1973 Datsun with the Lt-1 Swap

[King's Evil]

Hey guys, a little update. I got my exhaust system in today. I am running 2.25 H pipes. It's straight piped for now, hopefully on Sunday I'll get some Oldsmobile mufflers from my buddies cars.

 

So the car runs a lot smoother, I have even more get up and go, less back pressure I guess. It sounds really, really good.

 

Here some pics for ya'll. I had a shop to do it for me since they really liked my car, and gave me a killer deal.

 

My next mod is getting some headlights, then gauges, and then a rear end. If anyone selling a R200 LSD assembly cheap hit me up! Otherwise I'll go for the C4 IRS.

 

Anyone knows the difficulty of installing a custom headlight? The one I wanting feels really different, and it looks like I need to cut some holes to make it fit.

Edited February 29, 2012 by King's Evil

[King's Evil]

I wanted to share two videos with you guys.

 

The first video was when my car third successful 14 miles trip to my buddies house. His dad knows too much about cars, that when I had him to check out my brake light wiring, and check around the car. The car was open headers in this video.

 

 

The second video is slightly off topic but related in some what ways. My buddy wanted me to post his red neck body building video to us Datsun "boys", lol. He's a good guy. Oh yeah, those oldsmobiles, I am taking their mufflers so the Datsun can be nice and quiet like a rat mouse in a church.

 

Edited February 29, 2012 by King's Evil

[King's Evil]

Got a dumb question. Do I need the voltage regulator? What does this thing do exactly? It would be nice to get rid of this big ugly thing if it's not necessarily to have.

[GOTHALOSISM]

Your running the LT1 alt which has an internal regulator. That said go ahead and gut that external one. The reason it runs better with the exhaust is now your O2 sensors are being used. Running open no sensors...

[King's Evil]

The open exhaust, the 02 is about 6 inches from the open exhaust, not enough reading for the air/fuel mixture. That make sense. I also noticed when I drove this thing 21 miles, the gas in the tank doesn't seem to move down a inch. Great gas mileage is coming its way.

 

Oh yeah, that 21 mile trip was down in the country road for the first time in 6 months, everything went well except for the rear end is acting up, It made a (bang sound from a stop) and making more vibration than ever. The leak on the intake/ or the oil sensor is worsting up enough to make a slight smoke, and I found a leak on my slave cylinder spacer(?), there's a little red oil on the side near the slave cylinder. I don't know if near that spacer area is circulated with transmission oil or clutch fluid oil?

 

I found a really good deal on a IRS LSD out of a 85 xjs jaguar, what you guys think about these IRS? When I first looked at this rear end, I already liked the look of it, the disc brakes near the differential, the heavy duty look on it, and it must be strong since it's powered by a 12V car.

[King's Evil]

Your running the LT1 alt which has an internal regulator. That said go ahead and gut that external one. The reason it runs better with the exhaust is now your O2 sensors are being used. Running open no sensors...

 

When you say gut it, meaning to remove it, or empty it out?

[GOTHALOSISM]

Remove it, there is no reason to have it any more.

[GOTHALOSISM]

Whats the track width on the jag rear end? You might need to have it shortened or lengthened...

[King's Evil]

I'll remove it after the I find out more of my wiring problems. My wiring enemy has returned for more, my blinkers are started to act funny when I turn left. Flasher seem to work, but the blinkers is slowly failing when the more I drive it.

 

I am going to do my intake gasket today hoping I can solve the leak, I read many tried it for the first time it would still leak.

 

Again, I am always looking for different options for the rear end. The Jag rear has a track width of a 61.5, while the 240Z looks like to be a 57.5. Which isn't to bad for rear fiberglass flares. I might ditch the Jag IRS idea, even tho it look like a really good swap, the gear ratio on that Jag is 2.88. I am still new with gear ratios, and kinda got the idea what they do. I think the lower number will spin the wheels faster, and I probably can't reach freeway speed safely with that kind of gearing. The Jag has a Dana 44, and to change the gears inside of them seem really pricey. If I can find their factory 3.54 gears, I might go for it.

 

Right now I am looking at a complete IRS from a R33 Supra, little pricey but looks good.

