620 general questions

[firefight]

Hey guys, new here. use to have a 71 510 wagon back 5-6 years ago, when I sold that off I got pretty heavy in to BMWs. Recently I took my 1984 325e e30 and pulled the m20b27(straight 6 sohc) out and put in a M50b25tu(straight 6 DOHC Vanos) out of a 1994 325i. There was nothing wrong with the old motor, in fact it had less than 100,000 miles on it, but I had the new engine fall in my lap.

 

Now I have this perfectly good M20 that recently been serviced(T/B water pump, cap rotor, plug. wires ect) sitting in my garage. I started thinking it would be pretty fun to shove it in a non BMW. For simplicity I wanted a platform that was factory a hydraulic clutch system so I could adapt the factory line to the BMW slave, with the goal to use the getrag BMW transmission, and adapt the BMW front driveshaft flange to the new car/trucks driveshaft when I shorten it.

So that brings me here, I think I have my heart set on a datsun 620.

 

I did some looking around and wasn't able to find anything like this being done, so before i commit i wanted to ask some questions about the 620 platform.

 

-With the stock radiator in what is the size of engine bay from the face of the radiator to the firewall?

-is the truck set up to be a front oil sump or a rear sump?

-How big the the opening to the trans tunnel?

 

 

also if anyone has a good cheap 620 in the canby/portland area with a tired engine or needs work let me know

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Lets put it this way, a Chev Small Block V8 does not fit without cutting out room in the firewall or running the rad in the box. Any inline six cylinder will be much worse. Having a spare engine laying around is the main reason people try this.

 

Get any Z car, 810 or 910Maxima. These all ran an inline six.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

That would be a cool swap.  M42 might be a better choice though.

[flatcat19]

Z car.

[distributorguy]

In no way will that trans fit in the tunnel.  The first 2-3" of the trans is fine, but after that the body of the Datsun trans shrinks down very quickly, and the top profile  drops in height 4-5".  That Getrag holds its "top height", so you'd be cutting out a large amount of sheetmetal and building a new tranny tunnel.  Doable, but significant.  

 

The bigger issue is that you will push the whole lump back into the passenger compartment 5-6" due to length, even if you mount the radiator 100% forward of the factory position - on the grille side of the front panel.  That has its benefits - with a shorter driveshaft - but it puts the shifter into the middle of a bench seat, mentioned for reference.  

 

Great trans, great engine, but in this case its not a good fit.  Get a 2002.   :thumbup: