1976 Wagoon (710)

[datsuntech]

You don't have to put it where the stock one was. Just put it where it's most convenient. There are multiple spots to drill. Check out other L and Z series engines for options. 

[opalbeetle]

On 5/10/2019 at 9:13 PM, datzenmike said:

Why not move it to the rear near the starter?

That's the plan!  I think that I have it sorted out in my mind now.  Just gotta drill it out! 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Long as the end of the stick reaches down into the pan in/at the same position. I would fill the engine oil with an exact known amount and then read the stick to confirm the level.

[opalbeetle]

Will do! 

 

When I compare the L20B block to the Z22 block, I see that the dipstick location will be identical between the 2 blocks when its drilled and installed.  I should be able to get to it this week, I'll keep it all updated.

 

[datsuntech]

Sooo, where the update? You've had all summer.

[opalbeetle]

Well...I need to sit down and load pictures. Rest assured, there’s been progress. Just gotta catch up with documentation. 

[opalbeetle]

Hello everyone.  I am working on fabbing up a transmission crossmember for the 5 speed I am putting in.  The question I have is; how far should the shifter point come through the floor into the car?  Or, is it a better question to ask; how level should the engine be front to back?  

 

If anyone has pictures, that would be great!

 

Thanks!

[datzenmike]

Try to position the driveshaft back in the stock location. Shifter ends up where it ends up. I'll post what I did on my goon using an automatic driveshaft. 

[opalbeetle]

Thanks Mike. Pictures would be great!

 

I am not sure what the original position would be. How would I locate that exactly? I can’t recall how it was before I took it apart all those years ago.  Don’t mean to sound daft, but my memory isn’t what it once was. 

 

I’m using a 26” 5 speed from a pickup so my original driveshaft fits nicely. 

 

Thanks for the help! 

 

[datzenmike]

Then make the cross member or the mount so that the driveshaft is back in it's original position. This will keep the U  joint angles equal and prevent vibration. The shifter ends up where ever it ends up.

 

The automatic and the 71B are 31.5" long but the stock 4 speed is 26". I took the 4 speed out and used a 71B with the shorter automatic driveshaft.  The car has three threaded mount holes on both sides of the tunnel and the cross member uses two. I had to move the cross member back for the longer 5 speed, using the middle and back two holes. The cross member I had to section and lower where the mount is.

 

 

[rutsun]

read through this whole thread really hoping to see a finished car at the end, how is it coming? surely you had so time over the corna pandemic to put some work in. i really want to see the finished product. it has been a really inspirational build though so many hours of body patches in here will make for an awesome finish.

[opalbeetle]

Hello! 

 

I have not updated the pictures and the things that I have built along the way (I still plan to do that when time and energy permits).  So, I am actually driving the car now.  Is it finished? Nope.  It still needs a few things sorted and then we can call it done...it's more than fun to drive.  I'll get at updating with the pictures of what I have (I should have taken more pictures but got caught up in building ad assembling and often forgot to take pics along the way.)

 

Z22 block, U67 head, Shadbolt Cam (M445), SUs and a homemade 2 1/4" exhaust and a 5 speed.  

 

The first two pics show the car 1/2" lower than the last.  I raised it 1/2" to help with rubbing and reducing potential trouble on the gravel road I have to drive to get to a paved road.

 

Thanks for looking in!

[]2eDeYe]

Looks great, bet if feels nice getting to drive it. B)

[Duncan]

18 hours ago, opalbeetle said:

Z22 block, U67 head, Shadbolt Cam (M445), SUs and a homemade 2 1/4" exhaust and a 5 speed.  

 

 

Congrats on getting the car going!  It's looks really good, and I know you'll enjoy driving the hell out of it.

 

Funny you should mention that motor.  I have a SSS carb setup and been thinking about the Z22 with my U67 head on it.  How does that setup work for you, and how does it run?  I assume Shadbolt is a re-grinding specialist...

 

 

[opalbeetle]

5 hours ago, ]2eDeYe said:

Looks great, bet if feels nice getting to drive it. B)

 

I LOVE driving it....I've had a couple of hiccups, but they're sorted until the next ones pop up.  As for looking great, "good from far, far from good".  It was always the plan to drive the thing, no trailer queens here.

[opalbeetle]

2 hours ago, Duncan said:

 

Congrats on getting the car going!  It's looks really good, and I know you'll enjoy driving the hell out of it.

 

Funny you should mention that motor.  I have a SSS carb setup and been thinking about the Z22 with my U67 head on it.  How does that setup work for you, and how does it run?  I assume Shadbolt is a re-grinding specialist...

 

 

Thanks!  It only took 10 years...

 

I love the way this thing goes.  It runs great!  The cam is a little "lumpy", which sounds awesome!  I have the 38mm SUs with that cam (I'll include the specs below...).  Lots of torque for me to have fun.  The cam wakes right up at 3k rpm and pulls hard til over 5k rpm.  The SUs run quite rich at idle (not super uncommon I hear) and using a wideband gauge, I can tweak the mixture pretty well to get good A/F numbers for cruising and honking on it.  I had read/heard that the 38s might be too small for a 2.2 and 46mm might be better...maybe that's true, but the 38s seem fun to me.  

