Fisch's 1959 Datsun 1000 project! Peeking in the oilpan!

[Bleach]

Everybody needs to pre-order 10 copies of Jump! :)

[fisch]

Found this interesting bit of info at Datsun1200.com

 

It appears the c engine in the 58-59 bluebird is a destroked Austin A50 Cambridge B-series 1500 engine (Used in many other English cars too). I guess Japan had a 'small-car tax class' and you had to be 1000 cc and under to qualify. Thus the destroking!

 

Of course what I am wondering is if the Austin b-series 1500 gaskets and other things will swap?

 

And... not that I am thinking serious about this, but... the logical next question would be, could you restroke it if you got a Austin A50 1500 crankshaft? Could it be that simple? There is no mention of reducing the bore. (Coming from the guy who has never taken apart an engine.)

 

The difference is a 15 hp gain. Wiki says dual su's got this 1500 up to 68 to 72 bhp. Up from the bluebirds 34hp from essentially the same engine!

 

 

Edited from http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Datsun_History

 

"As as a result of Nissan manufacturing and license of Austins, Nissan leveraged the Austin patents to further develop their own modern engine designs past what the Austin's A- and B-family designs offered.

 

For developing the 1000cc engine (C1) for the 1957 Datsun 110 -- under the advice of American engineers, Donald Stone was enrolled at Nissan. He was formerly at Willys-Overland. The C1 was derived from the production Austin A50 Cambridge license. He destroked the BMC B series 1500 engine, and the resulting C1 engine was called the "Stone engine"."

 

Heh I have a 'stone' engine.

 

More good stuff at Early Datsun.org It seems that even though Nissan destroked some of these engines, they were nissan built and had way better quality than their English made twins. I guess they rarely leaked oil, which looks pretty proof positive on mine and certainly isn't the case in England.

 

http://www.earlydatsun.com/austin.html

 

But this does look familiar!

 

Austin B-series 1500 (In a Metropolitan):

 

Mine:

 

 

 

 

Mmmm with sidedrafts! But it would be tight w/ the brake M/C.

[bonvo]

similar? try identical look even the generator has the same braket for the coil the only thing that looks different is the intake mani

[Skib]

neat :D

[fivehunsky]

they are close but not Identical. Marty with the datsun 1000 pickup on here has a couple of these engines at his shop.. The first time I saw one I was like.. "hey, cool datsun engi.. wait.. why is there a british flag on this?? what is this?" lol

[fisch]

they are close but not Identical. Marty with the datsun 1000 pickup on here has a couple of these engines at his shop.. The first time I saw one I was like.. "hey, cool datsun engi.. wait.. why is there a british flag on this?? what is this?" lol

 

Nice to met you fivehunsky! I should ask Marty if things like gaskets, t-stat housings, waterpumps, transmissions, etc are a straight bolt on swap! That would make finding parts 100% easier!

 

Marty are you reading this?

[311junkie]

Awesome find. I hope the final dat looks something like the renderings you have done...love that look.

 

BTW my kid loves the dripping fang series...great illustrations!

[nismo dr]

Indeed! I also did this really funny book called Animals Anonymous. I made it look like an old spiral bound notebook and illustrated the whole thing in ball point pen! Over 50 drawings and doodles in this one. Written by Rich Michelson.

 

THis one is actually for ages 14 and up! So not quite a kidsbook.

http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Richard-Michelson/dp/1416914242/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253762942&sr=1-1

 

 

I was looking this up on my local library website and it has you listed as the "killustrator" thats awesome :cool:

[fivehunsky]

Nice to met you fivehunsky! I should ask Marty if things like gaskets, t-stat housings, waterpumps, transmissions, etc are a straight bolt on swap! That would make finding parts 100% easier!

 

Marty are you reading this?

 

 

Hey same here.. Im sure marty will chime in on this but if not I can for sure ask him about some stuff.. or even take some measurements of the engines he has.. One is a reaaaaaallly built engine for a customers race car.. not sure about the other one tho.. I will take a couple pics tho for sure..

[fisch]

How about we travel under the rear end just a little bit! The rear has the most body damage. It is as if someone tried pushing it around with a truck and the bumper caused some denting. At some point someone put some bondo in these dents, but I have examined both sides and there is no rust in the dents so it was just used a filler. They are minor and look like they will hammer out in a snap.

 

Looks like I am getting eaten by a whale!

 

I was really curious what shape the gas tank was in. Datsuns seem to come with rusty gastanks from the factory! I wish I had taken some before pictures, but you can imagine how dirty it was. Here is what a little scrubbing revealed.:)

 

You can see how it cleaned up!:D We will get a closer look at the axle in a sec.

 

This picture really illustrated the condition the paint was in under the gunk. Check out the reflection of my hand! This thing keeps surprising me!

 

Now we can visit that rear axle! It has a 10 bolt housing. You can still see the gunk I have yet to remove. But all that yummy paint!

 

Here is a zoom in of the stamped numbers. Anyone know what they mean?

 

And last on our visit, a shot of the shock.

