"La Gloria" 71 Goon l20b going SR20

[TheShagginWagon]

You on the bay area datsuns facebook page?

[BayArea510]

Securing the body in place

Removing the leaf Spring Bracket

Raised rear end off the spring and secured Rear End with a tower.

[BayArea510]

You on the bay area datsuns facebook page?

Yes Sir!

I been posting mostly on FB little updates n stuff. but decided I outta update my build thread. And make my contribution to Ratsun!! B)

[TheShagginWagon]

Right on man, that makes two of us! keep the updates rolling! Let me know when you're done with the L20b :thumbup:

[BayArea510]

This sucker was stuck solid to the leaf so I had to use my flat screw driver and smack it a couple of time with a hammer to break it loose.

Finally out it came!

Ready for the Belltech 2inch Block

[BayArea510]

Right on man, that makes two of us! keep the updates rolling! Let me know when you're done with the L20b :thumbup:

You got it!

[BayArea510]

U Bolts out they come...Can it get any easier...lol

If it was that easy.. it wouldnt be  Ratsun, right? umm.. "Houston , we have a problem!"

[BayArea510]

Stock U Bolt I.D. roughly about 2.25 , O.D. about 3.25

This Belltech bolt I.D. 3 and O.D. 3.5

No bueno!! But I refused to go back to Monument Auto Parts to return or exchange them. Besides La Gloria was jacked up and I wasn't about to put her back together stock.

[BayArea510]

The kit I bought  Belltech Part#6100 is the most common at auto part stores but are for 3inch diameter rear ends, our Datsun Goons are 2.25inch diameter. So now here is what I did to make it work.

A couple more measurements to show difference in U bolts.

Okay the biggest challenge is making the Belltech U Bolts go thru the leaf spring bottom sandwich bracket holes. Top Bracket is easy by manually squeezing but then it becomes harder to push thru as it will narrow below and can damage the threads.

Another comparison shot

My step dad and I came up with an idea to bend the U bolts and reshape them almost like a bobby pin. I used some long galvanized tubes that are about an inch in Diamater. I used the tubes to for leverage to twist the U bolts inward thus permanently reshaping them.

Here goes my Mickey Mouse!! The bumper of my truck became my vice/work bench. Now that I think about it i could have also anchored and eye bolt to a stud and used the same technique.

 

And here is the tapered U Bolt . The goal here was to get it to the same width as the stock U bolt.

[BayArea510]

When I bent them inward at the same time I twisted them a little bit sideways due to leverage I used from the galvanized tubes. I used the tubes again to straighten the bolts flat.

I then test fit the tapered U bolt in place and measured where to twist back out.

Okay now its time to twist back out and align the U bolt with the holes on the bottom bracket. I used the top bracket  to keep the top part of the U bolt tapered-in  while the bottom bart of the U bolts had to be brought outward.

Here is the final result - La Gloria Custom Modified Belltech U-Bolts ( sounds expensive huh) :rofl:

[BayArea510]

I also had to drill out a larger bore hole on the lowering block to fit over the spring bolt pin. The hole on the block is 1/2 but is too small and had to drill it with a 5/8 dirll bit.

 

 

 

[BayArea510]

After getting all my U Bolts modified and the blocks drilled. Time to put it back together.

 

 

 

 

[BayArea510]

 

 

 

 

All bolted up in place and ready to come down. I had noticed a small gap between the Live Axle and the U Bolts and had bought a pair of rubber strap tie downs that i butchered up and used them as what I will call here "U Bolt Rubber Bushing"

[BayArea510]

Switched it from the 13' Slots and in with 15' Sendels...dropped that ass!!

ughhh.. looks like I am carrying a ton of bricks. Look at that front

[BayArea510]

I removed 2 1/2 coils up front in attempt to drop it evenly to the rear.

Much better!! posing with La Gloria!

[BayArea510]

I sported the 13's and 15's like that for about a week while I looked around for used tires. I had a 205'50 and 195/50 on the rears. The other two were dangerously exposing the steel wires which is why I kept the Slots up front.

The 205/50 was rubbing on turns and bumps. I figured could maybe pick up three used 195/50/15 but I was having a hard time finding some at local used tire shops. I was not about to buy new tires since I will be changing up wheels and tires in the future. I was looking for something cheap in the meantime.

Finally I found a set of matching used tires, the size seemed a little odd and would actually raise La Gloria about just as much as I lowered it with the blocks but the price was right so I went with it 175/65/15.

 

 

Plenty of meat under that wheel well. about 90% thread for $120 bucks all four mounted and balanced, Not bad in a pinch. :D

[BayArea510]

Before and after

[BayArea510]

Next up I had to perform a full tune up on La Gloria. New oil and filters, new spark plugs, new fuel filter. I romped on the little L20b and apparently did not like my abuse. Blue smoke became a little more pronounced upon reving and at idle. Reminded me of El Perron after I fried the valve seals. I went ahead and picked up new valve stem seals.

Replaced the Seals according to Ratsun guidelines

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/28804-how-to-replace-valve-stem-seals/

Major props to Zeusimo for his contribution. It was bit of a pain in the ass removing the valve retainers even with the compressor. particularly the furthest back and third to the last. But three hours later I had the valve seals taken care off. I dumped a bottle of Ring Sealer additive afterwards and hardly any smoke out the exhaust.

La Gloria's L20B got a little life back on the ticker.!!

[BayArea510]

 

[BayArea510]

Went searching for seats and mirrors at Fernandez Auto Wreck. I came up with nice '96 Integra front seats and found some Baby Turbos on a 72 Mustang. The Baby Turbos where intact and in great shape I love the look of these mirrors on Dimes. I initially thought they came OEM from what I recall as a child because I would see them on every Datsun 510 back in the 80's. My uncle had them on his sedan but then Gino explained to me they where popular aftermarket mirrors back then. Either way I got lucky t o find these seats and mirrors very cheap.

[BayArea510]

 

 

Baby Turbos installed on La Gloria and the integra seats ready to get cleaned up.

[BayArea510]

I had a buddy who cleans my carpet do the seats. They cleaned up nicely but as they began to dry up stains began to come up again. He used a special chemical to push the stain out. A couple of days later after they where fully dry I decided to take the covers off and put them on my washer,

[BayArea510]

La Gloria came with mismatched front seats FFZ told the drivers was off a BMW and the other he wasn't quite sure. They are not very comfortable and are not mounted securely so I knew they had to go. On the other hand the rear seat was original with the upholstery almost intact, it does have a small tear approximately 1 to 2 inch long.

 

[BayArea510]

I then had to get La Gloria ready for DMV vehicle inspection. I wasn't quite sure how involved they would get into inspecting her afterall she was coming from Oregon and now getting registered in Cali! The priority here was to get all the safety basic in working order and in place. Headlights (check), Tailights (check) Side markers (check) Brakelights (check) Rearview mirror (check) Side mirrors "Baby Turbos"(check) Hazard Lights (???? shit.. no knob switch)

So here is where I made my own custom hazard light Knob switch. I went into the local Autozone and looked around their electrical switch aile. They had all sorts of switches mostly toggle. I made my pick to a push type switch with a plastic head similar to the original Datto switches.

Back home I looked thru a box of screws and matched one with the same thread to the stock switch. It was too long so I cut the screw to a desired lenght then I drilled a hole through the push button switch, I threaded the phillips screw onto the button. Sprayed the head of the screw with some black paint and finished my Custom Hazard lights switch knob. :thumbup:

[BayArea510]