1979 Datsun 210 - Her name is Chiquita

[Aaron Datsun]

Thanks, I actually don't love the wheels, I think they are nice, but I had a Ford Explorer with the same wheels and that is all I can think of when I see them. I am thinking about doing a ZX wheel swap, or keeping my eyes open for a cheap set of 14x6 mesh wheels like Enkeis.

 

In the process of cleaning up the transmission and motor right now. My wife cleaned the transmission and while it isn't a mirror finish it looks fabulous she is continuing to be an awesome help on this project. No timelapse for the clean ups, but do have a few before and after pictures. Will show them off later.

[Aaron Datsun]

Alright today's work is done. We did not get the engine in. Yesterday (I think, could have been 2 days ago) sprayed a whole can of that Ozone stuff in the car I think it really helped clear out some of the smoke smell.

 

Things we did:

1. Cleaned Transmission

2. Cleaned Engine (just got the big crap off)

3. Remounted the clutch

4. Attached the Engine to trans

5. Cleaned up in the engine bay. Little bit along the sides, and the main crossmember.

6. Replaced the speedometer cable

7. Resoldered the back up light attachments on the transmission

8. Cleaned on the garage some.

 

Some pictures of the progress.

Hole in the block, that is a paper towel on the outside of the block.

 

Dirty Crossmember

Clean crossmember

Engine bay pictures

 

 

 

Progress on the engine cleaning

 

Cleaner engine

 

Transmission, first time my wife has ever cleaned a car part she did a good job getting it nice and clean.

 

I changed the speedo cable because it was missing, and the exterior cable was beat up from dragging on the ground.

 

Engine and trans back together

 

Engine and transmission in the garage waiting to go back into the car.

[Aaron Datsun]

Borrowed a pressure washer today from a co-worker. Pressure washed the engine bay and a few parts. The head was totally different on the engine I got, to include the front water spout and some weird doodad on the back. I took the internals from that and put in the old head I hope it all starts ok. The engine is back in the car. I am very excited, although this is taking way more time than I figured it would. The wife helped me put it back in and that was mainly it. started putting pieces back on the engine tonight had to stop as it is soon bed time. I will have some timelapses soon.

[ggzilla]

You swapped heads? That's usually OK unless the head was an H95

[ggzilla]

This looks like a round-port head with an oval port gasket. It won't run optimal with that mismatch, but will run OK and pretty good if the manifold is the matching round port type.

 

[Aaron Datsun]

So that was the head that I just took off. The head I put on has a different thermostat mount. It has round ports as well, and I have a new intake/exhaust gasket that was just on there in that picture, it has since been removed and the new gasket is waiting to get put on. I was going to take some pictre, but I have an old camera and it doesn't like to keep the battery charged so I am charging it now, will have photos tonight most likely.

[Aaron Datsun]

Alright we got the engine back in a few days ago I am just working around on re-installing stuff on the engine. I have to set the timing and so while my video is processing, I am reading the service manual on how to set the timing correctly.

 

 

I used an electric power washer to clean up my engine bay some. One of the things i liked about it the most it was able to clean off some of the wiring that had oil and grime all over it that I could get to. I then used air to dry it all out.

 

 

 

 

Here is the video of re-installing the engine. It went in ok, but having a leveler would have probably been much better for the process. Ohh well live and learn I guess.

 

[Aaron Datsun]

Good News I hooked up enough stuff to see whether the engine would fire up. It does so she should hopefully be moving under her own power as soon as tomorrow.

[Aaron Datsun]

Continue to put stuff back on the car. It is coming together well. Though I have an EGR tube that is non-exhistant no problem except I can't find the plug that was in it, and that is a tiny bit of an exhaust leak.

 

[Aaron Datsun]

Sorry I have been bad about getting pictures.The exhaust had the EGR tube removed, but there was nothing filling the hole, so it was a pretty loud exhaust leak. I plugged that today with the welder.

[Aaron Datsun]

All right I have bad news. The head or intake manifold is warped where they bolt to each other, or the gasket can go backwards and I put it backwards or something and I am getting a massive water leak from there. Any advice?

