My "new" 93 Dakota ClubCab 4x4 w/5.2l V8 for use while the Z28 is getting rebuilt and for hauling parts front , side.

ZZ4 Swap - Page Last Updated 990823

It's finally started.. Though my TPI 305 is still in great shape (100K miles) and I've shaved nearly a full second off the stock 1/4-mile times with minor mods, I have to progress beyond the 305... I'm going to attempt to document the entire process here, so check back often and let me know what you think.. . I'll try to include any hints & techniques I've used later as well.

June 20 1999 (ZZ4 in Crate) Uncrated ZZ4 (P-Side)
Uncrated ZZ4 (D-Side)

June 24 1999 (ZZ4 on stand, Engine being prepped to pull) Car Front with TPI removed from 305
305 w/ TPI removed (SIDE VIEW)
305 w/ TPI removed (FRONT VIEW)
ZZ4 waiting on Stand (SIDE VIEW)
ZZ4 waiting on Stand (FRONT VIEW)
ZZ4 waiting on Stand w/ carb-intake off

June 30, 1999 (Engine & Trans Pulled) ZZ4, 305, trans all lined up
Empty Engine Bay
Firewall
305 on stand (RHS View)
305 on stand (LHS View)
305 on stand (RHS Sensor View)
305 on stand (Knock Sensor View)
305 on stand (Front Sensors View)
305 on stand (Rear Sensors View)
Transmission on Dolly
Transmission Tail
Boxes of parts (Cat, snorkle, flywheel, driveshaft, etc.)

July 2 & 3, 1999 (305 Engine manifolds/misc. parts removal ) ZZ4 Long waterpump (can't use with 305 accessories)
ZZ4 and TPI distributors (MUST swap gears between dizzys !!)
TPI distributor ign module front
TPI distributor ign module rear
Driveshaft with Ujoints pressed out ( Good idea to get new Us and driveshaft loops.) Driveshaft front end (Good idea to write down front/back locators/weights of DS for correct reassembly.) Exhaust Manifold bolts & brakets layout (D-side)
Exhaust Manifold bolts & brakets layout (P-side)
Starter bolts & brakets layout
Motormount and fuel pump blockoff
305 P-side bare

July 4, 1999 (305 Engine accessories swap to ZZ4 ) ZZ4 with accessories mounted
Cleaned TPI intake (D-side) (The '85-'86 TPI intakes have the correct center bolts at the correct ZZ4 angle. Later intakes will have to be drilled.) Cleaned TPI intake (P-side)
Cleaned TPI intake (Front)
Cleaned TPI intake (Rear)

July 5, 1999 (TPI intake onto ZZ4 )

(*Note - I couldn't resist the photo-op, so these photos with the fuelrail, runners, plenum, and throttlebody are temporary installs. These will not go on the motor until the last moment, after the engine/trans are back in the car..)

TPI AFPR, IAT
TPI intake on ZZ4 (D-side)
TPI intake on ZZ4 (P-side) (Electrical WireNuts make good plugs for injector ports while rebuilding) TPI intake w/fuelrail on ZZ4 (front)
TPI intake w/fuelrail on ZZ4 (rear)
TPI intake w/fuelrail and runners on ZZ4
Closeup of "ported" plenum on ZZ4
Full TPI on ZZ4 (D-side)
Full TPI on ZZ4 (P-side)
Full TPI on ZZ4 (front)
Full TPI on ZZ4 (Rear)
Full TPI on ZZ4 (throttle-level view)

July 17, 1999 (Motor Mounts replaced, Exhaust Manifolds ported, transmission back from rebuild)

