mystery cam? or did I break it?

[TheBirdistheWord]

that was an awesome video! got the car started today, with now valve noise! I think the thicker oil needed some running time to move around. Im pretty confident the chain is set up right considering I did all of the other procedures in this video and it seems my mechanical timing had been set dead on, and I triple checked the ignition timing and thats all good as well.

 

HOWEVER, I can only get the car to idle with pretty high idle speed, I think around 1000 to 1500 rpm (estimated because I dont have the tach hooked up yet) and can play with it a bit and it will continue to idle, just really high. When I drove it home it exhibited a really bad miss in the entire low and mid rpm range and it appears I need to track down a carb/manifold/vacuum issue, it seems like there is a rather violent amount of pressure in the crank case, oil shooting out of the valve from the crankcase to the bottom filter plate completely soaking it. There is a vacuum port open on the part of the intake manifold closest to the firewall that was used for the auto tranny, do i block this? redirect it somewhere? when I initially blocked the port it exacerbated the miss so I have left it open since then. I set the carb A/F and idle to base settings and no matter how much I mess with the air fuel the idle needs to be turned up pretty high in order to keep it running. does it matter that im using the L16 exhaust manifold? I was under the impression they were very similar if not the same.

 

im going to get some pictures of the intake manifold and carb set up tomorrow and post em up

[datzenmike]

ANY intake leaks need to be plugged.

 

Reset the idle mixture and idle speed now and it will likely be better.

 

Check the oil level. Overfilled will blow out the block vent. Also make sure the vent on the top of the valve cover is open.

 

 

Post pictures...

[Guest kamakazi620]

WOW just WOW!

[banzai510(hainz)]

got a photo of this motor to post?

Be nice to see what line are hooked up.

Make sure the vac advance hose hooks up to the carb base only. Not like soem people to the intake manifold. This will throw the timming off.

 

set carb mixture. if too high rmp the car Choke might still be ON.

Or soem body turn the speed screw In alot to past the carb idle circut. cause its plugged up.

 

one times the motor /adjust the carb mixture at the base of carb with the tension screw(with brass spring).

[TheBirdistheWord]

I removed the choke linkage for the time being, and I am aware of the crank case hose being removed. Is that valve on the bottom filter plate suppose let oil through? I found that the crankcase hose is spitting excess oil down the carbs. If i get a cone for the valve cover whats to stop it from getting soaked with oil?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

going to go mess with it right now

[banzai510(hainz)]

I usually route the hose from the bottom of that car(the big hose) to the valve cover. I assume thats where it was hooked up to as I cant see where the other end is going.bsides towards the fender.

 

replace the fuel filter also that looks old

 

 

OK I see you have a small(thin) carb adapter. that goes between the weber and the intake manifold.

These have been know to crack if overtighten thus causing idle proplems.. Boit that its your proplem.

 

a old VW garage will knowhow these carbs works.if you cant figure this out.

 

 

Only other thing is wahts plugging that intake manifold hold that sticking up in back? Duck tape? make sure thats plugged GOOD

[TheBirdistheWord]

I usually route the hose from the bottom of that car(the big hose) to the valve cover. I assume thats where it was hooked up to as I cant see where the other end is going.bsides towards the fender.

 

replace the fuel filter also that looks old

 

 

OK I see you have a small(thin) carb adapter. that goes between the weber and the intake manifold.

These have been know to crack if overtighten thus causing idle proplems.. Boit that its your proplem.

 

a old VW garage will knowhow these carbs works.if you cant figure this out.

 

 

Only other thing is wahts plugging that intake manifold hold that sticking up in back? Duck tape? make sure thats plugged GOOD

 

 

that hose on the bottom of the filter plate is spitting oil into the carb so I disconnected it from the carb side for the time being, will replace the fuel filter today. The line on the back of the intake manifold is now capped with a proper rubber cap, I just used tape to play with it last night and there is no difference, in fact it idles smoother with it unplugged all together. I removed the carb, and inspected the adapter plate for cracks last week. The carb spits out smoke and as I said before valve cover spits out oil every time it dies, is that a symptom of anything in particular?

