New Zealand Datsun Club

Have you bolted an engine together before?
How carried away do you want to get with building this engine? Is it a "Final engine" Or just an engine until you build the "final engine"

I really look forward to seeing that supercharger set up punishing another poor unsuspecting A series motor again.

Bartman wrote:Have you bolted an engine together before?
How carried away do you want to get with building this engine? Is it a "Final engine" Or just an engine until you build the "final engine"

Yea I've done the head gasket and basic block work but as this is the engine I'll be using for a long time (until my money recovers) and because I'm using my 'number matching' engine (the original engine it came with) I want to make sure it's done right with someone that knows what they're doing. I've pulled two A15's apart (one for a turbo setup.... that blew up, another for my twincharge which I sold) but I was really just messing around as I wasn't bothered what happened to the engines.

I am also looking forward to hunting some poor stock A series haha. I won't actually be at nationals but I'm getting my flatmate to bring the datto for me if I get it done so you and Jesse will have to take turns thrashing it round the track! I'm going to cut it so close it may even be its first run in on nationals haha.

What a great write up. I really like what you are doing with the whole thing. A lot of money and time to be spent yet but I can tell your enthusiam is high so keep it up!

Please tell me you are hoing to put that retro sunny decal back down the side once its painted haha

dattoboy wrote:What a great write up. I really like what you are doing with the whole thing. A lot of money and time to be spent yet but I can tell your enthusiam is high so keep it up!

Please tell me you are hoing to put that retro sunny decal back down the side once its painted haha

Thanks for that appreciate it! Yes hopefully I will be. I took all the measurements down and took heaps of photos of the stickers before I stripped them off. Partner has a lot of design background so may ask her to redo them for me in BRE colours with the same font and sizing etc. which I think would look very cool on top of the white!

If you don't back yourself to build it, then pay a shop to slap your pistons and rods together, (if they're ford/mazda slugs the small end will need opened up to 20mm) chuck the rings on, and assemble your bottom end.
If you're not game to port match the head yourself, I've heard Aiden at pine engineering isn't too bad. it'd pay to get the valve seats recut, probably valves back cut, and odds are at least new exhaust guides, if not the lot.
It all gets very spendy quite quickly.

Its Tim at Pine Engineering who does the cylinder head work. He is going to port my GX head very soon and the work he does is top notch. Might even be worth getting him to hardness test you head etc because I have 3 heads here that are borderline and a race head that is a soft block of cheese.

Yes. I always hardness and pressure test any head before spending a dime on it.

I think I should be ok with most of the assembly stuff it's just prep work and head and block mods I'm not comfortable with. First thing is first, got to strip the motor down. Will wait till I get the car on its wheels first and then will tackle the motor.

Out of curiosity does anyone know what sort of clearance there is between the sump on an A15 and the cross member? Bought some puck style engine mounts but they are 10mm shorter than factory so will lose about 7-8mm of vertical height. Can space them out no worries just wondered if anyone knew the clearance off hand?

Also the replacement engine mounts are so puny it isn't even funny. My original mounts were M10 with fail safe guards the OE replacement are M6 without fail safe and slightly narrower!!

dattoboy wrote:Its Tim at Pine Engineering who does the cylinder head work. He is going to port my GX head very soon and the work he does is top notch. Might even be worth getting him to hardness test you head etc because I have 3 heads here that are borderline and a race head that is a soft block of cheese.

Thanks I looked up their website and it looks pretty legit might have to contact them soon! Still not exactly sure how far I want to take it yet but I guess I can just keep throwing money at it.....