steering:
Modifications of steering components (steering rack, tie rods, etc) are free. This includes mounting the steering rack to the front sub-frame.

Looks like everything is legal :bigok:

hmmm i guess so then huh haha wonder why more ppl dont do that then. guess i might go the route u went.

[ShakotanGazelle]

this thing needs a flat crank conversion ;)

[broke 20]

this thing needs a flat crank conversion ;)

I didnt know what that was so I researched it....daayyyuummm...that is well beyond what I am ready for :ugh:

We were able to make some progress on the car this morning before work. Next big thing was to tackle the exhaust. I have a 3" catback that a buddy gave me, so I couldnt justify not using it since it was free and in decent shape. We took 2.5" pipe off each shorty header, brought them into a 2.5" inlet 3" outlet flowmaster Y pipe. The driver side was pretty straight forward with only one major bend. The passenger side was a bit more of a pain, with a turn coming under the transmission then a turn going back to the Y pipe. Overall wasnt too bad though, especially for this being the first time my roommate and I have ever made an exhaust. Everything is tacked and about 60% welded, had to hold off on finishing due to a rain delay/work.

Passenger side

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/exhaustforwardstarter.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/passengerviewexhaust.jpg

Everything tacked and dropped out to be welded
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/exhaustdropout.jpg

Roommate earning his keep
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/gertzywelding.jpg

Rain delay. I am pretty happy with the profile of the exhaust. The pipe coming under the tranny doesnt hang so low I will need to stress about crushing it.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/raindelay.jpg

We also finished up the trans mount last week but I never took/posted pictures of it. Wasnt too bad to make, just used some plate steel and rectangular tube steel, and re inforced it with some pretty little triangles.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/forwardtransmount.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k118/94a3sol/500sx%20build/transmountfromprincess.jpg

More updates soon to come, hoping to get the motor fired up by the end of the week

[eklipse38]

I'm going to keep an eye on this build. I'm planning a 302 swap soon.

[OLDSCHOOLRICER]

Any updates? Did you're steering mod work to clear the shorty headers on the driver side?

[broke 20]

Any updates? Did you're steering mod work to clear the shorty headers on the driver side?

Yep, gave me just enough clearance to not have to modify the manifold.

Still have a lot of little stuff to work on, but we got the car running today and roughly timed. Watch the video in HD for the best sound quality. The video kills it a bit, but it sounds like a freaking beast enclosed in the garage

4brO-3CaLBk

[Imarvin240]

great progress on the car, awesome job.

[dat925stunna]

that is sick bro

[OLDSCHOOLRICER]

Did I miss something. I though you were efi. It's carbed one?
That's great you got it running. I just picked up a s13 coupe shell that I'm going to swap a 5.0 into let me know how it rides

[broke 20]

Did I miss something. I though you were efi. It's carbed one?
That's great you got it running. I just picked up a s13 coupe shell that I'm going to swap a 5.0 into let me know how it rides

The motor is originally efi, but I switched it to carb for simplicity. I kept all my efi parts, and will eventually pick up an engine harness and ecu and switch it over, but I am going to rock it carb'd for a bit.


Thanks for the compliments guys, definitely adds motivation to get back in the garage in the morning.

[240SilviaX]

I build 302, 306, 331,and 347 @ work and to see one go into a 240 is sick,, good job being different.. if u need any performance parts for ur motor or a built motor go to TREperformance.com we also have some 240 stuff

[mattattack]

whats up man how goes it? im getting my 302 in a cupple of days. i had a question though, are you running the stock diff? are you welding it or are you going to use a n/a z32 diff

[91coupesr20det]

when u get some money get a trickflow top end bro, had a fox before my s13 and the trickflow top end kit is the most bang for ur buck out there for the small block 5.0. mine was a beast. ove been thinking about replicating that fox motor but in my 13, but its got a good running sr so maybe when it takes a dump.

[Danstachet]

This build is legit. And that steering shaft mod is amazing. Could seriously save me some headaches on my rb26 swap...

[broke 20]

brought from the dead, updates on first page

[S13 gt]

I doubt anybody still reads this thread but I need some help! I just crashed my 1998 mustang gt and I wanna get an s13 coupe and just swap the mustang motor to the 240 I know it will be difficult but I know it will be a lot cheaper to do this than to fix the damages on the mustang. If I can ask where do you live?? Just if I need help I can ask for assistance lol, but what do you guys think? It's a 4.6l v8 engine let me know

[1988montecarloss]

I doubt anybody still reads this thread but I need some help! I just crashed my 1998 mustang gt and I wanna get an s13 coupe and just swap the mustang motor to the 240 I know it will be difficult but I know it will be a lot cheaper to do this than to fix the damages on the mustang. If I can ask where do you live?? Just if I need help I can ask for assistance lol, but what do you guys think? It's a 4.6l v8 engine let me know

i wouldnt even waste my time putting a non-pi 2v 4.6 into anything lol

[2fordyboi]

Hey buddy what did you use for steering shaft mod

[Wayner4333]

Don't know if anyone is on this thread still but I was wonduring how difficult all the wiring was

[TheRealSy90]

Would be nice if the OP could fix the pictures in this thread.

[DontCaere]

Hey Broke 20, I was wondering if I can get more information on how you made the motor to sit higher. Do you think you can send pictures of your motor mounts and how you raised it!?

[DontCaere]

Did you just order a new driveshaft for the 240 or the mustang? Is there anything I need to do for the driveshaft or do I just need do buy a 240sx driveshaft with a new length??