Nana Spec 69' 510

[slowlearner]

Another question...
I'm trying to get an oil pressure/temperature sensor (common VW/Audi sensor) on my datsun l18 motor. The issue is this. The sensor = m10x1.0 straight thread. The engine block = m10x1.0 TAPER thread. So the T adapter I've bought in m10x1.0 straight won't fit and neither will the sensor. I can't seem to find a tapered die in m10x1.0. I could retap the block for a straight thread but I'd risk leaving shavings in the oil gallery. Thoughts?

[thisismatt]

Isn't the block 1/8 bspt?

[Crashtd420]

Matt should be right unless it was previously modified....

I couldnt find bspt to m10x1,  but I did find NPT to m10x1...

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FG1TW6F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_KD4BHPRFG6BD7XKTBDG5

 

A bspt thread can be chased by an equivalent npt tap size and will create new threads with minimal effort...

Put a little grease on the tap and just go slow, go a turn in remove tap and clean off the chips... check thread engagement with the adapter so you dont go to far...

 

The math to me doesnt seem good to try drill and tap the block for the m10...

 

Is there a reason your trying to use vw sensor?

[slowlearner]

On 1/22/2022 at 4:20 PM, thisismatt said:

Isn't the block 1/8 bspt?

 

Ummm, yes. My turbo guru sorted me out last night. 🙄

[slowlearner]

Been working on the electrics lately. After replacing my 55amp alternator with a HUGE 100amp unit from a GU Patrol. I also changed the battery cables over to much beefier gauge. Having done so I still had a red hot fuel pump relay and melting fuse. So I bit the bullet and replaced my Raceworks 502 (044) style pump. 250LPH (600hp) and way too many amps. So my local parts shop fixed me up 155LPH Walbro they had laying at cost price.

 

Bye bye wire cooker...

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by slowlearner

[slowlearner]

Thought you might like to hear about my Saturday. People from my car club were invited to help run a stage rally in the pine forests at Oberon. I was supervising a closed road to make sure other traffic didn't stray onto the road and watch out for accidents. The weather in the forest was sublime. It warmed up to about 20degC (68F), there was very little cloud and a slight breeze. Just enough to blow the dust off the trails and not in my direction. 

 

 

 

There were a heap of Datsuns/Nissans. Three 510s, two Stanza/Violets, an S13 Sylvia and a N14 Pulsar hatch. This was alongside lots of Evos, WRXs, Celicas and Escorts. Unfortunately my phone was working properly and I forgot my camera. Here's a few pics I was able to take. 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to say, the best part of the day was actually getting to and from Oberon. I had needed to leave home pretty early to get there and of course I was running late. On the way home, I was yet again running late. Between the two, I didn't have time to muck around. So I was trying to go as quick as possible, whilst not overdoing it. The longest roads between my place and Oberon were what the Brits call, "B roads". Narrow, winding, two lane, mountain roads where the speed limit is 80-100kmh (50-60mph). All of these mountain roads are famous for being treacherous in wet or cold weather. On the way out, half my trip was mist, drizzle and cold. On the way home I had fog, bucketing rain and even a fox on the same stretch of road. 

 

 

Other parts of my trip were just amazing. The sunset and sunrise around Oberon were extremely beautiful and the roads were fun! It's the first time I've had the chance to drive the Datto that distance and in that way. Usually, I potter around the suburbs. The longest trip I've done to date was a conference in the city. I had an issue with the fuel pump fuel holder on the way home. The pump cut out, but I was able to fix it by swapping the fuse around. For a 53 year old car, the Datto is amazing. It handled the wettest, slipperiest roads without issue. I didn't find it's limits. In fact, as I was following newer cars on the way home, I didn't have to brake nearly as often. It felt as though it just wanted to go faster and faster. When I got home on Saturday night, I had a slight headache, but I was elated. I've been tempted to buy a rally car for more than 30 years. I could afford to buy one. I realized on Saturday night I don't need one. I had 5 hours of solid, fun, driving time. Much more time than the guys in the rally. I'm still keen to do some more tuning and put the new motor in. I could do with a bit more power, but the car is super fun as is. 

