69 510 2dr Project - VG30E/Autocross

[moath]

Tonight I realized I've got a fitment issue with the steering and the starter.  I can turn the wheel a lot further left than I can right :)

 

I've seen other threads mentioning that Xterra starters for the VG33E are quite a bit smaller and lighter, so that's going to be one of the next things I investigate.  I'll take out the starter I've got some time in the next few days and see if I can find one at a junk yard to compare it with.

 

I did a little more cutting and a bit of tack welding on the next piece of the headers.  Hoping to get back to this more later in the week.

[carterb]

Great project!  You are flying through the to-do list.  Well done.

[Lockleaf]

I have one of those pathfinder vg33 starters I can pull sone measurements off of if you like. Just let me know what you would like, if you want anything.

[Lockleaf]

FWIW, this worked out perfectly for me. Although I also totally get it if this doesn't interest you.

 

Got new tires mounted on my vintage Western Wheels Turbines 15x10. They still need painting, but that will come in spring.

 

 

Then realized I needed mag lug nuts. Ordered them from summit, who had them for nearly half any one else's cost. 24 nuts with washers for $29.50.

 

Got those. They didn't fit the rims. Couple thousandths to large to go through the rim holes. Crap.

 

 

Did some looking, figured out 11/16 was only a couple thousandths larger than my lug nuts.

 

 

 

My brother happened to have a nice one. So I hooked it to my drill and did some rim modifications.

 

 

Came out perfect.

 

 

Rims go on tomorrow.

[Duke]

 

I've got a number of these from an old set of wheels I ran on the car years ago and the shank is too big to fit inside the wheels.  I studied things and took some more pictures tonight, but I'm not sure I'm any closer to understanding what's going on.

 

Here's a closeup of the lug's seat.  The conical lugs I've got fit snugly in here, but that doesn't really help me tell if they're ball seat or cone seat.  When I put the wheels over the studs it looks like there would be room for a mag style lug nut, but I've never seen one with such a small shank.

 

Here's a closeup of how a Konig Rewind fits.  Plenty of thread coming through here.  I texted the previous owner of both these Rewinds and the Spinwerks and he said he'd used the same lug nuts on both sets.

 

:confused:

The Spinwerks look to be a conical seat just like the Rewinds, you just need longer wheel studs.  If you end up not running them, I may be interested...

[moath]

Longer studs and nuts ordered. Z31 hubs need studs with a bigger knurl than the 280ZX versions. I had to go to M12x1.5, but there's a super common size stud that will work in this application. Also, a bunch of dorman stuff is on sale at Rock auto at the moment. 10 studs and nuts were under $9 with shipping!

[datsunfreak]

It looks like you do from those starter pics, but you do have the spacer between the starter and bellhousing right? I found out the hard way what happens when you don't...   ^_^

[moath]

It looks like you do from those starter pics, but you do have the spacer between the starter and bellhousing right? I found out the hard way what happens when you don't...   ^_^

Do you mean the mounting ring that sandwiches between the block and the starter and bolts to the side of the block?

[datsunfreak]

Do you mean the mounting ring that sandwiches between the block and the starter and bolts to the side of the block?

 

Yes sir. 

[moath]

First off - remember to be SAFE when you're working in your garage.  I was working on my headers the other night when my wire wheel on my bench grinder caught the piece of tubing I was working with just so, kicked the bench grinder off the workbench and then it went through my glove and into my shirt.  Fortunately I had the excess cord zip-tied together so it un-plugged itself and stopped quickly, but it could have been a lot worse.

 

 

In other news, the driver's side header is getting very close to done, but I need to order a flange for the third primary to make it separate-able and make a collector.  We're travelling for a family trip here for a bit, but I'm hoping to wrap it up soon

 

My first attempt at the middle primary didn't go the way I wanted to:

Too far off!  Plus that tube is like an oval at this point.

 

So I started the work of re-doing it with other pieces I had around:

 

Hopefully I'll have this side wrapped up by next weekend.

[Draker]

Those headers look like a fun project.

 

Got lucky with the wire wheel!

[moath]

Alright, I've been travelling and dealing with some family stuff, so the progress has slowed a bit.  Today I got the last of the wheel studs changed out in the front hubs and started prepping the trunk for putting the gas tank back in.  I need to get back to the header work, but I'm waiting on a digital protractor to get here before I start making the collector.

 

Old vs new:

 

Pressing the old out with a socker and my vice

 

New studs installed.  I just used a wheel nut and some washers to install the new studs while the hub was in the vice.

 

And hey, now the wheels install securely:

 

So my cas is a 69, and doesn't have any of the evap emissions stuff on it.  One weird thing is how the vent on the top of the tank has been set up since I've had it.  The line is totally shot, but it's always been duct taped like this with screws plugging the vent holes at the end.  Anyone have any idea why someone would have done this?  Now I'm wondering what I should do going forward.  Do I actually need to install the tee to the filler spout?  The car hasn't had any fuel system issues since I've owned it...

 

Last but not least, a new plug for the gas line hole in the trunk area.  This plug is off of some sort of Jeep if I recall correctly, and I'll have to drill holes in it once I get the surge tank installed and plumbed in.

