Datsun J16 Engine performance

[jluna94]

has anyone done a datsun j16 performance engine, I know it’s a 3 main bearing, but was wondering if anyone has done it before, planning on putting a j16 on my 411. Any advice would be helpful thanks

[DanielC]

Since you asked for ANY advise, i would see if there is any possible way a L-16 engine would fit.

[jluna94]

That’ll be cool, but I already have a j16 and was planning on working on it this weekend. 

[datzenmike]

The three main bearings means the crank is only adequately supported. The L series engines have 5 huge main bearings.  The J series has only three exhaust ports in the head. The middle two exhausts have to share a single port. The 4 intake valves have only 2 ports, so each cylinder must share a port with another cylinder. Seems to me this is going to severely limit any thought of a performance increase. I know you have one (probably for free) but this is often the worse reason for using an engine. If you just have to use the J16 run it as it is with maybe a slightly larger carb and live with it. It is what it is.

[jluna94]

Wouldn’t make a difference if I bore out the engine, put bigger valves, pistons, or even sleeving it, grinding down the crankshaft? Not know much to be honest got the engine for $300 with tranny. Just would like to make a simple swap without cutting so much on the car. Also, to see if a j16 has some potential. I’ll be happy with this :). Thanks again for the advice 

[paradime]

What Mike and Danial are saying is the J16 is not a performance engine. The three main bearing crank is the weakest link, but the head design isn't far behind. Putting bigger valves, pistons, sleeving it, or grinding the crank isn't going to fix that.  Putting a J16 in your 411 is a matter of choice, but you're asking for advice on how to apply lipstick on a pig. You may have gotten the J for $300, but trying to make it do something it's not designed to do is throwing away good money after bad. Ditch the pig and get an L16, or an L 20 for that matter. Even of you had to fabricate engine mounts you'd be gaining an assload more power that's reliable as hell. 

 

Start here

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2018 by paradime

[datzenmike]

1 hour ago, jluna94 said:

Wouldn’t make a difference if I bore out the engine, put bigger valves, pistons, or even sleeving it, grinding down the crankshaft? Not know much to be honest got the engine for $300 with tranny. Just would like to make a simple swap without cutting so much on the car. Also, to see if a j16 has some potential. I’ll be happy with this :). Thanks again for the advice 

 

That's why I lastly suggested simply living with it as it is. Save your money.

[jluna94]

Thanks for the advice gladly appreciate it. Well I do have an r16 engine but I think it might be more expensive to rebuilt it and get it fabricate it to the engine bay. Things things got complicating and I don’t have the money or the connections at the moment. That’s why I though a j16 will be more simple and cheaper. 

[datzenmike]

1 hour ago, jluna94 said:

Wouldn’t make a difference if I bore out the engine, put bigger valves, pistons, or even sleeving it, grinding down the crankshaft? Not know much to be honest got the engine for $300 with tranny. Just would like to make a simple swap without cutting so much on the car. Also, to see if a j16 has some potential. I’ll be happy with this :). Thanks again for the advice 

 

This isn't cheap either.

[bananahamuck]

Don't put a L motor in a 411,,  it's too tall.. the link paradime posted is a dude that changes his mind about his 411 more than his underwear..  Also I have seen 2 L motor swaps and both have holes in the hood ... blaaah who wants that?? 

 

J motors aren't as bad their reputation ,, they do the job .. Most guys on here complaining about the performance don't own one.. I drive my j13 all over hell at freeway speeds .. i drove 500 round trip just last weekend and i didn't get ran over even once.. I am driving 3 1/2 hours up the freeway to Canada meet in just a few weeks and have no doubt i will be sailing along at 70+ with all the rest of the cars.  

 

I switched out the rear gears for 3.90 and i don't have any problem climbing hills as EVERYONE is petrified of happening...  Lucky for me  Datsun conveniently installed this device that lets me shift to any gear i may need ,,, and at any time i want. 

 

Anyways,,,,,,,,,,,,, 

 

   the j16 is a good horsepower upgrade just by itself ,,  if it has front motor mounts just like the j13 .  Tune it to within an inch of it's life with ignition and carb and stay on top of that tune,,, and it is a great little motor.. 

 

 

 

.

[jluna94]

27 minutes ago, bananahamuck said:

Don't put a L motor in a 411,,  it's too tall.. the link paradime posted is a dude that changes his mind about his 411 more than his underwear..  Also I have seen 2 L motor swaps and both have holes in the hood ... blaaah who wants that?? 

 

J motors aren't as bad their reputation ,, they do the job .. Most guys on here complaining about the performance don't own one.. I drive my j13 all over hell at freeway speeds .. i drove 500 round trip just last weekend and i didn't get ran over even once.. I am driving 3 1/2 hours up the freeway to Canada meet in just a few weeks and have no doubt i will be sailing along at 70+ with all the rest of the cars.  

 

I switched out the rear gears for 3.90 and i don't have any problem climbing hills as EVERYONE is petrified of happening...  Lucky for me  Datsun conveniently installed this device that lets me shift to any gear i may need ,,, and at any time i want. 