 

I found a local guy that advertises that he specializes in old Z cars. Called him today with the symptoms I have and he agreed that it sounds like a air/fuel or vacuum issue. going to limp the car over to him tomorrow

 

 

[datzenmike]

Plug wires are on wrong order. Number 4 and 2 are reversed. Correct way is 1342

 

 

 

Come to Canby in June and bring me a beer.

[datsunaholic]

Mike, 2 & 3 are reversed. Or 1 & 4. #1 and #4 are opposite of each other, so they're correct in relation.

 

(for the OP, the dist rotor turns CCW, it's currently wired for CW)

[datzenmike]

I was assuming that #1 wire is correct so the next CCW would be #3 and it does go to 3. (good so far) The next CCW should be #4 but it goes to #2. The next is #2 but it goes to #4 or that is how I see it.

[datsunaholic]

You're right. The monitor I was using was so small I got 1&3 crossed.

[TheBirdistheWord]

so, I feel dumb, and that was my idle problem.

 

Now that I have that set up properly and it idles without an issue, the valve tick is back!!! sounds like just one valve, valve lash and clearance have been checked multiple times. Could it be that this motor is just noisy? should I go to a 15w-40 oil? or a 20w-50? I took the car out for a drive around the block and it didnt die at all, had decent power, albeit i really dont have a reference point as to how peppy this motor should be. It heated up all the way to the red with a new censor and I cleaned the contact on the cluster, I remember reading a few different things about this (correct bleed procedure, reconnecting the bypass, larger radiator) so im not too worried about that.

 

what do I do about the valve tick!?!?! Once I get the cooling issue out of the way, will i break anything if I drive it?

[banzai510(hainz)]

I run 10-40,30,15-40,20-50

 

I myself drill a 1/8 in the thermostat to help get the airbubbles faster. I use a 160deg 53mm which is low compared to the stock 180deg.

 

make sure the loswer hose doesn not cllapse when you rev up the motor.

 

goin gto the red isnt good

 

valve tick? As they say in Hawaii,drive it till BROKE.

have another head ready

[datzenmike]

Does the tick get louder as you give it more throttle? if so it's a small exhaust leak.

 

Take the valve cover off and listen while running, maybe turn the idle down. Is it from the valves or the timing chain at the front?

 

If the lash is set properly is shouldn't be a valve tick... Very carefully, while it is idling, maybe turn the idle down lower, press and hold a wooden hammer handle on the rocker arm above the valve spring and push down firmly to hold it there. It will jump around so be careful. If you find one that suddenly gets quieter then you have found the culprit. Maybe the spring is broken or the lash seems to be set but is not.... something.

 

Maybe pull the coil wire off and have someone crank it over while you watch each valve/spring/lash pads for something odd.

[DanielC]

When I first got a Datsun 521, I was taking auto classes at CCC. I was preparing to adjust the valves, and since the specification was to adjust them hot, the instructor said to do it with the engine running.

He was standing beside the engine compartment, preparing to adjust a valve, and he said "Start it" I did. Immediately, I heard a panicked "turn it off!"

 

I got out, and looked at him to see what the problem was. He had several vertical stripes on his shop coat, from where oil had squirted out of the cam shaft, and sprayed oil all over the place, and him.

[datzenmike]

Yeah that might be a problem. Turn the idle down low maybe.

 

Cut one side off an old valve cover leaving the adjustment side open?

[TheBirdistheWord]

took her out for an extended time tonight. over heated after about 20 miles, let her sit for about two hours and than the same thing happened on the way back.. I will get a lower temp thermostat, as the new one that is in there is 180, and the lower radiator hose seems fine but will get a closer look at hi revs tomorrow.

 

Ive read that some people have had luck with cooling down motors by re connecting the bypass from the lower thermostat housing to the lower radiator hose mount. could that be the issue?

 

can an exhaust leak cause over heating? it does get louder at higher rpm, so I will go over those bolts one more time

[banzai510(hainz)]

Be honest I dont think the stat is the proplem..

