VZN 130-305 Chevy Project

[catalystracing]

So having bought a parts truck, and having it sitting lonely slowly being raided I was thinking of a project, Im getting older and have always wanted a to drive a V8 4x4 and do the conversion myself.
So fortune has it the truck was part way through a manual conversion, the old auto has gone and it looks like a R150 or R151 box has been put in it place. The clutch pedal has been mounted with master and slave all done. Even the relays and switch have been wired for the transfer and front diff.

As fortune would have it a mate has a 305 Chevy long block which I pick up on Friday night
I will need a starter, and headers to begin with.

Have never done anything like this, but have a can do attitude and a welder

Will post photos as I go.

Im guessing from a project management point that fitting the motor in first and then work out the other bits from there.
It will be a bush hack, never certed so Im not constrained by too much

Looking forward to your comments and input.

Cheers Paul.

[derk]

you'll want long skinny fingers to squeeze the engine in there but it'll fit and it'll fit much better if you can pop some back windows out and stick the radiator down the back, the 305's are the bottom of the food chain for chev's they are low output smog engines designed around emissions not performance but if its a cheap runner it'll work fine and all the donkey work will be done if you want to swap out to a better engine later on, get yourself some rams horn manifolds or block huggers before you make the engine mounts up so you can work out exhaust clearances around the chassis rails

[catalystracing]

Cheers, yeah I know its not the beast you first choose but the price was right
I could have the whole thing running for about 1.5k (no quotes please...lol) owes me $800 all up now, and I have lotsa bits like tow bar, rear tailgate, bumpers and grills to move on to help cover costs.

Have already thought of moving the fan and radiator toward the back, which will probably get attacked with the cutting discs anyways.

Paul.

[catalystracing]

Picked up the 305 Chevy tonight, once I clear the straw and sparrow crap off it it will be a beauty

Ok, so for those that dont know, the 305 is the baby brother of the 350, same in almost every way except bore size. They say good for low down torque.

If anyone has headers, flywheel, dizzy, starter for either, please let me know.
Im in no rush to put this together.

Without measuring, it look as if space under the hood will be ok, it seems smaller that yotas V6, will check that out tomorrow in the light.

Im going to look at changing the Rochester carb for single point injection from an EA falcon, have been told it is worth looking at, and bolt pattern is similar.

Looking forward to the adventure.

Paul.

[catalystracing]

This needs the a clean up, looks pretty sad ATM but will have fun working on it.

[mudlva]

Great choice of block
Couple of tips for installing
Ditch the chevy mounts and make something similar to these.
Its a saf control radius arm bush mounted in a sleave.
All sbc mounts are crap FULLSTOP.
Even with rad in rear engine bay temps still build up heaps.
Fit a plastic fan onto your water pump. Its removes over 15-20d of my motor
Ive got my trans cooler in front of the fan just because i could. I you are tight for room just fit a shroud.

Oh yeah buy yaself a plasma cutter as well

As i used a very good theory of:
Plasma cutter makes right everything the mig glued together

It was literally a life safer at times plus added bonus of savings in cut off blades

Watching the buikd with interest

Had a complete flywheel and l.c. clutch set up here but may of binned it due to a mishap and the bin getting full of water due to some dickhead leaving the lid off it......

[catalystracing]

Thanks mudlva, all input appreciated, especially the helpful stuff....
I have been warned about the temps getting up there, a mate from work has a large radiator he is letting me have for $20, if we can make it fit in the front then Ill do that.
I did see a place on TM that made all sorts of mounts to suit most motors into the yota engine bay, cant find him now I need him..

Have been looking for a plasma, but have to make a decision as to concrete the dirt floor or get a plasma, I am sick of working in the dirt.

When you find the dickhead that got ya stuff wet you should give him a good ass kicking

Have seen some block hugging headers on Ebay for about $130 (nzd), probably worth the freight to get them.

Cheers Paul.

[mudlva]

Just remember
Headers for horse power
Rams horns for torque.

[catalystracing]

Thanks, Ill tuck that away into my memory banks.

What would be your choice, Im looking ease of fitting up first, performance second.
Keeping in mind I do know a secret location of a dual transfer case...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Speedway-SB ... Sg&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-GMC-5-0L- ... 4Q&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/sb-chevy-rams-h ... qu&vxp=mtr

[mudlva]

Experience with block hugger headers is..
Stay away from this stile, if the pipe sticks thru the plate and then welded up, as they dont seal properly.
Black id good for dispersing heat. Std steel alright. Chrome holds heat.

Space will be tight. Imho rams horns will be easier to pipe up and will also allow for bettet engine bay temps.
Added bonus is when ya take her swimming or mud bogging rams horns dont steam up like headers do.
Thus you dont loose vision which will allow you to see your exit......or at least ya co'e tellin ya youve gone the wrong way.....

[catalystracing]

Thus you dont loose vision which will allow you to see your exit......or at least ya co'e tellin ya youve gone the wrong way.....

please do tell.........

[catalystracing]

Found these.
http://www.advanceadapters.com/products ... utch-disc/
http://www.advanceadapters.com/products ... using-kit/
http://www.advanceadapters.com/products ... ck-v6-ifs/

[derk]

forget about all that shit from the states mate, that bellhousing will owe you over a grand by the time you pay the low NZ exchange rate, freight and gst. Go buy a cheap $100-$150 chevy bellhousing off trademe and take it around to howat engineering and they'll make up an adaptor plate or redrill the housing to fit your R series gearbox for a couple of hundred bucks, they have got a whole pile of Toyota front gearbox chops for making up adaptors sitting under the bench so you wont even have to give them your gearbox.

