Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Today I did one of my most disliked maintenance chores... lubricating the suspension. This one was different however as I decided it was time to replace the seeping gear oil in the steering box with the John Deere Corn Head grease cure. Located some at a local dealer (cheap, like $7.00 with tax). After lubing up the suspension with the typical stuff, I swapped in the tube of corn head grease, cleared the gun and filled the box after draining out the gear oil. I filled it via the access portal on the side of the box until I could see it was full via the large upper threaded plug. I used about 2/3rds or more of the cartridge which surprised me. You will want to use a grease gun, and be prepared for dealing with grease on stuff when you swap cartridges. It was definitely a different grease than others I've seen, and after doing some research it seems to have some important properties that makes it very well suited to steering gear boxes like ours. Anyway, the hardest part was cleaning up all the grease that always seems to get on everything... hate that stuff. One more thing done to get ready for summer!

Thanks for the tip Greg, ""filled via side access" I'd have figured this out after---too late; headed to J. Deere today.

Got far enough for some dry assembly, making sure all the bits are right-side-up, before torque and gaskets.

Also, got the suspension further along (I've learned to never say done.) The LSD, bilstiens, springs, sway and blocks. Thanks JT and Dean for the new-to-me bits, and, many of you guys: (Steve, Steve, and on and, on) for the recycled bits. (sheesh, It'll be hard to take those bilstiens out in the rain.)

And the brakes keep coming. BTW I used Kruse in Chino, CA for re-sleeving. Mines a driver on a budget so if you can replace with OEM, go to one of our vendors. Kruse charged $80 per. (get 'em done now) Apparently all the sleeves(s) have left the north west, so NY or N. Jersey or Kruse. Sent in January, received this week, long wait, but IMO well done. (FWIW, I think Moss has a new casting also).
Never underestimate line bending by Mr. Spriso or others.

Wow man, looking freakin GREAT! Hope I get to see this car in person some day!

Installed the floorboard insulation in SPL311-00054 today:

Car is coming back in a month from the body shop with the paint job done. So I'm sorting and bagging parts for the return.

As I was going through containers I decided to deal with the heater valve. As is usual with these things you're lucky if you get the screws out. I only had one original screw left and it is the ancient retired M4-0.75. It is a pain to find someone that sells them but there are a couple.

I decided I was not going to deal with it and made a spreadsheet a long time ago of the screw size dimensions and the next usable size up. So I drilled it out and ran an 8-32 tap through it. That's the end of that problem.

Valve with one old screw and new on left. Used it for a trial run since the heater pipe had been cut down. Finished one on right. That is if the photo would load right.

1967.5 1600: Combination turn signal stalk was flickering between high and low beam when I used the turn signal... flaky contact. Tried contact cleaner, no luck. So I pulled it off the car, swapped in a used one from Ross (had to pull the circlip and separate the center out to swap over the missing horn contact:
Got the two swiches apart, transferred over the horn contact and re-assembled. Installed in the car and the headlight contact works perfectly, as does the horn. No signal lights now!

However, I noticed there was a spring and a square copper contact on the work pad on the bench (always do small fiddly part manipulation over a catch-all pad). Removed and pulled apart the centre section and saw were the spring and leaf contact sit inside the outer section (under the two slots on the left in the pic. They line up with the multi wire contact section to enable each turn signal as the stalk is rotated up or down inside the housing. Also, don't forget the large spring seated between the two cast pieces that help the signal stalk recentre. You have to basically balance the leaf contact on the small spring, the large spring wedged between the metal retainers and carreeefffuuulllllyyy line up the centre section and press back together. Don't mess up the spring and contact alignment or you're pulling it apart and re-centering. Only took 3 tries, but I got it.

Reinstalled in the 67.5 and now hi-low beams work great, turn signals work great and... no horn.


AARRGGHHHH!!! Went inside. Will tackle tomorrow.

I believe my Canadian friends referred to this as "Molson time"... eh?

Not all today but me and a buddy swapped the rear end with the LSD installed. Got some fresh 175/70/14 tires. Then i cleaned her up and got her to shipping. Off to Georgia for storage while I'm in Japan!

Today I decided to remove the carbs as I need to install a heat shield ... for some reason it was omitted when the carbs were replaced before I owned it. I've been having issues with the engine stumbling when hot and stopped at idle ... fuel/intake and carbs are being overheated.

They sure made the nuts on the lower side of the carbs and intakes easy to access and remove ... made a 10 minute job into about 45 min job and sore back trying to lean in and contort to reach and turn them! Once I got the intake off, I decided to media blast it and cerakote it with a leftover grey that I had and thought would look good. I'll be re-blasting it tomorrow as It's too dark and I don't like it ... I'll order some new cerakote tonight.
While I had some of the coolant lines to the intake undone I decided to drain the entire cooling system. Glad I did as the fluid looks a bit dirty and has some debris in it that I assume was from corrosion...most of which came out of the hose that runs from the intake to the heater core. Not sure if that box works or is bypassed .. digging into that tomorrow. Any tips for flushing prior to a final fill would be welcomed!
I also went ahead and removed the original alternator on the left hand side .. it was left in tact after converted to the right hand side. It was holding the lower spring mount for the front carb throttle return!! A new heat shield and springs will be ordered today. That freed up about 10 lbs and created some decent space in the lower portion of the bay.
I am contemplating just removing the engine and Trans as I also need to get the 5th gear welded up and fixed .... I feel like I have the first 10% done already!

This week the old girl treated me for a change. A local movie shoot was looking for 60's-70's cars for the set. We got the only driving sequence for the two days due to weather and scheduling. But I was well fed, in good company with some really neat older cars and their owners, and we earned enough money for some new upgrades! It's wonderful when you watch them grow up, go out on their own, and start earning a living for themselves.

Awesome opportunity to be part of a movie time capsule. Cool!

That is very cool, congrats! I always look at the cars when watching movies set in the 60'-80's... I think others have posted that an occasional character ("Angel") on the "Rockford Files" drove a Roadster.

We’ve all seen these clips from the movie…the Incredibles, staring the Datsuns , yeah!