 

What rear gearing do you guys recommended for this 2400lb car with the T56. Like stated before the car is going to be my daily driver with some occasional racing at the local race track. Racing will range to track, drifting, and drag racing. What the lowest and highest I would go for?

[GOTHALOSISM]

Cheapest best alternative is the R200 with a OBX LSD add in. The R200 has seen over 500hp a few times. Its a very Very stout rear end.

 

For the cost of fabbing up something from scratch you can even get a R200 LSD from a 87-89 turbo 300zx.

[King's Evil]

Gave my car few fast runs, 0 to 120 mph less than few seconds. Will upload a vid of it soon, pretty scary. It feels like when I floor it almost all the way the rear feels like its hoping, causing the whole car to shake. Dunno that's just the rear end itself or the suspension just worn.

 

I been looking for a R200 around everywhere, just there no seriously cheap ones out there, even non lsd ones. I figured to just try something different.

 

My next step for the Datsun is getting rear end swap, I found a 1998 Jaguar XJ8 complete IRS for really dirt cheap on ebay and most likely going for this route. The Jaguar rear is a rare 3.54 Gearing and it has a limited slip. Looks like a proper rear end for my setup. I am going to redesign how the springs would mount and make it adjustable.

 

Where can I find those special links that you could adjust (example images below), I want to find these style adjustable links and weld bolts on to the Jag arms to adjust the camber and caster.

 

 

 

 

I seen alot of people use these style links, they looks like they have no brushing, just a bearing ball, how does these hold up? Example Arizona Z car uses these style links on their control arms.

 

The Jag rear end is a bit wide 60" hub to hub, if I can find the proper wheels it should stick out about 2-6 inches wider where my original wheels sit. I wanted make a wide body out of fiberglass for this Z anyways.

 

I feel this is very doable swap for me, just need some source for special links. For your guys help, I'll post step by step pictures for those who ever is interested in doing this swap.

[GOTHALOSISM]

Try this place

http://www.hellwigproducts.com/products/off-road/adjustable-end-links/

 

or

http://www.jegs.com/p/JKS-Manufacturing/JKS-Manufacturing-Swaybar-Adjustable-End-Links/1924928/10002/-1

Edited March 20, 2012 by GOTHALOSISM

[King's Evil]

Try this place

http://www.hellwigproducts.com/products/off-road/adjustable-end-links/

 

or

http://www.jegs.com/p/JKS-Manufacturing/JKS-Manufacturing-Swaybar-Adjustable-End-Links/1924928/10002/-1

 

Thanks Gothalosim! Those are what exactly I am looking for.

 

Here's a vid of the car going 120mph from a rolling stop, it's on facebook, hope you guys can see it. I am actually going 25% throttle, I forgotten that I limited my throttle body halfway from the pedal for the sake of saving the rear end.

 

So, I already bought the 1998 Jaguar Rear end for $330 on ebay. The starting bid was really low, and the descriptions doesn't have alot of information. Won it anyways, called the guy about it, it has the 3.54 Gearing with LSD (called Jag dealership to be sure), and he is throwing a little bit extra stuff because he really admired my project. He is including a drive line, a bearing, two white leather jaguar seats with power everything, and bunch of Emblems from the Jaguar. Maybe even more.

 

I got this rear end because, well its a awesome deal, and it looks very doable for the Z. Since the Jag is an steel rear, it will be cheaper to narrow it if I wanted to, I live right next to a welding shop that does drivelines. Right now I just have to play a waiting game for the rear end to come. I have to put this rear end in the car ASAP, the original rear end has way too much play on the half shaft and drive shaft now, and strange vibrations appears on certain speeds.

 

I put new venom injectors on the LT-1, boy the car runs better than before. Smoother idle, less rich exhaust. But still runs a bit rich, hoping it just because the exhaust is a little tucked in a bit into the car.

 

Updates are coming for the rear end installation.

Edited March 22, 2012 by King's Evil

[GOTHALOSISM]

I deff want a write up on the install. I have a lot of JY'ds here that I can pull one from.

[King's Evil]

I'll give it my best on the write up, I just wanted do something cheaper and different than the general R200 we use.