A standard 21 spline hilux clutch disc will work with an 11" chevy pressure plate so you don't have to go importing a clutch from the states either

If you try and use that engine mount kit you'll always end up finding it doesn't quite work with how your doing your conversion something will fowl or not fit so just plan on fabricating up the mounts as you go

[catalystracing]

Thanks derk, that's exactly the input I'm needing.
I got the bell housing with it, so that's a plus. Brian is just around the corner from work, he has done work for me before. I was thinking if I had to, cut both bell housings and weld them up.
I have a 200amp ac/dc tig welder so can do, just hadnt put much thought into distances or how to align them yet.
The parts truck I got came with a HD clutch plate, so that's awesome, thought I would need a specialist one.

Was trying to get away with making my own engine mounts, but the more I look and ask around, the more it seems Ill will go that way. Prob get Brians input there also.

Thanks for taking time to post, many thanks

[derk]

when you mount the engine you'll find it will hinge around getting the exhaust flanges to clear the chassis rails (unless your making some over the chassis headers ) so you'll need some block huggers or exhaust manifolds on the engine so you can adjust the height and clearances etc to get enough room for the exhausts to fit, block huggers do just as their name suggests and hug close to the block and has a centre down exit so are good for tight clearances, rams horn manifolds are much the same they are a centre down exit (I think they are all a down exit) so also give good clearance. If your doing a 2 into 1 cross over under the sump try and do a V shapped cross over towards the front of the engine to reduce the amount of heat around the sump bowl and engine oil. When you make the engine mounts if you use standard chevy mounts avoid anything you can buy on the internet or at speed shops they are all piss weak Chinese things that twist off and break the first time the engine torques get yourself some "Energy Suspension" brand mounts they are a bit pricey but instead of being two plates sandwiched by a bit of rubber and useless glue they are two interlocked plates (like 2 chain links) with polyurethane bonded between them so they are a captive mount that cant be ripped apart you can make your own captive mounts if you want but there can be a bit of work in it

[skidmark]

This is how I made my 1uz mounts, I think it was 70 series shackle bushes, crush tube in between off original chassis mounts.not surw now close sb Chevrolet bolt holes are to chassis mounts

[catalystracing]

Nice work on those mounts, that gives me some good ideas.

Cheers.

[catalystracing]

Started to hunt down some bits for the motor now need some leads on the rams horn headers.

Any ideas where to start looking/who to ask??

Cheers Paul.

[mudlva]

Will have a chat to mates and see whats about

[catalystracing]

Will have a chat to mates and see whats about

Awesome, thank you.

[mudlva]

Mates away at beach hop this weekend. Or should it be beach flop due to weather.....

Hay i found the flywheel as well even has an old l.c.clucth still bolted to it.
Will find out about the r.h. and get back to you

[catalystracing]

Mates away at beach hop this weekend. Or should it be beach flop due to weather.....

Hay i found the flywheel as well even has an old l.c.clucth still bolted to it.
Will find out about the r.h. and get back to you

Yuss

[catalystracing]

ok, so we progress toward a start up on the engine stand soon Have now collected starter, rams horns, fly wheel and clutch, water pump, alternator, air cleaner. Need dizzy and fuel pump.

Am I right in assuming that threads will be UNC, need to gather some to bolt this lot up.

Cheers

[mudlva]

5/16 & 3/8 unc are common bolt threads.
If going maneul fuel pump dont forget the plunger rod.
Also on front if block where feul pump is located make sure that the two threaded hole there have a bolt in them. One of the holes is drilled right through and will piss out oil once motor leans over rhs down.

[catalystracing]

5/16 & 3/8 unc are common bolt threads.
If going maneul fuel pump dont forget the plunger rod.
Also on front if block where feul pump is located make sure that the two threaded hole there have a bolt in them. One of the holes is drilled right through and will piss out oil once motor leans over rhs down.

Cheers, those are the threads I was thinking they would be.
Thanks for the heads up on FP, is an electric option a better way to go ?

Paul.

[mudlva]

Not the right person to answer that cause i use "the poor mans fuel injection LOVE GAS".
Plenty of chaps on here that ran benzene tho.

Imho it would come down to two things
.fuel volumn?
.the issue of drawing fuel whilst climbing v pushing fuel?

Just thinking of doing hard steep climbs either out of a deep hole or heading towards the clouds hill climbing type of suituation.
Niether really apply to lpg unless the tank is just about empty

[catalystracing]

Going to put the 305 into my LN107 now.

I have a few more goodies and time coming up to look seriously at putting the SBC in, just wondering about the comparative engine weights, just wondering if I will need to beef up suspension
Cant find any where that will tell me how much the 3L weighs, the 305 seems to be about 575LBs (260 kg)
Anyone know how much the 3L weighs in at ?

Cheers, Paul.

[catalystracing]

Ok, so the holidays a freed up some time to get some momentum going on this.
The VZN engine bay has been cleared out and the 305 is on the stand getting a once over.

I have some VZN parts if anyone wants. Not motor,G/box or running gear, but bits like steering wheel, cruise control module, central locking module, instrument cluster, speedo cable.

[mudsurfv6]

What you want for steering wheel? Be easier to fit a non air bag wheel instead of removing air bag from my 185. Hopefully shafts size is the same.

your in featherston aye?

[catalystracing]

What you want for steering wheel? Be easier to fit a non air bag wheel instead of removing air bag from my 185. Hopefully shafts size is the same.

your in featherston aye?

Yup, Ill PM you contact details