 

Anyways,,,,,,,,,,,,, 

 

   the j16 is a good horsepower upgrade just by itself ,,  if it has front motor mounts just like the j13 .  Tune it to within an inch of it's life with ignition and carb and stay on top of that tune,,, and it is a great little motor.. 

 

 

 

.

Thanks for the advice gladly appreciate it Bananahamuck, that’s what I needed just a boost of encouragment to continue this project. I myself have taken some  road trips on my j13puts in work haha. Thanks again, by the way I do you have an email to get in contact with you?

[paradime]

If someone can't figure out how to pound out a dome in the 411's hood to accommodate the peanut head, maybe the L swap isn't for them. 

 

jluna94, if 85hp is enough power, the J16 will do that job just fine. Your OP was about building a "Performance" J16 though. You can squeeze more hp out of it, but it will not do that job for long.

 

The link I gave wasn't advocating for DatO)))'s indecisiveness in his 44 posts on Ratsun 3 years ago. Rather it was for the detailed information ppeters914 gave on how to swap an L into a 411. If you ever have the resources to do an L swap, there yah go.

 

Best of luck on your build, Please keep us posted.

 

 

[bananahamuck]

Well beings you brought it up ,,., looking down on someone for not wanting to fuck up their cars body style.. putting a dome on your hood to fit and engine that doesn't fit is about as ignorant as dumping 1000s if not TENs of thousands of dollars into making a known aluminum window making engine,,  preform way over its capabilities just because that same "person" is unable to fathom how to get and LS1 ( a known horsepower maker) into that engine bay because of their lack of skills.  But i aint pointing fingers at anyone's condescending  reply or anything,,, just a generalized statement . 

 

 

 

.

 

[bananahamuck]

Like i said i beat the shit outta mine,, and if you shave the head a tiny bit to raise compression,, which is easy horsepower if done in moderation,  and have the machinist at that time, install hardened exhaust valve seats,, and add more gasoline into the air stream you could probably get the 95 horsepower a somewhat stock L16 ( that doesn't fit worth a shit ) and easily stay together..  Unless you plan to race the Nurburgring like some of the guys on here do every weekend . 

 

All for probably under $500. bucks with buying used intake and side draft carb,, that are on MGB cars

[datzenmike]

The stock seats back then relied on leaded gas to lubricate the soft bronze seats. Hardened seats is a great idea or anything else that increases longevity. Definitely replace the mains as there is only 3 of them to take all the wear. The J13 survived high revs from the 4.875 differential gearing because it didn't make huge hp, likewise the J16 which is not helped by having a longer stroke. Just shoot for reliability and mild increase in performance, if any. Larger carb maybe, lower restriction pipe and muffler, good tune up. HP was at 80 but this is likely gross hp, comparatively the L16 was rated at 109hp. This is what a superb breathing and over head cam engine can do.

[paradime]

If I came off as condescending Nanner than my bad, didn't mean to ruffle anyones feathers. 

 

For $300 the J16 will get you 13 more hp and that's nothing to sneeze at. If you're using that as a stop gap measure, I'd put it in as cheaply as possible and save up for what ever the end swap might be. I just don't think spending money on pushing a bit more performance out of the J is a good investment. Rebuilding the bottom end, decking the block and head, installing and machining hardened seats, sourcing a set of B series SU carbs and Manis, or a single weber setup, and all the gaskets sounds like quite an investment for an additional 15hp. 

 

On 8/3/2018 at 10:17 PM, paradime said:

Putting a J16 in your 411 is a matter of choice, but you're asking for advice on how to apply lipstick on a pig.

 

Just my opinion. 

 

 

[datzenmike]

The J series were long stroke engines. If you were replacing a J13 (77mm stroke) I think you would be very happy with the J16 (82mm stroke) displacement increase. Nice stroke increase better bottom torque. L16s were 73.7mm

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

An engine swap shouldn't be done based on what you've got laying around. You need to consider the physical aspects of the swap, like dimensions, but also the character aspect of the swap as well. Will the vehicle be faster? Heavier? Lighter maybe? Will you get that wow! experience when you open the hood? Or maybe the new engine will retain a vintage vibe, but just be different. Sometimes the word budget is thrown around when talking about engine swaps. Any swap, if done properly, will take more time and money than you think, that is, if you want it to look natural in the engine bay.

 

I think the J16 would look great in that engine bay, but it is not a great engine. Not a bad engine either, but for all the trouble, why not install something that will give you more of the things I described above?

[nl320what]

It wouldnt hurt to just slap it in place of the J13 and see if it runs... if it needs a rebuild or more parts to see if it runs, that would be the proverbial "Fork in the Road" for me to stick with stock and gather parts for a more readily available engine/parts choice like an L16/5speed combo. 

[Pedro]

If you are tied to keeping it original, maybe look at a MGB 1.8L engine engine as a replacement. They are basically identical to a J series but have a lot of aftermarket support for mods.