daves cars

[davehoos]

My first nissan-I no longer have.

I worked for a GM-H dealer as a mechanic,in mid 80's they moved the workshops for the other francises owned by the company into several combined workshops.

in 1987 2 X 1985 [WPJ910] CA20S manual BLUEBIRD ULTRA WAGONS arived from storage,it took a few weeks to workout who owned them,they had been parked and forgotten.I missed out on the nicer beige wagon and purchased a metalic green car.It had 17KM on the clock.i payed less than book price.it required master cyl,shock absorbors,tyres,electronic dash cluster parts.I did not complain in time but the door handles and side trims were different on each side of the car-you dont look at both sides at the same time.

.This car was fast.at 6500 RPM in top gear the door frames opened to allow in the light.this tells me it time to slow down.the CA20S is ADR 27C.[97 octane leaded].i have never driven one with this much go BUT the fuel economy was allways 10 km per liter,less than most other customes i spoke to..the mixtures proved correct within specs.i pulled the carby apart and fitted larger air bleeds for the mains and removed the choke plate..i had experience since with the distributor and camshaft on full import type being wrong.it would often require the oil to be changed if doing short trips.

I moved to work in sydney for LANDROVER in 1988.in 1/2 hr run to work in city traffic.it refused to run smooth in taller gears than 3rd.and returned less than 5 km /L.but it would cruise at 180 km +.

I ran into a car in gridlock traffic and due to the car being towed i was charged with neg driving then I lost my liecence due to many speeding fines for 3 months.

I had been planning to fit a leyland P76 4.4[5 liter] V8 with a B/W35 or an adapted L24 5 sp gear box.then the rules changed.a company offered a rover V8 conversion using a ADR27C car engine.i though i add LPG only to get past the rules but to get enough tank size i have to cut the foor and have 2 tanks.this required a full engineers report and the new rules set engine capacity and power at 15% more than original.this was starting to get expensive.i looked at importing a 2 door BLUEBIRD SSS the rules also change to stop imports that competted against local makers.

Streching the rules to the max i decided to get a LD20T it was sold in australia in the vannette truck and the L20B was fitted in the 910 before 1984.i found a jap import engine at a wrecker and purchased a gearbox to fit.with no licence i had time to do the conversion.

the engine was a bad choice.
it was a van engine probably an E23.it has no air intake,the water pipes are set up to run to the top LH front heater outlet is on the left.the clutch was stuffed.The starter-i was lucky and it was the correct type, the steering shaft runs close to the soliniod.the A/C compressor had no chance of fitting.power steer is rare in local built cars.the engine mounts are large wide blocks et wide apart..

gearbox was just wrong.
I just didnt know,it was an 810 SSS type.this had a direct drive top and very close ratio,this was the dog leg shift pattern type.also the starter didnt fit properly both are threaded and both are not made to have the thread removed and a bolt used.the front housing will not fit the regular box and as australian cars normally have a B/W gear box the japanese import is the only way to get the part i need.the gear box was more money than the engine at that time.

the clutch had the same numbers on it as the CA20 i fitted it as a job lot.,i used the original gearbox mounts and gearstick etc.bolted it to the engine and shoved it in.I didnt have to worry about alignment as it uses a CV joint on the front of the tailshaft..

engine mounts-i used a light duty 510 brakets and a chyrsler V8 mount.thin and heavy duty.i had trouble with the sump clearing the crossmember.it when it idled over it hit the crossmember.

i didnt have a L20B radiator so a had water hoses runing over the top and no fan cowl.I had to modify heater hoses and use an australian water temp and oil sender.I also had a surge tank [GM-J car] mounted high on the LH rear,a hose from a steel cluster pipe on the intake manifold and air bleed off the thermostat outlet.
I bought a L20B throttle and shortend to outer housing and used an adjustable cable end clamp at the IP end.a purchased a large racor fuel filter and a got a sock type air filter[it sucked it into the turbo],Exhaust was simple pipe that joined up to the original muffler next to the gearbox.glow plug control was a simple wire held to the fusebox,i latter added a urvan glow timmer.it basically only worked when you cranked it.i needed to fit an electric fuel pump-the ip did not have a primary pump inside.

on the road.
as a city vehicle it was great,returned 13km/l in city traffic.and was quiet.the waistgate was a little noisey.the gearbox was a big problem.first gear was used if starting up hill or crawling traffic, without an overdrive and 3.9 final drive 75 mph was flat out waisting fuel.on hills the relief valve on the intake manifold would blow almost stopping the vehicle you would then crawl up the hill at 40-50 mph.
this did not matter how much load was in the car.i drove a nail into the valve to limit the relief-thats not very cleva. the engine is a lot heavier than the CA20,much heavier than other engines optioned.it needed power steering.

