Just another (LOOK AT ME!!!) 69 DIME build thread.

[Lockleaf]

Absolutely nothing says you can't.  Works just exactly like the 280zx parts.  Go for it.

[510revisited]

Just got this in the mail. Now im 99 percent ready to rebuild the front end. 

Pictured:

-lower control arm bushings (poly)

-rear Trailing arm bushings (poly)

-Xmember bushings (poly)

-tc rod bushings (rubber)

-beck/arnley ball joints (555)

-b pillar interior trim (still hasnt showed up dammit)

Not pictured:

-Full set of original 4/69 seatbelts for driver and passenger. 

-Thailand dome light 

-grainger split clamps to lower the stock struts

 

 

 

[510revisited]

Ok. Here's a new one (from me) for you guys. Took the dime for a 40 mile drive to the inlaws, all freeway. About halfway there i notice the ign lite comes on, even though the car is still "charging" as per my cheapo oreillys volt guage, later confirmed by a voltmeter. Then on a hill the car starts to sputter and backfire through the carb. I get to the inlaws, pop the hood and one of the wires is loose from the alternator. The bottom wire on the "t" connector. Now for clarity the wires are just spaded onto the alt. No plastic connector basically,  "rigged" to work. I fire the car up and the lite is out (because I reconnected the wire) but now it idles around 500 ish, and if i floor it it back fires but will run up if i ease the throttle.. i did notice a smell of electrical burning but couldn't track anything down. No blown fuses, no FIRE, no lights that dont work, etc. I realise the exposed wire connector could have arc'd on the xmember, but saw no signs on the spade itself, and again no blown fuses. I drive the car home, and it sputters when i floor it, but i managed to get it up to 70 and drove it back the same 40 miles. I did some research at the inlaws on back firing and have come to the conclusion that maybe the carb is at fualt, somehow. My theory is that i have not flushed the fuel system yet (car was running and driving when i bought it) and maybe clogged a jet, or something else. the car was bought in reno, nv and i live between Sacramento and San Francisco, so maybe it needs to be re jetted (i already had suspicions about that). Since ive owned the car i have not done a thing to the fuel system, minus the gas filler neck mod, which im not a fan of (another time). I plan to order a jet kit and rebuild kit, and also want to clean the tank, and lines, and start freah on filters. However though, i wanted to get some ideas from yall first... thanks in advance 

Edited February 3, 2019 by 510revisited

[510revisited]

On my last treasure hunt i was able to pick up some lightly used sun visors, one sunvisor clip, and one original rear view mirror arm. I was able to scavenge a bolt from the interior of the car to test the holes for the visors. Turns out they are 10-32x3/4 (for those in the future). So i went to ace and bought 6 button head countersunk stainless screws for the visors, and 3 flat countersunk stainless screws for the mirror. I was able to purchase a mirror mount bracket from dapsupply along with a clip for my new to me fuse cover.. i also picked up two matching 3d printed sunvisor clips from zcardepot. Everything worked out fine. I must say ill probably smooth out and paint the clips white to match. Thats down the road. Now here is the coup de gras. I mentioned before i picked up a rearview mirror arm. I didn't mention it had no glass. Well, you ask, how did i remedy this? Well lets take a trip back in time... i mentioned i went treasure hunting, right? Well before i saw the ad for the treasure hunt i pulled the plug on a dome lamp, and mirror from Thailand. Ebay specials. 20 bucks each. No worries if they didnt work. So a few days after i pulled the card out i had made arrangements to go hand pick through this guys stash. I managed to score a new oem dome lamp, and mirror arm. I installed the oem lamp, but shortly after recieved the ebay special. Stock was the solid white cover, and the Ebay special was a clear lens. Guess what i did there. Onto the mirror. A few days ago the ebay mirror showed up and upon further inspection i realized i was able to remove the glass from the arm and swap it directly onto the oem arm. No harm, no foul. Fast forward to today, and its in! Looks the part, minus a slight coloring difference.  But now i can see out the back....! Which reminds me to remove the shit tint job! I also managed to get the b pillar interior trim pieces in.  I must say they are absolutely perfect. Minus the week delay in delivery (soully the USPS' fault). Next up, cars and coffee tomorrow, then front suspension rebuild, and then a carb rebuild/rejet!! 

 

[510revisited]

So, im about to perform open heart surgery on this old biddy in the next few days or so (after cars and coffee tomorrow). I decided to take the passenger front wheel off just to poke around and explore. Here is what i found. It seems to be a diy screw or bolt to assist in changing the strut fluid. I dont know if its the same on the driver side or not. Heres some pics

One question though, for those in the know. If i cut my spring perch to moar lowar the car (no more than and inch or two) is it gonna effect the alignment and geometry? Mind you, ONLY cut the perch, for now.

[510revisited]

So, im officially in a cluster fuck, a pickle, a jam, a momentary lapse of reason, if you will. In other words, HELP!!!! Here is my situation. I tore apart the entire front end in order to do new lca bushings, ball joints, tie rods, tc rod bushes and everything that is steering.

