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Another fun package arrived today.

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drooartz

drooartz

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My Datsun 5-speed arrived today! It looks to be in good shape, though it is missing the shifter and clutch bits (I knew that, and it was priced accordingly). Have to source those bits, and decide on which conversion kit to use. Probably won't get to it this year, but at least I've got it handy now.

I've got 1 car, but 3 transmissions now. I guess I'm really hooked now...
 

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Where did you get the Datsun transmission? It looks to be restored or at least close to new.
 
A chap on spritespot.com had it up for sale. Came as a spare when he bought his Spridget. From the outside, at least, it looks to be in really good shape.
 
At least it is clean, that's a start.
 
It's probably the only part I have that is clean! Lots of greasy bits around here.
 
If you decide to go with the Rivergate conversion you will need to do some grinding on the case. Maybe even cut a hole in it if you don't want to change the starter to a gear drive. I can send you notes on where to trim from my instructions. Preparing the case would be a nice winter project....
 
Still haven't decided which conversion I want to use. I really need to get an email in to both places (Morris Service and Rivergate) and get a little more info.
 
I'm a very happy customer of Rivergate. Other than cutting the hole in the tranny for the starter, it was all good. I've had mine in for about 5 yrs and had no problems. Taking it out for my new motor I had Kent check the disc and it had very little wear.
 
Drew, before you cut the tranny think about putting a pre-engaged starter in from a '89 2.6L Isuzu Trooper II. This is a modern starter and doesn't require the hole in the tranny for the starter gear. I've bought them at the junk yard and they work great. If you need details I can put something together.
 
I like that idea, Chris. Don't really want to cut the transmission if I can avoid it, and it's not like the original starter is all that stupendous.

Do you have a part number handy, or is that year/make/model all I'll need? I assume I'd need to swap over to negative ground?
 
It is a motor, it does not care how you hook it up.
 
It can matter -- we had an old tractor at the camp I worked at (cool old International Harvester), and replaced the starter once. Spun the motor backwards, inhaled through the exhaust pipe. Turns out tractor was positive ground, starter was negative.
 
You don't need to cut the case if you use a gear-reduction starter either.
 
No, you hooked it up wrong, just remember which is hot and which is ground.
 
I'm probably going to do a modern starter, don't want to cut the case if at all possible.

On the + - ground issue, aren't our starters 1-wire, ground through the case? I don't remember a separate ground on the starter. I don't doubt you, Jack, just trying to figure out how you would switch the ground/hot connection.

That tractor thing was years ago (I was 16). Fun to drive, though. Smarter minds than me figured it out.
 
Think about this if ground was hot it would be through the case.

Makes no difference guys, Try it, the only thing on a Bugeye that needs changing to go from pos ground to neg ground is to do the generator.

Miss Agatha is neg ground and starts just fine.
 
And as I have mentioned before, the fuel guage!! And if you have an electric tach...

bulbs and windings go from hot to ground, regardless of pos. or neg.
 
I guess it's a motor then that doesn't care which way the electricity flows. I seem to remember here reading that some motors (like the wipers) turn the same way regardless. Learn something new every day... /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
I just did a pos-earth to neg-earth conversion a couple of weeks ago, and DID NOT have to do anything to the starter motor.

And yes, I DID have to switch the fuel gauge.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif By the way, we're owners of British cars, so let's use the antique British terminology here:- positive EARTH not postive GROUND /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif
 
Ahh Hummm, was working on getting the message out. Sorry.
 
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