A few weeks after the conversion in 1988 i was travelling to queensland,a german friend was driving when we hit a bridge curbing.it ripped off the front left wheel and sent us into the trees.the passenger seat was sticking out the window.
it was a write off.i tried to buy the wreck.i was suprised when i rang the auction house that they put me on speaker phone and told me that they sold the car several times and it had travelled interstate.

[davehoos]

second project.
rusting away in yard,

waiting for the insurance money i bought a TF185 ag bike to commuted to work with my Learner plates.
[i never did the test as you just got a new permit every year.this was the end of the 80's so they changed all the rules].

i bought a leyland P76 E6[2.6] full LPG.as cheep transport for the 500km trip home each week from sydney..

when i got cash sorted the plan was to buy a 240K[C110] or a 810 200B LPG.the idea was to fit the P76 V8 to these pre emmision vehicles.i didnt find any for sale that was worth the asking price.needing rust or major repairs.

by a stoke of bad luck-holden and ford released new models in the end of 1988.10 years after the last big change.the waiting list for a buick 3.8 powered holden VN was over 6 months then the news of ongoing faults on these new release models become comon.the nissan RB30 [86-89]powered VL increased in price as a used car.I managed to find a cheep VK[84] EFI 3.3 6cyl same colour as a wreck i had.

the engine lasted about 12 months,these are based on the 6cyl chev but use a composite gear.a replacement was about 4-5 weeks wages.a carby transplant from the wreck used lots of oil.

I purchased the running gear from a new RB30ET VL,and a damaged RB20ET engine.the state government stopped the use of jap imports not originally sold in australia.this didnt apply to LPG only powered cars.insurance companies stopped insuring turbo powered cars.

i fitted the driveline,crossmembers,suspension,steering etc,but while scrounging bits i was offered an LD28.I ordered it and waited and waited.a lot off dead LD28 had been exported,some had missing pistons etc,sold as low KM engines.i measured the LD28 and i dont think it would fit.the bonnet slopes off at the front but many experts and new zealand sales indicate it will fit.

to use the car i fitted the CA20S and gearbox from the bluebird.it was the same emission standard.with the RB30ET 3.45:1 axle it was about the same performane as the 3.3 holden carby engine.the idea was to set it up as an easy conversion due to the large numbers of RB30E powered VL with cyl head failure and the cheep CA20 unleaded engines comming from japan and local wrecks.several wreckers supplied CA20P LPG engines to taxi and commercial companies in other states that dont have roadworthy inspecions.

swaping the gearbox internals to the 3.5:1 first gear 720 box fixed the off the lights problems.as the holden used nissan parts it was easy mix and match.I fitted the VL hydrolic clutch the speedo cable etc..i removed the high pressure pump and bolted a CAV sediment bowl in its possition,a low pressure pump inside the swirl pot tank recirculated fuel through the sedimentor and the engine mechanical pump draw it fuel from a low point in the filter and the return conected to the tank return port.bleeding of vapour to reduce starvation.landrover nylon fuel hose imroved hose tidyness..fuel economy was the same as the much lighter bluebird.

I now have a girlfriend.when visiting her parents in central NSW i have a near disaster.at -17 deg cel wind chill in bathurst/orange the carby froze.the engine would only idle without the heater on.on the side of the road i shoved plastic bags to block off the outside air in front of the engine.this caused the brakes to boil on the left front.

the leyland died so i removed the impco gas only carby and fitted it to the CA20.i fitted heat shields and sealed up most of the radiator suport pannel including the top half of the radiator.I used the holden cold air induction but it could be swaped to get hot air,i also fitted electric fans.these rarely worked.I returned 11+km/l on LPG without performance drop.I again lost my licence.

