Phlebmaster

Dude! I am so doing that with my car. They sell those at the local Wallymart. That is awesome!! I will do mine atll the way around and use them for running lights since my side markers are now shaved. Thank you for this idea

I want to see this done. It is tempting.

Cool idea...here is a good resource: http://www.totalvauxhall.co.uk/resources/totalvauxhall/TOV64.tech60697.pdf

Sorry to hear of your loss.

Yesterday the site was bogged pretty bad. But I am sure you guys are aware of that if you were trying to paruse the site at around 3pm-5pm pst.

lol Just don't try that on a plane.

This is a write up I did to help a fellow datto brother out....... I have pulled my cam towers off of my L4 head on many occasions, So I thought I would share what works for me. The reason not to do it is simple...binding your cam will wear it out the towers and send metal into your motor. Not good at all. But if you are very careful you can put everything back together without incident by doin this: #1. number your rockers in the order they sit in your head. carefully pull the rockers, springs and retainers keeping them as sets. #2. Put your motor at TDC and chock your chain tensioner and pull the cam gear. Don't lose your chain or you will be pulling your timing cover. I use a 1" dowel about 10" long. #3. loosten the 10mm allen head bolts that are holding your towers first and pull them out. Better be sure you have your torque wrench handy for re-installation. Re-torque can be tricky....you need to snug the head bolts back in first, then go in three to four steps tightening them down. Head bolt re-torque Try like 10lbs, 15lbs, 20lbs, 35lbs, and no more than the standard torque for the final step. Check your owners book for that last step. Then do a quick check on all head bolts at the top setting, being careful not to over torque them. Iv'e done that. #4. Now your cam should spin freely. Then take out all of the other cam tower bolts. They are 10mm socket. #5. Pulling the cam towers can be a bit tough at first..use a rubber mallet and tap very gently while you wiggle the cam towers. There will be several inserts that aid in lining up the towers and they get stuck sometimes. Be sure you DO NOT lose any of them. Your cam and towers should lift right off. Mark your towers 1-4!! Re-install #1. putting everything back in is pretty strait forward...just do the opposite of the steps you took to get it off. If using new cam towers 1-4 according to where they go on the head. #2. Now the tricky part.....getting the towers to line up takes some finesse. If the head is in the car, then you will need to insert the cam into all of the towers making sure you have the right tower on the right cam bearing before you install them. If you don't, you will be pulling them again I promise. Use assembly oil like Lukas or something in the cam towers and on the cam bearing races. #3. line up the cam towers on the head and get the inserts I told you about lined up and gently set them in. Then you take the cam tower bolts and set them in and get them started, but don't tighten them. #4. Now put in your head bolts you pulled and get them started too leaving them loose. #5. The allignment..... now you take your cam and turn it many times as you make the bolts tighter and tighter. This will ensure your allignment and you will know if the towers are off before you finish. #6. once everything is tightened and torqued down, you put your rockers and springs back in. The trick with this part is making sure your cam does not move backward in the towers....keep it lined up!! Line up your timing marks and you are golden. Do not turn your cam with the motor at TDC...otherwise you could bend your valves on the #1 and #4 pistons. Thats about it.

I did this to my L16 in a 1973 Datsun 620 truck when my bottom end would give no more and I was in a pinch. Not the recommended way to replace the rings.....but when you have no other choice. (my first engine rebuild btw) I did not pull the motor, So the tools I used were: 4" cylinder honing tool Sockets: 3/8"= 19mm, 17mm, 14mm, 12mm, 10mm, 10mm allen socket for the head bolts, swivel socket, 3" extension & 5" extension, spark plug socket. Torque wrench 3/8" (long handle click stop) Standard 3/8" ratchet (you all have seen these) Piston ring compressor 4"-7" Pully puller (for the main pully) Tie rod separator (for removing the steering tie rod) Piston ring plyers (I never figured out how to use this one) Screwdrivers, flat and phillips 4" & 6" Scraper for getting the old gaskets off. Plastigage Feeler guage for measuring end gap and ring clearance. Micrometer for measuring tolerances. I think that was it....I may have used a couple of other common tools. I also purchased a engine gasket kit with everything. It was better than not having what I needed. I used the Permatex spray copper gasket stuff as well as the ultra copper and ultra black gasket makers. Piston rings and rod bearings. I purchased standard size rings and bearings. But that was because I measured the cylinder walls, pistons, and crankshaft journals for tolerance. Lucas oil stabilizer and assembly lube. Quakerstate with slick 50. New oil filter and fuel filter. Get a compression tester to check compression before you start and after you complete the rebuild to make sure everything is good. I did most of my shopping for parts on Rockauto and tools I got from Harbor Freight Tools. The total cost for me was around $225.00 for everything...including the beer. lol I had her finished in 10 hours including breaks. I hope this helps someone else.

Be careful...start calculating costs before you start AND IT WILL kill the project. Start out by making a plan, once you have one you will be able to price items you will need for your project. There are always extra costs...but once you are into it it becomes part of the whole deal and you don't even notice. Soon, you become like a crazy zed junky and all you think about is getting that next part and putting it on. But there's more..... You are never done, because you will always see more potential and find better parts, or even break stuff that needs to be replaced...see what I mean about not trying to measure costs? Just plan your project like a vacation...come up with a dollar figure you are comfortable spending, then decide which engine/drive-train options you have from there. Then have at it! But never add up the costs!! You don't want to have any evidence that you spent way too much on your project.

Nice work Hoov! She sounds mean

Ditto...that car looks like mad max gone wild. Bad ass!!

Done.

I finally painted my wheels black. Looks way better!!

I was bored today during lunch...notice anything missing in this picture? I also pulled my rear spoiler off and sanded down the rear hatch I traded with Skib to get his rear spoiler and filled in the big gap that was at the front of the spoiler...... I love my job! lol

Very nice work and thanks for posting this thread. I will be painting my car myself here very soon and your pics and explanations are going to help me alot.

I made this resource a sticky on Ratsun. Thanks for all this information.

I thought I lost that thing....In Ron's 510

Thanks to everyones help I have been mandated to lower my 240z......

I now have a real rear spoiler! Thanks to Skib!!

I haven't actually worked with any FG as of yet...but soon. Yeah, I know...I like to take my time and do it all at once.

Oh, that's right! I remember Paul mentioning something about that to me when I was looking for a regulator. Better get a glass form a 78. The doors are completely different from a 73 so my glass won't work. Sorry.

I have a driver side glass in great shape for $25.00 plus shipping. It came out of my 1973 240z...so you might want to check with someone to make sure it will fit a 78 door. Let me know. Aaron

Does this look better? Temporary paint while I wait for the primer.

Ok...well it's not a Z but it IS a Datsun. I will have to get out to PIR and see what Skib can put together for me. It is my 1973 620 pick up I traded for my 1973 240Z...so see, there is a direct link to the Z. This is what I did during my lunch break at work. Here is a picture Skib took next to his Z.

Wow!! Sounds like your car will be a screamer. I have never done a swap like that before...but to make some things easier I would take measurements of your existing drive-line/rear-end combo then put the new stuff you have together in a mock up and measure that. You can then get the measurements of the long nose R200 and add that in to the equation. As for the flange to drive shaft? I would never assume they are the same, find picture of the flange and compare with your T-5 stuff. The best case scenario is to find someone with an R200 that will let you mock it up.