Project Dajiban

[EDM620]

Do you still have enough clearance under the body for the driveshaft to move through the suspension range? Mabbee that loud bangin isn't the heavy metal outta the ghetto blaster 😝

[datsunfreak]

1 hour ago, EDM620 said:

Do you still have enough clearance under the body for the driveshaft to move through the suspension range? 

 

With the diff nose down where it belongs, yes. With it up, no.  😄

[dimlight65]

While waiting for John to fire the retaliation round of the Dimlight Racing Displacement Arms Race (my 318 was bigger than the 302 he was going to install in his Galaxie), I made an oil line and finished plumbing the oil cooler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every time I mess with that oil filter housing, it tightens up a little more.  I need to redo the safety wire on it.

[EDM620]

On 7/22/2022 at 6:16 PM, dimlight65 said:

the 302 he was going to install

I'm sure the 351W will be bigger than your puny 318...

[datsunfreak]

18 hours ago, EDM620 said:

I'm sure the 351W will be bigger than your puny 318...

 

Nah, they're about the same size...

 

 

 

😁

[EDM620]

2 hours ago, datsunfreak said:

 

Nah, they're about the same size...

 

 

 

😁

so sayeth you... LOL

[dimlight65]

On 3/26/2020 at 3:35 PM, dimlight65 said:

As I was hooning down the Dam Road (shakes fist in the air), I downshifted through the gears coming to a stop and heard a disconcerting "CLUNK" from the rear when first gear hit.  When I got on the gas again, there was a similar loud "CLUNK" from the rear.  I am now convinced that we trimmed too much off of the "black things" that came with the flip kit and now the axle is free to rotate under positive and/or negative torque load.  I'm not sure how we're going to fix it, but fix it we must.

 

And after two years, we have a solution.  I bought a pair of adjustable "black things" to replace the ones that someone trimmed too short.

 

 

We will look at installing and adjusting them either tomorrow or Saturday.

[EDM620]

Hello Locktite!

[dimlight65]

Ok, so those adjustable thingies were made for a Chevy/GMC axle.  Apparently Dodge used much beefier tubes!  These are about an inch too narrow to fit over my axle.  We will have a look at options Saturday but right now I'm leaning towards sending these back to Amazon.

[dimlight65]

But I did make some progress!

 

Got some mandrel bends to connect the headers to the zorst.

 

 

Zooked two downpipes together.

 

Passenger side

 

 

Driver's side

 

 

They come out next to the bell housing like this.

 

 

And I may try to incorporate these flexy things into the new system.

 

 

We also filled the tranny with fluid then filled and bled the clutch.  Of course, pictures of that would have been awfully boring so...

 

Oh, I almost forgot!  The fire extinguisher mount pissed me off and got thrown away.  I did a ham-fist job of glassing up the giant holes left over from the ratchet shifter mount on the doghouse. 

 

 

Hopefully it will clean up with some sanding after the resin sets.

Edited July 28, 2022 by dimlight65
doghouse picture

[EDM620]

One thought, when I had my motorhome (Dodge chassis w 440) the footwells tended to get VERY HOT, noting that the floor pan was metal with just carpet which I later changed to lino. I know you're in the somewhat tropical climate in Texas, so I'll throw the suggestion that you add some insulation down there.

[datsunfreak]

11 hours ago, EDM620 said:

One thought, when I had my motorhome (Dodge chassis w 440) the footwells tended to get VERY HOT, noting that the floor pan was metal with just carpet which I later changed to lino. I know you're in the somewhat tropical climate in Texas, so I'll throw the suggestion that you add some insulation down there.

 

We actually ran into that problem last summer and added a big heat shield to the left side of the doghouse for that reason. 👍

 

This was also part of the reason for the aluminum foot plate. Getting your feet off the floor, with an air gap in between, does a lot for keeping your feet cool. 

[EDM620]

Well now, my work here is done!

[EDM620]

Just now, EDM620 said:

Well now, my work here is done!

