General Chat
Q:
I'm in the process of doing a 240sx gearbox swap for my 77z . I called Troy Ermish and he quoted me $175.00 for the machining of the 280z bellhousing. Just to update and let everyone know cause I have seen it mentioned here for $100.00. Inflation is a b---h.
I wanted to do it local but these people looked at me as if I was insane and/or stupid. Then they tell me that its probably not going to work. One said they dont work on foreign cars, the other said they only do heavy equipment etc...
77z restored, new paint, 83 ZX Turbo Engine. 5spd, Eibach springs, Ilumina struts.
A:
A good machine shop will do what you ask and not try to tell you otherwise. You are the paying customer. If you want the bellhousing machined, then they should machine it to your specs. If it doesn't work it's your problem, not theirs. Sounds like most of those guys were rolling in so much money that they didn't need anymore work. My fabricator will do anything I give him to my specs. He doesn't even want to know what crazy idea I am working on. He works fast and pretty cheap (mostly for beer). My company brings a lot of other (real) work to him though.
1972 240Z 4-speed, header, 3.54 R200, Crane XR-3000 Ignition, 280Z tach, Tokico Blue Struts, Suspension Tech Springs, Poly Bushings. Visit me at my website for your custom EFI & restored Datsun parts
A:
If you want this kind of odd-ball work done, then expect a normal shop to look at you kinda funny. Your local transmission shops do not do custom one-off transmission assemblies for antique cars. If you want custom fab done right by Z racing experts, then it will cost you accordingly. Sorry, but only a handfull of Z people here really know hos to do it, Joes Car shop down the street will not.
A:
Can't you also just swap the 280Z front lower counter shaft bearing onto the 240sx tranny and then bolt the 280Z housing up to the 240SX tranny?
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998
A:
yeah norm.
77Z- (mfg. 7/77)
"Arm-chair Autox'er"
A:
Norm this is exactly what I did on my 240sx swap and just drilled out the hole for the shift rod
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'74 2+2 -- MSA sway bars, Illuminas, Eibach Progressive, Energy Suspension
L28 with MN47, 240Z rods, milled down dished pistons (11.6:1 CR) and 240sx tranny
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committing suicide in small managable payments
A:
Hybrid77z:
Agree. I dont mind paying for it. It just bugs me when they question the why, how etc and then tell you to try the shop down the road. I'm still looking. Theres got to be someone around here that will do it.
Norm:
Thats exactly what I did; however when I put it back together it would not turn when in gear. I started loosening the screws and as soon as I turn them loose just a turn or two I was able to turn the shaft. Come to find out the part of the housing around the lower/smaller bearing was pressing against the 4th (???) gear right behind it keeping the shaft from turning. So I searched and sure enough I read where a couple of people have had to mill about 2mm off to fix this.
I read where this only happes when using some of the 240z housings for the swap. The transmission being replaced is a 5spd of unknown year, maybe 79.
Also I noticed that the gears and forks in the 240sx trans seem to be beefier and the transmission itself feels heavier. Sorry I dont have a scale to back this claim. I only mentioned this because some people ask about how much torque can the 240sx box handle. It may handle just as much.
77z restored, new paint, 83 ZX Turbo Engine. 5spd, Eibach springs, Ilumina struts.
A:
I have it advertised on zselect.com, to do this mod, and I do it RIGHT, not just with a DRILL bit on the shift rod hole, as there is NO way to keep that straigt, not only that, but drill bits go WAY out of size. Measure your stock rod to hole clearence, its .001", any looser, and you will have SLOP, and it will wear your shift forks with time! The bigger bearing is a MUST for HIGH TQ apps, as the small bearing cant take the force, thats why we bore it for the bigger bearing. You HAVE to counter bore also if you use the SMALL z bearing, so the face has to be counterbored. Up to you, I would NOT ghetto it, and I would get it done right, where ever you get it done.
Lots of Z cars, 1970's-1983's.
1977, Megasquirt, 12.8@ 105, 1.70 60 Foot, 2940 LBS. Blake Machine Co, Phx, AZ http://bandmzcars.com http://blakemachineprojects.com http://www.zselect.com
A:
Hey Blake, what do you typically charge to do the correct machining and do you need the entire tranny to do it or can it be done by just shipping you the bellhousing?
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12.804 @ 107.26 mph on crappy street tires with Dual SU Powered 2.9L Stroker!
ZCAR.COM member since Aug 1998
A:
Just ship me the bellhousing. You pay shipping both ways, and 125 labor.
Lots of Z cars, 1970's-1983's.
1977, Megasquirt, 12.8@ 105, 1.70 60 Foot, 2940 LBS. Blake Machine Co, Phx, AZ http://bandmzcars.com http://blakemachineprojects.com http://www.zselect.com
A:
hey Blake, you ever do complete 240sx tranmissions with custom bellhousing to sell as a whole ready to bolt in?
A:
! fast z can we work on a swap here?
You can sleep in your car, but cant drive in your house
if you are fully in control, you are not driving fast enough!
79 ZXR 46K!
81 ZXT EURO 2+2
83 ZXT
All fine Fastback winnabego's