jfbrink

Even with the longer doors of the 2-door, the doors are, to my eye, too short for a convertible. Here are three quick photo-chops showing first the 2-door door, then a longer door to the where the b-pillar used to be, to a door that proportionally matches other 2-door convertibles, such as the early e30 BMW. Thoughts? Stock 2-door door: Door extended to rear of b-pillar: Proportional long door:

Looking out on the project horizon, I'm beginning planning for converting my parts / testbed RL411 into a 2-door converible. It's a big project, but fairly common in the 50s domestic car world to go from 4-door to 2-door to convertible. And, while I move slowly, I have a good track record for getting dream projects done (steam car notwithstanding). So, my question for the group is whether anyone has any pictures of the "2" parade car convertible 410s that Nissan supposedly made. Extensive Googling over the past couple years has never gotten me any further than this B/W image that everyone uses: Maybe someone's seen them in a museum or has other publicity shots from this "anniversary" or "rally success" parade? Thanks, Jesse.

So, I finally got around to replacing the shocks in my wagon, and that improved the ride significantly. I used new KYB 343127 gas shocks in the front and NOS KYB K3087 in the rear. I didn't mean to mix gas and non-gas shocks, I just didn't realize that the rears were NOS non-gas until they arrived. Probably not ideal, but still way better than what I had before. Jesse.

Hi, all, My subject heading is misleading, because I realized some things while typing my original post. Here is my real question: Can anyone characterize the difference in ride between the 4-leaf spring pack (which my sedan has) and the 5-leaf spring pack? My sedan rides really smoothly, and my wagon kinda pogos down the road. The wagon has ancient shocks, but I'm wondering if it's the springs? Best, Jesse.

It's Tide Free & Gentle (HE). It's supposed to be formulated for modern efficient washing machines. To my knowledge, it doesn't have a bleach option. For this purpose, the lack of perfumes & colorants is good. Jesse.

I'm still running those horn bushings on my 411s and 311; they work great. I'm also running front subframe and sway bar bushings I made. I ended up deciding not to sell them or the other parts I've developed because I couldn't stomach the liability risks, but also could not afford product liability insurance relative to the prospective sales. This item would be easy to cast, but the idea of removing my hatch to get at mine fills me with dread. Jesse.

I did some experimenting today with cleaning the grime off the vinyl on my interior trim pieces. I should note that I tried each cleaning method on a fresh panel area -- they are not cumulative. •First I tried Blue Magic Leather & Vinyl cleaner, which got good reviews on Amazon. With a lot of vigorous rubbing, it cleaned off maybe 50% of the grime, not very evenly. •Next, I tried a dishwashing liquid, by Seventh Generation, and it cleaned off about 75% of the grime very evenly, with less rubbing. •Third, I tried Tide Free & Gentle HE, by smoothing it on with my fingers and then, about a minute later, rub-wiping it off with a sponge under running water. This got me into, I dunno, the high 80s, percentage-wise. Very even. •Lastly, I smoothed the Tide on and let it sit for 5 minutes before rub-wiping it off under running water & the vinyl looks amazing. There are still dings, scratches and a few pale stains, but no grime at all. Below are before/after pics of the 5-minute Tide cleaning. The "white" after panel actually started out dirtier than the before panel, but you get the idea. As I mentioned at the start, I didn't get these results doing each of these cleansers in sequence, on these panels, I just did the Tide HE. But, the 5-minute Tide HE method also finished off the partially cleansed panels from the three previous tests. Jesse.

Ah, okay. Well, the wagon is sitting in my office so, I can save you the trouble: All three of those bolts hold the tongue/tab of the hinge. Best, Jesse.

Mike, I reckon I'm less busy than Pete, as both my roadster and wagon are now drivers, so here are some pics of the hinge assembly for you. Jesse.