 

 

 

So the question of the night- is 10 a common # of bolts on a datsun rear end? What do the roadsters have? I will take a picture of the other side of the pumpkin soon, it is still way dirty!

Edited September 27, 2009 by fisch

[Jester]

I have 10 on my '79 truck rearend. Might just be a common thing for the early Datsuns.

[Cuts metal like mad]

The more important question is, if the 1500 crank fits... how difficult is it to find one?

[mklotz70]

The H190's have 10 bolts. I wouldn't be surprised if that the same rearend as the 320.....especially since it has 6 lugs.

[fisch]

The H190's have 10 bolts. I wouldn't be surprised if that the same rearend as the 320.....especially since it has 6 lugs.

 

Good to know! This way if it really has the 5.125X1 rear gearing I've read about, I might be able to swap gears from an H190!

[fisch]

I discovered two important things are missing today. The clutch slave cylinder is gone! Also the windshield wiper motor is totally missing, but I think some of the mounting brackets are still there.:confused:

 

Mass won't let me pass inspection w/o wipers.:(

[motavated]

Tie strings around the wipers and tell them they are manual wipers powered by the passenger.

 

That sucks man! :( I wonder is 510 wiper motor will bolt in. Are you willing to mod such a rare car? I would just to drive it. Good luck man!

[bonvo]

do you have pics and measurments of how the whiper motor mounts? same with the clutch slave?

[freaky510]

wow the under carriage looks clean

[fisch]

Are you willing to mod such a rare car?

 

Thanks man! Sure I would mod it if it could be done in a way where it is easily reversible! I don't want to cut anything though! If I can get it running as is it would be fun as hell to rock it stock for a little while! Paint and everything, as a survivor.

 

Funny, Jeff sent me a a little documentary on the Z car that history channel did. It shows this puppy in action! I guess even Mr. K thought this was a pretty scary car to drive. I think he called it the 'coffin' because of how hot it got inside the cab from the engine. It is in the beginning of this vid.

 

 

As if reinforcing that, there is what looks like a burn mark on the floor under the passenger front seat of mine. Where the paint has browned. Directly under that spot is the muffler, and at some point someone wrapped that in sheet metal as insulation?!?!?!!?:lol:

 

 

[fisch]

do you have pics and measurments of how the whiper motor mounts? same with the clutch slave?

 

I grabbed some pics Bonvo.

 

I don't really know what I am looking at with the wiper motor mount. It mounts under the dash just below the vent that opens on the cowl. In this pic the mount is to the left of the radio. (You can also check out the speaker built into the bottom of the radio!) I am beginning to wonder if this radio was put here and things removed to get it in the spot. The wiper motor is gone and, there is no way you could run the passenger defrost hose (which is missing) while this radio was here. It was in the desert after all, who needs a defroster and wipers?!:lol::lol:

 

Here is the spot for the clutch slave! The push-rod is still part of what I would call the fork, and is about 2.5" long. The center hole mounting points between the bolts for mounting the slave is about 2 3/8". (I think that trans has a lot of original paint under the gunk.)

 

 

Any thoughts you have are much appreciated!

Edited September 27, 2009 by fisch

[bonvo]

looks like with some modification you could work a newer style clutch master in there as for whiper motor your gonna have to get creative at the junkyard

[fisch]

looks like with some modification you could work a newer style clutch master in there as for whiper motor your gonna have to get creative at the junkyard

 

Did some digging and it might be easier for me to track some parts by searching for Nash Metropolitan parts, as they also used the British B-series 1500. Metropolitans seem to be more around in this country than say an Austin A50.

 

I've dug up this slaves for them from a few different sources, course so far they are $120 to $150 each! Not quite as cheap as the one for my 521.

 

I guess there is a chance Nissan used a different slave, but if they were using the engine, they prolly used the trans too.

 

[nukeday]

Is it possible a slave from a 320 would work? Is the trans the same as the early 320?

 

You might want to download the 320 pdf files from here, they might give you an idea how the wiper system could/should look?

Edited September 28, 2009 by nukeday

[Charlie69]

Hey Fisch, Look at an early L320 slave cylinder. could not find a picture of a 320 Slace cylinder. Mike Klotz might be able to produce a picture

 

Here is RockAuto picture of a 1966 520, 1970 521, 1970 411, Slave Cylinder

BECK/ARNLEY Part # 0721241 all use same for1600 cc according to RockAuto.

 

[fisch]

Is it possible a slave from a 320 would work? Is the trans the same as the early 320?

 

You might want to download the 320 pdf files from here, they might give you an idea how the wiper system could/should look?

 

Could be Nuke! The 320's used the E-type engine I think, there as this thing has the C-type (B-series in England). But I'd bet the 4-speed on the column shifter from the early 320's is the same, so who knows!

 

Great thought on the 320 manual too! I can't believe I haven't thought of that. I am going to download it right now. Bet it will even have pic of what the slave looks like.

 

And man if that wiper motor is a match, you just made finding one WAY easier!!!! (Not that finding 320 stuff is easy, but certainly easier than the 59!)

 

 

EDIT- does anyone know if the 320's were positive ground like this 1000?

Edited September 28, 2009 by fisch