I recently paid to upgrade from an A12 to an A14. When they discovered the alternator bracket on the A14 was on the other side of the head they told me it would take another day coz they had to get a different head. After I got it back I could feel the power improvement with the new motor but couldn't stop it pinging all the time. I was recently looking up from under the vehicle and noticed the head has written on it "120Y". The block has "A14" cast on it. Did a compression test that showed 225psi!

In order to stop the ping (due to high compression) am now using a new brand of fuel "United 98 boost" which is 98 octane with 10% ethanol. Goes fine now!

The altenator is not attached to the head, it is attached to the cylinder block. The head has nothing to do with it.
Did you change from a 1200 engine, which has the altenator on the left [manifold] side, ora 1974 & newer engine which has the altenator on the distributor side,... the same as the A14 does.
The 120Y head has smaller valves than the A14, ie.......
35mm & 29mm instead of
37mm & 30mm. & it has the smaller, round ports instead of the larger oval ports that Australian A14's had.

Sounds to me like the information that you have been told is not entirely complete

My old engine was a 1200 (A12). it had the alternator on the right (distro side). My new engine (A14) has all my old bits, distro, carby, starter & alternator fitted in exactly the same places as they were befor. The top bracket on the alternator attaches to the engine just below the rocker cover and to the right of the top radiator hose / thermostat.

If I knew how to, I can post a photo.

The head has "120Y" written at the verry back with pemanent marker like parts from a wrecker do.

Quote:
The altenator adjusting strap attaches to the same place on the cylinder head of all 1974 & later A12, A12A, A13, A14 & A15 engines, while A10 & 1200 engines had the adjustment strap bolted to the left side of the thermostat housing. [shown bottom right of picture]
The 'original' cylinder head from your A14 engine would have had this threaded hole from new, so something is amiss here.


This is the front view of my 1200 head & it does not have provision to mount the altenator adjustment strap on the right side of the head [left side of picture] as the newer heads had a pad next to the lower thermostat bolt for this purpose, so I can conclude that your engine was delivered to you with a non original A10 or 1200 head attached, but the question now is, how was this adjustment strap fitted, up untill the time that you got it?

Something fishy here.
To restore full performance potential to your engine, I suggest that you keep your eye open for an A14 head & manifold as these will have oval ports & larger valves. Your 120Y head will have round ports, so the manifolds would not be interchangeable.

The picture you posted last looks just like my cylinder head except for one thing, the flat spot in your pictures upper left has a hole tapped into it on my head. This is where the alternator bracket is held.

I did neglect to mention my car is a C20 Van, would that explain anything?

If I got an A14 head would I have to change manifolds?

Quote:Quote:
If you actually read what I wrote..............

The early 120Y head was actually a 1200 casting without the 1200's rocker oiling passages &, it would seem, an extra threaded hole for the altenator adjusting strap.

My Bad, thanks for your info.

Man, I've heard some shut in my time ( coz I lived in NZ fo a while), but wot you've posted is full of it. I said in my first post that I had an A14 with an A12 head and you tried to tell me I was fiull of it. Then I said that I used a brand of fuel to solve the problem, you answered by saying my facts were wrong. When yo finaly admtterd that my alternator did bolt on where I sad it did, you fobbed me off with some bullshit. I hope everyone who reads this sees you for the for the desparate individual you are. Long live Datto's

Greg.

a "thanks for the help" would have been fine Greg.

i too have never seen an A series head with an alternater bracket mount (i dont think many other peopke may of either) so you must understand dodge's scepticism.

225psi is alot for any engine. my A15 has 205 and thats 35 more than stock rating.

id suggest changing the head to an A14 or 15 to get the most out of your engine.

Ronald

Thanks Ronald, sorry Dodgeman, thanks again for the help. I'm frustrated coz my motor's not right. You guys are GOLD.

This forum's been truethfully helpful for a while now. I spat it coz I was frustrated.

Long live the DATSUN!