Just out of curiosity, are you running a welded locker?

If so, you had better buy up all the axles you can find. Sooner or later, you would be needing them.

I have been running platinum plugs in a standard 1200 engine for years & i will swear by them.

The fine tip electrode will fire a spark across a given gap at a given compression pressure at a lower voltage than a standard plug, so you can open the gap up by about 10% to get a bigger fatter spark without pushing your coil to its limits.

I run a Pertronix electronic ignition conversion, which is essentially a points replacement system, & I also run a Bosch GT40 sports coil with high quality ignition leads.

With a layer of ice over the car, I pump the throttle about four times, give it 3/4 choke & hit the starter.
The engine is usually running within one revolution of the crank & it rarely needs more than two revolutions.
A nice fat spark will light the fire even when mixtures are pretty damn lean, such as in cold starting.

Pertronix, good leads & platinum plugs, that's a combination that can't be beat.

Horsepower increase?
The only way that this will increase power is if your existing ignition is faulty leading to misfires which result in a power loss.

Rectify this fault with the above upgrade & light the fire every time in every cylinder, then your engine will deliver its full rated output.

As far as A series cams go, there are really only two types, early & late.

The front distributor cams [A10 & 1200] will interchange but will not work in 'rear distributor' cylinder blocks if you want to run a distributor.

All cams for rear distributor engines [1974 & later] are interchangeable & they can also be used in the early [A10 & 1200] engines, however with this swap the fuel pump will need to be removed & the hole covered.

See post #13

Personally I prefer to use a vacuum gauge.
Connect vacuum gauge to the inlet manifold & external tach to the ignition system, then start engine. [allow engine to reach full operating temp first & this is probably best done by going for a drive BEFORE connecting the Vac gauge & tach]

Restrict the airflow in the vacuum gauge tubing by using either a restrictor or by mechanically squeezing the tube [vyce grips?] untill the needle on the gauge stops jumping about. The needle must give a nice steady reading.

Turn MIXTURE either way & watch vacuum gauge. You are looking for the highest available reading.

When highest reading achieved, then adjust idle speed by turning the IDLE SPEED adjustment screw untill correct idle speed is achieved.

Repeat idle MIXTURE adjustment in attempt to improve vacuum reading.
If reading can be improved, then re-adjust idle speed & repeat idle mixture adjustment.

Once the mixture & speed are right on the money the polution cops want you to lean out the mixture by a specific value, often a quarter turn clockwise on the mixture screw but I usually richen up to the tune of a drop of about 20-25 rpm then readjust the idle speed.

Once the idle is correctly adjusted with this method, then a fully serviceable engine will tick over like a swiss watch.

Quote:The US model 210 [B310] was available with the A14 & A15 engines as standard & were available optionally with the A12A [1237cc] I do not believe that the A12 [1171cc or 'nominal' 1.2 litre] was sold into the US market after 1973 so you have me a little confused.

Are you sure thay you have a 210 or is it an imported 'Sunny' model [same B310 chassis code] that came with an A12

Regardless, both the A15 engine & three versions of a factory 5 speed were sold in the US & I would recomend that you install the A15 engine & the 60A series of five speed, both of which should not be too difficult to obtain & will be, as far as I know, a direct bolt-in operation.

The stock A10 air filter clamps around the inlet neck of the carb.
This was changed for the 1200 & all subsequent A series engines to a central mounted stud, so the A10 air filter housing will work only with the original A10 carb.

The problem is not with the height of the air filter housing, but instead with the height of the engine itself so even if a stock A10 carb & air filter was bolted to the 1200 inlet manifold, it would still rub under the bonnet.

That's funny, I had no problems with the factory 1200 induction on my 1200 engine in a B10.
[click on image for full size picture.]














OK enough with the funnies, here's the deal.

The A10 was the shortest [vertical measure] A series engine of all & the B10 car had the lowest bonnet line.

ANY stock non-A10 single carb engine will have clearance issues between the stock air filter assembly & the bonnet. This is because every other A series engine is taller than the A10 & the original clearance was much tighter than you might have imagined.

Now that you know the cause of the problem, you can look at practical options. Dinky little 'sports' air filters will work but are not really a proper solution, however the conical filter on the end of a tube looks to be a good idea to me

I suspect that the plan is to use long runners that swing up & over the top of the engine & use carbs of injection that face the right side instead of the available inductions that all face to the left.

These induction runners need some space above the engine, as will any carbs that are used.

I have seen this setup before & it works OK, sort of, but I have not seen anybody use such a system for very long.

Am I anywhere near the money Chris?

P.S. Setting the tappets with such a system is a bitch.

Lets clarify.
Are you dealing with an A10 car, known in the US as a 510 [second generation 510, not the earlier P510] & known here in Australia as the 'Stanza'?

The code A10 also refers to an A series engine that was used in the B10 car. [Datsun Sunny 1000]

Thanks 'D'. [refer to post #8]
There seemed to have been a lot of dickin' around when a quick look with a flashlight &/or a mirror would positively identify it in under 60 seconds.