 

My electrical problems arise again, it seems simple but hard to trace out. When I turn on my parking light, my front parking light lits up, and my rear parking light wont lit up, turn on headlights same thing, but no parking lights. My brake, blinker and flasher works in the rear. Is there some kind of switch could go bad for the rear running lights? They seem just went out, my buddy was following me around and told me my running lights was out.

 

I did put on some temporary off road lights on the car just the sake not being pulled over, I merged them with the headlights, I remembered my running light were working in the back. I removed the relay tray on the passenger side, I thought they are ac relays, I place my PCM there instead, I made sure the main wire from the rear wasn't disconnected. It seem something was unplugged for the running light, I did cut up the voltage regulator since I didn't need it, does the voltage regulator has to do something for the rear running lights?

[GOTHALOSISM]

More than likely its your combination switch not the wiring itself.

[King's Evil]

More than likely its your combination switch not the wiring itself.

 

You are going to laugh because I made the mistake of using 6 volt bulbs instead of 12 volt bulbs. They were blown, spent hours and hours on the electrical. Doh! Well, I did end up using a nice set lED lights which cant blow out easily.

 

Sad new, the LT-1 blew the head gasket (or a big head gasket leak) on one morning. I was just finishing up with the swap, put a new 300 miles on her and was about to call her my new Daily driver, until I noticed steam of white smokes went all over inside the car. I thought I was just smoking too much cigarette, lol. Pulled her over, she was steaming white smoke around the header collector area on the pass side. I am just trying to see if I should do a rebuild or just change the head gasket on the 144k motor and hope it last a year. This was way too soon, I was expecting it to last a year till I could afford a 383 rebuild with lE3 heads, ported intake, Forged crank, forged H rods, 242/248 .584/.579 110 LSa cam by Lloyd Elliott.

 

The compression reads about 30% from all cylinders, here's my compression chart;

 

1#210 2#180

3#185 4#180

5#215 6#175

7#195 8#165

 

Normally, I would just fix it completely, but as money allows I can't do much since the rebuild was planned for next year. What do you guys think, should a head gasket replacement should make her last a bit? She is not making any blue smoke, black smoke. Just white steam of smoke. She always runs great, just a little bit rumblely.

[King's Evil]

More than likely its your combination switch not the wiring itself.

 

You are going to laugh because I made the mistake of using 6 volt bulbs instead of 12 volt bulbs. They were blown, spent hours and hours on the electrical. Doh! Well, I did end up using a nice set lED lights which cant blow out easily.

 

Sad new, the LT-1 blew the head gasket (or a big head gasket leak) on one morning. I was just finishing up with the swap, put a new 300 miles on her and was about to call her my new Daily driver, until I noticed steam of white smokes went all over inside the car. I thought I was just smoking too much cigarette, lol. Pulled her over, she was steaming white smoke around the header collector area on the pass side. I am just trying to see if I should do a rebuild or just change the head gasket on the 144k motor and hope it last a year. This was way too soon, I was expecting it to last a year till I could afford a 383 rebuild with lE3 heads, ported intake, Forged crank, forged H rods, 242/248 .584/.579 110 LSa cam by Lloyd Elliott.

 

The compression reads about 30% from all cylinders, here's my compression chart;

 

1#210 2#180

3#185 4#180

5#215 6#175

7#195 8#165

 

Normally, I would just fix it completely, but as money allows I can't do much since the rebuild was planned for next year. What do you guys think, should a head gasket replacement should make her last a bit? She is not making any blue smoke, black smoke. Just white steam of smoke. She always runs great, just a little bit rumblely.

[GOTHALOSISM]

With those reading I would just swap out the head gasket. If you had a bad valve or something to that nature it would be alot lower compression wise.

[King's Evil]

Spoke with the local machine shop, he suggested just do that too. Might as well get the heads checked and resurfaced while at it. Maybe this is the cause of the rich fuel smell too, and the slight misfire at times when idling. I am going to use the impalas head gasket, they are almost half as thin as the oem which can increase compression.

 

If she runs good, I'll have a shop cage the car then the rear end swap. I am thinking of creating a pushrod rear suspension for the Z, the coilovers will be mounted on the cage inside the car. While the Z is caged, I might have a better area to mount the rear end, but not sure yet. I am still brainstorming designs for the rear end.