[Motorvated]

that's awesome! sounds the perfect weekend and what building a car is all about 😊

[slowlearner]

Out with the car club again yesterday for a skidpan motorkhana. Everyone was out of practice with most recent events cancelled due to COVID or flooding. I had a pretty good day, but I'm still getting used to driving the datto in khanas. I was too used to rear engined VWs. On the last test of the day, one of my friends, Bob had a go in my car. I was keen for him to drive it, because he's built quite a few rally 510s. He also owns a wicked 710 sedan. One of only three in Australia. Here's the footage of him...

 

 

Watching Bob wrestle the car was instructive. He said a few things...

1. The seats are not supportive at all.

2. The back springs are too soft.

I've already cut the back springs down for better camber and ride height. The car still wants to roll and grip, rather than letting go and drifting. It will spin both tyres easily, but the weight transfer from side to side it brutal. So, I'll be off to Stewart Wilkins again. Apparently he has a stash of springs. 

 

In other news, I'm trying to sort out a wiring issue with my Spartan II wideband. It's reading super rich above 92KPA. I've replaced the sensor ($140 bosch unit, ouch!) and still no joy. Hoping I can get some answers about this coz I want to get the tune right and petrol is over $8 per gallon in places again here. Thanks Comrade Putin. Speaking of which, I'm still tracing fuel smells in the car. Yay. The last one was a finger tight drain plug on the bottom of the fuel tank. Yes, I'm a numpty.

[slowlearner]

A few recent victories. 

 

First up, Stewart Wilkins sold me a set of rally spring for the back of the car. Apparently they're the 2nd last set he has in stock as Kings Springs have discontinued competition springs. Derp. The only other option is KW springs from Germany. 150% more $$$ and they're the wrong diameter. I'd be forced to convert to coilovers... not a good idea for a street car without a proper cage structure in the back. 

 

 

Oddly, the new springs are actually shorter than my old, 'cut' springs.' They are however, much stiffer.

 

 

In other news, I've been mucking around with this idle valve for ages.

 

 

 

It's straight out of the wrecking yard of a 90s Hyundai Excel. I could get the valve to work ok, but not on the car. However, for some reasons, powering down the ECU and starting again managed to get it to work ok. The breather works ok as a filter, but it is a little noisy on cold starts. Still HEAPs better than having to pedal the car to keep it running on cold mornings. It would literally die with the throttle stop controlling the idle.

 

 

There's still a little adjustment to do, but it's so much better. Still waiting for a new Spartan. 

 

I also cleaned the air filter yesterday and it was FILTHY! Got to keep my eye on that. The car runs so much better now just with that done.

[nad015]

Hey mate

what did you have to do to get the GU patrol alternator in?

[nad015]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/290949986791?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=22on4tUnRUK&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=ricsXm2oTTu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 

is it this one you used?

for a td42 GU patrol.

already had the right v belt pulley on it. 
110 amp 

see they also have a 150amp model aswel 

[slowlearner]

On 6/30/2022 at 12:28 PM, nad015 said:

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/290949986791?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=22on4tUnRUK&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=ricsXm2oTTu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
 

is it this one you used?

for a td42 GU patrol.

already had the right v belt pulley on it. 
110 amp 

see they also have a 150amp model aswel 

 

That looks like it. Stewart Wilkins fixed me up with it. You also need to drill the alternator stand out to M10 (IIRC). Otherwise, it bolts straight in. MASSIVE difference in performance. 🙂

[nad015]

Cheers man, I’m going to buy one and see how I go. 
I was going to get an sr20 alternator and swap the pulley as I heard they fit. 
but these look better. $185 for a 110amp alternator with the right pulley. See how I go. 

[slowlearner]

On 7/2/2022 at 7:49 AM, nad015 said:

Cheers man, I’m going to buy one and see how I go. 
I was going to get an sr20 alternator and swap the pulley as I heard they fit. 
but these look better. $185 for a 110amp alternator with the right pulley. See how I go. 

