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I'm putting it in a 1990 Nissan 240sx (S13) Hatchback.
Thanks! That's just the Rust-Oleum hammered copper cans from basically any place that sells cans of spray paint. Hah.
I'm hoping to get some time on the car after this holiday week/end. I have fuel lines and fittings ordered as well as my driveshaft. So if all goes well it shouldn't be too long before a test fire.
Dang Mach.80 got the wiring parts out and I missed it? Not sure why I'm not getting reply emails anymore. Anyways, its awesome to see where this thread has gone and all the information that has been produced. I think this might be the most detailed 3.7 thread on the internet as far as information is concerned.
as far as my situation is concerned ive been reeeally busy. With working 5/6 day weeks in orlando, working on my property, building a bridge on my property, getting the house situation handled and dealing with my father in law's probate ive been far too busy to even work on the rx7. Hopefully once we settle on the property and I move the rx7 i can finish my swap. Also I bought a tractor
Glad to hear the project isnt collecting dust entirely! and i would agree. i think, especially now, this thread is the most detailed on the interwebs, so thanks for keeping it active.
I know i have found it extremely useful and all the help from those on it to be priceless, truly.
As an update from myself - i'm within hours of work to test-fire my swap. By my own will power i have convinced myself to get the cooling system in place before firing so i dont have to shut it down right away, though i know that's not entirely necessary. I'm currently mid-fab on my fan mount/shroud, then i wire the fan into the mustang harness (volvo 2-speed E-fan actually), mount a lower cooling pipe, fill with fluids (oil already full) and attempt to fire. i've been about this far for a couple of weeks now and am ANXIOUS (yet extremely nervous) to test it out. Life has been taking my weekends, but im trying to find an hour here and there... living in MI i would LOVE, to test this around the block before snow... so that's a huge goal for me.
Glad to hear the project isnt collecting dust entirely! and i would agree. i think, especially now, this thread is the most detailed on the interwebs, so thanks for keeping it active.
I know i have found it extremely useful and all the help from those on it to be priceless, truly.
As an update from myself - i'm within hours of work to test-fire my swap. By my own will power i have convinced myself to get the cooling system in place before firing so i dont have to shut it down right away, though i know that's not entirely necessary. I'm currently mid-fab on my fan mount/shroud, then i wire the fan into the mustang harness (volvo 2-speed E-fan actually), mount a lower cooling pipe, fill with fluids (oil already full) and attempt to fire. i've been about this far for a couple of weeks now and am ANXIOUS (yet extremely nervous) to test it out. Life has been taking my weekends, but im trying to find an hour here and there... living in MI i would LOVE, to test this around the block before snow... so that's a huge goal for me.
Yeah we're gonna need video of your first fire as well, lol.
You Betcha!
it'll crank for days right now - Have fuel, no spark. So im working through that. But when it does, there will be Video. hah.
i have a "heading" that the Cam sensor circuit isn't getting energized somehow, wires all seem fine, and the sensors appear to check out, so currently im tracking down some time with someone who has a professional scanner so that they can monitor and see what is really causing that. im hoping i just forgot to give the PCM power at some pin or something.
Have read through the entire thread. Very informative. I'm just starting out with a Duratec 3.0/5speed swap into an FC. Car is a 24 Hours of LeMons car. Have blown up a bunch of rotaries over the last 10 years and rotary parts are getting expensive. Idea is to get better power, a lot more torque from a stock engine than from the big ported rotary while getting much better fuel mileage. In endurance racing you have to balance power and mileage. Power is nice but you just can't go fast enough to make up time lost refueling. Drivetrain is out of a Lincoln LS but thinking I will use a Jag 3.0 for the VVT and a bit more torque. Planning on using the Lincoln intake as it's cable driven and not fly by wire. Will use megasquirt for engine control. Clearly the Lincoln oil pan isn't going to fly as it has a large protrusion out of the front. I bought an MPV oil pan to try instead. That mustang pan also looks interesting. Reading through the thread it appears that to fit the Duratec into the FC you didn't need to cut/clearance the crossmember, true? Anyway, I'm very crappy about documenting what I do but I'll try to do better and post here. I'll be gutting the harness out of the car plus removing the current rotary so I'm still a ways away from getting to the interesting stuff.
i know im not exactly the MOST qualified to answer - as im not as familiar with the FC chassis itself, but from my experience with the 3.7 - the 60° "v" engines are mainly tall. width shouldnt be an issue into the chassis, nor should length as i would imagine the 3.0 has a similar if not smaller overall length than the 3.7.
From my experience - the only metal i "cut" regarding the engine bay in my S13 3.7 was the subframe, and the hood. Firewall and all frame rails, fenders, and strut towers remain stock.
Sounds like a fun build! i'll look forward to seeing more.
my gremlins ended up being that I need to have a hard-code PATS delete (from the one and only..)
She's laid a couple rubber stripes in my driveway, but that's about it - as I'm sure the neighbors love the open headers. Now as the seasons are changing it's undergoing the rest of completion. plan is to have it track and road ready for next spring and beyond.
Thank you for all of your help and info on this thread - I'm convinced that, without it - My car would not exist as it does today.
As far as my cars update . Things are moving slow for me now. I've been working crazy hours trying to save towards a house. Working a ton and kinda over my head with the projects I'm tackling on the car. So, redoing and learning as I go. I plan to pull the engine today. The new chassis is coming alon . I ordered new radiator, intercooler and transcooler last night. That hurt! Haha 4 point roll bar in. Just a lil added safety, chassis stiffening and cool looks. Modifications for the swap are ready on the new car. Paint is Tamco underhood black with their DTA epoxy primer.
my gremlins ended up being that I need to have a hard-code PATS delete (from the one and only..)
