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Datsun A15 motor with 5speed tranny in Sprite
- Thread starter stifu
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aeronca65t
Great Pumpkin
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Trevor Jessie
Yoda
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And MrSprite?
RickB
Yoda
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Definitely also ask mrsprite -
Mine is a 78 Midget, it has the Datsun A15 motor and the Datsun 4 speed. I get a lot of power, too much according to the local office of the State Patrol.
Mine has what is affectionately called the "Economy head". This is the small round intake port version.
If you have one that has the larger oval ports then you will be happier from a power standpoint.
Whoever rated these at 69hp should have specified what head they were testing. If you have the oval port and a pair of side draft webber carbs and a build for power you should be looking in the 130+ hp territory.
Either way, coupled with the 5 speed tranny you will be very happy. If you want to have a speedometer be sure to do some research before you begin to install. At least on my 4 speed there is zero room available between the cable connection point and the side of the tunnel. To get a speedo cable in I'd have to cut a hole. I opted for a bike speedo intead.
On mine there was a slight amount of cutting at the front crossmember and the oil filter position was very tight.
It's basically running with a lawn mower oil filter, very short. Replacing it is a bit of a b**ch too.
The thing was patterned after the British 1500 with some added engineering to make it more reliable. (IMHO)
Here are a couple forums that have been helpful to me:
Ratsun Forum (engines)
Datsun 1200 forum (main)
Mine is a 78 Midget, it has the Datsun A15 motor and the Datsun 4 speed. I get a lot of power, too much according to the local office of the State Patrol.
Mine has what is affectionately called the "Economy head". This is the small round intake port version.
If you have one that has the larger oval ports then you will be happier from a power standpoint.
Whoever rated these at 69hp should have specified what head they were testing. If you have the oval port and a pair of side draft webber carbs and a build for power you should be looking in the 130+ hp territory.
Either way, coupled with the 5 speed tranny you will be very happy. If you want to have a speedometer be sure to do some research before you begin to install. At least on my 4 speed there is zero room available between the cable connection point and the side of the tunnel. To get a speedo cable in I'd have to cut a hole. I opted for a bike speedo intead.
On mine there was a slight amount of cutting at the front crossmember and the oil filter position was very tight.
It's basically running with a lawn mower oil filter, very short. Replacing it is a bit of a b**ch too.
The thing was patterned after the British 1500 with some added engineering to make it more reliable. (IMHO)
Here are a couple forums that have been helpful to me:
Ratsun Forum (engines)
Datsun 1200 forum (main)
mrsprite
Jedi Warrior
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Yep.....I've got an A15 with a 5-speed in my Bugeye and I love it! I have the opposite set-up from RickB......mine has an oval port "GX" head and twin 35mm Hitachi SU carbs. It is pretty peppy and still gets good mileage (I average 34-35MPG and have gotten as high as 45 MPG). I can cruise at 80 MPH all day long....even surprised a few people when I passed them doing 100+ on a trip to Vegas! 
The only modification to my chassis was a notch in the front crossmember. All other mods to make it fit were done to the engine itself. The oil pan was modified (notched), it has an oil filter relocation kit (it uses a HUGE oil filter from a Ford truck) and obviously some custon motor mount brackets were added (uses stock Spridget rubber transmission mounts though.....pretty clever of the previous owner).
I will post some pictures shortly......I think you will like the power and reliability of the A15. The fact that parts are cheap and readily available at most parts stores is another plus. If you're a purist, however, then this is not the swap for you. I have nothing against a well built 1275, but for about 1/2 the money you can have the same power (maybe more).
As far as having a British torque curve......I can't say. I have not driven a stock Spridget, so I have no reference point. I do know that mine has no lack of power......I can "peel out" at will and my favorite thing in the world is a 1st to 2nd shift mid corner to let the tail hang out a bit. Vroom!
The only modification to my chassis was a notch in the front crossmember. All other mods to make it fit were done to the engine itself. The oil pan was modified (notched), it has an oil filter relocation kit (it uses a HUGE oil filter from a Ford truck) and obviously some custon motor mount brackets were added (uses stock Spridget rubber transmission mounts though.....pretty clever of the previous owner).
I will post some pictures shortly......I think you will like the power and reliability of the A15. The fact that parts are cheap and readily available at most parts stores is another plus. If you're a purist, however, then this is not the swap for you. I have nothing against a well built 1275, but for about 1/2 the money you can have the same power (maybe more).
As far as having a British torque curve......I can't say. I have not driven a stock Spridget, so I have no reference point. I do know that mine has no lack of power......I can "peel out" at will and my favorite thing in the world is a 1st to 2nd shift mid corner to let the tail hang out a bit. Vroom!
mrsprite
Jedi Warrior
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Here are some pics I took a few months ago when I redid the clutch. The engine and engine bay were filthy (pretty much still are), but this is a daily driver so I'm OK with it.
This is a shot of the notched frame rail.....this is the only thing cut on the original chassis. There is a bracket that bolts into where the frame rail used to be, so very little weakening was done. This notch was necessary for the crank pulley to fit.
This is a shot of the notched frame rail.....this is the only thing cut on the original chassis. There is a bracket that bolts into where the frame rail used to be, so very little weakening was done. This notch was necessary for the crank pulley to fit.
