A14 Mild street performance build

[sick620]

Rebuilding the A14 in my b210. I want it to be mildly built for a little bit more performance... I will be buying new pistons what should I get? Is there something with a bit less dish or a bit bigger that would work with my a14 crank and rods? I am going to run a weber dgav.. Should I run stock exhaust manifold or headers? Could I just bump compression a bit by milling the head or changing pistons, and make around 80hp at the wheels without much head work? 

 

I plan on using my 77 b210 A14 Head, block, crank and rods... I just want to make a reliable amount of power best bang for the buck without getting a rare closed chamber head, or running an a15 crank etc... 

Edited May 13, 2022 by sick620

[datzenmike]

As part of a rebuild you really should over bore so you have perfect cylinders for the rings. Basically the engine below the head is brand new and capable of hundreds of thousands of miles. Rod and Main bearings of course. Might as well go to max 1.0mm over, this is only 0.5mm off the cylinder walls. If you want higher compression you have to go to a custom made piston. Compression is over rated on a stock engine. Going one point say from 8.4 to 9.4 is good for perhaps 3-5 hp on a good day. 

 

The intake and exhaust on the A series are co-joined and use exhaust heat to warm the intake. If removed for a header the intake will need replacing or the opening sealed up. On a stock engine the exhaust is 'good enough' and not much of a restriction. Only if moderately to heavily modified will you benefit from a header. Like compression the gains go up the more power your engine makes. If you go with a header do not throw the old manifold away.

 

I think a mild street cam and a Weber 32/36 will get you where you want. Throw in a larger diameter exhaust system and the turbo style muffler.

[sick620]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

As part of a rebuild you really should over bore so you have perfect cylinders for the rings. Basically the engine below the head is brand new and capable of hundreds of thousands of miles. Rod and Main bearings of course. Might as well go to max 1.0mm over, this is only 0.5mm off the cylinder walls. If you want higher compression you have to go to a custom made piston. Compression is over rated on a stock engine. Going one point say from 8.4 to 9.4 is good for perhaps 3-5 hp on a good day. 

 

The intake and exhaust on the A series are co-joined and use exhaust heat to warm the intake. If removed for a header the intake will need replacing or the opening sealed up. On a stock engine the exhaust is 'good enough' and not much of a restriction. Only if moderately to heavily modified will you benefit from a header. Like compression the gains go up the more power your engine makes. If you go with a header do not throw the old manifold away.

 

I think a mild street cam and a Weber 32/36 will get you where you want. Throw in a larger diameter exhaust system and the turbo style muffler.

I found an intake off a b310 (210) with a15 at the junkyard and it is not co joined… will this not work?

[datzenmike]

 That's right. Just recently someone posted a water cooled/warmed intake NOT using the exhaust. Yes that will work with a header. You might want to look at how the water flows into the intake and out and get anything useful to get this working. Two simple holes drilled into the head is needed. 

 

If you drive Idaho in the cold you'll want this to warm the incoming air. If over 95F you'll want it to cool the intake from radiated heat from the header.

[KELMO]

20 hours ago, sick620 said:

I found an intake off a b310 (210) with a15 at the junkyard and it is not co joined… will this not work?

Can you post a pic of it?

Did you actually take it or just found one?

Does it look something like this?

 

[datzenmike]

KELMO how does the coolant exit the intake?

[KELMO]

Um, I would have to look to be sure. I think on this particular motor the water ports in the head that feed the intake were blocked (maybe). It has been a minute since this motor was built. If memory serves, I think water is circulated via the head. Two ports underneath each pair of intake ports, one is in one is out. It is highly possible that I could be wrong on the flow thing...It happens alot.

I will have to see if I have any pics of the head. A quick browse through my Imgur account didn't have anything. They might be in Photosucket.

 

P.S. I do not recall any water hoses coming off of the manifold FWIW.

[datzenmike]

Well as far as the L series goes the water pump pushes water into the block pressurizing it. Coolant travels up into the head and there is an outlet for the heater, the thermostat for return to the radiator, or out two holes into the intake manifold where they join and exit, traveling down to the lower radiator hose inlet to the water pump.

 

Never cared for the co joined intake/exhaust using a heat riser or 'flap gate' on a bi-metallic spring that closes when cold forcing hot exhaust against the bottom of the intake and opening as it heats up. These things are almost always rusted in some position or the coil spring rusted away from the heat. The water cooled/warmed intake requires no moving parts (other than the water) no maintenance and can't fail.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I always bore to max overbore. Why not? You'll never wear this engine out. Unless you;re racing it. I believe there was an .060" overbore piston available back in the day. Might still be available.

 

Can't remember about piston interchange, but I agree that a bump in compression ratio would be nice. 10:1 is what I shoot for on a street engine.

[datzenmike]

14/15 have the same bore and same rods so the stroke is the difference. Thus 14/15s must have different pin height

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

A15s have a much taller block.

 

There was a high performance A12A which also shared the A14 bore.

