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Woo hoo! The engine's in!!

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mrsprite

mrsprite

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Finally! I finally got the engine back in my Bugeye today. I should have it running by the weekend, if all goes well. I will post pics when I can.....my hard drive crashed and I am using a borrowed computer right now, so I can't post any pics yet.

I took some good shots of the Datsun A15 engine and what all was done to make it fit without very much cutting (most of the mods to make it fit were performed on the engine, not the chassis). I also have some pictures of the clutch disc that let go and caused this mess. Hopefully someone will find it interesting and useful......I think the Datsun A15 is a great alternative. Parts are cheap, it's reliable and has MUCH more power than the old 948. I know I have seen more than a few Spridgets converted (even found a Midget in a junkyard with an A14 in it), so theer must be something to it.

Anyway....I'm sort of rambling on so I will actually ask a question. Has anyone bought/used the new steering racks that Victoria British sells?? Just curious about the quality and what not. When I pulled my rack out to remove the engine I discovered that the inner tie rods were completely shot. I could just buy new inner tie rods, but the price for their new ones is pretty good ($200). Just need to know if it is worth the cost or if my original rack is a better choice (albeit with new tie rods!).

Thanks,

Mike
 
Mike, just wondering how much power you can get out of an A15, and how do they sound?
 
So that's what was wrong with your clutch!!

Have you made any changes to the motor? Are you running twin SU's on it? I love my A15, and it's got enough power to be scary. I wish I had the 5 speed in there, but I'm not making any changes like that until the clutch dies - which will hopefully be many years down the road.
 
Lukeee said:
Mike, just wondering how much power you can get out of an A15, and how do they sound?
Click to expand...

I don't know why this question tickles me so - it just seems like the perfect LBC question - not really "how does it run?" but "How does it sound?" priceless! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif
 
A15 stock 69 HP.
 
Hey all,

As far as the sound goes.....I have to admit, it doesn't sound nearly as cool as an original A series, but I have an exhaust on it that makes some noise! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Powerwise, mine is healthier than a stock engine. I have the twin SU carbs, a GX head and some headers. I will get it dyno'd after I get it running again. I believe it is in the 90 HP range (maybe close to 100), but until I get it dyno'd that is only speculation. The PO rebuilt the engine back in the early 90's (was installed in 1994) and I am not exactly sure what all was done to it besides the GX head....it may have a mild cam in there as well, I just don't know. I do know that it is pretty peppy. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Rick, I blew out every single spring on the clutch disc! The PO used the stock 7/8" Spridget master cylinder with the stock Datsun 13/16" slave cylinder. (FYI.....the Datsun has a 5/8" master cyl.) I am getting too much throw at the slave and that eventually lead to the clutch's failure. I plan on replacing the master with a 3/4" soon as well as getting a 7/8" slave from Rivergate. That should (hopefully) get things back in balance.

You are correct.....it has enough power to be scary, but not to the point of constant white knuckle driving. I can do the occasional powerslide and "peel out" at will, but the stock Spridget rear end limits that fun (I've already broken four axles and one diff!). The next project will be an upgraded rear end.....maybe a modified RX-7 set-up.

Oh yeah.....Rick, what transmission are you using? If it's the Datsun 4-speed then you can swap trannies without swapping clutches.....they are the same. Just wondering.

So.....does anyone have any thoughts on the steering racks from VB???
 
Hi Mike,

As to your question about the rack... I'm not sure if it's the one that you're alluding to, but either VB or Moss sells a budget steering rack. It lacks most of the original's grease points, and there were other differences... I'll look for the thread, but it's been discussed on here before.
 
Thanks for the info. I might just pass on this rack....it sounds like it might not be such a good deal afterall. I'll just replace the tie rods on mine and go from there.

As it is, it looks like things are on hold again. I hooked up the slave cylinder today and found out that the clutch action is almost non-existent. It's weird......there is quite a bit of "slack" or free play before you hit any resistance when pressing in on the clutch pedal.....the slave push rod moves normally and will extend further once you hit this resistance, but it literally feels like I am pressing the brake pedal. It is hard as a rock opnce the slack is taken up. There is no normal clutch feel to it at all. I'm not at the point where I can start up the car to see if the clutch engages/disengages properly and I don't really want to go any further with the reassembly until I can figure this out (just in case I have to remove the engine again).