[moath]

Alright, so I was working on the headers for a bit longer, but got stuck on making the merge collector.  At this point I'm going to keep an eye out for 200SX VG30E manifolds (which should fit with minimal modification) and come back to the header project some time in the future.

 

All this blade deflection does not make it easy to get things consistent.  I think I need to start with longer tubes next time...

 

I've been working on the trans tunnel a bit too.  I've got a piece to fit in the front of the tunnel, but I'm waiting on some parts to repair my welding helmet before I get it installed.  I've got the tunnel spread out enough to clear the trans now as well.

 

I also mocked up the radiator for installation.  This is the VR6 radiator Dave Lum used to run on his VG30DETT 510 making about 300WHP, so I think I'll be OK for a while.  I still need to open up the hole a bit to allow more air through before I install it.

 

 

Next steps are going to be installing the wiring harness, ordering/installing heater core hoses, getting the radiator installed and then getting things arranged in the garage so I have enough room to install the fuel lines and gas tank.  We're also at T minus two weeks for a new baby, so I'm going to disappear for a few weeks here in the very near future.

[Draker]

Congrats!!!

[moath]

I took a day off work last week and ran some errands picking up parts up for the car.  I found a Xterra in a local yard and picked up its starter.  Check out the difference in size from the Pathfinder starter vs the Xterra starter.  The Pathfinder starter weighs a few more pounds too!

 

After installing there's still a little interference with the steering link, but it's not something you'd notice unless you were really cranking it in a parking lot.  There's only about 1/4" or 1/2" of travel lost when you measure the gap at the bump stop.

 

The next thing has been putting the wiring harness back in and fixing up issues with it.  I cleaned a lot of the grease off of it when I removed it from the car, but there was still more work to be done.

 

 

Working on converting the car from externally regulated alternator to internally regulated alternator while adapting the old wiring to the new starter and alternator  :frantics: .  I think I've got it pretty squared away now.

 

Here's how it's looking in close to final form.  I have a little more cleanup to do, and I need to finish tying the harness down too.

 

The harness is mostly hooked up, I just need to do more cleanup on the driver's side since I'm not re-installing the washer reservoir, hood lamp, horns and other misc. stuff.  Next step is engine and ECU wiring.  So far so good...

[Marsh510]

Love your progress! I also have a 2 door 69, and was wondering where did you get that laminated picture of the 510 wiring diagram? I need one of those badly! especially colored.

[moath]

Love your progress! I also have a 2 door 69, and was wondering where did you get that laminated picture of the 510 wiring diagram? I need one of those badly! especially colored.

Paolo is the guy to contact!  The 69 wiring is a bit different than the 70-73 wiring, especially with regards to the alternator.  It's also go other good info on the other side.  Highly recommended!

 

You can email him at: paolo@cedarcomm.com

[moath]

BFB

 

A few weeks ago I won an eBay auction for the brake calipers I'd been eyeing for a great price.  I found a little time in between taking care of baby to get the brackets made and test fit:

 

 

To get spacing right between the edge of the rotor and the caliper, I taped a few washers to the underside of the caliper.

 

Brackets drilled and mostly cut out of 0.25" thick mild steel.

 

Finished product!

 

I had to weld a couple 1/2" thin washers (the only thin washers I could find at my hardware store) onto the strut side of the brackets to get the spacing right, but the fit is totally perfect.  The original plans for this caliper bracket came from Vol 5 Issue 3 of the Dime Quarterly.  If you don't know where to find them, you can get all the issues here:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0ByCvxnHNk90SYzc4N2E1MWEtMzg0MC00YTE4LTkxZGQtM2RjODA5ODA1YjU1&ddrp=1#

 

 

[Draker]

So sick!!

[Stoney]

What rotors are you using?

[moath]

What rotors are you using?

 

They're early Z31 (84 and 85 years I think) rotors and hubs on 280ZX struts.  They also push the wheel back out vs the 280ZX hubs making the offset a lot closer to stock 510 struts/hubs.

[datsunfreak]

What model are those calipers? I'm going to use a set of those DQ brackets to run the same combo. 

 

Also, it'll make life a little easier if you flip the struts side to side to put the caliper on the front.  :thumbup:

[moath]

What model are those calipers? I'm going to use a set of those DQ brackets to run the same combo. 

 

Also, it'll make life a little easier if you flip the struts side to side to put the caliper on the front.  :thumbup:

You can use part number 120-6806 or 120-9703. I'm using 120-9703. You can also get 120-9703-SI which includes a bridge bolt for more caliper stiffness (I'm going to have the bolt on order when I get the rest of the lines and adapters for fuel and brakes).

 

So I was looking around for a reference picture of the struts last night. Is there a way to tell which side is which other than just knowing? What difference does it make?

[datsunfreak]

So I was looking around for a reference picture of the struts last night. Is there a way to tell which side is which other than just knowing? 

 

Caliper location is the only difference in the two. The factory put the calipers on the rear side. 

 

What difference does it make?

 

Easier to get the calipers on and off because they aren't butted up against the tie rods. May not be as big an issue with the Wilwoods. It's a huge issue with the ZX calipers. 

[datsunfreak]

You can use part number 120-6806 or 120-9703. I'm using 120-9703. 

 

I didn't know they made them in red too! That's awesome. Thanks.  :thumbup:

 

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/wil-120-6806-rd