Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

JagerTex wrote: Thu Nov 08, 2018 2:02 pm Was just looking through that post

That looks like a 2nd gen ecotec 2.4? Trying to find good external measurements for them... as well as researching cost on associated bits (transmission, bellhousing/adapter plates etc.)

Honestly... I think I may have found a winner. Even if it craters later, if I can pick one up that cheap, it's worth a shot to me.

DO IT!
I'm no authority on these drivetrains, but Ebay has 2.0L turbo Ecotec engines from Solstice/Sky's for $2500.

Ok everyone! Ive spent the last year taking stock of what's in front of me and making a realistic plan to move forward (along with saving some money for the larger purchases).

At this time, I'm looking at procuring a 2.0L Turbo Ecotec engine from a 2014+ Caddilac ATS. I'm confident I can make it fit. I have the patience to make it work. It's cheap enough not to ruin me financially if it doesn't work in the end. (Regularly $1,250-1,750 near me for complete powertrains)

And, because I've always wanted to, the weather is right, and I got a tentative OK from my girlfriend, I'm starting whole-frame electrolysis this week.
Above ground pool ($120 shipped on sale) fits with 3" to spare front to back, plenty side to side. Add a giant car charger that I already owned, $20 of Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate) and hopefully some free steel rims as sacrificial anodes... And probably 7-10 days all together so I can from my semi-insulated internal frame ciecuit and the external circuit... And I should have about as rust free a frame as physically possible for a backyard job (i
E.g. no caustic chemicals or acid dips).

I'd rather risk minimal hydrogen embrittlement than hidden corrosion.

I'll take a bunch of pictures abd make a proper writeup after it's over. I intend to use eastwood's internal frame coating and por-15 the outside + undercoat. Id love to powdercoat, but transportation to/from is a problem for me and I dont think I can talk the girlfriend intona car sized oven so soon after buying it a freaking pool.

Wish me luck!

p.s. thank god this thing is tiny. I still cant believe I found a mass produced product that fit the bill!

You are going to treat it engine, exhaust and all?

How the heck did you get it in there? Lol

Weird science! Love it. I'm now hooked.

You been talking to John Hutchison? Unorthodox but cool!

This was the test fit -- engine and likely rear axle will be pulled tonight. Trying to locate a cheap engine hoist around Houston (only need to pull it for now... Will be a while before I need to fit/drop in a new engine).

And its the ship in the bottle trick. Ok, ok... I didnt "build" the pool until the frame was in position. I rolled out the pan, pushed the car in place and then built the sides up. Im not too worried about the exhaust - its going to be scrapped anyhow, there was a weird bit welded in the frame X, so it's going to have to be sawzall'ed to remove anyway.

I'll also pull the steering box and use electrolysis on it in a 5 gallon bucket after minor dis-assembly to make sure I dont leave it submerged for as long and have water left inside of it.

Now, that's thinking INSIDE the box!

Reminds me of some episodes from Breaking Bad...
Pretty cool man!

Engine and transmission pulled, frame back in the pool. Tomorrow AM I'll set the back on blocks and remove the rear axle, pull the steering box and start filling the pool!

I tack-welded a piece of rebar to the frame X to ensure I have a solid connection for the battwry charger that will keep my clamp out of the water (will do the same for the positive side/sacrificial steel wheels) this is just to prevent decay on the leads and make an accidental short less likely.
Here we go! Should be like 4-5 hours to fill sufficiently. I dediced to leave it on tires so that I lessen the risk of punching a hole in the pool, as well as to allow clearance for my sacrificial electrodes to be moved under the frame and have better Line of Sight. It was a tossup between saving water and possibly having to do it again.

Ill have to keep an eye on it while filling and probably shuffle the frame an inch this way or that way, so soda ash will be the last thing in, with a quick stir by shovel. Roughly 1tbsp per gallon (soda ash/washing soda/Ph+ = sodium carbonate. Buy the cheapest of those available and chdck thw label.) Sodium BIcarbonate (baking soda, not powder or wash) will work too, just not as well. The knly reason we're adding it is so there is an effective electeolyte in solution to allow current to pass through.

Sodium Carbonate isn't *extremely* harmful, but it is definitely an irritant, and you dobt want to consume it.

You can also see the funky glasspak/resobator welded in the exhaust... Have to cut it to remove.

Wait, what?!? Ok, I want to see this..lol

JagerTex wrote: Sat Mar 09, 2019 10:06 pm
At this time, I'm looking at procuring a 2.0L Turbo Ecotec engine from a 2014+ Caddilac ATS. I'm confident I can make it fit. I have the patience to make it work. It's cheap enough not to ruin me financially if it doesn't work in the end. (Regularly $1,250-1,750 near me for complete powertrains)

I love that engine and it can be made to make lots of power with a simple tune (this is my second ATS below )

What I would tell you right now is save yourself some grief and just go with an SR20DET or even a KA-T if you want that much power .
The Cadillac engine is huge. It doesn’t look like it at first but it’s very wide and tall and the 6sp transmission is a monster, I’m not doubting your talent an ingeniousity as evidenced by your homemade electrolysis solution but IMO you’ll spend way more and have to hack the car pretty bad to make the ATS engine fit

My ATS

JagerTex, you may want to consider an acid rinse for more thorough interior and seam protection. Change the water and add a few gallons of phosphoric acid. You can get generic phosphoric acid at a dairy or restaurant supply. I put rust converter into a syringe and injected it into many of the spot weld seams on the body.

C.Costine wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 7:55 am JagerTex, you may want to consider an acid rinse for more thorough interior and seam protection. Change the water and add a few gallons of phosphoric acid. You can get generic phosphoric acid at a dairy or restaurant supply. I put rust converter into a syringe and injected it into many of the spot weld seams on the body.

Thats an interesting idea with the syringe -- I may follow with that after seeing what all I can get off with electeolysis (if I can get it to pull some undercoating/paint, I may do fenders/doors/hood in there as well... And then bribe every friend I have to help set the body on a wood skid/support in there.