Hey, there, I have researched this and came up with nothing. So, I began the process of making my own. I've only done the relatively simple lower "donuts" so far. I machined aluminum masters that I then used to make molds and cast silicone replacements with approximately the same durometer as stock. Below is a picture of the masters; the results are mounted on my car. I got shunted onto other projects before I could make the cone-shaped uppers, but I think I will be able to get back to them soon. If someone wants to search around on their own for replacements, good luck. Here are some dimensioned drawings to help you. Upper Front: Lower Front: Upper Rear: Lower Rear: FYI, the uppers have an internal, fused steel sleeve (you can see the end of it sticking out as a .75" diameter "cap" on the two upper bushing drawings). I do not believe that the sleeve needs to be fused (I think it works like the metal sleeves on the wiper motor isolators), and since fusing steel to silicone is not a thing, I am going to let mine "float" and see what happens. Best, Jesse.

Neely, Did you have any success? The headlight surrounds are one of the many areas in which Nissan baffles me with variety between and within 1966 and 1967. None of the surrounds that I have mix-and-match, as one can see in the selection of grills below: 1966 PL411 (note how the surround completely encircles the inner headlight) 1967 PL411 (note how far forward the mounting tabs are) 1967 RL411 (note how far back the mounting tabs are) I am currently in the market for 1967 PL411 surrounds as my wagon came with none. Best, Jesse.

Hey, all, I got my wagon stopping well enough to take the J13 I rebuilt for a test drive. Loud valves, but it runs beautifully and has much more pull than my un-rebuilt J13. Jesse.

A note to future J13 engine rebuilders. I've been using the engine gasket/seal kit sold by Datsun Kentigo on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/usr/kentigo?_trksid=p2047675.l2559). I've been happy with the kit, but there are two exceptions so far. One, which is not the biggest deal, is that it does not include a seal for where the rear plate meets the block. I just ordered one from Moss motors, instead. Two, is that the rope seals for the rear main bearing are very wrong. At first I thought I was just a fool who couldn't deal with 100-year-old "technology". But, when I got some Nissan OEM seals (12279-09400) from TVH Parts (a forklift place -- Nissan dealers in LA claim NLA) it was clear that the Kentigo seals were just wrong. The main issue is that they are just too big. Much too thick and tall to fit in the crevice. The Nissan seals slip fully into the slot; no amount of care or effort was getting those Kentigo seals in. A secondary issue is that the Kentigo seals are cardboard with a woven sleeve, while the Nissan seals are stranded something-or-other with a woven sleeve. Thus the Kentigo seals are hard and unconforming (even after soaking), while the Nissan seals are super supple. I hope this information will help someone in the future. Jesse.

Hi, I just want to add some updated information following up on an archived thread regarding clutch kits for the 411 with a J13 (1300). The thread is here: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/48749-wtb-clutch-pressure-plate-for-j13-engine/ In posts #14 and #18 of the thread it's suggested that the clutch kit from Rhino/APS (#06-020) should fit the 1300 Bluebird. Many sites/interchange lists say that this kit works for both the RL and PL (1600 and 1300) cars. It does not. Everything seems fine dimensionally, but the locating pins on the pressure plate do not align, and APS tech support says that the kit will not work in any application other than the 1600 engine cars. Best, Jesse.

Hello, The other Jesse, here. I am joining this (relatively) recent J13 rebuild thread to ask a question about my own rebuild. Should I use these fancy valve seals to replace the o-rings that were on the engine. The manual says it's an "option" but why wouldn't I use it: I am lucky, in that I got a block that had the cylinders bored and new pistons already. Of course, it had almost nothing else. I got a new oil pump, gasket kit and oil filler cap from Mexico (eBay) and a new fuel pump from Thailand (eBay). I got the front and rear plates from the engine in my sedan, which just lost rings on piston #3. I bought ARP head and crank studs for a 3-main MGB. I've ordered a high-end (Payen) MGB head gasket to see if it is better then the Mexican kit one. I'm fabricating new brackets for mounting the engine because all three sets of stock mounts I have are broken and such a pain to install. I'm going to try to get this done and in the car by the end of the year, at which point I'll use my busted engine to mock up an Aisin AMR500 supercharger installation, which I hope to have ready by February. Best, Jesse.

