Bugeye/Datsun 1.4 exhaust

[Gerard]

Capitalization does not matter in the URL domain name, only in the portion following and (as Rick said) depending on the server/configuration.

geez louise, I was just pointing out that in the URL that was posted (with lower case "w") , that it returns an error, so best to copy and paste a link so the reader does not have to guess why it doesn't work. (commonly referred to as "user friendly")

As a side note, while the guy did very nice work on the car, the notch in the front frame rail is unnecessary. I have done this swap in Morris Minors at least 4 or 5 times without needing to do this. The only reason I can think of why he might have done this is to make room for the heater to that exits the rear of the cylinder head. The way to handle this is to thread and plug the rear tap and relocate it to the front side of cylinder head.

Also, sorting the clutch linkage can be done in a less complicated fashion and I actually convert them to hydraulic and avoid all that fabrication all together. I wish he would have included from which car he sourced the shift boot. That looks pretty nice. In the past, I made a custom gaiter when not using the original.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

To me, it looks like a generic aftermarket shift boot.

 

[Gerard]

To me, it looks like a generic aftermarket shift boot.

He says on the web page it was sourced from a scrapyard, removing several for experimentation. I'm sure they are generic ones that would work if you could find the right base dimensions.

 

[nomad]

Hi Nomad...Great pic.....canyou get a shot of the front cross member? I'd like to see what and where you cut it. My project is moving along.....I have some pics too of the BE on my homemade rotisserie but "I ain't smart 'nuf" to get them on this site. I'll figure it out though--with help from this kid down the street.

DRH, if you look closely just ahead of the engine you will see where I cut the cross member that the steering rack bolts to and that serves as a reenforcement. I simply cut the brace at 45 degrees, moved it forward, and rewelded it. Also welded in fillers on the cut tubes with flange overlapping to add reenforcement. Sorry I didn't resize away from the 35Kb so the picture came out clearer. I had help to try and load and had no luck. I do have a poor internet connection and guess I will have to switch to a antenna pole so that I can get a better connection.

Kurt.

 

[nomad]

DRH: I forgot to mention that I sectioned the oil pan so that it cleared the main frame cross member. Pretty important since the Datsun oil sump for the newer engines is clear at the front. If you can come up with a pan from a 70's B210 the sectioning will be far less and you will be able to keep your oil capacity up. Oil pans are just a sheet metal bucket and pretty easy to modify. Course I had the engine apart for new rings and inserts.

Kurt.

 

[mrsprite]

DRH: I forgot to mention that I sectioned the oil pan so that it cleared the main frame cross member.

Here's a picture of my oil pan.......it too was modified to fit around the stock Spridget lower crossmember. I can't seem to be able to find a good picture of my header, but I'll keep looking.

I've ditched the oil filter set-up.....I found that a Toyota Yaris filter fits in the stock location very well without hitting the crossmember.

 

[58Custom]

Aw this is gettin' ta be a darn good thread!

 

[RickB]

I found that a Toyota Yaris filter fits in the stock location very well without hitting the crossmember.

Oh, so I suppose it also costs less than the lawn mower filter I've been using? (About $13 a pop)
Any particular year of Yaris or are they all the same?

 

[nomad]

Curious about the Yaris filter as well. I've been running the same John Deere lawn mower filter as Rick and since it is so small was planning on fitting a remote filter set up like Mikes (Mr Sprite!). The pan he is showing sectioned on his engine is the same pan fitted to 70's B210's. I like sectioning the pan rather than cutting such a important frame member.

Kurt.

 

[mrsprite]

I've owned my Bugeye for almost 6 years now and have dealt with that oil filter relocation set-up the previous owner installed that entire time. It did a good job and the filter was HUGE, but it was cumbersome when pulling the engine and it leaked and I just hated it. Last September I pulled out the engine to replace the clutch and somehow broke the aluminum adapter for the filter. As luck would have it, I also own a 2010 Yaris and I had just changed the oil in it and still had the old filter sitting on the workbench. It was sort of an epiphany.....I test fit it and it looked great and fit well between the engine & crossmember. I haven't put many miles on it since my little accident a few months ago (the British shop still hasn't started on it!!), so I have no long term test results, so to speak. It is much smaller than what I had in it, but I like the fact that I don't have any leaks.

