1971 PL521

[The Birdman]

Went to my local Nissan dealer for the head bolts Monday, funny how they had to refer to their "Old" system to find the part numbers for the head bolts. They also said there were 3 different sizes, but I only have 2 different lengths of bolts. Anyone know the deal on that?

[Laecaon]

If you have to have new ones part #11056-p7600 short bolt about 5 bucks on the courtesy nissan site,long bolt is part # 11059-p7600 about six bucks.

 

I only knew of long and short ones.

[jrock4224]

novembers tid bit

 

old trick passed onto me by a old hot rodder.... pull that exhaust manifold off paint it gold....like the stuff u used but gold.... and once a few heat cycles burn through it will turn the richest neatedt cast color fo all time....i know, when i first heard it, i thought i was the butt of a joke and everyone would laugh at me in the circles i traveled...but shit u not, after two drives i opened the hod and the result made me want to whip out my junk out and slap it on it all while kissing the air cleaner, no tongue... and i decided against it due to heat but u get the idea....u got too much silver going on.....(chrome in a can....oops)....it looks good don't get me wrong but everytime i see it all i can think is ding dongs and hot dogs...

 

krylon chrome gold works best.....having access to a powder coating shop is the only reason u don't see mine with green valve cover and a gold ex. manifold

 

if u dont believe me i don't blame u buit i could offer free powdercoating if u chose to do it and arent happy with the results....not that u have to do it at all but more as a promise to take me serious and not think i trolled in here to say mean shit ... the motor looks great...i just know my l 20 had a similar issue so i cahnged the clor of the intake and it changed the whole look....

 

.any fresh color that's not dark as black would show oil.... pretty quick....i had a honda 250r someone used chrome in a can on the motor and i never liked it cause t rubbed off on my boots and hands when u touched it ....it got silver on everything i had .... i think for the same reason the gold does that wicked cast trick is probably the same reasons the chrome in the can reacted like it did and got all over everything....funny part u would get it one your hand then touch a hose or the seat .... and u couldnt get it off with out using a solvent...but on the motor it would rub right off ... and it was dry to the the touch till we ran heat through it .....then it was like the opposite of non smudge aluminum paint ... it smudged and got on everything....basically in laymans terms it like it reactivated......the gold once it did its cast trick u could touch it and it wouldnt come off....so its a little wierd theory but u should try the gold it looks super cool after heat.... its the perfect cast and it gets kinda rainbowey onthe flanges....not like gawdy rainbows u can only see it on a sunny day when u open the hood and it nly goes a bout a inch up them....

 

 

tidbit v2.0

 

cast is the worlds hardest anything to get paint to stick tooo.......u cant clean enough......and of u can heat and cool it cause the real problem is you paint it ... then u drive it and the casting sweats out everything and take your paint right off....anything we powder coat like blocks heads intakes ....cool side turbo housings...anything ends up living in the oven for a day or two to sweat anything and everything out of them.....although i discourage powder coating of blocks and heads..... its thickness tends to add ten degrees to operating temps.... when it comes to motors and performance hin mileage is the best to disapate heat.... no hat doesn't mean i haven't done a ton of blocks and heads ... the last two .... one was a cherokee 6 cylinder used for wheeling and he wanted to hold more heat n the motor for some reason ... he wanted the heater wamer or something ...it was a full trail rig so once i suggested it retained heat more when powdercoated ... he was all for it .. the other was a toyota 2 jz built motor.... the block neon yellow, the head was candy blue and the front cover was neon green.....i have no idea nor did i ask but i also forwarned about heat and he was still all, hell yeah i wanna...it looks cool seperately...but i havent seen it together yet...lol

[The Birdman]

Took JROCK's advice and stripped the exhaust manifold back down to the metal and decided to go with Calyx which I've used before on a Sanderson cast header set for my El Camino. I wasn't sure the exhaust on the L16 would get near as hot as a V8 would, but better safe than sorry.

 

I've gotten the new head bolts and just about everything else, new chain set, gaskets and hopefully all else. I'd like to make sure I've got the timing lined up for the new chain, but I was wondering if since the head was re-worked, do I need to measure the head to make sure I won't need shims for the cam towers? Also which dowel hole would I use for the reworked block and head? I'm hoping to get the internal timing lined up right before going forward, any and all help is appreciated!

[wayno]

See in the photos below how the cam lobes on number one cylinder are pointed at 10am and 2pm, that is where you want your cam before you drop it on the block.

I beleave in this photo, the cam is at 10:30am and 2:30pm, and it is a tooth off, I lost some sleep about this one, in the end I removed the cam gear and re-positioned the cam, and I got it right, the engine runs great.

This is where you want the rotor pointed, 4pm.

This is where you want the engine, TDC.