OP
stifu
Freshman Member
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Thank you for your quick and useful replies. Sorry for the delay in answering but I'm sitting on the other side of the big pond. I have not decided yet what engine I will use. In order to pass future inspections here I will have to apply some good camouflage to the whole thing, like grinding away Nissan letters changing colours and I would use SU carbs. Cutting the chassis like you have done Mr. Sprite is a no go. But thanks again, according to your experience the engine itself seems promising. More food for thoughts.
bill_young
Jedi Warrior
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You might be able to justify the steering crossmember modification, the factory did much the same to fit the 1500cc engine in the later Midgets without problem.
OP
stifu
Freshman Member
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I would use the gearbox mount and yoke from rivergate. This way I will be in the right position at the rear. The Dat transmission is about an inch shorter than the BMC unit but the A15 is about 2cm longer than the 1275 that's why rivergate uses a thick plate to go between. I think it should fit with just cutting the oil pan. But there isn't alot of air. The challenge will be to create an engine mount that uses the original holes but clears the oil filter.
OP
stifu
Freshman Member
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I will try hard to create a inlet manifold that takes a single H.I.F 44 SU. That's the way I would want to run the A15. I like these carbs. They are good for low down torque and easy to maintain. No more balancing and two weeks later it's off again. I have one on my 1275 in the Sprite now and also on my Mini. Bad thing there is no manifold to bee had anywhere. Or has anyone an idea?
Morris
Yoda
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OP
stifu
Freshman Member
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Thank you for the link, quite interrsting but going a little bit too far. I ment the real SU carburettors HIF 44 as used on the late Mini and Metros. For RickB: Have you tried an intake manifold from a late 1500 Midget or Spitfire? It has round ports and looks as if it could bee made to fit with a little fiddling or maybe cutting apart and putting it back together with a lenght of tube to fit the distance between the ports. It would mean twin Su's for you. I have not tried it, my A15 head has oval ports. Can anyone tell me were to find a Datsun intake manifold with oval ports as A14/A15 from a F10 or N10?The "level" version of a Front wheel drive. Thanks
I'm new to this forum and the idea of fitting a datsun engine as well as trans has intriqued me for some time. I have a 66 midget with a 210 5 speed and was wondering if this is the same trans as is used behind the b210 which has the A15 engine. The 210, I believe has the A14 engine. The various models are somewhat confuseing. Also was wondering which models of datsun had the A15"GX" engine fitted. Appreciate the help!
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Morris said:
Nice article Morris, I book marked it for future reference. Thanks.
mrsprite
Jedi Warrior
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nomad said:
The 5-speed trans you have in your Midget is the same one used in the B210 with the A15. 1980-'82 210's (they dropped the "B") came with either an A14 or A15 engine, but I believe only the A15's got the 5-speed.
Unfortunately, the US market never got the GX model. It was a JDM/European only thing. You can find the head on eBay from time to time, but they are expensive. There is a great company in Japan that sells a lot of performance stuff for the A-series Datsuns.....they sometimes have used heads for sale. I can't remember their eBay handle right now, but will post it when I find it.
Plan on $400-$500 for the GX head. Then another $100+ for the twin carb manifold and another $600 for rebuilt Hitachi SU's if you go that route......cheaper if you can find good used ones, but they'll likely be worn out.
I'm glad my Bugeye came with all that stuff already. The previous owner built it up in the early 90's when that stuff was cheap. Although I did spend $600+ on new carbs last year.....the old ones were just used up.
Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Thanks for the info Mr Sprite. If my memory serve's me correctly, I have a spare 5 speed that I took out of a 210 that had a 13-something engine rated at 73 horse's. I can't seem to get on rick B's 1200 site but it would be nice if I can find a site that tells exactly what came in what. I'll keep looking. I should probably be asking this forum mainly fittment question's. It sounds like it can be done without too much trouble. Remote oil filter and pan modification don't bother me. Car modification a little more. Wonder if front end would have to be disassembled on a square body to get it in and out? I have 65 midget that I intend on restoring to very nice original except for whats under the hood. I have nothing but respect for the british A series engine but I've been driving Datsun/Nissan cars since the 70's and are fond of there early offering's too. Again, thanks for the help!!
RickB
Yoda
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You're right, Datsun1200 isn't responding - but Ratsun Forums are up.
https://forum.ratsun.net
There is a great WIKI - Unfortunately it is not available when Datsun1200 is down.
I believe that's at https://wiki.Datsun1200.com
I hadn't thought of checking the B intake against the head on my A15 - but I'll take a look. At first thought I just don't see how it would work, but it's worth looking (since I have them parked next to each other)
BTW - usually when I go shopping for anything engine related I tell them it's for a 1980 B210 Deluxe.
https://forum.ratsun.net
There is a great WIKI - Unfortunately it is not available when Datsun1200 is down.
I believe that's at https://wiki.Datsun1200.com
I hadn't thought of checking the B intake against the head on my A15 - but I'll take a look. At first thought I just don't see how it would work, but it's worth looking (since I have them parked next to each other)
BTW - usually when I go shopping for anything engine related I tell them it's for a 1980 B210 Deluxe.
Thanks for the info Rick B. It would be nice to find a site that tells which engine went in which car with which trans and what its hp rating was. Hav'nt found it yet. I swung by a local salvage yard that had a couple 210's just to confirm my memory on those cars today. They, unfortunatly have A14, 1397cc engine's in front of 5 speeds. Both are 80's. I'm not sure I would gain enough performance to make it worth the trouble with the A14 engine. Don't know enough about available performance parts for these cars yet. I have a couple 1275's in need of overhaul and I'm sure the datsuns would need that too. I'm still looking!! Tnx to you and Mr Sprite for the help.