I've adjusted the slave and the master and both are good. I've rebled the clutch line (although I never disconnected the hose) and I get good fluid from it. I'm at a loss. Is it possible that I screwed something up when I put the new clutch in? I'm using a Centerforce clutch....not sure if that means anything, but maybe they run a lot stiffer than stock? Maybe I've gotten so use to the soft clutch feel on my Suzuki Swift GT that it is exactly as it was before (it was always a stiff clutch pedal) and I'm just being stupid about this....who knows?

I'll take another look at it in the morning.
 
I hate to say this but this sounds like the very classic "clutch disk in backwards syndrome".
Don't assume that this is correct until you have verified everything that you can but it is a possibility.
Sorry
Bill
 
Engine in, engine out, do the round about, Yea yea yea.

Bummer, been there done that. In fact need to pull mine now.
 
Billm said:
I hate to say this but this sounds like the very classic "clutch disk in backwards syndrome".
Don't assume that this is correct until you have verified everything that you can but it is a possibility.
Sorry
Bill
Click to expand...

Yeah.....I was thinking that too, but was hoping against it. I have no idea how I could have done that backwards though......it says right on the thing "flywheel side". I even remember checking it out before I installed it too.....I don't remember double or triple checking though.

Luckily I haven't gotten too far with reassembly and pulling the engine back out is a 30 minute job at most.

I'll let you guys know how it goes! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Well......I pulled the engine out and removed the tranny. Everything was as it should be, so it is probably the slave cylinder. The clutch was always very stiff and had little movement, but it felt a lot different than it does now.

Bad news is I broke a bolt off in the flywheel (one that holds PP to flywheel)....got a little too crazy tightening it down, I guess. Once I get that fixed I'll install it all again and get everything hooked up enough to start it up and will test the clutch out then. Hopefully I can get to it this weekend and still have it running by Monday.
 
Mike...it's amazing out how fast one can get after repetition....after 6 attempts on pulling a water pump due to continued overheating problems this spring I was ready to submit my speed to the Guinness book of records...good luck hope this is your last round this weekend!!!
 
OK....the engine is still not reinstalled. I want to figure out what is going on before I do that again (even though is is a simple operation now /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif ). I have done clutches on other cars, although it has been a few years, and this may or may not prove to be anything, but when I was tightening down the 6 bolts that hold the pressure plate to the flywheel the springs (i.e fingers where TO bearing presses) started to flatten themselves out. I honestly can't remember how my other cars were, but that didn't look right to me. Once the PP is completely tightened the fingers look almost flat. Is that why it feels like I am hitting a brick wall with the pedal? Since there is no more (or very little) play left in the springs there is nothing to push against (no more "spring" in the springs). I hope that made sense.

I am still waiting for Gateway to send me a new hard drive, so I can't post pictures yet, but does anyone have any insight? Is it normal for the fingers on the pressure plate to flatten out as the bolts are tightened? Am I just being paranoid? I plan on calling Centerforce on Monday to find out what they think, but until then I'd like some input from anyone else who might be able to sped some light here.


Thanks.
 
Yep, they will flaten as I remember. Still some room for movement though, look close.
 
jlaird said:
Yep, they will flaten as I remember. Still some room for movement though, look close.
Click to expand...

OK.....thanks. I feel much better now. I will go ahead and reassemble everything and install it once more and get her running. It must just be a stiffer clutch than the one I replaced. Like I said, the clutch pedal always felt stiff, so maybe now it is just a little stiffer. I still plan on changing to a 3/4" master and a 7/8" slave, so maybe that'll soften it up a bit from where it's at now.


Back to the garage! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Alrighty then.....I got the engine back in last night and today I hooked up enough stuff to test fire it. She started up after the third or fourth try (it *has* sat for nearly 4 months) and no leaks! I couldn't let it run too long since I didn't fill up the radiator, but I did let it run long enough to test the clutch. It works! I still don't like how little the pedal moves, but it engages and disengages perfectly. All in all I can't complain too much

The only pressing issue is the steering rack.....I need to sort that out before I can permanently mount the radiator and finish connecting all of the small stuff so I can actually drive it.

I still haven't gotten my new hard drive yet, but once I do I promise to post pictures.
 
All right, the excitement builds.
 
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