New Zealand Datsun Club

So after putting a few kms on the car in the weekend, I reckon I will have to do some work on it before the southern.

First thing is sorting out the terrible bump steer. At 100kph its a fricking dog to drive. Raising the car isn't an option, so am I right in thinking the spacers that go between the steering arm and shock will help fix it?

I also have notice some dampness around fittings on the carb, meaning it's probably leaking, both fuel out and air in. Will a carb from a Pulsar fit/work? I have one and it looks like it will go on to the normal intake manifold with some small modification, but I'm not sure about the jetting.

I also have some better condition brake disks to go on, because the ones I have on there now are not flash, and I just want more braking confidence.

what engine are you running and what carb are you using at the moment??? any mods on the engine???

Details lacking, my bad. Its a bog standard A12, auto. The carb I guess is the standard beast they came with.

could always upgrade to a a15 carb but i would just get the a12 carb rebuilt, depends on what your future plans are with the motor etc, i have a15 carb on my a12 with head work and a cam and theres nothing wrong with it etc

The long term plan is to pop a L series in, using the 510 crossmember, but that isn't going to happen before the Southern cruise so for now I just want to get the A12 running sweet (it's OK, but could be better) and buy some of those spacers to sort out bump steer.

You will need cert for those bump steer spacers, so may not be worth doing until you get your engine conversion done. How are your suspension bushes? fit some new nolathane bushes and that might help!

Cert? Paint the bump stop spacers black and I reckon the WOF man wouldn't even know they aren't standard!

Got under the bonnet tonight and checked out the standard carb. After operating it manually I could see that the accelerator pump was indeed pumping air with a small amount of fuel. Decided to swap the out then and there.... Easy as aye? OK so I had a little mission putting the new carb on... The studs had to come out of the manifold and be wound into the carb and bolted from the bottom, with a special custom shaped nut on one. It ain't pretty but it's functional.

After a bit of spluttering and coughing, it started idling nice, revs alright too. Took it for a test around the block, and the car seems to go a little better and smoother off the mark. Lost the auto kick-down, but I'll look into that in time.

Improvement? Yep, sure. Much smoother, no more pumping on the pedal.
Not really as good as I was hoping? Not really, I was hoping a bigger carb might go a little better.

Got back home and was opening the carb manually under the bonnet, giving it the large ones... and noticed that the vacuum operated secondary was barely moving. When I opened the secondary with my fingers, while opening the throttle, the little engine changed note, and increased in RPM dramatically. It almost sounded like it hit a little power band, so I'm thinking I'm going to need a new secondary actuator to get the secondary opening properly.

It also makes me wonder if the original carb might have also had problems with the secondary, as well as the accelerator pump leak. Anyway, that's progress, and it's good progress.