710 project thread

[Will]

Time to get a few odds-and-ends sorted out before I get back on the road:

 

I added some adjustable links from a Mercedes, and bent the original 710 links so that it would operate smoothly.

 

Since the automatic transmission didn't need a shift boot, I needed to make a way to hook one up for a manual transmission. I made a frame out of clothes hanger wire.

 

And put in a new transmission mount to keep it from flopping around. The old mount was a mess.

[Will]

With a shift boot, it's no longer looking so unfinished:

 

 

And I finally added in the package tray from Pumpkin Dave - now I won't be getting weird reflections from the sheetmetal in the rear window!:

 

 

Junkyard Porsche 924 seats: the best 35 dollars I've spent on the 710. I needed to make some brackets for one side to attach them to the 710 rails, but the installation only took a few hours. Much easier than the removal! It seems like the sliding mechanism always rusts in place on the 924s in northeastern junkyards, making the seats very difficult to remove:

 

[Abe Froman]

Will ,

 

Nice seat upgrade, I have always liked the style of those seats ! They look great.

[Dguy210]

With a shift boot, it's no longer looking so unfinished:

 

 

 

And I finally added in the package tray from Pumpkin Dave - now I won't nbe getting weird reflections from the sheetmetal in the rear window!:

 

 

 

Junkyard Porsche 924 seats: the best 35 dollars I've spent on the 710. I needed to make some brackets for ons side to attach them to the 710 rails, but the installation only took a few hours. Much easier than the removal! It seems like the sliding mechanism always rusts in place on the 924s in northeastern junkyards, making the seats very difficult to remove:

 

Will ,

 

Nice seat upgrade, I have always liked the style of those seats ! They look great.

 

Looks good. I have these seats in the B210 also, really comfy but they do get a bit hot during the summer.

[Will]

I'd had an eye on them in the yards for a while, but your B210 seat swap post gave me the evidence that they would fit. Thanks!

 

The black vinyl will get super-hot in the sun, but hopefully these seats will get reupholstered before to long in white vinyl with fabric panels. (the driver's seat has a big rip that doesn't show in the photo.)

 

Looks good. I have these seats in the B210 also, really comfy but they do get a bit hot during the summer.

[Will]

I made some prop magazines at Sesame Street today, so if you're watching with the kids and spot a 710 on the cover of a magazine in Hooper's Store, here's why:

 

[king bee66]

haha, awesome

[Will]

Success!

 

Finally had a free afternoon and some good weather, so I took care of valve adjustments, timing, and plug gaps to try and get the 710 running smoothly.

 

I drove from Syracuse to Ottawa and back to Brooklyn a few weeks ago, and the whole way it was idling very rough, but cruising just fine on the highway. I ended up getting 27mpg the first time I checked, and then 30mpg (with a carfull of stuff and a couch and shelf on the roof!)

 

The valve adjustment and plug gaps were pretty close to what they should be, but the timing was way off - it was retarded really really far - maybe 25°or 30°!

 

The illustrations that I could find of the timing marks on the crank pulley all showed what the six notches meant (+5°, 0°, -5°, -10°, -15°, -20°) but my pulley only has 5 notches, so I set it to the notch that was my best guess at -10°. The engine is from an L16 1972 510 SSS Coupe - does anyone know the proper timing setting, or what the five notches on the crank pulley stand for? I couldn't find this information in any of my manuals or online.

 

At least it no longer feels like the engine is trying to shake itself apart! I'm going to try and go on a road trip to Baltimore next weekend. I'm curious if it is as it appears in John Waters movies.

[datzenmike]

Timing should be +12 BTDC will. The crank pulley turns CWise so the notches should be in order as they come round ... +20, +15, +10, +05 and O

 

If any doubt, it will ping under load if too advanced and power drops off. I just snug the distributor tie down bolt so I can easily twist the dizzy to adjust the timing on the road. Turning the dizzy CW will advance the timing, CCW will retard it. When I get to where there is no pinging I tighten the hold down bolt.

[Will]

Thanks, Mike! I set it to the center mark of the five, so it should be pretty close. IT definitely is running better and no longer pinging - I'll fine tune it on the road and try to get it dialed in a bit more precisely. It's always fun to play with a 12V strobe light anyway.

 

 

Timing should be +12 BTDC will. The crank pulley turns CWise so the notches should be in order as they come round ... +20, +15, +10, +05 and O

 

If any doubt, it will ping under load if too advanced and power drops off. I just snug the distributor tie down bolt so I can easily twist the dizzy to adjust the timing on the road. Turning the dizzy CW will advance the timing, CCW will retard it. When I get to where there is no pinging I tighten the hold down bolt.

[Will]

Saw this while leafing through one of my Datsun books... such a good, simple idea - why aren't they all like this?

 

[datzenmike]

Heard of those for years and years... first time I've seen one.

