'72 510 Wagon - Project Spades

[Spades]

Well, I haven't updated my build thread in ages due to lack of time. Between work and family I haven't had much time to work on the Datsun. Whats worse my wrist and arm are most likely going need need surgery...to keep the swelling down I have been icing it every night and popping muscle relaxants. We hired another tech at work, so I am doing mostly paperwork, ect. thankfully, wrenching was killing it.

 

I have a list of things that have to be taken care of soon and will be working on over the next two weeks. My heater core itself failed, and I had to bypass my heater core. Unless the leak is from an obvious place, this time I will not be using ANY of the factory parts even if they pass a 4 hour pressure test. If the heater core is suspect, I will be removing all of the factory parts and boxing them up and replacing them with a heater core and valve that I will have to custom fit, I am buying NEW parts this time around.

 

I also have a timing cover oil leak on the new motor I purchased. It was assembled by Davison's in Mac. I am bought a Felpro timing cover set and a Japanese head gasket from IMC. After I get a set of ARP or Nissan head bolts I am going to pull the head and timing cover off. I am guessing that they also mis-installed the timing chain...in order to run properly I am having to run 12 to 14 degrees of advance(it runs best and has the most power at 20 degrees initial advance, but then it diesels on shutdown and kicks back on start up), which is insane on an 8 plug motor with a larger cam, considering the stock spec is 3 to 6 degrees base timing.

 

After I fix those problems I am going to have to buck up the cash to replace the cracked front windshield and the window seals on the hatch and rear quarter panel windows(as well as all the window felt).

 

Since I posted the last update, I have done a little more bodywork, fixed the rear hatch handle, bought new tires front and rear, set the valve lash(will most likely have to do it again since the motor is still breaking in), finished purchasing the stereo goodies for it, and used our scope to tune the motor.

[Spades]

Alright, finally time for some updates! First off, I had to replace my leaking heatercore, and as usual, I am broke. The best bang for the buck required modification. I purchased a new heatercore for a 1985 Toyota pickup and drilled two holes in the side of my factory metal heater box. I bought two pre-formed hoses from napa and cut them to fit. I then had to modify the heater air box because the front hose protrudes about halfway in the path of the driver side ducting. Total cost of the heater core, foam weatherstrip(used around the Toyota heater core), plastic and epoxy(used on the air duct box), and the preformed hoses was a whopping $72.00. All of the factory valves and hardware/ducting is fully functional and nothing is cobbled together or hacked. With that being said, it was a fair amount of work and was a rough swap, but definitely cheap for all new hoses and a brand new heater core.

 

I installed my overload springs. I installed them with some weight on the rear axle to prevent any more lift to the rear ride height(already a huge amount of lift in the rear and a 2" drop in the front). The ride is a bit stiffer, but provided a huge reduction in body roll(I still haven't fabbed a front or rear sway bar). The overloads seem to work well with my Monroe overload shocks...I suppose if I ever have to haul anything I don't have to worry(before the overloads, it took 400 pounds on the tail gate to drop the ride height 2 inches).

 

I also ended up having to build a electronic voltage regulator for my fuel and temp gauges.

 

Oics! (pardon the unpainted dirty mess that is my ratsun at the moment)

 

 

Now, to finish up some of the little annoying things left, tear into the motor to fix the oil leak and re-install the cylinder head, then start working on the bodywork and get some paint on this thing finally!!!

[Wide14u]

looks good how is the z24 doing for you

[Spades]

good, i think once I get the timing issue fixed(I suspect the cam is off a tooth or two), I expect a bit more zip...already its is WAY more power than the 2.0 was...I can climb up a steep hill at 500 rpm and spin the oversized rear tires on command.

 

I already fixed one problem, I found most rotors for the naps 8 plug distributor have a casting flaw that allows spark to travel through a rivet holding the outer rotor in place causing misfires at low rpm. The napa top of the line rotor does not have this casting flaw.

 

This project has been one bad surprise after the other, but I am finally about to finish the motor and get new glass and paint after over a year of driving it like this.

[xvi00]

Any chance on some inside pics of the seats and hoodlining etc. Keen to see some before and after shots.

 

Thanks

[hang_510]

i pulled the overload springs in favor of a flipped third leaf.

they did a good job carrying loads! 4 people and a motor and tranny on an otherwise stock setup.

 

I am broke. The best bang for the buck required modification.

how does it connect to the defroster?

 

 

 

next time...

http://www.510coop.com/heater/

[Spades]

how does it connect to the defroster?

 

next time...

http://www.510coop.com/heater/

 

I had to modify the defrost cover to fit around the hoses, not an easy swap, but cheap. The heater core was leaking, and I was quoted $200 to re-core it, and more than that to buy a new one. I overhauled the box the way the person did in the link you posted, but cleaning the box and putting new seals in the valve won't fix a heater core leaking from multiple places...I either needed a re-core or an entirely new heater core.

 

At this time I am continuing to work on the car, I will be getting some of the interior and body work done, I will be trying to finish the project while I am off work, and most likely will be putting the a 240sx transmission in it soon.

