New Zealand Datsun Club

Na they updated then aye dude. keep an eye on it thou mine may be due to angles.

Sweet man, yeah my gbox is on the mad angle at the mo hopefuly can fix that

Well after a mammoth weekend on the Y, i think shes ready for the Southern Cruise

Started on Thursday night prepping the new gearbox with the Genuine seals and Gasket from Scott @ Cockram Nissan. Got all that sorted then realised the Clutch was gone. Took all the parts off including the flywheel in the hope someone could do something on a Friday for me

Rang Tony @ Clutch Systems in town said to send it round and he would sort it. I sent it on a one hour courier from work and no shit, within 2 hours Tony rang and said it was all done - Flywheel grind aswell. Went in at lunch time and he had a standard type plate, usually for a diesel engine and a Heavy Duty pressure plate with release bearing already pressed onto the carrier ready to go.
What a GC, he didnt charge me for the Flywheel grind or the pressing of the release bearing either - highly recommend them for your clutch stuff, Tony really knows his stuff.





Was super stoked so got the clutch fork etc back into the box on Friday night and also took the front struts out.

Saturday arvo - had to re lower the engine down by unbolting the crossmember to get the box to go back in and to reach the bolts - bolted the flywheel and clutch in with the help of john and his torque wrench - had the box up on jack under the car - getting dark by now - couldnt get the dam thing to line up to get in the hole, it was jamming on the splines.
Little did i know, thrashing around with the box that the jack had slipped out from under it and when i went to take a rest the box slipped out out and landed on me - the little out piece in about the middle of the box got me square in the chest. I was already out of energy in the arms (not that super fit aye) and i couldn't move it of me. Luckily when i yelled out John and Lisa came running out (so did Millie the cat) and i crawled out from under it.

Not the nicest of feelings getting crushed - wont be doing that in a hurry as its still pretty sore.

John and I trucked on and had the bottom pieces removed from the new front shocks (forgot Brendan had the originals machined to suit as they have a stupid spacer on the bottom and you cant screw them into the strut tube. And also got the new wheel bearings fitted to the new discs (1 piece hub and rotor)

So that was the end of Saturday - but i still had alot to get done.

Sunday - up bright and early, all be it very sore - i got the front shocks fitted to the struts with the new discs and pads. When fitting back to car realized i had had the struts round the wrong way this whole time - and a quick Google search revealed the calipers go on the back of the disc not the front (thanks R31 House). Swapped all that shizz round got it all bolted in. New rear shocks bolted up aswell (thanks John -SKDMRX- for modding those too, what a GC).



Time to have another go at the Gearbox - using different point with the jack it went up at the correct angle and 'bobs your uncle' straight in.

Got everything else like the cross-members and drive-shaft back in - remade the manifold flange gasket (third time lucky i hope)
Went to bleed the clutch up and the dam thing wouldnt (i know your frustration datochriswagon, and after alot of cursing and a thrown hammer at a rusty 260c guard it finally started to bleed up and then proceeded to self bleed the rest of its travel - finally fired her up at about 5pm.

Took for a test drive -

Gearbox quiet - tick
No Exhaust leaks - tick
Brakes bedded in and all ok - tick
Suspension tight (stiff as in the back now) - tick

Hooray, finally got it all sorted - there's a few other things to do when i get back from the Southern Cruise like the diff and drive shaft joint but ran out of time to get it done.

Hopefully everything holds together on the cruise - i don't want to do another gearbox for a while - definitely widening the tunnel as much as pos on the 1200 to make removal etc easy.



The left over boxes - have been collecting this over the last year.

Did the wheel alignment tonight - just needs a clean (got a few cobwebs to blow out literally).

John and i have had a clean up in the shed too

Great work Brocky. You must be satisfied that all your hard work has paid off.

one of my pet hates is fitting up gearboxes, and I am only experienced with 25kg A series boxes! let alone a CA box which is probably more like 40kg?
I remember being pinned under a 60A after spending what felt like 3 hours trying to lift up and engage on to the splines, and continuously taking weight in my arms and on my chest too...
Difference is if I yelled out my wife wouldnt bother coming down the stairs to assist!
as you probably found out, if you take yourself away for a bit then come back less frustrated they seem to fall straight in!

I drove back through central lakes on Monday from Queenstown back to Timaru, and there are beautiful roads / views to soak up, and believe me a smooth quiet ride, with your fresh shockies and brakes will make the experience so much more pleasurable.

Mammoth job there Brock. Well done.
I enlarged my tunnel but everything is still tight so my clutch and everything else is done on the ground then slot the engine and box togehter up from the underside.
See ya on the cruise!

You must be stoked to have all that work done mate.
I've spent many many an occasion on my back with a heavy gearbox overhead at arms length. So I know exactly what you're talking about. They get heavy very quickly.

sounds like you fulla's need a hoist in your garage makes it heaps easier

Just got the Rocker Cover Gaskets, Oil change and fix the heater tonight and we be sorted for the Cruise tomorrow.

Cant Wait.....

I Spy Z31 Donor car missing its headlight buckets, whats happening with it Brock ?

Where? I must be blind.