 

The bypass your talking about is not that big a deal thats why I say drill the stat with a 1/8 in hole to help bypass so it gradually warms up and gets rid of the bubbles.

 

whats the timming on this????????

 

by chance have another radiator cap?

 

 

is steam comming out the exhaust after its really warmed up at idle?

Using water?

a spark plug really clean looking?

[datzenmike]

took her out for an extended time tonight. over heated after about 20 miles, let her sit for about two hours and than the same thing happened on the way back.. I will get a lower temp thermostat, as the new one that is in there is 180, and the lower radiator hose seems fine but will get a closer look at hi revs tomorrow.

 

Ive read that some people have had luck with cooling down motors by re connecting the bypass from the lower thermostat housing to the lower radiator hose mount. could that be the issue?

 

can an exhaust leak cause over heating? it does get louder at higher rpm, so I will go over those bolts one more time

 

 

The by pass hose from the thermostat housing to the lower rad hose is VERY important. The thermostat is outside the head and surrounded by cool water. As the engine heats up and get hotter this stagnant water slowly warms up by convection and it is too slow and the motor over heats. The by pass hose allows hot water from the head to circulate past the thermostat and warm it. This way the thermostat can react quicker to the actual engine temperature.

 

If you don't have the by pass hose connected.... connect it up. OR you can drill a 1/8" hole in the thermostat to allow water flow past it. The hose is better.

[TheBirdistheWord]

I will connect the bypass today, is the connector on the thermostat housing a standard pipe thread? 3/8 hose? I ask because its plugged with a metric bolt right now, as I just found the one that fit best to plug it.

 

the timing is 12 degrees advanced, and I dont have an extra radiator cap but I will probably get one soon to cross it off the maintenance list.

there is nothing but light exhaust coming out of the tail pipe, once in the past couple of days I got some excess steam but it had started to rain that day and outside temp had dropped significantly.

I am using pre mixed anti freeze and the spark plugs got fouled while trying to navigate the timing / valve issue but they are only 2 months old so I cleaned them and threw them back in.

 

A few different times when the temp gauge spiked, I stopped the car and popped the hood and felt the radiator with a rag over my hand to find out that both the motor and radiator were cool enough to touch with my bare hand! Not cold but cool, enough to touch without getting burned. Last night it started to rain while I was driving, had been driving for about 30 min and the gauge was steady at 3/4 up the temp scale. Once I turned on the wipers the dash lights flipped out and eventually turned off, the temp gauge spiked, and it looked like my hazards were trying to come on every cycle of the wiper blades. Once I turned the wipers off, everything went back to normal.

 

Once again, I hopped out and did the touch test and it once again felt to be a reasonable temperature. Seems to me I have an electrical problem rather than an over heating problem, which I am quite alright with since it means I can drive the car and deal with it as I go. Im also pretty confident that the "tick" I am hearing is exhaust now, not the valves, like datzenmike had suggested.

 

any ideas on where to start with the electrical problem? :-P

[datzenmike]

Run with your heater on full it will act like an extra rad.

[TheBirdistheWord]

Run with your heater on full it will act like an extra rad.

 

Tried that, heater/defroster hasnt worked since the new motor went in, I think the blower motor is out, and I checked all of the fuses under the hood and all were good.

[banzai510(hainz)]

So you think the sender is bad???????

 

be careful. trying to take a sender out can break the lower housing. they crack.

[DanielC]

Wacky electrical problems are most often caused by bad grounds. The engine must be grounded to the body of the car. The combo meter must also be grounded good to the body of the car.

[datsunaholic]

However, the senders for BOTH the temperature gauge and fuel gauge are on the ground side. The gauge itself has a constant-voltage (8V) and variable ground. So bad grounds at the cluster aren't going to affect the gauges, but a poor voltage source (bad gauge regulator or over/undervoltage alternator) will produce erratic gauges. Plus, if the wires from the sender are bad and grounding out, they'll make the gauge go full defelction.