New Zealand Datsun Club

You're a legend kitch, almost believing you need a life..you have done wonders in such a short time, and with attention to the details. Big respect. All the best for the cruise.

cheers fellas.

Beaver I have not fitted the blocks yet, so will be sweet when they are in. Cheese Mike has hooked me up, so blocks will be with me later today.

sweet! Im getting another set sent to me but woudl you mind taking some measurements of yours before they go in just incase mine dont fit? Just need to know the size of the locator pin. cheers!

Looking good dude, looking good! Be great to see you attending Akaroa!

- Braasy

Thought thinkgs were going to well with this little car....

The Akaroa Curse has struck again!.....

The good news is,, that the 2" blocks were perfect for it, although the 120Y has a horrid locator setup, with like a Ø35mm locator.
I had to bore 1.5" in one side of the blocks, on the other side, I had to offset position some Ø30mm alloy discs to locate, and fixed these with M8 button heads.

The thing was a bitch to put back together, as think I positioned the locator disc incorrectly, ie its out of whack with the bottom hole offset by about 5mm, so was real hard to pull up / locate, but being friday night, and I had to go to setup a marquee for the masters games (playing football in the rain all weekend ) I impatiently dropped it on its wheels and drove up the drive. the thing must have 'settled' have way up, and thats when the problems started. ther was a kind of hissing noise, then a grind noise. so I stoppped, I then drove about 20m and heard all sorts of grinding and shuddering (only when car was moving) and there was a real reluctance for the car to move. I managed to tip toe it back down the driveway to the same knocking/grinding/shuddering noise, and park it up. I can't look at it till sunday night.

My diagnosis, is that it is something to with the drive shaft, it has either rammed hard into the back of the gearbox, and has all but bound in the output seal assembly, or is severely misaligned, or worse yet 'failed' under one of the previous scenarios, by either bending, or failing a coupling.

When I did the manual conversion, I found the drive shaft to be a tad too long, ie it took a bit of effort to get it over the spigot on the diff head connection, so really I only have about 3-5mm free play in the length, so if diff has moved forward, than the likely situation is that the front of the drive shaft has punched into the back of the gearbox.....

I just hope that it is as easy as realigning the rear end & modifying the blocks to get everything back to normal, and drive shaft isnt shot....... wish me luck!

fingers crossed its nothing major! looks good at the new height.

Hope I dont have as much trouble with my blocks, have some 32mm dia pin ones on the way....hop my measurements were correct haha

With my blocks in the back of mine i just removed ll those rubber/metal insulator things so you only need a standard ish size locator hole. my springs have a standard size hole (about 12mm) and with the 20mm hole i had in the block (I just used 2 bits of solid piece of alloy 50mmx50mmx100mm means you can move the diff around a bit to line it up properly. (i did this then put back up for a wheel alignment until it was right as it used to crab alot).

You could do the same thing and push it hard back for more drive shaft clearance. Also have heard of lots of guys using no locators at all - just bolted up tight and they don't seem to move around although i wouldn't recommend it.

Looks great though kitch - 120y's always look really low in the back even with just 2 inches out of it - love the wheels

brocky41 wrote:Also have heard of lots of guys using no locators at all - just bolted up tight and they don't seem to move around although i wouldn't recommend it.

Sure wouldn't. Back when I was a young 'un some guy with an RX3 had his undoweled blocks come out while he was doing warp 9 down New Brighton Road. The girl in the passengers seat got to take a dirt nap as a result.

Things like that aren't places you can afford to take short cuts.

Also, I think I has to reshorten my driveshaft when I fitted blocks to the 1200. It was a pain in the arse. I hope you don't have to too.

Thanks for the comments guys - got rear end sorted

Think I was in such a hurry I put my offset blocks in backwards on friday night after a couple of jars....

Even better when I took out the U-bolts tonight, and floated the axle back on some axles stands, and started up and ran it up in third gear with no wheels on, she all went good, could see the heat colour and burring on the end of the gearbox output seal though from friday nights antics! I will get it in for a wheel alignment before akaroa, and see if it needs any adjustment in the rear end. Had to 'persaude' the inner guards with a BFH as was rubbing on one wheel immediately when I drove it up the drive. But then cruised out to my mates place (20km each way) and no problems just need to dial a bit more tension off the handbrake.

bit of a relief really, so am now all but set for Akaroa!! looks like I am on tour with just the kids, cause wifey cant be bothered coming up, so thinking I might trek up on saturday to get involved with some of the other 'Nationals' weekend activities, and also break up the drive for the kids as I know from Akaroa 2009, that 7 hours driving in one day with a stock A12 & 4 speed, is a bit tedious for all involved especially the kids!

See you Chch guys in 5 more sleeps

Well done Kitch, you can't keep a good man down. Have a great cruise