 

I have 42mm Webers sitting on the shelf to try some time, but if the SUs keep putting a smile on my face...why would I change them?

 

I have a KA24De sitting in the corner of the shop...I swapped one into a 510 many years ago and thought the 710 might get one too.  I'm kinda enjoying the L series and not sure that I'll ever go the KA route now.

 

 

I copied the cam specs from another site.  I have the actual sheet from the guys who regrind them at home, so I will have to double check to see if these are accurate (though no reason to think they are not).  

 

The M445 cam has the following specs;
445 Profile: 
Duration: 280 degrees (30-70-70-30) 
Overlap: 60 degrees 
Lift: 0.507” at the valve 

[Duncan]

I've got a set of 38's and the guys from ZTherapy say they've taken them as far as 2.3 litre motors and have been fine.  They did the ones for my old Sunny, (and they do awesome work) so I have no reason to doubt them.

 

I was all fired up on a KA swap a few years ago, but I've been leaning towards staying with the L Series. 

 

Anyway, congrats on the wagon.  I know first hand what work goes into a big project like that..

 

 

[opalbeetle]

Hello everyone!

 

I'll share some pictures in the following posts of the numerous small steps on the journey to getting it all drivable....they won't be in chronological order, as I've forgotten what order I completed them all.

 

This was the heater valve that clearly has broken and separated.  Thank goodness I have a parts car.  I CANNOT stress how important a parts car was for me to get this car back on the road.  I was able to replace this piece (no picture sadly) and numerous other nuts, bolts and screws.  Not to mention it being a bit of a roadmap to putting things back together (especially after 10 years being apart).  It was the best $400 dollars I ever spent.  Sold lots and lots of parts from it as well which helped find this project!

 

Replacement part!

 

 

 

 

 

[opalbeetle]

I have a larger sway bar in the front...I bought an ADDCO bar direct from ADDCO.  The sales guy told me it was the last one on the shelf.  I've no idea how true that is, but it's on my car now!

 

As you can see here, the new bushings don't match the factory sway bar mount!  Not even close!  So, I fabbed a set up to fit the bushings properly.  I used a shitty 12 ton Princess Auto press, a perfectly sized socket and some trial and error to make the round part of the mount for the bushing.  

So...

 

Still some work to do to get the mounting tab attached.

 

I did not cut up the old mounts in case I watned to go back to the original bar.

And...after welding and finishing the bushing mount...it's done!  It actually fits, too.

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

 

[opalbeetle]

I had to figure out a transmission mount as well.  It's a short tail 5 speed from a 720 that I put in.  I had some 1x3 rectangular steel in the shop so figured that could work!

 

I reused the bushings in all their cracked glory.

Now for some clearance for the exhaust.  I used a piece of pipe that was opened up and then sectioned the cross bar to make space for it to fit

Turns out that was kinda springy, so I welded a couple of gussets to stiffen it up.  Might be overkill, but it fits and it's rigid.

 

There will be a post with exhaust later that kinda shows how the exhaust fits in there!
 

Until next time...

.  

 

[opalbeetle]

I built the exhaust from the factory cast iron header all the way to the muffler. Some pie cuts, a flange, some tacking and it fits and bends around the transmission.  The 2 pipes are 1 5/8".  The rest is 2 1/4" to the back of the car.

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the "y" that I made to connect to the exhaust.  It wasn't the prettiest thing anyhow.

Here is the exhaust all pieced together ready for welding. 

And hanging under the car.  It doesn't hang low and passes through the relief I added into the crossmember.  It sounds terrific.  It's in 3 sections which makes it easier to take out when I need to replace things like a rear main seal (I've already tried this out to know it's true!)  

 

So many things to make and it all takes time.  Even the smallest fabrication takes more time than I've ever estimated.

 

More to come...

 

[opalbeetle]

I needed/wanted a new rad.  I had a local rad shop look at the original and they ended up quoting me an absurd price so I did a little research.  I looked at aluminum rads, but with the exchange not being great they were pricey.  I found an 620 rad (three row) on RockAuto.  I ordered it and confirmed that it is narrower than the 710 rad.  So, I used a piece of cardboard to make a template.  Each side needed its own as there are different reliefs in the sheet metal on either side of the rad opening.  My son then used the cardboard templates to draw them on a CAD program and had them laser cut at the shop he works at.  Here they are before I figured out where to drill mounting holes.

 

On the car.  In case you wonder why the bolts are so big holding them on...the holes in the rad cradle are that size and I used a bolt big enough to fill the hole.

 

Onto the shroud.  The 710 shroud wouldn't fit properly.  So, a cardboard template again was made followed by a CAD drawing by my son before he had it laser cut at work. We rolled the aluminum around the opening then he welded it together for me.

Mounted.

 

As far as cooling goes...seems to work well.  Keeps temps where they are supposed to be.

 

Thanks for checking things out.

 

[datzenmike]

Those air filters come with the SUs? I have a set of flattop L18SSS SUs with the same ones. The don't say Weiand though.

 

Nice metal work

[opalbeetle]

Thanks, Mike. 

 

Those were the filters that were on the SUs when I got them. I’ve no idea the history. 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Probably came from Japan that way on an import engine.