69Ronin Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Hello all. I'm new to the crew as far as Ratsun but a Datsun owner since the 70's. (yeah, that old). I have a '69 Roadster with a L18 swap. I have been using the stock exhaust manifold but now that I'm actually working on the car I want a header. The two that i had around the house don't fit. They fit the engine just fine but won't tuck inside the chassis. is there a set of L-Series headers that look like the close hugging roadster headers and drop straight down? Someone told me the shorty headers may fit but they look like the long ones to me. My alternative is to butcher a set of these to get the flange and the collector off and bend a set of new pipes. Any tech help is appreciated if someone has had this dilemma or know of a route to go. Thanks Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Header? kidding right??? Nissan spent a bundle perfecting the L16/18 exhaust manifold to give the best performance advantage specially in road and track racing, and you get it for free! Take a look at the stock vs. the header pictured above. Other than the header being lighter, name one other thing it is better at than the cast iron header. I can tell you what the stock L18 exhaust manifold is good at.... It FITS. perfectly. Never comes loose and need tighteming NEVER wears out. Mine is over 40 years old and still good. Runs cooler Is quieter. Needs ZERO maintenance. Already paid for and is already on and you need do nothing to enjoy it. Quote Link to comment
ggzilla Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Doesn't drop straight down is the only problem. But if already fits in the roadster, then it doesn't need to drop straight down. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Um...pics of Roaster? Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Um...pics of Roaster? Depending on the installation and routing this might well be a "roaster" instead of a "roadster". 1 Quote Link to comment
69Ronin Posted June 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Okay I get it B) If it ain't broke don't fix it. Thanks King Rat for the tune up. The car is stripped down in the body shop and the engine is on a stand. I want it to look pretty and along with the functionality of headers I thought it would improve HP. Once I get the hand of this photo downloading I will post pics of the car in the build process. Sun West MotorSports in Ventura will have the motor out tomorrow afternoon. Thanks Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 If your L18 was modified with cam and multi-carbs a header might be noticed. Headers work where the stock manifold is restrictive to begin with and always when revved high in the RPM range. In relatively stock form the exhaust for your L18 is already more than enough for it. I don't know very much about the Roadster but I like the idea of an L18 in one. What transmission? Quote Link to comment
Leprechaun311 Posted June 27, 2014 Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 There is a roadster vendor in Torrance named Stan Chernoff, fairladyproducts.com ?, anyway, he is on the vendors list on 311 s.org. He designed and sold L into a roadster kits way back when (but no longer), he will be able to help with any problems, he knows Dats-Nissan parts up and Down. Hope that helps, tell him Fergy sent you, and he'll call me with a grumpy "thanks a lot for nothin...." Quote Link to comment
69Ronin Posted June 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 The car will have a set of Webers and street cam installed. The tranny came out of a 280ZX. I believe it was an '82. Very good fit. The engine sits nicely and with the battery moved to teh trunk gives lots of room. There will be several mods to the engine thus the header question. Very simple to make one using the flange and collector I have. Just thought this swap and mod may have been tried before out in the wide world of Datsuns. I have pics of before and current but also need a tutorial on adding them to the stream. Quote Link to comment
69Ronin Posted June 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 Thanks Leprechaun311 for the tip. Quote Link to comment
TENDRIL Posted June 28, 2014 Report Share Posted June 28, 2014 was this a 1600? i thought these had 2.0 ? Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted June 28, 2014 Report Share Posted June 28, 2014 was this a 1600? i thought these had 2.0 ? They had either. Quote Link to comment
TENDRIL Posted June 28, 2014 Report Share Posted June 28, 2014 ahh well i thought after 67-68 it was all 2000 Quote Link to comment
Leprechaun311 Posted June 29, 2014 Report Share Posted June 29, 2014 Nope. 67.5 and on, 2000 was an option, same everything else, but 2L got a 5-spd, and R-16 was used in forklifts well into the .... 80's, 90's. more? Can be stroked relatively easily to 2L, and long lifed after that. (U-20 timing sets are pricy...) Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted June 29, 2014 Report Share Posted June 29, 2014 Pics are still not loading for me. 1 Quote Link to comment
novakon Posted July 3, 2014 Report Share Posted July 3, 2014 Here is my Roadster with an L18. Sorry the pics aren't amazing, as you know it is a tight squeeze! https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/90702292/2014-07-03%2019.02.28.jpg https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/90702292/2014-07-03%2019.02.21.jpg 1 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 They had either. 1600cc factory engine = SPL311. 2000cc factory engine = SRL311. Go look at the engine compartment ID Plate. Not to confuse the issue but original 1500cc engine [and 13 inch wheels] = SPL310, this is not what you have. Quote Link to comment
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