I'd love to get my hands on this puppy and sort it out..
it's one of those jobs mechanics like to do...

Quote:

or in my case mechaincs don't want to do....

ill give an update after the weekend...

Righteo update time:

my uncle came over on the weekend and had a look at the ute. i showed him the old set of plugs out of it and he just shook his head...

base timing is checked. and it was correct. 14deg BTDC. so timing is not an issue because i turned base timing out to 22deg BTDC and it didnt help at all. so i turned it in to about 10 and that did nothing either (made it worse actually)

my uncle said straight away what i was fearing.
"its overfueling to the $hithou$e". so time to pull the carbs off and start again with them. buy correct jets and carby rebuild kits and completely rebuild them.

that means dyno time aswell which is something i didn't count on (or budget for).

this shortcut of buying an engine already hotted is turning out to be the long way around.

i wish i had good news and i wish i could thank everyone that has helped in get it running again, but i just don't think i can yet.

datsuns are very annoying...
sorry if ive offended anyone...

look sorry, but your uncle may need to consider the following...
I spent 800 bucks having the carbs rebuilt and jetted on the dyno and spent the whole of around 8 hours work on the engine since.
either :-
A) they are different carbs and they are not matched to your engine.
B) the carbs MAY have been badly damaged during transit from her to WA then to Victoria
C) youre ignition system is crap and you get a JTS regraphed dizzy and coil ...

the engine was sweet as a nut and was a little powerhouse. Please remeber this engine was used for racing and had not much at all under 4500, but past that she just opened up right to 8500 rpm.
it has a 54/86 cam which is virtually full race. It needs alot of air and fuel with this duration of cam, and seriously if you rejet it for lower revs you will cut its nuts off so to speak. It has no torque from 1000-4000 rpm.

so what your signatutre say ???

datsuns are very annoying...
sorry if ive offended anyone...


_________________
"...Don't criticise what you can't understand."
Bob Dylan



Quote:

i dont want to start any arguements Craig. i'm not saying you did a bad job with the carbies and i can believe that you did get this engine going well. however it isn't going well now and im trying to find the solution. at this point in time, with everything else considered, it looks as though the carbies are the problem.

did it foul plugs on you in 5 mins? did it idle up and down all over the shot when cold and then not idle at all when hot? did it cough and splutter and die in the arse when tryinng to rev past 2500 revs when you had it?

if you answered no to any of these questions then you did a good job, however at the moment i am answering yes to all of them!

im not going to rejet it so i castrate it!
i am going to get rebuild kits for them and the following list of parts...
Choke 36
mains 145
air correctors 180
emul tubes F15/F16/F9 (we'll see what works best)
aux venturis 4.0
pump jets 35/40
idle jets 45F6

do these sound about right?

craig i don't want to offend anyone, but its just taking far too long with too many things going wrong...
im angry with myself more than anything!!!
don't take it the wrong way

Hey Ronald,
I am NOT a mechanic but have learned a little along the way by good advice - bad decisions - and blind luck!!
You can look at the carbies - but if you don't have competant mechanics (sounds like they are scarce in your area) leave them to last if they were previously okay.
reading through all the posts, i am guessing that you don't have a timing light. Your timing has to be right for this motor to function. Sounds silly but true - the cam gear is probably an adjustable one (ask Craig if it is) - so the standard timing rules may be a little out here. Your plugs will foul if the spark arrives at the wrong time - fuel arrives early and drowns plug!! I thought my L20 was timed sweet until my mechanic checked, found another 20 rwhp after correcting the cam timing I know your cam timing may not have changed but the distributor instal and timing thereafter must be right!!! Running hot early into a drive is an indicator too. I wish I could offer the step by step to fix it but i STRONGLY feel this is all a timing issue!
P.S. I think 145mains are a bit extreme for an a series but to each his own I guess.
Cheers

Timing NEEDS to be 17 degrees BTDC on this engine.
Yes the plugs will foul after 5 mins of idle and you need BP5ES NGK plugs and you will need to change them often.
Take to to a performance Datsun engine place even if you have to go 50 miles to do so...(most "ordinary mechanics will say to you twin 40's on an A series youre joking!!!!)remember you have bought a race engine for the road so you will need to drive it hard and it doesnt like idling in traffic. I never idled the car for more than 2 mins at a time otherwise it would foul plugs.
Overfueled..yes correct under 4000
over 4000 perfect air fuel mixture.
If you do get the dirts with this engine I will gladly buy her back I miss it that much.....

I feel your pain, I am also coming to terms with a hot A series running on the street, I also feel 17 degrees is a good timing point for the cam and perhaps you need to get the engine warm, set the timing to 17 degrees then turn off the engine and fit new plugs again and start the engine and go for a quick test drive meaning minimal idle and minimal chance for the plugs to foul.
I have a similar concern, my plugs foul, I don't idle my engine for long as it wakes up the baby if I do at 5:30 in the morning so I just fire the engine and get down the street as quietly as possible (2+1/2" pipe, one straight through muffler = noise) then get up to speed to warm the engine with minimal acceleration until warm.
Most of my driving is constant 80-110kmph driving except through the car park at work but I still have to change plugs often.
I have had the best results using 98 fuel, 15 degrees timing and BP6ES plugs I feel you are using the right plugs for the 54/86 cam to burn away the deposits that accumulate on the plugs at low engine speeds and I also think that the carbs are perfect as I didn't touch any settings at all while I had them.
So how long do you let the engine idle before you try to rev it?

Quote:

couple of minutes

i will try not to touch the carbies.
i am trying to tell myself that its only the timing and i hope it is because i havent really been able to check it when the engine is running.

i cant think of anythign else at the moment.

ill keep everyone posted!!
hopefully with good news

Hey Ronald,
It is very easy to instal an A series distributor one tooth 'out' ie wrong.The ONLY way to time it is with a timing light and running - I think you will be surprised what you find when the light is applied!
Cheers