Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Linda wrote:Finished the aluminum radiator installation, just need a couple of fasteners. Was able to drive around a bit, no leaks and nice and cool.

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Linda

Great Linda,
Still a few hours to sign up for SOLVANG, now that your roadster can make it!


Ted

Lots of parts today best of all!!

Working on the rear brakes. Ordered cylinder kits, cleaned adjusters and readied new shoes to go on when cylinders are done. Gonna take the drums for check and turning.

Installed an automatic switch for my electric fan (turns on at 140 deg F).
It has an override too so I can turn it on with my old switch (not planning to unless the heat sensing one fails).

Now I have some more wires than the original roadster ... E fuel pump, kill switch, E fan and temp switch and override ...

When will it end ... oh well ...

I went to Kevin's place.. We filled the car with fluids, and Kevin put a guesstimate tune in for first start. Will it start and idle? Kevin filled the float bowls with fuel and...



So we hooked up the fuel lines to a fuel tank, and..



Let it run for a few minutes, and what do we have?



Getting close.. Time to start putting some odds and ends together..

Congratulations, sounds good, and smooth too

Wow it must be nice to have an agent like RC Mike promoting all your fine work.

Great to hear it and like the shot of the fuel filter too!

I just picked up my alternator, rebuilt by a local shop. Looks great, if you ask me!
This means that there's a pretty good chance I get my car back on the road before the weekend is over.

Today I rebalanced the carbs. I did some 7000rpm pulls through the gears the other day, and when I was done the carbs were suddenly out of balance... Huh? I did a quick in the field rebalance, but wondered if I had tapped a valve or something (oversize valves, higher lift cam, plus the pistons are pop ups). Rebalanced them today and I think my linkage had just slipped some (Dellortoes have a smaller diameter throttle shaft than the Mikuni linkage parts I'm using). But while checking things out I noticed that my throttle plates were not opening fully at full throttle on the pedal, but more like 3/4th opened.... Ah ha! More power to be had! I discovered that when I repaired my hand throttle cable a while back I had screwed it up so that the cable housing was blocking the arm the cable attaches to, keeping it from pulling all the way back. Once trimmed, I had more range of motion and confirmed an improvement... Still not perfect as I discovered I have too much wear and play on the rod the foot pedal attaches to that I can't get rid of at the moment without welding it up or something. I tired all kinds of stuff, washers, "bushings", etc without success... As soon as I pushed on it hard it would just slip back to how it was and the pedal would hit the floor. Oh well, it's still better! Now more like 7/8th opened... But ya know I'm gonna have to go after that last 1/8th!

Oh man, Been there done that Greg.. It's a happy moment when you find it though.. Much easier to fix than a real problem..

Bled the brakes...somewhat...put her shoes on and took her for a run around the block. Haven't driven her in over a year. Even with no windshield it was great. Now to do the finishing touches before Solvang.

Got it out of storage on Saturday and drove it home no problems. Immediately rebuilt the dizzy with new breaker plate and weights/springs and slathered it up with grease. Installed velocity stacks (living dangerously), and then promptly blew a heater box hose, sending coolant all over the starter and header and shooting steam everywhere. Roadster life

mellis18 wrote:Bled the brakes...somewhat...put her shoes on and took her for a run around the block. Haven't driven her in over a year. Even with no windshield it was great. Now to do the finishing touches before Solvang.

Looking Great! You gonna leave the front bumper off? I'm kinda partial to that look...

I had some time this weekend to finish putting the engine (with "new" trans, new clutch, new timing gear/chain, rear main seals, etc.) back in the car - attaching wires, cables, hoses, and installing rebuilt alternator. With all that done, it was time to turn it over for the first time since I pulled the engine/trans back in February. Turn the key and nothing happens - no solenoid click, nothing. Even the headlights don't work. But there is one thing happening - the ammeter is filling up with smoke! It turns out that my friend who was helping me with this failed to attach the ground wire to the alternator. (We've been friends for almost 30 years, so I gotta let this go... I suppose.)

After a quick check on this here mighty forum, I learn that I can simply bypass the ammeter by connecting its two wires. It's recommended that I include a 30-amp fuse there, too, so I do that. Now, I have headlights. And the engine turns over. But my temperature and fuel gauges are not doing anything. So, I check back with this forum where I learn that the odds are really good that my voltage regulator is likely fried, too.

And somehow the tachometer cable got broken in the last two months while sitting in my garage.

We were really curious about all the work we did when the engine was out, so we attach the spark plug wires, fire it up, and take it for a slow and easy drive (with the hood off, just because) around the neighborhood. Man, that new clutch is heavy... And now there's probably 2 inches of free play in the pedal.

But, after checking under the car this morning, I see no leaks for the first time since I bought it.

Gregs672000 wrote:

mellis18 wrote:Bled the brakes...somewhat...put her shoes on and took her for a run around the block. Haven't driven her in over a year. Even with no windshield it was great. Now to do the finishing touches before Solvang.

Looking Great! You gonna leave the front bumper off? I'm kinda partial to that look...

Haven't decided on the front bumper yet but most likely will go back on.