In my quest for parts i managed to pick up the 14mm steering knuckle so i could switch to the 14mm ball joints. Along with the knuckles i got all the old steering parts, ie tie rods, drag link, lower control arms (it was just an easier deal to go with it all). Honestly its nice to have, cause ive been able to use it for reference, a lot.

During the tear down process i noticed that the bushings had already been replaced on the lcas with poly by somebody in the cars past. No biggie, ill press em out and put my new ones in. No harm, no foul. Cheap insurance right? Well this is where it goes sideways! In my infinite wisdom i decided to reference the lower lca that came off the car, and the lca i bought with the steering knuckle. Sure as shit they are different. In fact, one inch different. From center of bushing hole to center of ball joint hole is 1 inch different.  Short one is 11 inches, long one is 12. Heres a pic

Still with me? I decided to go ahead and press the old bushes out of the longer lca (the ones that i took off my car) and put the new ones in and reinstall, loosely of course. At this point i decided it was time to grab my 555 14mm bj (perverts) and throw it in. And somehow, at this point, i learned that my steering knuckle is a totally different shape and bend than the knuckle that was in the car originally. Heres a couple pics.

Knuckle on the right is the one i purchased for the 14mm bj, left was in the car. In my research i came across these pics. 

Some food for thought. My part numbers are h2541-l, h2541r on the 14mm steering knuckles. The pic i ripped off, look close and you'll see the part number is only off 1 digit. Maybe cause thats a 68 with an 11mm bj and im moving up to 14mm...?

So with all this non sense, I've developed a theory. I believe someone swapped in longer lca's and different knuckles for whatever reason. There is some supporting evidence for this. When i recieved the car i got some parts along with it. Springs and shocks to be exact. Apparently the springs are some sort of shorter spring. Strut on the right was the height in the car. strut on left has shorter spring installed

I did some research on the part numbers for the rear shocks and front struts. Both kyb. Part number for the rear is for a "rally shock" and front struts are for a late 60s skyline. Inside the existing struts were koni reds. Also well before i busted into this i always thought my wheels stuck out too far, and had way too much camber. Enkei 92 +15 offset. One more point, the space between the tie rods, jam nut to jam nut was an inch difference from car setup to 14mm setup. i  truly believe this car has already been tampered with, and pieced together.

I hate to drum on and make long ass posts, but again im in a bind. Im just in need of some info. Im on hold till some one gives me some direction. Thanks in advance...

 

 

Edited February 10, 2019 by 510revisited

[510revisited]

Well i cant sit around all week waiting,  so i said fuck it. I went ahead and put on the shorter lca's, with new poly bushes, all new steering parts, 3/4 inch rca's, cut the spring perch and used a clamp, and modified a 280zx top hat to fit. Effectively lowering the front at least a couple inches. I also installed some used "rally" shocks and it picked the back wnd up a bit. Now she looks respectable. Far from where i want, but one step closer. Ill post pics from the ad, and my progress so its easier to compare. 

Ad:

 

today: 2/12/19

No more removed engine look!!! Now an alignment and a carb rebuild/rejet. 

[Lockleaf]

Looking good!

[510revisited]

FewOmg, who'd have thought that one loose bolt on a distributor can cause so much drama. So, after half rebuilding my carb (kit didnt have a new power valve, plus my emulsion tubes, and air correctors arent factory, which is what i was shooting for) i threw it back together and the damn thing still back fired. This lead me to check the timing, and discovering that the distributor was "self adjusting", aka loose. 

I read somewhere down the way that once the secondary kicks in, its like a "supercharger ". I cant completely agree, but damn, this thing is transformed. Still needs FINE tuning, but damn. I even caught second gear scratch! Now its fun to drive... now on to a million other things..

[datzenmike]

On 2/8/2019 at 8:22 PM, 510revisited said:

So, im about to perform open heart surgery on this old biddy in the next few days or so (after cars and coffee tomorrow). I decided to take the passenger front wheel off just to poke around and explore. Here is what i found. It seems to be a diy screw or bolt to assist in changing the strut fluid. I dont know if its the same on the driver side or not. Heres some pics

One question though, for those in the know. If i cut my spring perch to moar lowar the car (no more than and inch or two) is it gonna effect the alignment and geometry? Mind you, ONLY cut the perch, for now.

 

ANY time the height is adjusted it affects the toe. From little to a LOT depending on the height change. Bump steer spacers will remove big amounts  but is not a total cure. You still need to check the alignment. Doesn't take much to grind your expensive tires away on the sides of the tread so I avoid unnecessary changes.

 

 

You know, I toyed with the idea of fittings on my struts but unless changing the oil thicker thinner weight for firmer softer for track conditions I figured I'd just forget about it.  Great idea though for the stock oil bath dampers. You won't be able to bleed ALL the oil from the internal damper but mixing in something heavier will help. Again track use, but not really needed on the street.