 

EDIT: if anyone has ever mated a 240SX transmission to a Naps motor, PM me please!!!

[dvboth]

Ok, so it has been ages since I updated the post, for over a month now the wagon has been parked. This project has had some really bad luck, part of the problem was because of putting my trust in the wrong people. The short story is that the "Rebuilt Motor" from Bill's Datsun was actually not a rebuild, or even reconditioned. Turns out all he did was install a timing chain kit on the car and call it good...and the irony is that he didn't even do that right. I found out when I couldn't get the timing right on the engine...this is what I found after some investigation:

 

 

 

I then found out the cylinder walls were pitted...I threw a new timing chain kit and oil pump on the engine, hoping to drive it anyway, and after another 150 miles it started burning oil badly from the valve guide seals and oil making its way past the piston rings. The compression was very low, and I started leaving a smoke screen everywhere I went, so I decided to park it. I had been trying to figure out what to do next, if I should rebuild the engine or find something new.

 

Until now...I now have the solution...here is a little sneak peak of what is about to happen over the next couple of weeks...

 

 

 

How is that for a teaser pic? It is a fully rebuilt Naps Z24, and mildly hopped up...and I now own it. Over the next couple of weeks I will finish assembling it and installing it in the wagon.

ROFLMAO!!! another rebuilt Datsun motor story from "Bill's Datsun" surprise surprise!!!

[Spades]

So, finally some updates! I have been slowly buying parts and fixing little things that break as they happen, and had been waiting to post an update until I finally had made some big progress. This weekend I tackled the timing cover leak and set to find out if the head and cam gear/timing chain had been properly installed. I decided from now on, even on a new motor, I am spending the money on gaskets and personally going through it before I go to the trouble of installation.

 

I started Friday after work at 5pm, and worked till almost 1 am, and then continued at 7am yesterday and finished up on it last night at 12pm. The car does not look much different, so I will list what I did get done over the last 48 hours.

 

I started the evening off pulling the passenger side motor mount out and then the transmission mount. The Naps Z24(from an '86 pickup originally) brackets and positioning were slightly different than the '80 Z20S I swapped originally from a 510 wagon, and while the motor fit, it caused the motor/transmission mounts to bind or pull slightly and fail over the last couple thousand miles I have put on the new engine.

 

By 7pm, the passenger side mount was back in, and the transmission mount was off and a new transmission mounting bracket was being built. I spent the rest of the night pulling the front of the engine apart so that I could start on the head the next day. By the end of the night, the new clutch master cylinder was in, and all parts and gaskets were laid out for the long day that would start a few hours later.

 

Saturday morning the head was off, and I found that the motor assembler had used some sort of glue to stick the cylinder head to the block, and the glue had made its way to the metal crush rings of the head gasket. That must not have been a big enough of an accident waiting to happen, because I also found they did not use dowels to hold the head in place, and I had to find some dowels at the last minute. It turns out the timing chain was close, but it appears the cam gear was set on the #2 position and was one tooth retarded. The bored over engine I have uses a fairly large camshaft to begin with, so this explains why it seemed to run best at 18 degrees of initial timing...unheard of for an 8 plug motor I am told. The whole front of the motor received new gaskets(either Nissan or Felpro), new Nissan head bolts, and more new fasteners and small fixes or upgrades than I have energy to list.

 

After the head was back on, I turned my attention to filling part of the new '80 510 Naps transmission mount with a flexible urethane to help with the added stress of dealing with the z24's extra torque in the hopes I will not have to replace it soon. The exhaust bracket and some of the tubing had to be completely changed, as well as all the normal hang ups that go along with modifying any car from the way it rolled of the showroom floor.

 

At 11pm the car was back together, I bled the cooling system and ran fresh oil through at idle. I drained the oil and changed the filter (I didn't want any left over coolant from when I pulled the head), then drove the car home around 12:30 to get some sleep. I still need to set the valves and set the timing (with a timing light, labscope, and vacuum gauge) to see what my fuel mixture is like after the timing is spot on...the 32/36 may not be enough for a bored over z24, time will tell.

 

sorry for only two pictures, I am too tired to post more at the moment, the rest will have to wait till after some sleep(I was up with my kid this morning, and a combined two day total of 7 hours of sleep after 38 hours of work and working on the datsun, makes pictures a close second behind a nap on the priority list).

 

Head back on:

 

 

10:30pm Saturday night

 

I still need to sand the body, buy a new windshield, and have new window seals put in. While the windows are out I will paint it finally. After the water leaks are fixed I can start installing all the interior goodies I have been stockpiling for over a year...I am ready for a car with a full interior and a stereo again. Once the body and inside are fixed, I will get the front and rear swaybar taken care of and start working on a hydraulic dampener upper motor mount and other non critical items(like a hood prop and radiator cover plate). Hopefully I will have time to rebuild the 240SX transmission(if it needs it) and install it this summer as well. There is still a ton of work to do, but hopefully this is the last fix I have to do on the powertrain so I can turn my time and money to making the car look and handle better.

