Ok, after having the manal gearbox and conversion bits sitting round here for over a year now I've decided to finally put it in, I've read the guides on the tech section and I have changed gearboxes before so I have plenty of experience. It's still a bit daunting on the Z though.. What I'm asking is for for any tips or advice any members here would like to share, like some little tips that might save me hours tring to figure out on my own. Oh that's another thing I will be trying to attempt it by myself, am I just wishful thinking or can a z gearbox really be changed by oneself? What I'm stressing about mainly wondering if I really need to take the entire dash out to put the pedals in?? Has anyone here changed a box by themselves before and how long did it take? Are there any special tools or weird shape spanners you needed to rig up or make to do the job easier? Any tips, advice and discussion would be appreciated. Thanks :
Hey mate, I did a manual conversion myself a few months ago. things id suggest to make life easier : -I put the back up on ramps and jack stands up the front, gives a lot more room under their to move around. -I took the whole dash out, makes it far easier to fit pedals etc (its not too hard to take out, there are a few online sources with pics to follow). -It can be done by yourself, however I did get my little bro to help me line it up to get it in (he turned to tail-shaft while I pushed forward). -Make sure you have EVERYTHING prior to start. -Have a second jack handy (even a scissor jack), to angle the engine up or down. -to make it easier to get the clutch master in, I jacked the back of the engine up a little, gave me a bit more room too move. - to get those two top tranny bolts out, tilt the back of the engine down, and join 5-6 ratchet extensions together and undo them from by reaching in from the back of the tranny. -Don't forget to put on the earth back on that bolts to the bellhousing. (its a bit of a pain if you forget, trust me haha). -Get a one piece clutch line, don't bother trying to put the stock line back in. (I used the top half of the stock metal line, then a rubber line off an s13 front brake caliper). -If I worked on it constantly I would have had it done in two days max. (one day to pull out dash, auto box and the rest of the auto gear. then the second day putting it all back together). -Don't need any special tools , I had a full 1/2 , 3/4 ratchet set, full spanner set, breaker bar, torque wrench, screwdrivers etc. And didn't have any awkward bolts or anything that I needed to undo. -Research into how to setup the wiring properly (if you modifying the auto stater harness). - Tip, if you going to be pulling the box in and out a lot, id suggest that you make your whole gearbox harness unplug near the starter, so you don't have to undo it from the engine bay each time. - Also grease the clutch fork pivot point well. - Also make sure that your clutch pedal is properly greased, so it doesn't squeak. It is the most annoying sound haha. -Its easier to change the whole brake pedal assembly and bracket, instead of switching the pedal only (was for me anyway). -I used an s13 clutch slave cylinder, and the push rod was too short and the clutch wouldn't disengage all the way. So I made a push rod 1cm longer and now works fine. I used an s13 slave cylinder because it was only $15 (PBR brand). -Get a tom thumb (i think its called), hand oil pump to get the gearbox oil in.
Here's some links.... Ive got alot of diagrams and pics, just shout out if any worries. http://www.z1motorsports.com/upload/Z1 Auto to 5sp conversion Tech.pdf http://www.twinturbo.net/nissan/300zx/forums/main/view/1109375/Manual-Conversion-Wiring-Guide.html
Thanks fellas, that's what I'm after, so its relatively straightforward, thats good, Now I just hope there's a few cool days in a row, working on cars in the heat is the worst.