All US Yaris' (2007-2012) use the same filter (1.5L engine) and they are definitely cheper than $13 apiece!

 

[DRH]

Good pics....Guess I'll take a look at the 1.4 L pan and see about doing this. I really want to keep the heater box and maybe I can.........I'll look at the Yaris filter after the engine is mounted.

 

[DRH]

Gerard...I noticed that the rear head heater port would give me problems in spacing. So I did get a smaller[in depth] brass 90 to 'turn the corner' at the heater box but I'd rather drill out the head in another spot like you suggest. But I'm not quite sure where to drill. Can you be more explicit? Thanks...Don. I sure don't want to reduce/obstruct the h20 flow in cooling the head.

 

[DRH]

Sorry Guys...Another message. I actually e-mailed the blue Morris Fellow to tell him how much I appreciated his time in getting that website together and....he answered back after about 5 days. He seemed pretty chatty. Maybe you could find out about the origin of the shift boot that way.

 

[Gerard]

Gerard...I noticed that the rear head heater port would give me problems in spacing. So I did get a smaller[in depth] brass 90 to 'turn the corner' at the heater box but I'd rather drill out the head in another spot like you suggest. But I'm not quite sure where to drill. Can you be more explicit? Thanks...Don. I sure don't want to reduce/obstruct the h20 flow in cooling the head.

This is an important issue in the Morris because the engine bay is so short. SInce I don't where that lands in a Sprite, I'm not sure how critical it is.

You can see the location in the photo below (brass fitting) by #1 port.

 

[nomad]

The stock Datsun heater fitting doesn't give any problem's as long as you have the 90 degree one.(65 Midget) Some are straight out the back of the head. The biggest problem is finding a heater valve that works convenietly. For now I welded a pipe fitting to the Datsun spigot and am using a hardware store ball valve. I want to fit a in hose valve that can be operated with a cable but can't find one that fits. Got one from a suggestion of someone on this forum but it is for larger hoses. I thought I would hide a cable adjustment under the dash to improve marital bliss! When she says she's cold its not often convenient to stop!

Kurt.

 

[nomad]

Don, remember that the heater valve doesn't have to be upstream of the heater. If I had found the right in hose valve I would have fitted it in the return line for the heater.

Kurt.

 

[DRH]

Gee.....Thanks a lot. I do have the new 90 degree fitting in the head now but I haven't got the engine in the BE bay yet--no motor mounts etc. Soo....I'll have to do that to see if everything fits. If not, I'll drill out for the new location in front of # 1 port. How about the original radiator/heater pipe there in the pic..? Has anyone shortened this and then 'rolled' the pipe for a good hose fitting barb? If so...How did you do it? [Maybe cut out the length wanted and re-weld the end rolled barb?] Thanks guys, this is fun.

 

[DRH]

Is the pipe a pressed fit into the block? Could it be removed and then shortened? DRH

 

[nomad]

Don, if you are talking about the return pipe to the engine for the radiator and heater, I was going to shorten that up but since I needed the return line for the heater I decided to leave it. I believe it is threaded into the block but did'nt want to risk removing it so if I had shortened it I would have cut it off and put a few spots of brazing on the end of the tube to be sure it wouldn't blow the hose off. May do that next time but it is usable as is. I used a MG 1500 radiator flipped over to cool the car so my radiator outlets were crowded to that side anyway. 1500's normally have the radiator extending wider than the normal radiator struts only to the right of the car. Early car has its fresh air intake on the right as you know. Probably look at a different rad setup in the future. Probably aluminum increased capacity but the setup I'm using didn't have any problems with Midget 50 heat last year and those that were there know what that amounted to!!

Kurt.

 

[DRH]

One thing about our desert cars....they cook in the summer. Does the 1500 radiator fit the BE mounts? Out here we often speak of 'two, three, four' core radiators. The more cores the thicker the radiator. Maybe I could have the original BE one re-cored for better cooling. My '59 1275 BE with stock radiator [from chilly England] barely keeps cool, even during our evening drives. I took it up to Camp Verde several summers ago and during the afternoon drive home the temp gauge went up the 80lb mark on the oil gauge. Didn't blow it up though....maybe the gauge is not too accurate. And that was with the heater vents open too. Many times I've limped home in one of my old beaters with the heater on in JULY. I bet I couldn't have started the BE again if I turned it off though.