[510revisited]

Would be awesome if my struts were original. Some one replaced them with some konis that are now shot. Another part for the list i guess. I can say it definitely needs it now that i lowered it without replacing them. 

[510revisited]

Free mods are good! 

Before:

After:

Before and after (the red changed due to lighting):

Before:

after:

[510revisited]

So i had a quick question regarding the weber 32/36. Ive just finished rebuild/rejeting the thing and everything seems ok. I did notice though when setting the float level i was only able to achieve one out of the two measurements. I have the plastic float, so the numbers are supposed to be 35,51. I was only able to achieve one or the other, i.e. 35,48 or 38,51. I went with 35,48. How critical is this setting, and which one should i settle for? Or is there a way to actually achieve both properly?... help!!!

Edited February 22, 2019 by 510revisited

[510revisited]

Well, i managed to build this the other day. 

 

Went together a little too easy if you ask me. I got my bushings in for my shifter yesterday and decided to throw the shifter together to feel out the tranny (perverts). I went through the motions and can only get 1,2 and 5 gear. I know thats not right. But have no idea how. I lined up the shifter rods, came in at about 10-11, with the shifter held towards 5 and r but still in neutral. Any ideas. 

Edited February 24, 2019 by 510revisited

[Tedman]

Are your rally shocks p/n 56210-22035? Do they still have life left in them?  Reason I ask is that I have a complete pair of 510 rally front strut assemblies, and have been keeping an eye out for the matching rear shocks and springs.  When you get around to installing new shocks, I might be willing to take them off your hands for a nominal fee.  

 

Wish I could help with the tranny issue. Could it be as simple as using the wrong lever?  Oh yeah, I was going to suggest that your long LCAs might be from a 710 which are 3/8" longer between the BJ and the bushing hole vs. 510, but sounds like yours might be longer still...

[510revisited]

Well i decided to go out and fiddle faddle with my trans. I GINGERLY put on a pair of vice grips onto my input shaft so i could spin the gears while trying to shift. I managed to actually find all 5 + r. I did remove the cover inside the bell housing and figured out the shifter linkage inside hits the cover from the inside. I decided to clearance the little nub in that area but it seems to still contact the cover. Not sure if this ia normal. I have another 5 speed with a l series bell housing that i plan to remove the cover from to do some comparing. The cover on now came of the "ca" bell housing. Maybe there is some sort of difference. I am curious to know if there is supposed to be a "weep" hole on the cover. Heres some pics. First pic is the weep hole

Second pic is what i clearanced

wanna say thanks to crash for helping..

[datzenmike]

Geezus don't grind those away. They stop the shift rod from over travel. If you go too far the shift dogs can partly jump out of place and they won't return. Trans is locked in one gear 2nd, 4th or reverse.

[510revisited]

30 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

Geezus don't grind those away. They stop the shift rod from over travel. If you go too far the shift dogs can partly jump out of place and they won't return. Trans is locked in one gear 2nd, 4th or reverse.

Well then, looks like i will be replacing that cover then. Thankfully its still on the work bench. Thanks again for saving my ass mike

[datzenmike]

You have two covers right? from those two front cases?

[510revisited]

32 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

You have two covers right? from those two front cases?

Yes i have a second tranny entirely. Gonna rob the one off that one and pray it works

[datzenmike]

Just make sure the bottom (counter gear bearing) is the same size as the cover. From '85 on the 56mm bearing was replaced with a better 62mm. I would guess the larger cover will work on a 56mm bearing... but a 56mm cover won't work (or fit) the 62mm bearing.

[510revisited]

On 1/23/2019 at 7:52 PM, 510revisited said:

How about another round of name that tranny! Here's the 5 speed i picked up...

Only two castings i could see are "L2" and "+8-7-19"

Its this trans. I know how my luck is, so id put money its the opposite of what i need. Ill put a fafillion dollars on it.

[datzenmike]

It's a '77-'79 620 transmission. It'll have the 56mm counter bearing and cover.

[510revisited]

MiWell looks like the extra cover was wrong. Apparently the cover is for the smaller bearing. Now im up shit creek. Ill post an ad sometime looking for the cover. Or ill call around to some of the datsun specialty shops. Either way just another stupid step backwards. Next time ill consult with the datsun gods before making that kinda move again.

On to lower better things. Ive rebuilt my steering, added all new urethane bushes up front so i figured its that time.. yup, i orded 280zx strut inserts. 3-5 shipping days. Here is my synopsis, if you will. I plan to use my 510 strut housing by doing the samurai chop. The reason i went zx strut inserts is i do have the zx struts, i just wanna rebuild all the break stuff before i swap it in. So when i get that far i can just re use the struts.. fancy thinking huh!!! I have one question for those who have done this.... AND BELIEVE ME, IVE READ UP!!! the only reason to chop the 510 strut housing is to make it fit the shorter 280zx strut insert body length, correct? Basically to avoid shimming...? Help me out here..! Thanks in advance

[the510keeper]

looks like a great project. 

 

We will be having a caravan to Canby, it'll be fun to have a line of dimes rolling up I-5