Must be time for a beer... 🍺

[dimlight65]

I made a little progress today but forgot to take pictures.  Ok, I took one picture but then we decided that we were going a different route.  I got the zorst hung from one hanger on the passenger side and need to position it and get a hanger on the driver's side.  Then I can mate it up to the downpipes from the headers.  I've been working under the assumption that I was going to use the Cadillac Convertable, but when John said to another one of our cohorts today, "We may delete the cat..."  I was so shocked by him saying it, that I didn't even react.  But, of course, I'm totally going to do it now!  Besides, it will make the turns and merge easier to fabricate... at least that is what I am telling myself 20 miles west of the vehicle, in the air conditioning, not lying in the dirt under the van.

 

I also replaced the plastic clutch pedal rod with one made of metal... but took no pictures of that either.

[dimlight65]

More zorst progress.

 

I cut the Cadillac convertible off

 

 

 

Welded a merge collector to a new "Hi-Flo Cat" (wink wink, nudge nudge!)

 

 

Then welded in some oxygen sensor bungs.

 

 

 

 

Toby Continued...

[dimlight65]

Continued from above...

The "cat" was zooked to the rest of the zorst and I crawled under for a test fit...

 

 

 

Under the van, the merge wouldn't line up with the downpipes.  So I "cut and shut" the joint between the "cat" and merge, and added the flexy things splayed out at crazy angles to, hopefully, join up with the down pipes.

 

 

We'll see how badly I screwed that up on Saturday.

[dimlight65]

And, just to be a "Post Whore," here is an artsy-fartsy shot down the throat to see how the Oxygen sensor pokes into the airflow.

 

 

And a closeup of the bung.

 

 

And... I'm just going to set this down right here, for no particular reason

 

 

Ok, there is a reason.  And that reason is to make John worry!

 

 

Edited August 4, 2022 by dimlight65

[iceman510]

Is that a Corvair behind the bushes/trees/whatever?

[dimlight65]

2 hours ago, iceman510 said:

Is that a Corvair behind the bushes/trees/whatever?

Yes, indeed.  Convertible Corvair.  I was standing near it one day and said, "Cars are supposed to turn," and the rear wheels sucked up and it flipped over on its back!  

[iceman510]

Well Mr. Nader, that one is a later model and has the improved rear suspension. 😉 

[datsunfreak]

59 minutes ago, iceman510 said:

Well Mr. Nader, that one is a later model and has the improved rear suspension. 😉 

 

He had a hardtop coupe too, that I often lament not buying when it was up for sale...

 

I dig these...

 

 

[iceman510]

Living near Detroit, Corvairs often get mentioned in car guy circles.  I think the late cars like in your picture are fantastic looking and they are still fairly cheap with good  parts availability.  Might think about getting one myself if I ever get my Datsuns and Mitsubishis done.

[dimlight65]

On 8/3/2022 at 9:38 PM, dimlight65 said:

We'll see how badly I screwed that up on Saturday.

 

And the answer is: Quite.  I screwed it up quite badly.

 

The splay of the flexy things was... well, one was ok, but the other was way off.  The "rotation" however, was not good.  To this end, I cut off the merge and un-splayed one of the flexy things.

 

 

 

I reclocked it and welded it back on... reclocked the wrong direction.  I was pissed at myself so I shut down the welder and walked away.

 

Rather than stand near John and grumble about my up-fucking, I decided to have another look at the fire extinguiser mount.

 

I bought... ok, I bought the wrong thing so John bought a PVC pipe cap and junction with the right ID for me.  These I bolted to the house of dogs.

 

 

 

So, once I had calmed down by doing something productive, I cut the merge off again and had a look at some V-band clamps.

 

 

I'll use these to reattach the merge to the "cat" and it should allow me to finally clock the thing properly to join the down pipes to the rest of the zorst.

 

John watched all of this and said, "I'm going to budget for a tow to the muffler shop."  Psh, candy ass!

[dimlight65]

On 7/30/2022 at 3:41 PM, dimlight65 said:

Besides, it will make the turns and merge easier to fabricate...

 

I hate it when I say stupid shit like this and totally jinx myself.