Conley Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Hey guys! I have the opportunity to get a beat up 200SX with an L20B and 5 speed, S10 chassis. I want to pick it up, rebuild the engine, and swap the drivetrain into my 75 4 speed B coupe. I have been researching the details, on here and datsun1200. It seems like the s10 200SX is the best donor car to use, luckily. I've read the swap into the B210 is slightly easier than the 1200, and there seems to be more B210 love over here. So, I wanted to ask anyone with experience with this swap to please help me with some questions, clear up some confusion. Also hilarious that a swap thread was juuuust started. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Got to post questions to get them answered. PL510 crossmember bolts right in to the B210. L20B will fit on there perfectly with the 510's oil pan. Sell the rear end from the 200sx to fund your project. Nothing else needed. 3 Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Except, time, money, a tiny bit of skill, and will power to see it through. 1 Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 There is that. Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Good feedback, nonetheless. 1 Quote Link to comment
Conley Posted December 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Thanks for the responses. I didn't put the questions yet, I am good at typing up a novel of a post, was trying to keep it a readable length hah. The PL510 crossmember and oil pan is what I was hoping to workaround, I can't imagine those are common parts to find. I had actually thought the B210 and 200SX were both front sump, not true? Any way to modify B crossmember or mounts to fit? Or the 200SX unit? I've had nightmares in the past trying to find unicorn parts. I do have two places to ask locally though. Will the stock driveline bolt up to the stumpy dogleg L series 5 speed? It seems the consensus is that the h150 is sturdy enough to handle the L20 torque. If so I may keep the 200SX diff on hand for the future, or sell it if I find a buyer. As for the money, it's doable, at least there's no pricey engine management needed. I'm in the middle of another cross chassis swap so I have some idea of what's ahead. Have the tools as well. Time and willpower... thas why the other swaps not done yet! XD Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 510 cross member shouldnt be terribly difficult to get your hands on. Especially given your location. Way less work than making the A member work. I'd rather undo 4 bolts than cut, weld, measure multiple times until it fits. The 200sx trans is the same length as any that were in the B. May need to fab a mount. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Measure the A10's H-165 rear axle WMS to WMS (wheel mounting surface) If very close to the B-210 for width swap it in for added strength, and surely, a larger brake shoe and drum. The PL510 crossmember and oil pan is what I was hoping to workaround, I can't imagine those are common parts to find. I had actually thought the B210 and 200SX were both front sump, not true? Any way to modify B crossmember or mounts to fit? Or the 200SX unit? I've had nightmares in the past trying to find unicorn parts. I do have two places to ask locally though. Oil pan would be easy enough as the 510's L16 is often swapped. Cross member? Usually sectioned, flipped, welded and reused again for KA/SR swaps. You have an S10 X member for the L series engine mount... mounts. Section the B-210 X member to fit an S10 L20B oil pan and weld the mounts onto it. Will the stock driveline bolt up to the stumpy dogleg L series 5 speed? It seems the consensus is that the h150 is sturdy enough to handle the L20 torque. If so I may keep the 200SX diff on hand for the future, or sell it if I find a buyer. All I can say for sure is that the S10 5 speed is 26" long. Measure your B-210's 4 speed. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Diff housing won't work. The B is leaf springs. Direct swap for A10s or B310s. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 B-210, S10 are both leaf spring gato.... Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Ah. Well, fuck you guys. I'm going home. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Nooooo!! it's still early and I wanna play..... Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Laptop is on the charger. Maybe in a little bit. Plano gato hasn't felt too feisty lately. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Gato-nip???? Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 Careful now. President draker may take it upon himself to gif dump this shit pot. 1 Quote Link to comment
