Boaty's KA24DE 2DR

[68Datsun510]

Thats for ideal setup.

 

Every ka car I've seen has it just like yours.

[Boaty]

Some pretties came in the mail today. =D

 

Now, I get to figure out a way to install them. I grabbed a spare instrument cluster (which is a white-needle with trip odometer!) to get a quick reference on what all needs to be done.... doesn't look like this will be easy, so I'm going to have to come up with some ideas here. If I had a bad stock tach, it would go smoother but I have a feeling I'll be hacking up a stock speedo cluster and making a whole piece that goes in front of it. Because there is no way I'm gonna get 3 3/8" gauges to fit in there easily.

 

I'll take a look tomorrow for a better idea though...

 

[Uber Deaf One]

Ditch the whole dash and run an aluminum panel?

[Boaty]

Screw that. That's a "last resort".

 

I'd prefer to keep the stock instrument cluster. So I did.

 

My brother is actually to credit for all of this, I was only there for moral support... while he modded the cluster, I was finishing up my electric fan install. Using a VW temp switch (180 on, 155 off)... works great on the cold side of the rad.

Fan pictures later.

 

For now, here's my instrument cluster (not installed in car yet.. that's tomorrow lol.)

 

Be proud, I even broke out the DSLR for this one (haven't touched it months!)

[Creepy Cruiser]

Nice.

[dennis]

is that a GPS speedo?

 

also did your brother mount the gauges on the speedo/tach board or in the panel itself? Looks great, I am glad you kept the original panel.

[Boaty]

The gauges are mounted to the original instrument cluster. The metal bracket & PCB are removed, and just using the plastic piece itself (inside is painted white for the stock illumination). The speedo side required a ring to be epoxied in so the speedo has something to mount to. It seems really solid, we cut out a ring from a kitty-litter bucket (SoFreshStep, lol) with the ID to match the gauge, and the OD to match just larger than the ID of the plastic bezel. Then the gauge has something to mount to.

 

On the tach side, since I didn't have a stock tach to work with, we used the stock light panel (CHG/BRK/OIL) and cut out a hole to match the gauge. On the back side the areas where the lights go had to be ground off with a dremel, and a little grinding on the backing plate had to be removed as well. The speedhut gauges are the perfect depth here, didn't require any major cutting, and it's super-rigid this way. No movement hardly at all.

 

Everything could be improved upon, if I was super snazzy-like I could take some fast cure epoxy and literally puddle-up and fill in the areas around where the gauges mount, with new rings and such. This would be very very very overkill, these gauges are light weight. I see no reason why the current set up wouldn't work great, they are all nice and sturdy and don't appear to want to break out, at least without any finger-hand pressure (giggity).

 

The fuel gauge, since there isn't anything to mount it to, had to be dremeled out a bit to fit the threads on the gauge itself. We kept it just tight enough so that the gauge itself would thread into the plastic on it's own, and the ring in the back is just to secure it even more. It worked out great, and only had to do a bit of dremeling on the plastic shrouding to fit the bezel on the gauge.

 

As far as the dash facia plate, the tach/speedo openings didn't require any modification. Howeve the bezel on the fuel gauge (2 1/16") was slightly larger than the opening on the facia plate. So what I did, was take a lighter and heat the plastic up so it's just slightly flexible, then took the lighter and formed the plastic outward for clearance. Just hold it out until the plastic sets up (cools) and it stays. I only bent it out just enough to clear the bezel on the gauge, and it fits perfectly. You can't tell, looking from the front that I did anything. On the speedo side, the white plastic ring that is epoxied in is slightly visible at an angle, so I'll just take some satin black paint and fix that problem.

 

These gauges fit really nicely, but as with anything in a Datsun, there is no such thing as "Oh I bought the kit off JCWhitney and it fits like a glove!" - it's all custom on these things.

 

Obviously the 2 5/8" gauges are going in an autometer bracket that'll be mounted under the stock ashtray area. I may end up purchasing some angle-rings for it though, we'll see once they are installed.

 

I'll try and take some more pictures to explain all of the above.

[Boaty]

Annnd update.

 

Did a little troubleshooting last night and early today and determined that, I have no injector pulse on #1 cylinder. Checked for continuity, and continuity exists between injector and ECU plug. But the ECU isn't pulsing... I have spark, so it's not a CAS issue as far as I can tell. So it looks like I need a new ECU.

 

I posted in the Datsun Parts area...

 

My budget is dwindling, but I need a new ECU that is known good. If anybody has a lead (Hell if it's semi local I'll DRIVE to pick it up if it's a good enough price!!!).

But yeah... just my luck. Setback after setback! What are the chances?!