 

Here's the box, btw. Turns out it's 110amp too. 🙂

 

[slowlearner]

First day of holidays today, it's flooding again. Third time this year... 😞  We're ok, but man. A lot of locals on the other side of the river are suffering. We're just hiding inside. I figured it was time to put my MADDAT fuel filler in.

 

 

 

Along with the kit they gave me a sticker and a beer cooler! This is what I took out.

 

 

Keep in mind, this has been in the car about 2 years. In all that time, I've always had fuel stink in the cabin despite replacing EVERY hose and fitting (except the cap/plate). The cap got new rubber twice.  

[slowlearner]

Here is the finished installation. 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to say it was all straight forward... it does look good, but let me give you my pros and cons. I've also sent them to MADDAT, so I'm not rubbishing them behind their back or anything. It was $275 btw, so not cheap.

 

Pros

Very well made.
Well packed in the box.

Race quality fittings.

All hoses and fasteners included in a ziplock bag.

Thanks for the sticker and stubby holder

 

Cons

No instructions; This was a big issue, because it took me two or three goes to get every part installed. 
Main breather hose was slightly too small in diameter making installation on the AN fitting and the fuel tank extraordinarily hard.

In position, it was nearly impossible to do up the AN fitting (and it’s an odd size at 25mm). It was nearly as hard to get the elbow in position once installed on the filler tube.

I needed rubber grease to get every hose on.

 

So in conclusion it was more complicated than it appeared to be and that's a real shame. A simple set of instruction would have made it MUCH easier. As it was, I spent 1.5 hours doing something that should have taken 30 min I reckon. Here's hoping it stops the fuel stink. 

[slowlearner]

With too much time on my hands, I'm coming up with new, dumb ideas. This is the current fave... I'm thinking of building a new inlet manifold/plenum setup. 

 

Here's my current setup.

 

 

Now, for the current motor, this is a great setup. It has very long primaries and quite a distance between the valve the throttle body. As such, the motor produces a LOT of torque. It can climb most hills at 34-40mph in 5th gear (with a 3.7 diff). Where I think it tends to miss out, is top end. Stewart Wilkins warned me about this. Those primary tubes (that replace the SU carbs) are restrictive. They should also flare out along their length so he tells me. And, there only two of them, because I used the twin SU manifold. So, I'm thinking of replacing them with Weber manifolds. See below.

 

Thoughts about boost

My current system would work well for boost, but I've gone off that recently. I've tried to contact a number of engineering signatories about getting certification. Only one of them called me back and said, 'Yeah, I only do big stuff now. Use another guy.' It feels like a lot of hard work, to pay a lot of money, to make life harder for myself. Sure, the car would instantly be worth at least $5k more and be a lot faster. However I remember how things spiral out of control. Besides, I've got a rally engine waiting to go in. Sure the best use of current resources is to put that in the car first. Here's the thing. 

 

 

The new motor has a SSS A87 head, with big ports and a huge cam. So the current manifold would be even more restrictive than what I have now. So I pulled the old Weber manifolds out today and bolted them to a spare head. And I have another crazy idea...

 

Eco mode!

What I'd like to do is be able to switch off 2 cylinders at low load, like LS1 motors. I've experimented already and the car runs fine. I've come to the conclusion Cyls 2/3 would be the best pairing. However, the current setup would allow the dead cyls to pull fuel from the adjacent port. So, I've got some metal and some time. I figure I might have a go. I also have a raging throat cold, so I might have to get over that first. #sigh 😒

Edited July 5, 2022 by slowlearner

[datzenmike]

This intake is WAY better than the stock and the SU that have 4 into 2 runners. I made my own intake for my R-1 carburetors. Use 1/2" steel for the flange and 1.5" muffler pipe for the runners. Indeed yes, I ran velocity stacks on the carburetors which reached almost to the strut tower with flairs on the ends and there was noticeable more torque. I had to cut these down quite a bit for the home made air filter and this affected the torque but better to have filtered air. With throttle open you can look down and see the intake valve.

 

 

 

Final set up... shortened with a 280zx filter. They make a LOT of noise.

 

Having a runner for each cylinder and straightening out the runners makes a big difference in breathing.

[slowlearner]

That's awesome! What size motor are you running there?

