datsunfreak Posted September 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 (edited) Made a few more revisions to the shifter base, but we think it has achieved it's final form... In other news, we installed this tachometer in the dash. After a few missteps with the wiring, we finally got it to work. Of course, it's a piece of shit and doesn't read correctly. Soooooo, time for another new tach I guess? 😄 Edited September 8, 2019 by datsunfreak 3 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 4 hours ago, datsunfreak said: Of course, it's a piece of shit and doesn't read correctly. Soooooo, time for another new tach I guess? 😄 I mean c'mon! Who would have thought that a $20, Chinese knockoff from Amazon would be a POS? What I'm looking for now is something like the hood-mounted tach on a GTO Judge. Trouble is, they all either say "Pontiac" or cost $300... or both. 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 (edited) Oh, I also got the cable installed on that shifter and amused myself for a few minutes ratcheting through the "gears" while watching the other end yeet and yoink. I'm old and it's a million o'clock in the morning, did I use those words right? Edited September 8, 2019 by dimlight65 Nunya! 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 On 9/6/2019 at 2:45 PM, dimlight65 said: In doing the "research" on how to wire the overdrive switch, I learned that I am, technically, converting the thing into a SIX speed tranny! I'll have 1st gear, 1st+OD, 2nd gear, 2nd+OD, 3rd gear, and 3rd+OD for a total of six forward speeds. Is this a viable way to drive the thing? No, no it is not. Is that going to stop me from referring to it as a six speed? Again, it is not. It's a 4 speed with 4th being an over drive. You can select to lock out the OD when in 3rd, or not, but you can't add it to any of the other 3 gears Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 1 minute ago, datzenmike said: It's a 4 speed with 4th being an over drive. You can select to lock out the OD when in 3rd, or not, but you can't add it to any of the other 3 gears Stock, yes. I'm wiring the OD solenoid to a manual switch so it comes on whenever I want it. 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 In the spirit of Dajiban.... 1 1 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 3 hours ago, dimlight65 said: Stock, yes. I'm wiring the OD solenoid to a manual switch so it comes on whenever I want it. Hmmm what if the switch simply locks out the OD and doesn't actually engage it? I suspect this is how it operates. OD does not come on at below a certain speed just as you can't start in 3rd gear... you have to be in 2nd and above a governed speed. Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted September 9, 2019 Report Share Posted September 9, 2019 The factory OD cutoff switch does just lock out the OD solenoid preventing it from engaging at the preset voodoo-spell speed which the witch doctors at the factory set. My switch will bypass all the chicken bones and pig's blood and whatever else controls the solenoid. So, theoretically, it can be engaged at any speed in any gear. Apparently 4x4 and drag race folk do this mod all the time when installing manual valve bodies... or the MVB bypasses the chicken bones so you HAVE TO manually switch the OD solenoid. Tomato/tomato... I'm doing it. Of course, some of them also put a manual switch on the torque converter lockup. I hope that is optional, but I'll finger it out if it isn't. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted September 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2019 (edited) Final test fit with shifter and cable installed... Cable passes fairly close to the exhaust manifold, so we put 3 layers of header wrap on it... . We did install the new tach, and it functions as it should, but you will either need to stare intently at the top photo, or use your imagination... 😂 Edited September 16, 2019 by datsunfreak 1 1 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted September 18, 2019 Report Share Posted September 18, 2019 *Sigh* I miss it already... This afternoon we dropped the van off at the Witch Doctor to have the auto-tragic transmission rebuilt and full-manual valve body installed. I don't know how long it is going to take, but it has been too long already. In the immortal words of Phillip J. Fry... Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted September 30, 2019 Report Share Posted September 30, 2019 Well, last week was a bust. Someone from our shop had to go and have a cardiac catheter procedure done and wasn't allowed to drive for two days. Then he had to work on Saturday! Therefore, he couldn't go to the shop Wednesday or Saturday or check on the van at the witch doctor. Ok, it might have been me. (And I'm fine by the way. No blockages.) So today was the first time I had a chance to check on the Dajiban. Yeah... apparently the interwebs steered me wrong on the identicality of a 46re and 727 Torqueflight. They are apparently the same... except for the valve body. After learning this, I gave thought to swapping in a 727 and losing the overdrive. Whoo! My ears are still ringing from the ass-chewing I just got from John over that bit of attempted dumbassery. So, we'll be having the tranny rebuilt with a shift kit and not the full-manual, reverse-pattern, race-car tranny rebuild after all. But dammit, I'm keeping my ratchet shifter! Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted October 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 On 9/30/2019 at 4:31 PM, dimlight65 said: But dammit, I'm keeping my ratchet shifter! As you should. 