New Zealand Datsun Club

Well i have one more week of holidays left and not really a hole lot to do so im going to look at stripping down the L18E and giving it a birthday so its nice and shiny for when it goes into my 140J.

Ive revitalized a couple of L series engines now rings bearings what not so have a reasonable idea of how to go about it, It was some time ago but hey how hard can it be,

What im wanting to know is while its all in bits is there any parts maybe i should up grade?

:Flat top pistons(is it worth it for a daily driver i have fuel efficiency in mind for this one)
:Reground camshaft or stick with the stock one? (do i need to get dizzy remapped)? I may go programmable ECU at some stage later on down the track.
:If rings and bearings look good should i even replace them (i do have some in the shed) provideding everything is std size in there,
:Skim the head? Or leave it as it is? I have a L20B with the bottom of the A87 missing off it gives great torque thats for sure but i have to run -2degrees than what the book even says.

Basically im stripping it down because it had greasy shit in the radiator hoses (still ran mint as though on my garage floor) so suspect blown head gasket. And i want to make it clean and shiny to go with rest of the car.

There's a book available about building L4 motors. (I almost bought in on T/me one time, but got outbid) Every motor has it's idosyncracies, so having the correct book to start with will be a good starting point. I don't know how well the factory efi (you did say L18e?) will cope with the requiremnets of a bigger cam. You do know that the L20B cam is the same profile as the L18SSS cam? It's really all about building your whole motor as a package. Comp, cam, carb. I'd almost choose SU's over the factory L series EFI (with standard ECU)
Best to take the time to meausre your actual static CR, and choose a cam to suit. If you do go flat tops, and a big cam, make sure you check you valve to piston clearnace.

Yea will be running EFI cos i want something a little different and ive read conflicting info about it. Alot of people say the stock setup is crap but then when you read stuff from the 80's about when it came out the improvements were very noticeable.
So im keen to give it a try got no shortage of parts to test and get a good running setup anyway.

Its going to be a daily where performance isn't really any where near the top of the list of wants and needs so only reason i was asking about flat top pistons etc was to maybe take advantage of running 95+ octane fuel and getting better response etc.
The part about the cam was more to move power around in the rev range a little.

L20B i have has all its power down low couldn't rev to save its self.
Thats not really what im after with this motor i want something thats smoother through the complete rev range.

The L18 block should help this alot. but would a very mild reground cam make this even better?


Just on another note the L18E isn't going to replace the L20B i have (completely different cars) Was just useing it as a comparison.
I would like one of thoes books might get one i have a few different L series work shop manuals so i might start pulling it down for cleaning next week and look into one of thoes over the next day or so.

I've never enjoyed much success with L series motors. (the cam is in the wrong place!)

^

Yea what were car manufactures thinking moving the cam above the valves im sure the will see the error of there ways soon.