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Yeah.....I saw the on e on eBay and ws ready to buy it, but as Rick said.....I don't think it will work in my A15.

I have checked out the 1200 forum, but have not asked the question yet. I just searched for cams and got a few threads related to it. I'm sure there is one floating around somewhere. I'll post over there after work (Sunday morning).
 
Mike- question-
Last year I bought a Datsun210 for the 5-speed and trashed the car. I gave the engine to a guy down the street who is just storing it pending a use. The rebuilt engine only had about 1000 miles on it when it was wrecked. Do you want for me to check if he still has it and you can have it for the cost of shipping?
Bill
 
Billm said:
Mike- question-
Last year I bought a Datsun210 for the 5-speed and trashed the car. I gave the engine to a guy down the street who is just storing it pending a use. The rebuilt engine only had about 1000 miles on it when it was wrecked. Do you want for me to check if he still has it and you can have it for the cost of shipping?
Bill
Click to expand...

Bill,

In a word......YES! That would be great. I was thinking about finding another running engine instead of fixing mine. Please let me know what you find out and what shipping would be to ZIP 80601.

Thanks!!
 
Bill,

What year was that 210? Do you remember the engine size (A15, A14, etc.)? Is is a complete engine, longblock or shortblock? LMK on shipping to 80601 as well as depot to depot. I work in Denver, so picking it up there is no big deal. Also, my brother is a truck driver who occasionally goes up to Washington, so he might be able to pick it up for me (assuming there is a way to get it inside the truck). Lot's of options! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif


Thanks again for the offer and LMK what you find out.


Mike
 
Mike
It is an A-15 (complete except for flywheel). Don't remember year. I will check on engine/shipping tonight and get back to you.
Bill
 
Well, the engine that Bill mentioned was already gone. His buddy gave it away a while ago. No biggie.....thanks for trying to help me Bill, I really do appreciate it.

Now it seems I am trying to do the impossible......replace the camshaft in a Datsun A15 while the engine is still in the car (the book says to remove the engine). I have swapped out cams this way in other cars and it worked well. I know that this isn't the "proper" way and that I should replace bearings and whatnot as well, but I am on a tight budget and just want the thing driveable so I can enjoy what is left if the summer. I will rebuild the engine over the winter.

I went to the junkyard and grabbed the oil pump and cam from that '81 210 (yeah, I know.....should get new stuff, but again, will rebuild this winter). I plan on just simply swapping the two out. I spent the better part of the day disassembling my engine enough to get the cam out as well as the oil pan. The oil pan proved difficult due to the tight space, but I got it out and cleaned out all of the metal bits too.

My question concerns the camshaft and the tappets. 6 out of the 8 tappets fell into the pan when I pulled out the cam. Evidently, they only go in one way and that is from the bottom up. So, how in the world do I keep the tappets in place while reinstalling the "new" camshaft?? Any ideas? I have never dealt with tappets before....just lifters and they were easy to remove/reinstall.

Please help.....I am determined to get her running by Saturday so I can go to teh big British car show on Sunday.


Thanks.
 
before I redid some of my engine rebuild, I used Lucas oil stabilizer - it promotes itself as Assembly Lube. It's very sticky and might hold them in place long enough - petroleum jelly (vaseline) too?
 
Hmmm.....I do remember using some of that Lucas stuff before. It is very sticky and just might do the trick. Thanks.....I think I'll give that a shot!

I know it won't take much.....I just need something to hold them on place long enough to slide the cam in.


Thanks again.
 
Can you get to the lifters from above? Where the pushrod fits? If so, do you have room to use a magnet (like an extension probe magnet) fitted to each lifter, starting from the front, as you push the cam in? Or maybe more than one magnet?
 
It can be done, but you'll need 8 magnets and some spring clothes pins. Pull the lifter into the bore and clip the clothes pin on the shaft of the magnet to hold it in place.
It's a lot easier to do with the engine out, and upside down.
This information is based on doing a 1275. I've never worked on the Datsun engine.
Jeff
 
I have 2 magnets, but they were all but useless.....I may see about buying some more. Other people have suggested using grease to keep them in their bores long enough to slide the cam in. I'll experiment with the grease before I go out and buy some magnets

Yeah....upside down would be nice, but that ain't happening! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif The Datsun engine is based on the LBC
a-series engine, so very similar in design.

We'll see how it goes today. My goal is just to get it running and driveable for a cheap as possible. I plan on a full rebuild of this engine over the winter, but want to enjoy the last of the nice weather first. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
I don't see how you're going to do it with only 2 magnets. After you get the cam in that far, and release the magnets, those two lifters are going to drop in the path of the next lobe of the cam. All eight of them need to be completely up to get the cam installed.
Jeff
 
When I said the magnets were useless, I meant they weren't strong enough to hold the tappets up. You are correct though.....2 are not enough to do the job. I wound up using some grease to hold them in place so I could slide in the new cam.

I am proud of myself. I left at 9am to head for the junkyard and spent a little over an hour there removing the engine from the junked 210 and then removing the cam from the engine. I got home and ate lunch and started actually working on my car around 1pm. By the time I called it quits for the night (around 7pm), I had almost everything back together and even fired her up. I had the distributor off by a tooth, but once I fixed that it fired right up and.......it had oil pressure!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I still need to install the radiator and fill it with fluid. Then I need to adjust the valves and button up a few other minor things and it should be finished, well......driveable at least. I'm not sure if or when it'll ever be finished.
 
hurray - congrats
 
Billm said:
It IS GREAT to hear VAROOM!!!!
Bill
Click to expand...

Yes it is!! I adjusted the valves today, so no more "clackity-clack" noises. It was surprisingly easy to adjust these valves. I am so used to adjusting hydraulic lifters (what a PITA) that these were just too easy to believe. Anyway, I drove it around the block and it is as peppy as ever.....I can't wait to get her back on the road for good. I had one slight oil leak where the oil filter relocator attaches.....the place I need to go to get a new O-ring isn't opened on Sunday, so it will have to wait until tomorrow. After I get that taken care of it's just a matter of reattaching the hood and some electrical connections as wel as getting a good alignment (and maybe teak the carbs a bit too) and this whole ordeal will be done.

Can't wait! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Bugeye58 said:
So, what kind of oil pressure do you have??
Jeff
Click to expand...


I still don't have the radiator installed, so I didn't let it run very long, but according to the gauge it was around 50 psi at idle. I need to get it all back together and let it get up to temperature before I can get a better figure (or at least a more accurate reading with hot oil).
 
50 cold idle will be about 35 hot idle, you are good to go.

With a break in should be about 30 ish, outstanding number.
 
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