Conley Posted December 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 Thanks for the replies fellas. I was hoping I had both options open, though it would be great to keep it as bolt on as possible Datzenmike, Is the PL510 a mid sump pan? And to make sure I understand clearly, the PL510 xmember is usually modified and retained on the 510 for the 510 SR/KA swap? Meaning it would be hard to find a spare xmember? Sounds like I will look for the 510 crossmember+pan, while I am working on my other project (CA18DET Pulsar NX) before I start this one. If I can't find the PL510 xmember, I will modify the B210 xmember and add the S10 mounts. I have 280zx struts+brakes to help with the extra weight (not modified yet) As for the diff, I will measure them once I have the car and decide then. Guess I will have to find some 510 guys too! Thanks friends. All of your advice is much appreciated. Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 Classified ad to assist in your search. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 Classifieds ad under suspension and see if anyone has one... http://community.ratsun.net/classifieds/category/6-suspension/?sort_key=date_added&sort_order=desc It's common to remove and modify the 510 cross member to fit the KA and SR engine oil pans.... like here... http://community.ratsun.net/topic/22183-flipping-reversing-510-crossmember/ This means there are not a lot of the stock 510 cross members being thrown away. Jefe- TyZerow- bring it down when your ready..will work for food Jesse- that would've been sweet. Youll see how i kept it square in the pics.Dennis- the owner will be modifying the stock 510 mounts.Ok got busy today, took only 3 hours & bam !as it looks stock, imagine looking down into the engine bay......carefully marked lines. the upright ones must be straight up & down..before i cut i welded a bar to keep it all square. I used a cut off wheel on my grinder...& slid into it's new position...welded in place...at this point i cut off the brace. For looks & strength we decided to cap the ends of the mounts...this lip must be removed so it doesnt interfere with the steering linkage...prepped for primer / paint...3 coats of gloss black.......Ill include pics of the modd'd motor mounts soon. I may be making that part as well. Here's another variant. All you need to do is modify the center to clear the new oil pan and the existing steering. You must make a jig to hold it so when welded back up the geometry isn't skewed. Quote Link to comment
Draker Posted December 13, 2015 Report Share Posted December 13, 2015 Careful now. President draker may take it upon himself to gif dump this shit pot. Naw, only if it's tightly circling the drain. And I'm still only a candidate. Quote Link to comment
Conley Posted December 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2015 Thank you Datzenmike! That is very helpful, that thread is very clear and that is a beaut of a x member. I got the car today. A brown 79 200SX, with a dogleg 5 speed. 79352 miles. I was surprised to see the info plate on the firewall says 110 hp. I was expecting it to say 92. Was there an HO option? I know the trucks had 110 hp but thought the cars only had 92. Came with a bunch of random extra parts, and 3 AR slot mag style wheels, surprisingly light! Might plastidip two black and put em on the rear of the B210 till I buy a full set of wheels. Pics to follow. Quote Link to comment
Conley Posted December 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2015 She wasn't the prettiest car to begin with, and it's brown, and the quarter is all crashed up. Also cats were living inside. I think it's a great donor car! Quote Link to comment
B2Fresh Posted December 14, 2015 Report Share Posted December 14, 2015 I would say it would be a good donor car.. Quote Link to comment
Conley Posted December 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2015 Today I attempted to swap the cool center console from the 200SX (has a little armrest/storage compartment and a bitching Datsun clock) into the B210, but the 200SX console is too big and will need to be cut to fit the seatbelts and to keep from hitting my big ol feet near the gas pedal. Also none of the brackets line up so I will make some sheetmetal adapters at some point. I really want to use this clock haha. Its not in the picture though. However I did swap the shifter bushing and body shifter boot (under the console shifter boot) from the 200SX, so my shifter feel has improved substantially. It would vibrate loudly in 3rd and 4th before. Not anymore! Sadly I won't get much done on this swap, aside from stripping the 200SX down and getting rid of the body (miss my garage space) until I get my Pulsar finished. I have lots more money to spend on that and I think it would be foolish to do both simultaneously, financially and logistically. I didn't want to miss out on this drivetrain! Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted December 16, 2015 Report Share Posted December 16, 2015 Looks like the same clock as the 710. Quote Link to comment
Conley Posted December 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 My B has a Grant steering wheel, and the 200 came with a Datsun wheel, but no horn pad :blush: Does anyone know if the buttons are interchangeable between late 70s models? If I find a round one for a Z on ebay that looks right, will it fit? Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.