how to I'd 1800SSS motor

[DrColeman]

were heading to look at a 71 510 and the owner says it has a L18 with su style carbs. The carbs are two bolt style. Is there any way for me to check if this is in fact a L18. Is there any additional marks that would indicate that it's a SSS?

any help is greatly appreciated as we are on the road from co spgs to az rigt now!

[datzenmike]

Look directly behind the dipstick handle on the block just below the head. There is a raised boss with the engine size stamped into it and a serial number. For example L18 XXXXXX

 

 

L18 and SUs don't make it an 1800 SSS. It may have had an A87 closed chamber head and more. Someone on here might know.

 

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[DrColeman]

awesome!!! Thank you so very much! You just saved me hours of searching.

[zerow]

Look directly behind the dipstick handle on the block just below the head. There is a raised boss with the engine size stamped into it and a serial number. For example L18 XXXXXX

 

 

L18 and SUs don't make it an 1800 SSS. It may have had an A87 closed chamber head and more. Someone on here might know.

 

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Don't forget the the ribbed, non-smog exhaust manifold...

[datsunfish]

SSS is all about the head. The head will have a stamp on the passenger side. Cant remember off hand which one the sss is but its really not that big of a deal. Basically a high compression head with larger valves intake ports and cam but equates to an L20b head port,cam and valve size. I ran an open chamber l20b head on an L18 and it was wicked,so unless it is stamped on the side or very front with 210 it should be nice.

I have seen people refer to high comp a87 heads as sss but they are not. The open chamber 210 head has the smallest combustion chamber volume so the sss head would basically be the same as a ported closed chamber a87.

[Jesse C.]

The SSS engines came with flat top pistons.

[zed]

reading off 510.com I think: an original casting SSS head will have #219 on it. The later model SSS head has a "V912" under no 1 spark plug

[datzenmike]

Yeah the 210 is open and about 38ccs and much smaller than the closed 219/212/A-87 or W-58 chamber at 41cc.

 

Looks like an L18 with flattops and closed chamber head would have a compression of almost 9.7 Bit high for production motor?

 

L18 with flattops and open chamber head is 9.0 which is a little more reasonable.

[Creepy Cruiser]

The motor I just pulled out of my dime, (that I built back in the 80's), was a L18, flat top pistons, 219 head, and dual SU's, (what a killer combination). It has served me well for over 25 years. Just popped in a ka24de, just to try something new, and it's a blast too (for different reasons). I'm keeping my L to put into a nl320 or 520/521. (love the old school L, and sound of carbs, lol)

[DISLEXICDIME]

L18 sss engine would have a 219 head with a block breather that snakes around the exhaust manifold and pops out the back of the manifold like a l20 if the block breather pops out from in between the number 3 and 4 extractores. On the exhaust manifold its a usdm l18.

 

If it is jdm it will be a little bit stronger engine from the factory. I have taken apart 2 l18 sss engines and both times the blocks where a little stouter and the valve springs where stiffer.

I also have a l16-t crate engine they look the same as the sssl18 with the wrap around breather and it came with a closed chamber 210 head and boy that thing was fun. All 3 of these engines had m2 stamped on the lower front corner of the block near thetiming cover.

[datzenmike]

 

From my '78 L20B truck.

 

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[izzo]

I have an l20 with M2 stamped on it to, what exactly does that mean?

[datzenmike]

Later casting I think. Z20s might also have them. JDM Z18ETs too maybe. I think datsunaholic said something about the later JDM L18 or Z18ET being a newer style casting. I think the motor mount bolt holes on the block side are on a raised bosses too.

[Jesse C.]

The M2 casting is just a foundry mark and does not specify it as a special engine. All Datsun blocks of the time where JDM because they weren't really making them anywhere else! And the standard L18 block is the same as a SSS block!

 

What made them SSS was the small chamber "Peanut" head, cam that is identical to the later L20B, flat top pistons, single point dist and SU carb setup! And the fact that they came in the SSS Package equipped models! We never got one with anything different like special clutches, cranks, rods or beefier blocks! And at only $250.00 to $300.00 bucks a pop, we went through a few of them!

[Adam Jopek]

On 9/13/2010 at 3:18 AM, Jesse C. said:

The M2 casting is just a foundry mark and does not specify it as a special engine. All Datsun blocks of the time where JDM because they weren't really making them anywhere else! And the standard L18 block is the same as a SSS block!

 

What made them SSS was the small chamber "Peanut" head, cam that is identical to the later L20B, flat top pistons, single point dist and SU carb setup! And the fact that they came in the SSS Package equipped models! We never got one with anything different like special clutches, cranks, rods or beefier blocks! And at only $250.00 to $300.00 bucks a pop, we went through a few of them!

Can you let me know if I can make a 1800SSS when I have A78 with peanut chamber from Datsun 910? I have SU carbs (I believe from 1600SSS) + manifold, only don't have flat pistons and the intake wholes in head are smaller, around 31mm.  

[datzenmike]