If you set up everything as stated above, I beleave that when you put the chain and gears/spockets on, there will be 44 links between the dots, BTW the cam gear/sprocket will use the number 2 dowel hole, and you will use the #2 mark/dot on the gear/sprocket itself.

[Sealik]

I'd like to make sure I've got the timing lined up for the new chain, but I was wondering if since the head was re-worked, do I need to measure the head to make sure I won't need shims for the cam towers? Also which dowel hole would I use for the reworked block and head? I'm hoping to get the internal timing lined up right before going forward, any and all help is appreciated!

 

If the head wasn't shaved don't worry about it....I believe the cam tower shims come in a minimum of .015 thickness...(?)

Position 1 on cam sprocket.....retards cam....slight improvement with top end

Position 2 on cam sprocket...stock (L20B/Z22/Z24)

Position 3 on cam sprocket.....advances cam, slight improvement with bottom end. Can also help if chain is stretched or...head is slightly shaved

 

[The Birdman]

Ok, so I have the crank pulley lined up with TDC, and the keys on the crank point straight up.

 

And I've got the #1 cam lobes lined up at 10 and 2 with the V-notch lined up with the mark.

So I can install the head gasket, torque them down and then put the chain on and count the links to make sure there are 44 in between, right?

[Sealik]

Yes...but check that diagram...it's not 44 between

It's 44 links/22 sections.... counting the first and not the last

[wayno]

I see this is a L16, I thought it was a L20b at first, so you use #1 dowel hole, and the photo of the distributor rotor pointing to 4pm is wrong, I beleave the L16 rotor is supposed to point to 10am.

Also the L16 is shorter, so it might only be 42 links between the dots.

[The Birdman]

This is the L16 motor I'm putting in for now, the L20B comes later. That picture was actually taken with the gear on dowel hole #3 using the old sprocket for reference because it has the v notch, the new sprocket does not have the v-notches.

[Sealik]

I think the L16 is on the No 1 position from factory?????

L16.....21 sections/42 links as per diagram

[Sealik]

Also the L16 is shorter, so it might only be 42 links between the dots.

 

Not between the dots

[The Birdman]

Your diagram says "3 links above head" is that where the clear link should be when installed or does it matter?

[Sealik]

Your diagram says "3 links above head" is that where the clear link should be when installed or does it matter?

 

General note on cam timing....

That was written by someone else.....don't worry about it

[wayno]

This is the L16 motor I'm putting in for now, the L20B comes later. That picture was actually taken with the gear on dowel hole #3 using the old sprocket for reference because it has the v notch, the new sprocket does not have the v-notches.

 

Looking at the photo, the #1 mark is where it is supposed to be if put in the #1 dowel hole.

Everything I see says it is in #1 dowel hole in the photo above, see the photo below, how #1 mark is at 2:30pm and number "1" dowel hole is pointed strait up, just like the photo above.

[The Birdman]

Ah, Ok. So I'm about to put the head gasket in and torque the head down, I typically wipe the block deck and head deck down with brake cleaner before the process, anything to add before I do?

[The Birdman]

Looking at the photo, the #1 mark is where it is supposed to be if put in the #1 dowel hole.

Everything I see says it is in #1 dowel hole in the photo above, see the photo below, how #1 mark is at 2:30pm and number "1" dowel hole is pointed strait up, just like the photo above.

 

You're right Wayno, my bad! Here's where it's at now with new gear on at #2.

[wayno]

You're right Wayno, my bad! Here's where it's at now with new gear on at #2.

 

If it is an L16, you want to use the #1 dowel hole and mark.

[The Birdman]

Ok, making the change now. Good to torque down you think?

[wayno]

If the 210 head wasn't shaved much, your good to go, just keep in mind that we are not there, and might miss stuff that we normally just take for granted, I cannot remember how to count the chain links between the marks right now, but that is important when installing the chain/gears, not the head.

[The Birdman]

Here's the chain and the count from clear section start to the next clear is right at 21.

 

I do want to ask if the slack side chain guide should be in any particular set of holes forward or back or is that just dependent on the tightness once the chain is on?

[Sealik]

Bottom of guide should be positioned on the left hole....pivot top till chain is taunt

I see you have bright links....no need for counting then

[wayno]

This is what mine looked like when I set it up, might have been tight, but no issues so far.

The bright links go on the dots.

[The Birdman]

Got it all lined up! The gear on the crank was off by a tooth, backed up the crank to get them lined up. I noticed the crank pulley had several marks on it and I might have been off by a mark.

 

But it lines up well mark for mark.

It only required a slight move of the crank to line up.

[wayno]

As long as the dots on the gears center themselves on the bright links, you should be fine.

Do the cam lobes look like 10am and 2pm, basicly the same angle, but opposite each other, but even?