heyyyyy... whaz up folkkkk LOL

Question. My Max is disentegrating around my engine. Diesels can go a good 300,000 miles. It's at 120,000 now. My 1982 Max is rotting away around it. New England RUST.

I would like to swap it into something. Max of that era is hard as hell to find. What can I swap it into that would take the least amoutnt of fabbing?

Anything of that era that had a 6cyl? What about other era's? Like isnt the LD28 thats in it a Z engine block modified. So would it go in a 240z? I know sounds dumb but there is a local one. Add a LP booste and it will be a 240DLP LOL.

What about tranny? Is the auto tranny in the diesel max specifically geared for the torque of the diesel? Will other trannys mate up to it or should I keep the auto?

Tanks in advance folk.
George.

 

Hmmm, of that time, the Z is probably the only car that can accept that motor as a direct drop. You could do it to a 280ZX, and maybe even go the turbo route while your at it. The other car that I would say might remotely work is a 510....but that would require a little bit of modding for it to work...

S

 

What about an older Z? like a 240Z. I ask cause there is one in town I could look at.

 

Well, you should be ok if you find any GOOD Z car of that vintage (240, 260, 280). There is one thing tho, those cars all had a rear oil sump pan, your LD28 has a front sump, that's OK, the LD28 is basically the same block as the ones on the Z cars, so all you'll need would be a new oil pan and pick up tube.

You must remove the fuel filter (screen) that is inside the tank, (diesel fuel will make this material swell and restrict the fuel flow) depending on the year, you will need to run a fuel return line. You then throw away half of the uderhood wiring, as you will not need it.

'Tell you one thing, you'll have one unique setup and very economical.


Good Luck.

 

add LP injection and it might be just as quick too LOL.

 

mucho thanx for the info. Will the donner car (assuming it has an engine in it) be able to donate the needed oil pick up tube and oil sump pan?

What about tranny? Use the Max tranny or the Z tranny? What about rear end gears if they are anywhere simular? ( I have independent rear on the Max.) I dont know the tranny and rear end differences in the diesel Max and gasser max compared to Z car.

 

The sedan had IRS and the wagon had a solid axel, the ratios were, roughly 354 for the 5 speed and 320 something for the auto.
The transmissions will fit, if you go with auto, make sure you use the diesel tourque converter it's just different enough from the gas unit to make a differene.

Don't forget to get the turbo out of the 280 and go to town!!!

 

Sounds like the 240Z has the same rear gears. 3.54:1 or 3.36:1

Either transmission will work, but the 240Z probably has a 4speed manual. Autos are very rare back then. A high gearing like that and a 280ZX 5-speed will give you some great gas milage.

 

I would watch the internet and look for another early Max. There was a couple on E-Bay in the last month. They both were gassers but the one in Florida had a great looking body. The Z car swap sounds neat. If yours ever just suddenly quits running, it is probably the small timing belt that runs the injection pump. I just changed mine last week. It had 188,000 miles on it. It is a fairly easy swap and the belt cost $15.
A friend of mine took a diesel motor & 5 speed trans out of a wrecked 82 Max and put it in a 88 Ford F150.
Have a great day!
Jim

 

I usually get 40-43 mpgs on the road and in the high 30's in the city.

I resently (last year) drove for Miami to Charlotte NC. doing only 63mph on cruise all the way there on, now get this "ONE TANK OF DIESEL", that's just under 750 miles, engine turning an average of 2000- 2150 RPM and between 2-3#'s of boost.

NOT TOO SHABBY UHHH!!

 

Well I may end up going one of these routes. The 240Z I heard about ended up being a worse rust bucket than my Max.

Did any of the trucks ever use the 6 cyl. Zblock that maybe my Max motor would go into?

 

Nope, all the trucks of the time used the L20 4 cyl motor (essentially the same block as the L24, minus 2 cylinders). Later on, the 6 cyl trucks got the VG30E.

 

yeah Im very familure with the L20. Was hoping my memory was off and that their was a 6cyl out there somewhere in the truck line.

Thanks for the info.

 

I once talked to a guy I saw at a diesel shop last year, he had swapped in the LD28 into a 2wd Jeep Cherokee, it was originally equipped with the 4.0 gas engine so the underhood room was just enough, he claimed it wasn't a real difficult swap to perform, I have not talked to him since then, but it looked real CLEAN!.
I whish I could find that cat again so I could take some pics.....