Jesse, You don't include a pic of how you set up your lines, but here is what I did (with a 620 disc/drum master cylinder) on my '66 with '67 front discs. If I didn't have the engine in the car at the time, I would have routed the lines more cleanly, but this is what I could manage with the space I had. I should note that where I say "Brake Master (front)" I mean the reservoir FOR the front, which is actually towards the back of the car, and likewise for "Brake Master (back)". Jesse.

Hey, Jesse, I am running the 620 master in my '66 with '67 front discs. My M/C came with a pushrod, which I used with no problems. I used the stock line from the union block to the M/C, with a new metric fitting flared onto it, and a different bend at the end to hit the right spot on the M/C. I removed the rear line from the union block and plugged the outlet on the block. I then ran a new, short length of line from the M/C to a union fitting to the line to the rear brakes. Been driving it for a few years with no leaks or other issues. I can take pics if you want. It was a hassle to rebend, flare and install the lines with the engine in place, but not nearly as bad as installing a new clutch line with the engine in place! Jesse.

Can anyone who purchased this weatherstrip describe it and/or post pictures? The eBay listing is super minimal and doesn't even show the profile, which is kinda of critical, let alone provide dimensions of the profile. If it's in spec and seems like decent rubber, I would buy a set (or two). Best, Jesse.

It's roughly "red". I'll post pics once it's a bit more presentable. I'm all for patina, but the oxidation on this old gal was just kinda depressing. It came with a "rebuilt" but disassembled and incomplete stock 1300 sitting in the back. I have an all-alloy V6 and a 5-speed transmission that I'm going to put in it. I posted pics of the engine a while back. I've been very slowly modifying it to work in the Bluebird, but now that I have a roller, I'm going to try to speed my pace a little. I still have my electric RL411, but it's mostly a parts source and mobile parts storage device at this point. I drive my PL411 pretty much daily. Jesse.

Thanks to SwedishCadilac, my hatch now shuts without the addition of rope.

Thanks for the prompt response! It's like they were trying to make it complicated. Well, gives me a weekend project. Best, Jesse.

Hi, I bought a '67 wagon over the weekend. It's very complete except for a few things, including the loop that the hatch latch grips. I assume it looks like the attached image. Could someone grab a few quick dimensions so that I can fab one up? I'm looking for A, B and the diameter of the rod that makes up the "loop". Thanks, Jesse.

Hey, Last weekend, as I was parking, I noticed that the J13 in my '66 was almost pouring oil out the side. When I got in there, it looked like the oil was coming out around the rear and lower oil filter housing bolts. I pulled the housing, cleaned it up (making sure the springy ball was clean and free), cleaned the mounting faces and put it back on with a new gasket (dry, no sealant). New filter, new old-car oil and after about 30 miles, it's leaking again, from around the bolts, albeit much more slowly. I can't help thinking this is some sort of more complex / serious problem, like a blockage causing excess pressure or something. Has anyone had something like this happen? Best, Jesse.

On these J13 mounts, unfortunately, the rubber is completely enclosed by the U-shaped steel bracket that mounts to the block, so I can't drill them. Likewise, the weird construction of the mount prevents a home-pour solution (which I've done with success on other cars with simple "pillow" mounts). At the moment, I'm coming at it from the other direction, and seeing if I can get the engine to simply run more smoothly. I found today, to my surprise, that my timing was pretty far off, and adjusting that helped out above 1200RPM. But, it's still super-shaky from 600-1200RPM. I don't know if I'm going to be able to smooth that out with a carb rebuild (which is long overdue), as it may just be the Datsun shimmy. Best, Jesse.

Hey, gang, I've known for some time that my motor mounts on my '66 411 were sagging. They are such an odd design, with that 100% shear load. I knew about this place Mighty Mounts, in Rosemead, CA, that refurbishes mounts, so I decided to give it a try. Bad Idea. He only has one hardness of rubber, and it is apparently way harder than the stock mounts, because my car went from having a still and rattle-free interior to being a horrible, vibrating, noisy mess. It's so bad, I don't even want to drive the car. Given the weird design of the stock mounts, I can't begin to think of how I would fabricate new ones, even if I were able to find some soft rubber mount to build around. And, I'm not ready to engine-swap this car. So... anyone have a pair of stock J13 mounts in decent shape? Jesse.