A14 Mild street performance build

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Rust wouldn't be the concern. It's heat related. Aluminum sheds heat faster than iron or steel. And since the intake on an A motor is directly above the exhaust, an aluminum intake would be ideal.

[datzenmike]

 The aluminum could also be polished to reflect radiant heat.

 

I've had no problem with heat. There is even coolant lines back to front to warm the carburetors. I couldn't notice any difference but I only drive in the summer. I disconnected it.

[sick620]

 

here are the cam specs.. purchased in 1971 and never ran.. probably kind of a lot of cam for my build but I’m running since I have it…

 

so far the plan is:

A14 block bored .030 over with new pistons (the pistons were cheap and available)

Arp rod bolts

balanced crank shaft

nismo .8mm head gasket 

290 cannon cam

a12gx head with very mild bowl clean up and a tiny bit of polishing otherwise stock with original dual springs

I will probably lighten the flywheel 

 

I got some aluminum brazing rod and plan on trying to repair my cracked a14 intake either with that or just some jb weld as a temporary solution so I can run this motor with an old 32/36 Weber and a series adapter that I already have… that way I can enjoy the b210 while I decide whether I’m going with  bike carbs or biting the bullet and buying an expensive mikuni carb setup and headers… 

 

let me know what you think of my planned setup.. probably won’t rev as high until I get the better flowing carb and headers, and obviously wont make as much power until then either, but phase one will be getting the long block running and driving in the car, then focus on the bolt ons. 

 

I think its crazy that I have been planning this build then a guy just happens to stop by my house with a rare performance head and cam for pennies on the dollar. 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by sick620

[datzenmike]

8mm probably 0.8mm. 8mm is over 1/3"

[sick620]

23 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

8mm probably 0.8mm. 8mm is over 1/3"

yes .8mm No sneaking anything past you 😄

[sick620]

I have a few questions I need help with:

 

Anyone have any idea what compression this will be at with normal a14 dished pistons, a12gx closed chamber, and .8mm head gasket? What is the max amount the head can be shaved without effecting pushrods? 

 

This head has water ports for intake manifold. If I bolt an intake to it with no water ports will it seal and not leak? My temporary a14 intake has no water ports. When a get or make an after market intake it also will have no water ports. 

 

Head oiling- This a12gx head I believe was oiled via a hole in block. A14 had the oiling single head bolt. I am assuming it will be fine as long as I run the oiling head bolt again in correct position? 

 

Is a12 timing chain setup same as a14? Like I can take all the a12 bits and install them in a14? 

[KELMO]

For the compression info you may want to. try 1200.com. And most of the other questions could probably be answered there as well.

 

The head I have on my A12 also has the water ports. Someone along the way plugged them. The intake I am using also has the water ports but they are not in use.

 

The head appears to be a GX head, but I do not know for sure. If I remember correctly, I used the "oiler bolt" that goes in about the center of the head. I do not recall oiling through the block.

 

The timing bits I "think" are the same, but I can check my quick ref book and see.

[KELMO]

Timing bits show to be the same according to the quick reference book I "acquired" from a dealership I once worked at.

 

T/chain 13028-18001; 1200, B210, and 210

Tensioner 13070-18001; 1200, B210, and 210

Cam gear and crank gear show the same as well.

13024-H8500

13021-H8900

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Use an NPT tap and plug those holes. It makes manifold removal (for maintenance or whatever) a ton easier.  Just make sure the plugs sit flush after you install them.

[datzenmike]

15 hours ago, sick620 said:

I have a few questions I need help with:

 

Anyone have any idea what compression this will be at with normal a14 dished pistons, a12gx closed chamber, and .8mm head gasket? What is the max amount the head can be shaved without effecting pushrods? 

 

To be accurate, I would need to know if the piston at TDC is just below or just above the block deck, and by how much. Also need the closed chamber volume and the piston dish volume.

 

 

15 hours ago, sick620 said:

 

This head has water ports for intake manifold. If I bolt an intake to it with no water ports will it seal and not leak? My temporary a14 intake has no water ports. When a get or make an after market intake it also will have no water ports. 

 

It will never leak.

 

 

15 hours ago, sick620 said:

 

Head oiling- This a12gx head I believe was oiled via a hole in block. A14 had the oiling single head bolt. I am assuming it will be fine as long as I run the oiling head bolt again in correct position? 

 

 

 

'74 and on heads send the oil from the block into the head inside one of the head bolt holes. Earlier heads have an oil delivery hole from the block into the head through the head gasket and THEN into the head bolt hole. Old heads will work with old or new blocks but old blocks will not work with new heads

 

http://datsun1200.com/uploads/photos/22073.jpg

[sick620]

Is one 40dcoe weber enough carb for this setup? 
 

is 2 40 dcoe carbs too much? 

