Datsun ( Nissan ) Z and ZX types of transmissions and differentials

[bartsscooterservice]

Since there is still a lot of stuff about these not known exactly and many confusing topics, thousand of pages and myths, I will try here to make it easier. If anyone has additional information or something is not right, please post, then I will modify the 1 post.

This is for stock factory transmissions only, NOT competition ones.

There are A, B and C types transmissions ( C was never used in Z cars so I will not add these here )

Update 9/7-21 : Also the 4.11 ratio R180 was not used on Z cars ( correct me if I am wrong )

Also not sure if 3.90 was used in the USA on the 260/280Z and ZX

 

So far I have:

 

Nissan S30 Fairlady Z Japan till 1978:

F4W71A manual

F4W71B manual

FS5C71A manual

FS5C71B manual

3 speed automatic 3N71A

3 speed automatic 3N71B 

R180 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.36 / 3.54 / 3.90

 

240Z:

 

Datsun 240Z USA and Canada

F4W71A manual

F4W71B manual

3 speed automatic 3N71A

3 speed automatic 3N71B

R180 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.36 / 3.54 

Datsun 240Z Europe, UK, rest of the world

FS5C71A manual

FS5C71B manual

3 speed automatic 3N71A

3 speed automatic 3N71B

R180 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.54 / 3.90

 

260Z:

 

Datsun 260Z USA and Canada

F4W71B manual

FS5W71B manual

3 speed automatic 3N71B

R180 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.36 / 3.54 / 3.90

Datsun 260Z Europe, UK, rest of the world

FS5C71B manual

3 speed automatic 3N71B

R180/R200 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.54 / 3.90

 

280Z:

 

Datsun 280Z USA and Canada

F4W71B manual

FS5W71B manual

3 speed automatic 3N71B

R180/R200 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.36 / 3.54 / 3.70 / 3.90

 

----- ------ ----- ------ ----- -----

280ZX:

 

Datsun 280ZX USA and Canada

F4W71B manual

FS5W71B manual

5 speed Borg Warner T5

3 speed automatic Jatco 3N71B

R180/R200 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.36 / 3.54 / 3.90

Datsun 280ZX Europe,UK, rest of the world

FS5W71B manual

5 speed Borg Warner T5

3 speed automatic Jatco 3N71B

R180/R200 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.54 / 3.70 / 3.90

 

Nissan S130 Fairlady Z Japan:

FS5W71B manual

5 speed Borg Warner T5

3 speed automatic Jatco 3N71B

R180/R200 Differential, possible gear ratios available: 3.54 / 3.70 / 3.90

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by bartsscooterservice
Update

[AK260]

Nice work!

Manual 260z in the UK I believe started out with R200 3.7 and then went to a 3.54 in the last couple of years (77-78). Happy to be corrected.


280zx used R200 3.9 for NA manual and I think 3.7 for turbo. My 3.9 R200 came from an Arizona manual ‘84 280zx.

[crayZlair]

My 1976 280 4 speed Manual came with a R200 3.54

Edited June 30, 2021 by crayZlair
added more for clarity

[Zed Head]

I think that Carl Beck has a pretty good description on his zhome site.  I'll see if I can find it.

You can't generalize by just the type of car.  You have to go by year.  Here are four examples.

1976 USA/Canada 280Z FSM

1978 USA/Canada 280Z FSM

1979 USA/Canada 280ZX FSM

1981 USA/Canada FSM

[Zed Head]

More from 1981, PD chapter.

[bartsscooterservice]

Okay so the 280z also came with the R200. And maybe the R200 allready started with the 260z but we are not sure about that yet? 

@Zed Head i don't want to go by year etc this will make it to complicated. But only by z model and what can be found on them as a general guideline.

Edited June 30, 2021 by bartsscooterservice

[cgsheen1]

Well. I have an early 260Z, build date 07/74 and it had an 3.36 R180 stock. Can't remember but I don't think I've seen a late 260 with an R200 stock... (Good friend Patrick has a late 260 - but it was an auto car originally - with an R180...) I'm interested in knowing too as the late 260's were fairly close otherwise to the early 280Z.

[Zed Head]

I am pretty sure that the R200 started with the 1975 280Z.  It has its own unique pinion flange bolt pattern and bolt size.  I have never heard of the different pattern for a 260Z diff.  From 1976 on the pinion flange pattern and bolt size stayed the same until the 1984 300ZX's with the short nose R200's.

You have to go by year because Nissan went away from the R180 then started using it again as I showed above for 1976 and 1978.  The same body types used different diffs in 1978, according to the FSM.  In 1976 they all used the R200.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Zed Head

[bartsscooterservice]

8 hours ago, cgsheen1 said:

Well. I have an early 260Z, build date 07/74 and it had an 3.36 R180 stock. Can't remember but I don't think I've seen a late 260 with an R200 stock... (Good friend Patrick has a late 260 - but it was an auto car originally - with an R180...) I'm interested in knowing too as the late 260's were fairly close otherwise to the early 280Z.

Yes.. that's what I want to prevent with the " confusion " part.. many Z's have been modded, and then the reactions are confusing because they think that R200 came stock on a 260z...

[RIP260Z]

16 hours ago, AK260 said:

Manual 260z in the UK I believe started out with R200 3.7 and then went to a 3.54 in the last couple of years (77-78). Happy to be corrected.

 

Correct.

Also, as in first post, UK, Europe/rest of the world didn't get the 280Z, its just a North American thing. The North American market had the 260z (RS30) for 1 (?) year, whilst other markets carried on the the 260Z (e.g. Aust/NZ /even Japan before Nissan recalled all the 260Z they sold).

UK (and probably Europe- not sure) 280zx (s130) was R180 for autos, R200 for manual 'boxes.

 

Also, the Japanese market had the S31 for the last couple (?) of years, more than likely 'boxes and diffs were the same (would have to look at fiche to confirm)

 

[Racer X]

35 minutes ago, RIP260Z said:

The North American market had the 260z (RS30) for 1 (?) year . . . .

 

Correct that the 260Z was only produced in North America for one year, 1974. There was two versions, the early one had the small bumpers like the 240Z, the late version had the 5mph crash bumpers like the 280Z.

One more detail.

All 240Z, 260Z and 280Z cars sold in North America had HLS30….. as the beginning of the VIN number, not RS30. The HLS30 cars were left hand drive, the RS30 cars were right hand drive,

 

 

[HS30-H]

2 hours ago, Racer X said:

Correct that the 260Z was only produced in North America for one year, 1974.

Aha! So THAT'S what they were doing in Area 54...

 

2 hours ago, Racer X said:

One more detail.

All 240Z, 260Z and 280Z cars sold in North America had HLS30….. as the beginning of the VIN number, not RS30.

Prefix for the USA/Canada Datsun 260Z model was 'RLS30'. Check your factory documentation.

 

Threads like these start out with the best of intentions, but soon become self-defeating messes.