[ggzilla]

The head does not warp along the manifold face. It is also rare for A-series manifold to warp.

 

Somewhat common is for a previous own to put the manifold on wrong. If they separated the intake from the exhaust then it is easy to misalign it. Solution is to remove the manifold and if its not straight, unbolted exhaust from intake and put new gaskets.

[ggzilla]

Another common causes is a mismatched head and manifold. Example a 1980 manifold on a 1981 head.

 

ID it with casting numbers example 994 on the top of head and H92 on the manifold.

[Aaron Datsun]

Well I am an idiot. It was a mismatched gasket. It was a dry gasket. It was free no big deal, but boy was that frustrating. I need to add a T into a water line to come off of the front of the block, then I am ready to finish up the rest of the wiring and miscellaneous things. I started it, it will need some idle work as it came from near sea level to high altitude. Then all is good. I am super pumped I tried first and reverse and they both moved the car. stay tuned.

[floyd17]

sick. this is looking like a sweet 210. Always has been my favorite year.

[izzo]

haha. I used the wrong intake/exhaust gasket just the other day. Fuck all!

 

I got one without the water ports. So it just shat water out the side of the head :rofl:  8 bucks later and the right gasket, good to go. i didn't use any thing on it. Just installed it dry...  Doesn't leak at all. 

[Aaron Datsun]

Izzo that was exactly my problem. So I put the old gasket back on it. I know it isn't the right way to do it, but sometimes I have to remind myself it is an old datsun not a ferrari. I need to take some more pictures I have been having long work days, and when I get home I try to get a couple things done then spend time with the family, so a lot of times I don't film or take pictures.

[Aaron Datsun]

Some of the before pictures are on the previous pages, but here are some of the after on the engine bay. It is much cleaner than it was. Also the passenger's seat is mounted, but I broke my drill bit so I didn't start on the driver's seat. The engine runs, but it runs rough, and smokes like crazy. It is a junkyard engine I am going to adjust the valves, and see about running some seafoam through it? I really don't know what to do about the smoking I am going to first make sure all the other stuff is working then worry about that. I got her out and turned her around, then put her back in the garage. This thing has a tiny turning radius it is pretty nice.

 

 

The Manifold.

 

 

Driver's seat and Passenger's seat.

 

Gasket with no water ports.

[Aaron Datsun]

The car is not dead work is busy. I am hoping to have the other seat mounted this week. Then I will be working to get all of the tagging stuff in the next couple weeks. I finally got the word from work that I would be moving. I will be moving on to another job in Colorado Springs (A little over an hour away) and I start there October 15th so I will be trying to tidy up a few things so I can move the cars to the new house (once I find one)

[mrmark]

I diggin yer project!

[Aaron Datsun]

I am glad you like it.

[Aaron Datsun]

Driver's seat work.

 

[Aaron Datsun]

She is running, I saved her from the crusher, but now she needs to go to a home that can fix her up the rest of the way. If you are interested PM me. I have the title and she is for sale. I am going to put her on the classifieds here before putting her on Craigslist.

[Aaron Datsun]

I haven't posted her for sale really because she wasn't running great. I found that Cylinder 1 has low compression, and cylinder 2 has low compression. It goes like this

Cylinder:

1: 30

2: 60

3: 120

4: 120

 

I put a little oil in cylinders 1 & 2 and got a jump of pressure on 1 where it would jump to 30 PSI, I am going to let a little oil sit in cylinder 1 hopefully it is just some stuck rings.

 

The engine was sitting when I got it. I did not pull it all apart and inspect it. I just removed the head and checked all pistons were still in there.

 

Besides a total tear down can anyone suggest some other things to check before I start tearing her apart like adjusting the valves maybe (also has not been done)

[Aaron Datsun]

so let this be a lesson to you, always check the easy stuff, the valves were adjusted all wrong (my fault, as I never adjusted them just swapped out the head stuff and ran with it. This is my first car that didn't have hydraulically adjusted valves. I am sorry all that I am such an idiot. The car is running quite a bit better now, so she will be hitting craigslist soon.