Glad we could pay it forward. I think it's a really awesome swap. Especially turbo! But it's kinda overkill. Tuned it'll make 300+ to the wheels naturally aspirated, and has a great powerband. Besides that it'll last forever.
Just getting started with swap. Engine is 3.0 from a Lincoln LS with a factory Getrag 5 speed. Lincoln oil pan has a big protrusion out the front, past the crank pulley so that wont work. I have a Mazda MPV oil pan on there now which appears as though it will work. I may need to knock in the firewall a bit to gain enough clearance from the crossmember. Not sure yet, just popped it in at sunset last night to see where I was.
Looking Good! Ended up going Lincoln engine after all, not jag? - just more readily available?
how tall is your intake going to be, other than that it looks like that 3.0 fits pretty well height-wise?
let me know how that oil pan dilemma pans out (pun intended?) - if you find out that the mustang one will bolt up I happen to have an extra mustang pan and pickup tube from the 3.7 that ill let go cheap (i ended up using a pan from a Lincoln MKX as it's a front sump, not a rear, and the 240 has a behind the axle steering rack)
Looking Good! Ended up going Lincoln engine after all, not jag? - just more readily available?
how tall is your intake going to be, other than that it looks like that 3.0 fits pretty well height-wise?
let me know how that oil pan dilemma pans out (pun intended?) - if you find out that the mustang one will bolt up I happen to have an extra mustang pan and pickup tube from the 3.7 that ill let go cheap (i ended up using a pan from a Lincoln MKX as it's a front sump, not a rear, and the 240 has a behind the axle steering rack)
The intake is fairly low. I'll probably need to put a bump in the hood towards the front of the engine to clear the front of the intake but maybe not. I still haven't looked underneath to make sure the pan isn't the lowest part of the car. Why Lincoln? I bought the entire car cheap so I got the correct flywheel/trans. Also, the Lincoln uses a throttle cable and everything else is fly by wire. I'm not aware of a standalone that accommodates fly by wire. However I think I'm only going to use this engine as a mockup/spare. It seems tired. It also is not VVT and I'd like that little extra power. The Jag s-type and post 2003 Lincoln engine appear to be the same as the Jag version always had VVT and the Lincoln gained it after 2003. The FWD variants of the 3.0 (Jag x-type, MPV, Ford 500, etc) all appear to run the water pump off the back of the driver's side cylinder head. Don't see room back there for that so I look to be sticking with the Lincoln or S-type engine. I think the MPV pan is going to work with a little trim of the crossmember lip and/or some sledge forming of the firewall will allow enough clearance at the front of the pan to get the pulley away from the swaybar. The elephant looming in the corner is accessories and where to fit them. There does not appear to be any variations of the RWD accessory/serpentine belt setup. The AC compressor wants to live where the steering box resides and I don't want it anyway so I will be searching for a AC bypass/delete pulley that bolts up. I may end up looping the PS pump back into itself as I don't need PS but it appears I do need the pulley. I just haven't figured out a way to run the water pump and alternator only. Adding to the fun the water pump spins backwards/opposite of crank direction.
After some research and taking into account its a lemons car might I suggest running a 2005 BMW 525I electric water pump from a junkyard and one of those stretch fit belts for your alt?
After some research and taking into account its a lemons car might I suggest running a 2005 BMW 525I electric water pump from a junkyard and one of those stretch fit belts for your alt?
I had considered the electric water pump route but had never heard of stretch fit serpentine belts. Thank you, that may solve the problem.
Unlike most of the other residents in the house, this one is now self supporting. A fabricator I am not. Motor mount on this side was relatively straightforward once i figured out what angle the subframe side needed to be in order to have the upper side level. Drivers side was much harder as the mounts are asymmetric, requiring a 2 inch vertical offset and also not foul the steering shaft. That mount is ugly. This is what the car looked like 10 years ago around the first time we ran it.
Thought I'd update the progress a bit. I'm in the time-consuming part of the process of putting the engine in, trial fitting, removing, repeat. I've fabricated a trans mount using the RX7 mount points with a urethane block insulator. I probably need to beef it up a bit but for the most part it's done. Custom driveshaft to adapt the Getrag to the RX7 rear is done. Firewall mods to accommodate exhaust manifolds complete. Had to knock holes on both sides of the tunnel for exhaust manifold clearance and then rivet/seal double plates for insulation. Perhaps custom headers at a later date but for now trying to stay in budget. Things are a bit messy for exhaust room on the driver's side as the cast aluminum engine mount is also the oil filter adapter with internal oil passages that isn't easily modified. I bought a box of bends from Speedway Motors as well as an X crossover and ended off with a couple of chambered mufflers. I found it pretty straightforward to fabricate the entire exhaust with those bits. Megasquirt should arrive in a few weeks and the real slog to re-wiring the whole car will start. I broke the aluminum arm of the shift linkage trying to replace the rubber mount insulators with delrin but I have another one coming. Had to shorten the arm and the linkage so that the shifter wasn't located too far back. Once that is done and I adapt the Getrag clutch slave pipe to the RX7 master, hopefully I can install and leave installed the drivetrain. I did pull an electric water pump from a 5 series BMW from the junkyard and I think it will be pretty easy to incorporate that. I'm a bit concerned about whether it will flow enough. Lots of internet chatter about electric water pumps working fine for drag racing but concerns about endurance racing. I figure they build those cars for the autobahn so I'm hoping they maintain enough flow to cool at high RPMs. We'll see.
07-04-20, 11:59 AM