Edited May 17, 2022 by Stoffregen Motorsports

[Tom1200]

Resident A-series guy here:

 

A standard A14 is making about 50-52hp at the wheels

 

Here are some things you can do that will get you close to where you want to be.

 

Clean up the ports in the head. You can do this with a dremel. The stock valve seats protrude into the port, getting rid of that and focusing on the bowl area of the part will help a lot.

 

Buy either the .6 or .8 thick mm head gasket. B projects sells.them on Ebay. These will get you up to around 9.25 to 9.5-1 compression .

 

A header in conjunction with the Weber 32/36 carb.

 

Use 1.75" to 2" exhaust.

 

Delta Cams can regrind the cam and Isky cam still stocks performance valve springs.

 

This will get you to around 68-72 at the wheels. That may not sound like a lot bit it is 20 more than stock.

 

One final note A14 oversize pistons have are getting hard to find. A15 pistons won't work as the have a 30mm pin height versus the 32.5mmpin height A14 pistons.

 

[sick620]

Ok so far I’ve ordered; nismo head gasket .8mm, and some .030 over pistons. I am going to send my cam in to delta and either do a 272 or 280 grind, any Recommendations? I am going to buy the nismo dual valve springs, will I need to buy dual valve spring retainers or will my original factory ones be ok? I will probably lighten flywheel a few pounds nothing crazy.. arp rod bolts are recommended on the 1200 wiki page for high rev motors should I get those? will my setup be safe to rev up over 8k rpm from time to time? Or do I need to do aftermarket valve seats and aftermarket pushrods as well? ARP head studs worth it to protect from possible future head gasket leaks (these motors are known for leaky head gaskets I hear) 

[datzenmike]

Don't know about the retainers, probably stock are ok. Rod bolts for sure, valve seats only if the head is rebuilt, push rods only if they are lighter than stock and studs if you want. Being now more higher RPM capable the exhaust system is going to be much more restrictive. The exhaust manifold won't be good enough so I guess a header and larger diameter pipe (1/4 larger is enough) and a turbo muffler. You're making more exhaust and it needs out. In addition the carburetor is now more than likely not going to flow enough air for the engine demands. If you have a Weber that would be enough. A side draft would be better than a down draft as the air doesn't have to make a 90 degree bend but the intake isn't the best. Dual side drafts are even better as they have the straightest most direct line from carburetor to head. Also individual throttles can take much more advantage of tuned length velocity stacks. Ain't cheap.

[Crashtd420]

5 hours ago, sick620 said:

Ok so far I’ve ordered; nismo head gasket .8mm, and some .030 over pistons. I am going to send my cam in to delta and either do a 272 or 280 grind, any Recommendations? I am going to buy the nismo dual valve springs, will I need to buy dual valve spring retainers or will my original factory ones be ok? I will probably lighten flywheel a few pounds nothing crazy.. arp rod bolts are recommended on the 1200 wiki page for high rev motors should I get those? will my setup be safe to rev up over 8k rpm from time to time? Or do I need to do aftermarket valve seats and aftermarket pushrods as well? ARP head studs worth it to protect from possible future head gasket leaks (these motors are known for leaky head gaskets I hear) 

If you're trying to take the motor to 8k rpm I recommend running it on a dyno to see where the power peaks and starts to drop.... no reason to go that high if your not making power, you just risk hurting the motor..

 

I believe the cam predicts the power range... on my L16 I think I did the 260-70f regrind... says the rpm range is up to 6000, and on the dyno just above 6k the power was at its peak and started to drop... I was willing to go to 7k, but once it peaked there was no reason..... 

 

I used Schneider racing cam... they supplied everything .. valve springs retainers and lash pads... I just looked at their sight and the have grinds for the a series....

 

http://schneidercams.com/a-series4cylinder.aspx

 

 

[datzenmike]

I would have expected less lobe separation/more overlap as the grind duration/lift goes up but no. Must have been reground from stock cams.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

No on the head studs

Yes on the rod bolts

Retainers...probably not, but why not?

Yes on the hardened seats, but your head should already have hardened seats (I believe)

 

 

Make sure you get good valve stem seals with the gasket kit. If not, get them separately. Gasket kits run the gamut from good to less than good. Some kits come with factory type stem seals, which are fine.

 

If you're going to all this trouble, have a Datsun shop do at least something to the cylinder head. A good three angle valve job is the least you should do, and no, machine shops won't do it unless you specify it. Clean up the bowls at the bare minimum. This optimizes the flow around the valves without going for a full blown porting job.

[sick620]

I’m sorry I misspoke I meant valve guides not valve seats.. they sell a14 racing valve guides.. I assume made of a harder material for wear for high rev motors.. or will the factory ones be ok only periodically reving the car high.. it’s going to be a street car so I don’t plan on revving it crazy all that often. I figure if I’m building an A series I might as well build it for moderately high rpm’s because it’s not going to be all that fast but I want it to be fun and sound cool. Ok Sounds like I need headers, I already have a 32/36 Weber and adapter. Need to source a matchbox dizzy also. 