[slowlearner]

So, the game is one. I've bought some injector bosses for the manifolds...

 

Speedflow 14mm Fuel Injector Weld On Boss Manifold Bung Billet 989-99 X 4 | eBay

 

There's a good chance I can just JB weld them in again like last time. I have the jig from the SU manifold, so I reckon I could use the current fuel rail too. And some velocity stacks for inside the plenum...

 

SherryBerg fajs EMPI carburetor carb Velocity Stacks Air horns 55MM 2 1/4" for 40idf 44idf 48idf IDF DCOE for WEBER 4 of set|Carburetor Parts| - AliExpress

 

I figure these are long enough that I can cut them in half and extend them with silicon for more torque if I want.
 

I've got a mud map for the plenum. I'll have to fine tune it now.
 

[datzenmike]

2 liter. Has L16 cast iron header 4 into 2 and a modified S13 down pipe 2 into one with wide band sensor. From exhaust valve to 'collector' is over 30" so it's sort of like a long tube header, certainly better than the 4 into 1 stock manifold

 

[five1oh]

On 7/4/2022 at 5:11 AM, slowlearner said:

Here is the finished installation. 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to say it was all straight forward... it does look good, but let me give you my pros and cons. I've also sent them to MADDAT, so I'm not rubbishing them behind their back or anything. It was $275 btw, so not cheap.

 

Pros

Very well made.
Well packed in the box.

Race quality fittings.

All hoses and fasteners included in a ziplock bag.

Thanks for the sticker and stubby holder

 

Cons

No instructions; This was a big issue, because it took me two or three goes to get every part installed. 
Main breather hose was slightly too small in diameter making installation on the AN fitting and the fuel tank extraordinarily hard.

In position, it was nearly impossible to do up the AN fitting (and it’s an odd size at 25mm). It was nearly as hard to get the elbow in position once installed on the filler tube.

I needed rubber grease to get every hose on.

 

So in conclusion it was more complicated than it appeared to be and that's a real shame. A simple set of instruction would have made it MUCH easier. As it was, I spent 1.5 hours doing something that should have taken 30 min I reckon. Here's hoping it stops the fuel stink. 

Thanks for the post on this.  I bought one from them a year ago for the coupe I was going to build....now it may make its way onto my 69.

 

Do you have any feedback on fuel leakage or smell yet?  Curious if it solves the hard cornering fuel pour out of the cap, lol.  I ALWAYS had gas leaking down the side of my cactus green car when driving spirited.

 

Thanks for the feedback in advance 🙂 

[slowlearner]

11 hours ago, five1oh said:

Thanks for the post on this.  I bought one from them a year ago for the coupe I was going to build....now it may make its way onto my 69.

 

Do you have any feedback on fuel leakage or smell yet?  Curious if it solves the hard cornering fuel pour out of the cap, lol.  I ALWAYS had gas leaking down the side of my cactus green car when driving spirited.

 

Thanks for the feedback in advance 🙂 

 

I've had it in the car for a few weeks now. I've driven it a few times and I have to say I'm impressed. With a full tank there's no leak and very little fuel vapor. It was a real pain to install, and I ended up blocking off the breather, but it's turned out very good. 🙂

[slowlearner]

On 7/6/2022 at 12:00 AM, datzenmike said:

This intake is WAY better than the stock and the SU that have 4 into 2 runners. I made my own intake for my R-1 carburetors. Use 1/2" steel for the flange and 1.5" muffler pipe for the runners. Indeed yes, I ran velocity stacks on the carburetors which reached almost to the strut tower with flairs on the ends and there was noticeable more torque. I had to cut these down quite a bit for the home made air filter and this affected the torque but better to have filtered air. With throttle open you can look down and see the intake valve.

 

 

 

Final set up... shortened with a 280zx filter. They make a LOT of noise.

 

Having a runner for each cylinder and straightening out the runners makes a big difference in breathing.

 

How do those ram tubes seal into the airbox?

[datzenmike]

 

The holes are just large enough for the the tubes to fit. The base is simply pushed up against the flared ends and hose clamps hold them there. You'll just have to imagine the flared ends almost flush with the base in the above picture.