Making a smog a no smog

[Ratster]

Hi guys

On turning the ratster into a free breather, I've picked up a few parts and I'm wondering what I may be still looking at to pick up.

Early distributor, 67 carbs and manifold, early style fuel filler neck and brass trunk floor fitting for overflow.

Is there anything else anyone can think of in the way of parts, and is there any trick for feeding the overflow back into the tank?

TIA

[ambradley]

There's no significant difference between performance on early and late carbs. The later intake manifold has fittings that can be plugged or even welded shut, but otherwise is pretty much the same, except for the solenoid between carbs on the '70, which can be disconnected but left in place.

The biggest difference between smog and non-smog cars is the distributor advance curve and the smog pump. They are not connected so you can recurve the distributor and still run a smog pump if you wish. Biggest improvement is to recurve the distributor, mostly because the advance plates have usually failed by now, but it does run a bit better (and cooler) at 16BTDC than at TDC.

Removing the smog pump doesn't have much of an impact on performance but it does drop a few lbs from the car and gives you more room in the engine compartment.

Oh, and the fan clutch is garbage and should be replaced with a spacer. If you have the original seven blade fan, the vendors sell a plastic four blade fan that doesn't leech off as much power from the engine.

[Ratster]

Yes I got one of the 4 blade fans and spacers Adam. BTW I removed the smog pump and was going to leave the pump bracket off, but when I removed it oil came out of one of the bolt holes!

Is that normal?

[ambradley]

Ummm... I don't think so. I never took my bracket off but I can't imagine that it should go through to an oil passage. Does oil actually come out of that hole under pressure when the engine is running?

[Ratster]

She's never been a runner in the time I've owned it. Some PO has put .050 pistons in it. When I got it the car had no carbs, valve cover or distributor. It did have a cross threaded plug, so I pulled the head to have it resurfaced, new spring valves etc. Thats when I saw the over bored pistons.

[Ratster]

Sorry The oil was leaking out of the right motor mount bolt hole! I pulled the car apart last November and lost my garage in January (long stupid story)

Still has me worried though

[toolsnob]

Well, you have found a new problem I have never heard of!! I've owned 3 roadsters in the past and never had oil come out of a engine mount hole. Is it a continuous stream? Can you look down it with a flash light? I mean to bore .50 over is a lot but can you image making the block that thin?

Alexi

[Ratster]

Can't get at the motor at the moment (its at a friend's house) The whole car is going to be done over there once we finish the frame off on his Beaumont (Canadian Chevelle with a fancier trim package). If this thing is pi$$ing motor oil out of the mount you just met the next SR20 boy.

What a frikkin' nightmare

[toolsnob]

I will tell you right now. DO not spend any money on that R16 and buy a SR. You can get turbo packages for $1700 and Naturally aspirated for about $1300-$1500. I have set one in my last 66 and once you get on the idea you will never go back!

[spl310]

The motor mounts bolt into the side of the block, and the bolt holes go completely through into the inside. No, it is not into an oil gallery. It is just into the internal cavity of the block. If the engine was tilted, it would not be out of line for some oil to dribble out. That is not a sign of any kind of impending doom or failure. If you unbolt the other mount and lean the motor the other way, it will leak oil there too.

On the engine swap, that is up to you. I had an R16 with .060 pistons, a shaved head, race cam and open headers on the street. (no, the cops never gave me a hard time) It sounds like your engine is not too far off of what I had. It was quite quick. Yes, if you spend several thousand, you can do an engine swap, or you can bolt this together for a LOT less and have a driver. You pay your money and make your choice.

On the carbs, the needles are the only significant difference. The early needles are better than the smog units. The late carbs have a return flow valve. If you don't have it, don't sweat it. Just go without the return. The early cars did not have them and it was not detrimental to them.

[Ratster]

phew!

Thanks Sid, I wanted to keep it original, it has a matching motor # so it was always my plan to build this one stock. The engine was boldted to the stand when we were removing all the hardware, so its quite likely it had been spun upside down a few times.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but the story I got was that the '70 was not imported to Canada, but we were the North American test market for the 240Z instead. Nobody up here (at least in Victoria) knows anything about this model. So even though I'm told this is the least sought after model its kind of a neat oddity up here.

Back to plan A: put the Ratster back on its feet with 1600 cc's of snorting throbbing earsplitting 96.2 horses. giddyup little pony.

[spl310]

Glad to help.

I haven't heard that about Canada. I know that the 70 model is frowned upon by some, but hey, any roadster is a good thing! I prefer the low windshield cars, but the high windshield cars make better drivers due to the safety features.

The engine swappers will disagree with me on this, but even a mildly massaged 1600 is a fun car. I have outrun V8 cars in acceleration attempt. Of course, they beat the snot out of me in top end, but I got them off the line.