[Will]

I picked up an L20B from toadx8u on my way home for the holidays - I'd planned on picking up a different engine, but that one had been sitting for 10 or 20 years, and I was able to hear toad's engine before he pulled it this morning. The engine fit perfectly into the fold-away compartment in the back of the minivan!

 

I left home at 6:30am and finally got to Syracuse at 7:30pm. 600 miles of driving in one day. Tomorrow, I'll be dropping the engine into my car. ...The engine in my car now could be fixed, but I don't have much time for tinkering lately!!

 

[Eagle_Adam]

sweet thread, i knew you had one somewhere around here

[ggzilla]

That chain tensioner is what all A-series Datsun engines come with standard. We virtually never have chain problems. Double-roller chain, short, with auto tensioner.

[Will]

Got the engine in and bolted up today... luckily, it looks like there will be clearance for the exhaust!

 

 

The intake ports look as big as on an SSS head - is that normal? The head is marked U67

 

 

The ports on the intake manifold aren't as large as the ports on the cylinder head:

 

[Will]

The L20B is all installed and running. I had trouble with the temperature gauge not moving, but I cleaned the contacts and it's working again. I have a small leak from the transmission that I need to check out, and the heater isn't working as well as I'd like, but it should last long enough for me to get back to New York City at least!

 

 

The new engine had a "Nissan O.H.C." valve cover, so I swapped it for the "Datsun" valve cover from the L18.

 

[Eagle_Adam]

:thumbup: job well done! i like the datto valve cover more as well  B)

[datzenmike]

The intake ports look as big as on an SSS head - is that normal? The head is marked U67

 

Yes it's normal, this is an L20B head and fit for 25% more air flow than an L16. You may want to drill out the coolant flow to the intake runners at a later date, will. You will need to join into the return line coming out of the thermostat housing.

 

 

The ports on the intake manifold aren't as large as the ports on the cylinder head:

 

The intake is likely from an L16/18 usually wanted because it does not have the EGR and is 'cleaner' looking. A'79 or '80 L20B intake has larger ports. It will still run great and give good flow at cruise highway speeds.

[Will]

Yes it's normal, this is an L20B head and fit for 25% more air flow than an L16. You may want to drill out the coolant flow to the intake runners at a later date, will. You will need to join into the return line coming out of the thermostat housing.

 

The intake is likely from an L16/18 usually wanted because it does not have the EGR and is 'cleaner' looking. A'79 or '80 L20B intake has larger ports. It will still run great and give good flow at cruise highway speeds.

 

I looked closely at the two intakes I ended up with - they looked pretty much identical, and each has ports that are smaller than the ports on the head, except one of the intakes had ports that are about 1/8" larger than the other, so I went with that one. It runs nicely once it warms up (though I guess it would warm up faster if coolant flowed through the intake!)

[datzenmike]

Yup, at this time of year. The coolant in the intake also 'cools' it during the summer and carries off radiant heat absorbed from the hot exhaust. This provides a more constant average intake air temperature year round and the car will run more even. Been watching this post will. This the second motor you've 'driven' home? The first was in the front seat.

[Will]

Third engine for this car - hopefully the third time is the charm!! (and loading the engine into the back of the van - much easier than into the passengers side door!) 

 

The last time I put an engine, I torqued down the intake and exhaust to the recommended setting and coolant was leaking, so I needed to tighten it a bit more - I was kinda glad to see that this head had no coolant ports. Are there any tricks to keep the manifold gasket from leaking?

 

Yup, at this time of year. The coolant in the intake also 'cools' it during the summer and carries off radiant heat absorbed from the hot exhaust. This provides a more constant average intake air temperature year round and the car will run more even. Been watching this post will. This the second motor you've 'driven' home? The first was in the front seat.

[RedBanner]

perma texed the manifold side, and love it no problems at all, also i used longer studs and added jam nuts to each one, so once its torqued down jam the the jam nuts and you should never have a problem

[Will]

I thought that the manifold gasket was supposed to be used without sealant, but I'll give this a try next time. 

 

perma texed the manifold side, and love it no problems at all, also i used longer studs and added jam nuts to each one, so once its torqued down jam the the jam nuts and you should never have a problem

[Will]

Woah. no posts for half a year? ...time for an update!

 

I'm still driving the 710 - I just finished driving cross-country to move to the bay area yesterday.

 

Up in Syracuse I had a chance to wash all of the Brooklyn out of my car:

 

No more junk in my trunk

 

The bumper has been dropped off at the chrome shop, so this 4x6 will need to do for now. Full-on park bench.

 

My taillight had become a fish tank, so I popped it apart, cleaned out the old waxy glue with a scraper and then some goo-gone, and wire brushed the sockets. With some dielectric grease on the bulbs and some clear silicone to hold the lens on it was working again.