[datzenmike]

 The 'racing' guides may not protrude into the port flow as much. If your stock ones are ok run with them.

 

If only a 32/36 I wouldn't bother with the header unless you plan a side draft(s) later. Then yes. I would replace the exhaust with something larger diameter. If 1 1/2" now go to 1 3/4" and loose the muffler and get a glass packed 'turbo' style. Not one that you can see through.

 

Definitely port match the intake manifold to head. Place gasket on head and scratch the port outline with a nail in the soft aluminum. Remove gasket and grind away the port walls out to the scratch mark.  Blend smoothly inwards an inch to inch and a half. Now do the same with the intake.

 

The exhaust can also be done but the manifold is cast iron and much harder. Port the head/manifold out to the gasket. This will then be ready if you go to header later.

 

Manifolds and heads never line up perfectly and there is usually a lip that obstructs flow. Might be worth a couple of HP each but if you find 5 other things such as exhaust and EI distributor that are each worth that amount that's 14 HP!!!

 

If you ever have the oil pan off make a crank scraper and a windage tray. This will cut down on the cloud of oil droplets the crankshaft has to push it's way through. A lot of HP is wasted churning up this oil tornado.

 

You might want to use washers to shim the oil pump pressure regulator spring and bring toe oil pressure up. On average you want 10 PSI for every 1,000 RPMs expected. Stock is 55-60 PSI so go to 70 at least.

 

Only the later '79-'82 210 had the EI matchbox electronic ignition for the A series engines.

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Valve guides need replacing as they are wear item. Any guides will do for a hot street motor.

 

Again, cleaning up the bowls in the head is your best bang for the buck mod. The A12 I built for my 320 made 100hp, and it revved to the moon. A nice A14 with a good cam and a DGV should make similar power.

 

The intake manifold on that A12 was highly modified. Stock, the plenum area under the carb is drastically tiny, and bolting on a Weber only gets you so far. I machined out all but the inside wall and welded in a similarly machined bowl portion of a 240Z DGV conversion manifold. This mod doubled the size of the plenum and did away with the divider between the primary and secondary. As a side benefit, no adapter was needed to bolt the DGV to it. All in, it took no more than half a day to modify the manifold. Those 240Z adapter manifolds are super easy to find used, so if you know someone with a mill and a TIG welder, think about it, Definitely a worthwhile mod.

 

I wish I had pics of that intake...

[sick620]

12 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Valve guides need replacing as they are wear item. Any guides will do for a hot street motor.

 

Again, cleaning up the bowls in the head is your best bang for the buck mod. The A12 I built for my 320 made 100hp, and it revved to the moon. A nice A14 with a good cam and a DGV should make similar power.

 

The intake manifold on that A12 was highly modified. Stock, the plenum area under the carb is drastically tiny, and bolting on a Weber only gets you so far. I machined out all but the inside wall and welded in a similarly machined bowl portion of a 240Z DGV conversion manifold. This mod doubled the size of the plenum and did away with the divider between the primary and secondary. As a side benefit, no adapter was needed to bolt the DGV to it. All in, it took no more than half a day to modify the manifold. Those 240Z adapter manifolds are super easy to find used, so if you know someone with a mill and a TIG welder, think about it, Definitely a worthwhile mod.

 

I wish I had pics of that intake...

Thank you for all your info! Did you ever find anymore pictures of the blue 510? I would love to see them ask your brother… will you ask him if he had a UFO united 5ten owners decal on the back window little small round one. 
 

Do you know anything about 272 grind vs 280 grind? What should I run? 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Yes, he had a UFO sticker on the back window. Man, I'm glad to hear the car is still around. I never did find anymore pics, but I still have one box of pics I need to locate.

 

I like big cams in toy cars. Why not right? Do you have any other specs on those cams? Brand, lift, etc.

[Tom1200]

First; I run all stock Nissan components in the bottom end of my A12 & A15. I rev them to 8600 rpm all the time without issue.

 

I'm using a Delta 280 cam and the powerband is 4500 to 8200 RPM. I'd check with Delta bit for the street I'd go with the milder of the two cams.

[datzenmike]

Better to have less and want more than to have more and wish you had less. Too much cam will be a PITA to drive around with. Almost all your current driving is below 4,500 RPMs. It has to start reliably in all weather and idle in traffic.

[sick620]

13 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Yes, he had a UFO sticker on the back window. Man, I'm glad to hear the car is still around. I never did find anymore pics, but I still have one box of pics I need to locate.

 

I like big cams in toy cars. Why not right? Do you have any other specs on those cams? Brand, lift, etc.

delta brand no I cant find any information on specs I guess I will have to ask them.  I'd be thrilled if you found some more pics, would probably motivate me to paint it the same color again. 

I think I'll go with the more aggressive cam. Other than bombing the car down the freeway to powerland or something once a year and a few local car meets or whatever its just a fun car so why not. 

Edited November 4, 2022 by sick620