😁 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted October 10, 2019 Report Share Posted October 10, 2019 Woo hoo! I have my Dajiban back! After picking it up from the witch doctor, and giving him the requisite eye of newt, monkey spleen, and powdered bat testicles in payment, I took off for a micro-hoon. It shifts so nice. I banged through the gears "manually" as well and think I'm really going to enjoy this thing. Back at the shop, I installed the battery tie down which probably should have been done two months ago when I bough the new battery. Then I decided to tackle the non-functional sliding side door. I had it diagnosed as "That thing right there is too far in," but couldn't break the T-40 Torx bolts loose. Well, I got one loose, but the second broke the crap out of my Torx bit. John shows up and gets the second bolt loose while I'm off to Orally's (for the second time) to buy T-40 bits. Yeah, it wasn't only "That thing right there is too far in," but both front and rear mechanisms were horked pretty severely by the ham-fisted previous owner. A little bending, tweaking, and zooking later and we almost have it fixed. Yeah, we wound up losing and/or breaking all the little plastic clip things which hold the rods in place. So my mission is to buy more clip thingies before Saturday so's we can finish that job. Next: MORE LOW! 3 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted October 15, 2019 Report Share Posted October 15, 2019 So I have been driving it for the last couple days and damn it! I don't want to become an old woman, but I'm becoming less annoyed with it having an autotragic transmission... which annoys me! Anyhoo, it drives really well but the altitude is getting to me. I need moar low! I think I have all the bits to do it, we've just got to do it. Perhaps we'll get tucked in to that this weekend... or maybe tomorrow. We'll see. I have a 3 to 6 steering wheel adapter and quick release on their way from Da 'Zon so the "final" steering wheel will be going on tomorrow. I will try to get John to take some pictures of progress. 2 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted October 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2019 On 10/15/2019 at 3:35 PM, dimlight65 said: I have a 3 to 6 steering wheel adapter and quick release on their way from Da 'Zon so the "final" steering wheel will be going on tomorrow. I will try to get John to take some pictures of progress. 3-to-6 adapter and quick release hub on... New wheel and the rest of the quick release... Decided to go ahead and remove the stock shifter handle as well... And put the shift indicator on the new shifter... Still need to rig up the OD cut-off switch though... 2 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted October 28, 2019 Report Share Posted October 28, 2019 I may never turn it on, but I went ahead and bought a CD head unit, mount kit, wiring adapter, and a pair of 6x9 speakers for it. I can't remember if I gave John the powered subwoofer or traded it to him for something else, or what... but there is a powered subwoofer at the shop which might find its way into the project as well. Also, we have engineered a sort of half-assed C-notch solution for the rear which we are going to implement Wednesday. I don't think the van is going to fold in half, even without it, but... well, we'll see. 1 Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted October 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2019 On 10/28/2019 at 3:11 PM, dimlight65 said: I may never turn it on, but I went ahead and bought a CD head unit, mount kit, wiring adapter On 10/28/2019 at 3:11 PM, dimlight65 said: and a pair of 6x9 speakers for it. To be continued... 2 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 6, 2019 Report Share Posted November 6, 2019 I hear there are people out there who will put four or five different sets of wheels and tires on their project cars WAY before the things are roadworthy. Not that there's anything wrong with that... Well, I must admit that I am guilty of doing something similar. This van has had three different steering wheels since I bought it... aaaaaaaaaaand the fourth is on its way. I'm not happy with a) the deep dish of the one on there now, and 2) the way the horn button doesn't quite fit right. I bought a super-go-fast, flat bottom, suede wheel with no horn button hole, and one of those dual button, push-to-talk plates because Dajiban! Pix to follow... in a week or so after they arrive. Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2019 And the new 6x9 door speakers are in too. They sound good but have us contemplating adding more speakers... Quote Link to comment
goes2fast Posted November 7, 2019 Report Share Posted November 7, 2019 2 hours ago, datsunfreak said: And the new 6x9 door speakers are in too. They sound good but have us contemplating adding more speakers... Large volume area = either lots of speakers or large ones. 🤣 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 7, 2019 Report Share Posted November 7, 2019 7 hours ago, goes2fast said: Large volume area = either lots of speakers or large ones. 🤣 The real issue is speaker placement. Since they are down so low in the doors, and the grilles have downward facing anti-splash slats, the sound is a bit muddy. I'm thinking of just adding some separate tweets up by the triangle windows to fill in the highs. Oh, and the powered subwoofer I thought was at the shop was there after all... along with another I'd bought to go in the Smart but never got around to installing... and some 6.5" separates which will probably donate their tweeters to this project. Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 17, 2019 Report Share Posted November 17, 2019 Well, once again I am indebted to John for going above and beyond the call of duty*. Not only did he crank the dimpled lock-nuts off of the U-bolts on the rear axle, but then got in there with an angle grinder and saw-saw to make the C-notch cuts in the frame. I, in the meantime, wired and mounted horn buttons on the new flat-bottom suede steering wheel. I mean, c'mon... SOMEONE has to do the relatively easy and clean jobs, right? *Tee hee... I said "doody!" Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2019 On 11/16/2019 at 6:31 PM, dimlight65 said: crank the dimpled lock-nuts off of the U-bolts on the rear axle, but then got in there with an angle grinder and saw-saw to make the C-notch cuts in the frame. Leaf springs removed and notches cut... Leaf springs reinstalled underneath the axle... Ran out of time to install these so they are up next... On 11/16/2019 at 6:31 PM, dimlight65 said: in the meantime, wired and mounted horn buttons on the new flat-bottom suede steering wheel. 3 Quote Link to comment
dimlight65 Posted November 19, 2019 Report Share Posted November 19, 2019 WOW! Many speed! Such Dajiban Quote Link to comment
datsunfreak Posted November 21, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2019 Flip kit done... Total drop is a bit more... excessive... than we thought. About 6.5" total as best we can tell... Which is livable, if we can make the front match it... 😄 2 Quote Link to comment
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