[Spades]

Pic of the transmission mount and exhaust after the new brackets,ect:

 

 

heh, motor still is not running right, so either what I was told is incorrect, and moving the camshaft sprocket from the #2 position to the #3 position retarded it instead of advancing it, or I have a bad distributor or some other issue. On the plus side, the timing cover leak is fixed and I don't have to worry about the head gasket anymore...the downside is either there is something else going on with this engine, or the camshaft is to big of lift and the wrong duration.

[Spades]

UPDATE! So, I figured out that the distributor was bad. I pieced one together from spare parts and a distributor I bought from Micromachinery. I still need to get the valve lash set perfectly and reset the cam back to the #2 mark. If I still can't get it tuned perfectly, I will be buying a Crane cam and ditching the OCG "mystery cam".

 

My dad has been helping me get the car ready for paint. I will be going with a flat red and a satin or flat clear coat over that. I plan to use acrylic enamel, most likely a farm and implement enamel for the cost and durability. After a few days of bodywork and sanding, the car received a layer of primer, and will need the final touches and sanding when I get closer to painting it. I found a place to get the windshield put in, was hoping to find a ratsun member with a glass or body shop I could have do it, but the price my shop gets from Safelite is not too bad.

 

Today I installed my side turn outs. They will get the exhaust out from under the car until I can get full tailpipes out the back. I need to fix the window leaks before I do more engine or exhaust work...I want to get my carpeting, interior, and stereo installed before winter! I also want to lower the front more...I chopped a coil off the stock springs, but it is still too high in the front. I am also going to buy a rear swaybar and have a front one built this winter if I can afford it.

 

Without further rambling, here are some Oics!

 

 

 

 

Yes, it is dual exhaust...on a 4 cylinder...and yes, it is true dual exhaust from a split header...no it isn't fake...yes, I know it doesn't help with horsepower...yes, it is odd. I don't care...it sounds like a really big Harley Davidson motor.

 

The front fender had been crunched and painted over...lots-o-bondo...it all had to be stripped and pulled back out. It isn't perfect, but it no longer has an inch of bondo on it either.

 

I still have a long way to go, but it is getting closer. Hopefully my health will improve and I can keep working so I have $ to spend for more parts...I would really like to see this project through.

[DAT510]

i wanna hear it! looks awesome!

[Eagle_Adam]

Looks good!!! :thumbup: - I like the exhaust set up to!!!!!!

[bananahamuck]

i wanna hear it! looks awesome!

 

ME 2!!

[Spades]

I installed some new plug wires and waiting for the rest of the engine dress up goodies to arrive via fedex. I am changing the engine bay from blue over to red(since the outside will be flat red).

 

After months of tuning, I am unable to get the motor streetable with the OCG camshaft, and eventually will be buying a COMP Cams 88-119-6. I want more bottom end, and the OCG camshaft is designed with a narrow powerband for 3k-6k RPM use. I may try swapping jets out on my 32/36 before switching camshafts as a last ditch effort, but I don't expect to be able to overcome this cams specs.

 

I found out that I can use thick wall DOM tubing to fabricate a swaybar, so I will work on that while I save up the last little bit I need to get my window seals and windshield. I have some bodywork to do on the hoodscoop, and I need to sand off the crappy primer on the hatch and drivers side rear door(I tried a different brand of primer on those body parts and it is not to my liking).

 

I have also been working on modifying and polishing up a z24 intake manifold and sketching ideas for a z24 manifold to weber downdraft adapter plate that would have a nitrous fogger. I am not installing a kit yet, but someday when the car is closer to being finished, the goal would be to add a small 50hp or less shot to be used if I take the car to the dragstrip.

 

I will get some new Oics after I get the engine bay cleaned up and new parts in.

 

I need to get a video camera someday so I can get a clip of my exhaust...

[banzai510(hainz)]

addco listed rear swaw bars for wagons

[Spades]

addco listed rear swaw bars for wagons

 

yup, and I will be buying one...but because of the front sump oil pan, the only front swaybars that fit my wagon are for KA swaps, and seem to be $200+...and I can build my own for $10...and I already had purchased the Raybestos and Energy Suspension bushing, mount, and end link kits(before I realized the stock bar would no longer fit), so I will most likely fab my own 3/4" front bar from DOM tubing.

 

I do not have any hardware for the rear, and the whole kit can be purchased for around $100, so for the back I will definitely buy the Addco bar. Buying a front bar would be easier, but my money is going to windows, seals, and paint at the moment.

[Spades]

Well, we had a little bit of rain, and I found multiple windows are leaking, not just the quarter seals anymore. It looks like I need to buy almost all of the window seals, just about everything is leaking.

 

I considered selling it, but I have done so much and it is so close to being finished. I am considering buying something for cheap work transportation this winter(maybe a motorcycle or a scooter...ack), paying off my medical bills and saving up the money for all the window seals and finishing the paint and windows next summer when I have the money.

 

I hate to drive it through the next 8 months or more of rain and rot the window sills out...I would rather come up with a better plan and park it in a garage or with a tarp over it.