 

thinking about getting one of these type intakes but unsure if I should go single carb or dual carb?
 

[sick620]

Also what about a weber 32/36? I read it will probably be too much off idle? Is is hard for me to comprehend how a standard weber would be too much carberator when people get away with running dual dcoe or phh carbs on these engines. Will a Weber 32/36 provide enough air flow at 8000rpm plus? 

[datzenmike]

At 8k your 1.4 liter engine is consuming 5,600 liters of air. That's 341,600 cu in. / 1728 = 197.68 cubic feet of air per minute. Now I may be wrong but I heard that the 32/36 is good for about 270 cu ft/min.  The 30/34 Hitachi on the L20B has to be good for at least 211 CFM at 6k.

 

You're fine with a 32/36.

[sick620]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

At 8k your 1.4 liter engine is consuming 5,600 liters of air. That's 341,600 cu in. / 1728 = 197.68 cubic feet of air per minute. Now I may be wrong but I heard that the 32/36 is good for about 270 cu ft/min.  The 30/34 Hitachi on the L20B has to be good for at least 211 CFM at 6k.

 

You're fine with a 32/36.

You stated earlier in this thread that these styles of intakes are not as efficient 90degree bends and all, and a straight through intake and carb will be more efficient, with my limited knowledge on automotive physics that makes obvious sense to even me. But if the 32/36 feeds enough feet of air a minute, what are the real world benefits of it being a straight through flow? I'm assuming its just the efficiency that the engine is getting the air. On an ultra high performance motor that seems like it could add a bit of horsepower, but on a little non crossflow motor like this it seems like it would not be that big of an improvement without doing major head flow work, bigger valves, etc. and the fuel probably atomizes better in an actual intake plenum. Am I right?

 

edit: Found a thread on Ratsun talking about this, seems like its up for debate. I'll probably run the 32/36 weber with a rowland intake manifold and some headers. 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by sick620

[datzenmike]

All things equal a bend in a pipe adds restriction. Not at low or mid range, maybe not until high mid range but at some point a side draft will out perform a down draft. Side drafts can also be ram tuned to some extent.

[Crashtd420]

On 4/5/2023 at 2:26 PM, sick620 said:

Is one 40dcoe weber enough carb for this setup? 
 

is 2 40 dcoe carbs too much? 

 

thinking about getting one of these type intakes but unsure if I should go single carb or dual carb?
 

I have been running a single 40dcoe on my Modified L16, but I have a lynx intake.... the difference is one side feeds cylinder 1 and 3 and the other feed 2 and 4.... 

The difference being It takes one intake pulse from the left then the right and so on.. the style you show is 2 pulses left then 2 pulses right...

They can be real tricky to tune properly... the lynx intake was also but I was successful in the end... 

You could run dual 40s and just play around with the internal chokes and jetting.....

32/36 would be the easiest to setup...

 

 

Edit: about the lynx...

1/4 are paired and 2/3 ....

Edited April 8, 2023 by Crashtd420

[datzenmike]

Like the stock L16 exhaust. Each pulse is separate from the next. 1342 firing order so 14 and 23 are paired. On a stock down draft it's 12 and 34 and on top of that they are joined at the carburetor base. Obviously it works but you cannot possibly tune for runner lengths.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I would run a down draft DGV first, and see if you like it.

 

Dual carbs are way too much for that little motor. It takes quite a lot of work to the motor to get it to breathe enough for dual carbs.

[sick620]

Someone messaged me telling me they had a set of these. Ended up being a scam. Be careful the scammers are getting desperate infiltrating ratsun.

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by sick620

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

That looks like a Nissan Motorsports header. Too bad it was a scam.

 

How did you find out?

[KELMO]

8 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

That looks like a Nissan Motorsports header. Too bad it was a scam.

 

How did you find out?

He didn't get his shit bro. Thats how.🤪

 

Don't mean to be a dick but...

 

Its my job, its what I do.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

I just wondered how far along he got before he realized it was a scam.

[sick620]

25 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I just wondered how far along he got before he realized it was a scam.

Far enough that I sent the guy $400

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Bummer.

[sick620]

You know what I just realized. I can't use my cool vintage race cam because the motor it is out of is a front distributor a12. There is probably no gear in the middle for the a14 distributor location. I am going to look at cam to verify but probably cannot run. Will need to sell it to buy a delta reground cam.