[68Datsun510]

Welcome to efi swaps. My z22 want trouble free either... :(

[Boaty]

Oh, and no it isn't a GPS speedometer, Dennis.

I'm going to use the VSS on the KA tranny. Half the places I'm known to go you don't even get GPS signal... not that I'm paying attention to the speedo in those instances. ..

[Boaty]

 

Have to mount the triple-bracket tomorrow, I ran out of daylight this evening.

[Laecaon]

Dude! I think you just sold me on the speedhut gauges for my eventual swap!

[Boaty]

I like 'em.

 

Seeing them in person is totally different.

You're welcome to check them out at Canby (if of course, I get the fucker going by then... still on the hunt for an ECU!)

[68Datsun510]

Troy had an auto ecu didn't he? Snag it!

[kayakdude07]

That gauge setup looks super sweet. Do those gauges do a full sweep on start-up?

[Boaty]

Nah no full sweep, but they move a bit to calibrate each time.

 

Some more pics from today:

 

You see that little SOB hanging out by the strut tower there? The original fuel tank vent. It's been there for years, figured since she pukes fumes on hot days, may as well keep it. I'm going to cut that down and put a rubber hose with a breather on it however, probably going to hook it up around the same area I have the transmission vent tube when I find a place to hook it up.

 

Charge light. Was looking for a place and couldn't decide.. then I saw the original choke cable bracket. Schwing! Drilled the 1/2", bought a push-in lamp (non-LED) and voila. White/Red to one side, and green to the other, works like a charm.

 

 

Oh man, this gave me lots of motivation. I spent a good two hours or so cleaning up paint overspray and water spots off all the trim pieces. 0000 steel wool with Mother's polish, really nice on stainless with a minimal amount of scratching. Stainless is super hard, but it'll still scratch with steel wool unless you're careful. All of which could be polished out with heat and some tripoli... I just don't have my Baldor buffer yet. Some day, perhaps.

 

She looks a million times closer to being back on the road with the grille and headlights back in!

 

I cleaned up the valve cover. The powdercoat had been abused by tools and solvents over the last few months. Nothing a microfiber and some Poor Boy's World can't fix. Nice and shiny, want to touch the hiney. Found my plug holders here on Ratsun, thanks buddy! I was going nuts without them!

 

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

I need to pick out a decent fitting insert and some hose. But for now this works, but it looks ass. I'll be cleaning all of that later on when I get everything running and on the road, and reliable.

 

Found this gem hiding in my parts pile behind the shed. Didn't even know I had it, looks to be in pretty much perfect condition. Original washer bottle, but I'm going to end up using it as a coolant overflow tank instead. It's unfortunate that the output fitting from the radiator for over flow points in the direction it does, I don't want to sacrifice my windshield washers! But for now, she'll do.

 

Can't believe it has the original sticker.

"Only use our Special Solvent".

 

Wonder what that was?

[DREWSDIME]

Plug holders look good! Now you just need the dizzy plastic cover and it will make it look even better! I think the stock KA hose coming off the valve cover might work for you. I probably got an extra one in my KA stash.

[Boaty]

I have a plastic cover, actually. Think I may even have two, would have to look.

I think the coil plug interferes though.

[68Datsun510]

Looks bitchin dude

[Boaty]

Thank you sir!

[Uber Deaf One]

Why is the fuel tank vent hose all the way up there in the engine bay? lol

 

You couldn't get that radiator to fit with the shroud and both fans?? :(

 

FFFFFUUUUUUUU I need those plug holders... I only have 2, and one of them is broken in half :(

[Boaty]

The stock vent goes to a check valve that hooked up with the PCV system and air box on an L16. I left it there because if you plug it, you build pressure in the gas tank. It's already a bomb, I don't need it to gain any potential lol. SO, I left it going where it was. I'm just gonna put a breather on it and call it good. It's been there for 40 years, doesn't bother me, whatev.

 

 

Nope, couldn't get the shroud to fit. No way in hell, maybe 3/8" from the water pump as it is, add the 5/8" for the shroud, I wouldn't have a fan! Same goes for the thermostat housing. :(

 

Some day... some day :(

[Boaty]

Cleaned up and re-carpetted my seat-delete today. I also made a new speaker panel for the rear deck, new carpet and such. My pic was super blurry and full of pollen, so I'll get a good one tomorrow.

 

I'm beat.. pulled an all nighter last night working on a laptop.

I seem to work harder more when I'm super tired.. get shit done!

 

[68Datsun510]

Bomb.

[justin 620]

I'm pretty excited to see this thing tearing up the streets! Keep up the good work man, cause it's projects like this that make me wanna go attack my truck :P