I have a 75 datsun 1200 ute with a ca18det. Have spent the last 3 months building it and went for my first drive this morning it was awsome untill i got around the third corner and the front uni exploded which has destoyed the tailshaft, brae line, feuel line and the end of gearbox. :( I used a datsun stanza tailshaft from wreckers I am wondering where i have gone wrong should i have put new unis on it ? or what. any sugestions so this wont happen again will be much appreciated, Thanks
oh and one more thing am lookin for new ca manual gearbox i live on goldcoast am happy to travel to pick up if neccessar

definately put new uni's in it

make sure your driveline angles are correct so you dont have premature uni failure

and install a tailshaft loop if you havent already.

Did you have to have the tailshaft shortened to make it work? Who did this? It's critical to have the universals in phase when they're being welded up.

yeah I had it shortened to fit at an engineering workshop at southport on goldcoast what do you mean have the universals in phase?

I just had a decent look under ute and noticed the end of gearbox spline has been snapped of. maybe tailshaft wasnt made long enough and was just sitting an inch on gearbox spline could that of done it?

how do you make the correct angle of tailshaft and unis??????

wont the angle depend on how low or high the rear end is???

my shaft sits nice in tunnel lowered
when stock height it is angled down ways

and i cant see any way around it

wait a mim did your tail sharft brake ? or did you rip all the splin off the gear box ?

if it was the second one your tail sharft was to short .

if it was the first one you should or replaced the $10 uni and the endineering shop should of recomended you replace the unis ?

Hey mate, what colour is your ute, whats the rego? Im on the coast to, so i'll have to look out for it.
By the way, I recommend GIBBS at Burliegh, not cheap but I dont think anywhere is these days.
Cheers Mitchell

now that i think about it your tailshaft might have been too long.

you need 25mm of the slip yoke to hang out of the rear of the box to allow for movement over bumps etc.

and on driveline angles, depending on how you have mounted your engine and gearbox, or if you have severly lowered (or raised for that matter) your car, its crucial that you adjust the angle of your diff pinion to match the angle of the engine/gearbox, otherwise you will chew up uni's constantly regardless of the way you drive.

Thanks Ange ill consider this when reattempting my driveline setup, the gearbox spline snapped right off about 2 cm from the end, and bad310 its white with a black bonnet so far havnt painted it yet not home so dont know rego, will give them a call at burleigh thanks.

ange
and on driveline angles, depending on how you have mounted your engine and gearbox, or if you have severly lowered (or raised for that matter) your car, its crucial that you adjust the angle of your diff pinion to match the angle of the engine/gearbox, otherwise you will chew up uni's constantly regardless of the way you drive.

how do u adjust the angle of the diff pinnion???

also when severly lowered angles off diff and box are closser

im worried now as i had mine made by a guy that come hear and said all is good but he never saw at stock height and it looks like shaft is on a angle going down towards back

and top of box is near top of tunnel where shifter is