Hey All,
I'm getting sick of my Coupe stting around waiting for all the CA18 bits to come back from the engine shop so I think I need to build another Datsun whilst I'm waiting. In my garage I have a whole mound of L series engine bits and after sitting in Pigdog's Sedan the other day I remember why I love L series so much.

I also have to build an engine for tafe, so I'm thinking of doing an L20b. Current plan is:
L20b bottom end with L18 pistons, A87 closed chamber head with the U67 cam, 44mm 280z valves in that, twin Sidedraft Webers and extractors. I figure this should run around 9.5:1. With 280z flat tops would be around 10 (but I don't have any of those).

I already have all the bits except for the extractors. Any of the L series guys have any thoughts on that? Not aiming for power here (that's what my CA is for), just want a fun torquey engine that has that oh-so-angry sidedraft sound.

I always find it interesting how much people hate bush utes. Having worked deep in the Kimberly and out the back of Broken Hill I had one purely because avoiding animals and trees was a major pastime. Not to mention the complete lack of roads with only goat tracks smothered with trees to drive on. It was great for that, spotties and bull bar are the only reason the ute is still intact, but as soon as I drove it into the city people would go bananas. Each to their own I guess.

I see this bloke's from Melbourne though, so maybe he should have invested in the import look instead.... don't really need a mono mud flap in the CBD... or side skirts for that matter.... actually.... how could he do that to a 1000..... Bull bar and spotties for a WB, Minilites and chrome bonnet mirrors for a 1k. Still, good on him for doing something different.

I like your thinking D.
A teacher I have at Tafe is a bike freak, runs his own engine workshop and loves old Suzuki engines. I don't know anything about them but he was showing me pics of his latest one. It was from the early 80s, and he rebuilt it to run Methanol and ran a supercharger through a 48 mm weber with 40 psi of boost. It's under 1.2L but revs to 13-14 and makes around 495 HP. That's freaking awesome, it's tiny, weighs nothing and would easily fit in a 1000.

Could probably buy 10 worked A15s for the same price though (think he said the crankshaft costs around 7000 to replace) but that would be the top of my list for dream 1k engines. Or a turbo Busa.

If those Landcruiser calipers are rebuilt as you say then consider them SOLD!!

Thanks ddgonzal,
The car starts fine, idles reasonably okay, drives fine, but stutters under acceleration. Apart from that (and the steering) it's pretty much okay.

I'm almost 100% certain that the timing chain is on the right tooth, it physically could not be any different with the way I reinstalled everything. So the physical timing should be identical to how it was before.

I'm thinking that it might be not enough spark, not enough fuel, too much fuel or not enough air. My guess is either plugs, leads, coil or dizzy.

Thing is, the coil and dizzy are underneath the intake manifold with no physical access to them (thank you Ford) so I have to take the intake manifold off, all the vac lines, fuel rail etc. So I hope it's not the coil or dizzy. I hope it's just a bad spark plug or a loose spark plug lead.

I've checked the plugs and they're all sparking, any tips on figuring out if it's the coil/leads? I'll go stick my head back under the bonnet/hood and attempt to check the vac lines.... although they are behind the dizzy which is under the manifold so there's no way I can even see most of them...... I miss A12 powered vehicles.... they're so nice and accessible.

Hey all,
I'm sorry to bring this up here but I'm desperate. My daily/tow vehicle is a 97 ford falcon ute. The other day it died. The power steering pump went as did the head gasket, and the power steering switch. So it was knackered.

I took it into Ford and they wanted over $3000 to fix it. A) It's not worth that much, B) I don't have that much and C) They can stick that straight up their *****.

So I had a go at fixing it myself (Have done head gaskets at Tafe, nothing too scary). Put a new power steering pump in, new gaskets all round and put it back together. Much to my surprise it actually runs.

BUT. It stutters noticeably whereas it didn't before. If I put my foot down or go up a hill the car starts trying to kangaroo. Does this mean that I'm out a tooth on the timing chain?

The power steering pump is being annoying too. It whines now, loudly in time with engine revs. Steering is about 50 times heavier too. I've bled, topped up, bled, topped up.... until there seems to be no air in the system but the problem is still there.

Any one got any pointers for these 2 probs besides throwing the ute in the bin? (Which I'm very close to doing due to about 10 other problems with it)

Sorry to bring a ford up, but without the ford I can't go pick up bits for my Datto.
Cheers.

Yeah, for power to weight calcs you have to double the displacement as Tyrie said. So a NA 12a is fine (i.e. Ange) but not a 12a turbo. But the 12a does look very nice in the bay of a 1200 I think..... whoops, just made about 500 enemies, not saying that it's right/wrong, but it sure does look nice.

Apologies if these are already posted somewhere else,

But a few vids of an Os Giken head'd engine going into a 1600 and a Z

Into the 1600

In a 1600 ripping around

In a Z

May not do much for you unless you dream of a DOHC L series...... which I do

Well,
mine may not be Nismo bits but I'm freaking happy too because I just got a big box of MAD DAT stuff. Now I can put my engine in my car and cover it with a sexy new strut brace

And would you consider selling the ecu separately?