Matt's KA24DE Swap

[mattanonymous]

I'm about 90% sure the engine issue was due to a vacuum leak. Considering I had spark and fuel, it makes sense. I got it running and blasted the rear intake side of the motor with carb cleaner and it started to sound more consistent and would actually stay running!

From the beginning I've wanted to clean up the intake mani, but I wanted to get a baseline for the motor before tinkering. The previous owner spray painted the mani and accessories black for some reason. I'm gonna clean that off, paint some parts that are rusting, and remove some of the emissions stuff like the PCV to simplify things. I also found the knock sensor is cracked, so I'll replace that while I'm in there.

Any other suggestions while I'm in there?

intakeManifold.jpg

[fj20spl311]

Cut off and weld up the holes of everything that is not necessary for the engine to run. Things like EGR....

[Mattk]

If your intake has the butterflies take them out and seal it up. EGR as Phil suggested. On ratsun and KA-t.org there are lots of write ups on how and what to remove to clean it up.

Cheers
Matthew

[mattanonymous]

A couple of buddies came over this past weekend to help install a hoist to make lifting the body easier while fitting the KA. I'm still working on getting the emissions stuff off the intake manifold. Moving slowly, but making progress.

datsunHoist.jpg

Also put this together (mad props to the gf for cutting it all while we worked on the hoist) since someone was kind enough to point out how tragic it would be if the hoist setup failed. Plus it gives the body something to rest on while the hoist isn't in use.

datsunBodyCradle.jpg

[mattanonymous]

I've begun the process of detaching the body from the frame and I'm really happy I decided to do so since I've found loose fasteners in some places and they're completely missing in others.

Is it safe to replace the fasteners with hardware store fasteners or should I look elsewhere?

[greydog]

You can safely use commercial fasteners but be aware of the differing strengths.
Grade 3, grade 5 and grade 8 (even grade 10) have their place.
For most of the fasteners, grade 5 is plenty good but in some suspension and drive train places, grade 8 is recommended.
Dan

[ppeters914]

Something arrived yesterday...

20180523_174041.jpg

To answer one of my original questions as to why people might buy a new harness from WiringSpecialties despite the cost, I recalled the electrical issues I had with the aging harness on my 240sx years ago. The wires and connectors were very brittle and it made things a pain in the ass at times. I'm doing this build to have a car that I can daily drive for years to come and I decided the peace of mind was worth it.

Agreed. Since I got involved with Roadsters in 2004, I've read many wiring-related posts here and on the Roadster Mailing List. In almost every case, the OP never posted another wiring or electrical problem after replacing the harnesses.

I was going to use an EZ Wiring universal harness like Michael does, but am now fortunate to have a custom builder down the road: Curtis.

[ppeters914]

Looks like a good start Matt.
Completion by September is ambitious but certainly doable. It'll depend on how much time you can/will devote to the project.
Since the swap itself has it's own set of issues (fuel delivery, instrumentation, etc) you're wise to verify that all else is working.
YHour first 4 items don't really involve the car so why not pick up a running 1600 and slap it in the car. That way you can drive it a bit and verify the braking and electrical systems to be in good shape. It's difficult to spot a grabbing brake or loose headlight connection.
Then when you swap the KA in, you'll have fewer issues to deal with. And, of course, you'll have the car to drive for a little while.
Dan

As someone who's into Year 14 of the 6 Month Remodel, and Year 4 of Roadster #2 after declaring Roadster #1 a lost cause after 10 years, I agree with Dan that your schedule is ambitious.

Luckily, you're still Young and Immortal, so best wishes.

Subscribed.

[mattanonymous]

Thanks guys. I did track down this page in the tech wiki regarding replacing the bolts http://www.311s.org/pmwiki-311/pmwiki.p ... FrameBolts

Worst case scenario, I don't make it in time for the trip, but I've at least got a goal I'm moving toward. I have a few things going for me. 1) No wife or kids and 2) my roadster is in decent condition and I'm not doing anything wild with it.

Thanks for the info and encouragement,
Matt

[mattanonymous]

It's up on the rack! (Btw, Mark Sedlack’s Body Rack calls for 5 2x6 x 8 feet and you actually need 6 of them)

datsunOnRack.jpg

Next step is to mock up and build the trans mount. I'll also take this time to assess the frame and all the fasteners.

[mattanonymous]

So I've been making slow progress, but I have a few questions I'm hoping some of you can answer.

• While welding on the gas tank (don't worry, I'm not in any danger), I came across some solder near the ports/brackets coming out of the back. Is that how those parts are held on or is it possible that's from a past tank repair?
• Is it correct that I just need one outlet at a high point of the tank to vent vapor and the civic pump's inlet and outlet will be the only openings I need in the tank (besides the filler tube of course)?
• Is it correct that I only need to add a return line and I can use the original line for high pressure delivery from the pump?
• What is the appropriate mounting angle of the KA24DE?

Thanks,
Matt

[greydog]

When I stripped and wire brushed the '69's tank. It looked to me like it was soldered together.

As a minimum obviously, you need a feed and a return line. I think the "up to '70" tanks all vented to the fill, thus to the atmosphere thru the cap. I think I read the 70 was not vented to the open air but not sure how it worked. You'll need some sort of vent or you'll get to the point where the tank collapses.
I have seen (read) where others have used the original vent for a feed and run another return (makes no sense to me as I'd want the fill to be the larger line) but I have read of such a setup.

Sorry, I have no idea on the last one. I'd think you'd want the block to head surface as plumb as possible unless it's necessary to tilt the engine as I've seen done wiht the L20.

Dan

[mattanonymous]

Thanks for the info. I'll just make sure the oil pan is level I guess and get the pinion angle right.

[Mattk]

Hi Matt
I’m mounting my KA as close to level as I can because I could find a diffinitive answer for the mounting angle either.

Matthew

[mattanonymous]

Making some progress. The gas tank is pretty close to done. I can do a write-up if anyone is interested.

Here's a before and after of the tank cleaning. I pulled out as much of the old sealer as I could, then sandblasted and scraped the rest. I figure whatever little pieces that didn't come off deserve to be there.

gasTankBeforeAndAfter.jpg

The welding wasn't too bad (obligatory warning about welding on a used gas tank. I cleaned it out with warm soapy water and let it sit for a while. It no longer smelled much like gas. do at your own risk, but I don't think it's as dangerous as people say as long as you're smart about it.) If I were to weld it again, I'd spread out the heat more to avoid warping and I'd probably cut the hole piece out rather than bending it up. I pressure tested it last night and there are more pinholes in it than I expected. I'll do another pass over it for good measure, but I'm also going to use the POR 15 tank sealer, so I'm confident it'll hold fuel just fine.