Energy Suspension Motor Mounts installed next to Stock one

(*Note - Most of these exhaust photos are blurry {SORRY}, they were done on a normal camera instead of the digital one..) Exhaust manifold prior to porting "D" ports for ZZ4 heads
Exhaust manifold closeup prior to porting "D" ports for ZZ4 heads
Another Exhaust manifold closeup prior to porting "D" ports for ZZ4 heads
Exhaust manifold shown with "D" port gasket
Exhaust manifold closeup shown with "D" port gasket
Center Exhaust manifold closeup shown with "D" port gasket
Ported Exhaust manifold shown with "D" port gasket
Ported Exhaust manifold closeup shown with "D" port gasket

Transmission Professionally rebuilt by DELTRANS of Newark, DE. Specific details to follow, but roughly it was completely rebuilt and upgraded with a hardened shaft, firmer shift valves, a wider intermediate band, and a new 4th gear servo cap w/vette servo that can be raced in! The converter was rebuilt and "loosened" to a 2000-2100 stall. The intermediate band and the 4th gear cap were co-designed by DELTRANS.

New 4th gear servo cap compared to stock
New intermediate band compared to stock
Rebuilt Trans w/boxed converter - Pside
Rebuilt Trans w/boxed converter - Dside

July 21, 1999 (Trans rebuilt. It and ZZ4 back in car)

Trans and Engine on cherrypicker - Pside
Trans and Engine on cherrypicker - front
Trans and Engine on cherrypicker - Dside
Engine on new Urethane Motor Mounts - Pside
Engine on new Urethane Motor Mounts - Dside
Rebuilt torque converter
Rebuilt 4th gear servo cap
Pside view under car

(*Note - The trans tail bracket pictured below must be taken off and reinstalled with the tail angled down so that the 6 inch bolts clear the driveshaft well of the chassis) Trans tail bracket for drivetrain ladderbar
Trans tail bracket for Cat. Conv. Support
ZZ4 Engine all snuggly installed in its new home.. 8-)

July 25, 1999 (ALL DONE !!)

New P/S hoses and fuel lines
Drive shaft cleaned/painted and new hipro Ujoints installed
24 lb. SVO injectors. (Now I can't put a Calvin pissing on a Blue Oval sticker on my car.. 8-)
B&M 24,000 GVW trans cooler shown thru the gutted air boxes
Everything on - Dside view
Everything on - Pside view
Everything on - Front view
All Done! - Hood on - Front view
Hood closes for the first time in 2 months
Speedo about to rollover and mark begining of "Brand New" car.. 8-)

Aug 19, 1999 (First Track Test)

First 1/4 mile time-slip (car# 211 on right)
DIACOM data from above 1/4 run - MS-Excel Format (crappy 160 baud '870 ECM ...)

(*WARNING - Lame excuses to follow.. 8-) The motor has ~500miles on it and is probably not fully broken in yet. (no synthetic oil allowed yet) The TPI unit is completely stock and I was warned it will choke the life from the ZZ4. I could definitly tell that it had no top-end to speak of. A storm had just passed thru the area this day and the humidity was 95%. I'm still tuning the EPROM and nailing down the fuel/spark parameters. The best runs gave alot of knock with them, so there's still tuning to do..

Current time slips can always be found here

Aug 23, 1999 (Maryland State Dyno Emissions Test )

	Hydrocarbons (HC)	Carbon Monoxide (CO)	Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)	Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
State Standards	2.00 GPM	30.0 GPM	3.0 GPM	N/A
Inspection Readings	1.16 GPM	15.8 GPM	1.3 GPM	395.9 GPM
Inspection Results	PASS	PASS	PASS	N/A

*Note - Emissions Test was done with Car setup exactly as it was run earlier in the week at the DragStrip. (Catalytic converter, air pump, stock AIR exh manifolds, EGR turned OFF in EPROM since GMPP vette heads on ZZ4 don't have EGR ports)

I did make the following changes in the PROM after suggestions on the GM-ECM mailing list:
     Fan Temp raised back to stock 220 deg F.
     Spark Timing table reduced by 10 degrees across the board.
     Idle is raised (anyway) to keep engine from stalling. (Stock = 500rpm, ZZ4 = 750 rpm)