I was checked a few times by RTA and police.the coment whent that this was one of those nissan holden's and no checks occured.i had gone to a lot of trouble to use factory parts.the twin plugs caused most of the confusion.

DIESEL PROJECT BIT START HERE.

Without a licence again i was offered a LD20T.again it was a van engine.
I used the 720 4X4 L18 5 speed gearbox purchased with the motor.at first i used the CA20 engine mounts but over time i found better mounts.i cut off the steel bracket on the front suspension crossmember and rewelded on 50 mm tube cut to the profile so that the engine fitted could slide 6 inches into possition at the correct driveline angle.this allows 4 or 6 cyl.

the engine is much heavier than the nissan and holden 6cyl.I had to use the RB30ET country pack suspension.a muffler shop made a air intake the fits across the front from the turbo and over fan and ip.They weilded my rare 60's holden 186S air cleaner horrizonally cutting of bits to to get it to clear.the idea was that the EFI air box was on the right and i had flexable tube.this never got fitted.i got a donaldson filter to suit a 4 liter turbo isuzu.
and latter a J-car air box that sat in the back of the engine bay.it was quiet.

the australian diesel-kiki A/C compressor DKV 15 looks like a sanden 508.i used the original bracket for the central compressor with long bolts and lots of wahers and put on a tight belt.the visco hub with the holden VL fan blade [Z32]and modified the original cowl.with the CA20 i had a small electric fan.the visco only worked when cold and on very long hills,you could hear it change pitch on gradient changes.almost like the turbo whine.
on a slight rise the turbo would wind up,the waist gate opens making lots of noise a few seconds later the fan roars,it holds for a few seconds then cycles,when you lift off the throttle the turbo noises dissapear then at least 30 seconds for the fan to freewheel.the car was fitted with hyway patrol cold air scoops and home made sump gearbox bash plate.i dont think it would have been good for the a/c. the compressor wasnt that good when i fitted it.laying around full of water.and the evaporator had external equalisation,it was to suit a sanden TR90 spun at high rpm. so its unlikly i had high pressure to cause problems.i never thought about it till now.

glow plugs are controlled by the bulb check part of the GM ignition switch and a timmer that is used turn off the commpressor when kickdown is used on a Z24 NOMAD.the relay inside the timer uses the normally closed contacts,i remove a bit of circuit board and add a piece of wire to get a 15 second timmer.

it worked out about the same cost as a LPG conversion.the running cost didnt change from tank to tank-city use must have been very good on fuel.the car wasnt suited to long the distance runs,300-700km,due to the lack of power at 50-70 MPH you get stuck behind trucks and slow moving traffic.you need to drop back wind it up and slingshot around hoping that oncomming traffic stayed clear..

I never got the car engineered aproved.i got a roadworthy certificate with the old engine numbers,It should have passed so i didnt bother due to laws at the time that if the car was roadworthy it was legal.

from the front it was obvious that is was a diesel.and a trace of soot on the top edge of the boot lid.many didnt guess its origines and just made comments about getting the engine tuned.on a holiday weekend near home the RTA blocked off the pacific hyway,using ramps for the trafic to single file over.they started checking cars i think it wa new models with no inspections and stolen/rebirth/damaged cars that had been joinded to gether...part of the 90's blitz that has destroyed the motor industry in australia.about 200 meters before the stormtroopers a lone inspector diveded the traffic sorting out the handfull of cars that would never pass and sending them by.i have discovered on other occasions that the mechanics running the show being a small comunity look the other way if it no bother..I now have a pernament station that has rarely been used i have to pass by each day.and there is lots of dollars in fining street tuners.

holden fitted a few early comodores with isuzu engines.stillborn project.i saw one in a muffler shop.the owner had been sent there as the engine was noisey.he had no idea his car wasnt normal

several times it made a load whistle noise.i hadnt woried about it as somthing had gone through the turbo and removed the first section of blades.i parkked the car and got out to see mist and vapour comming from the fuel lid.followed by a whisttle.the tank was inflated.but the carbon canister setup of the holden has not got a pressure control valve just an emergency pressure relief in the cap.it should have vented in to the canister,it all checked out fine.

real problem-several injectors had died.the compression was forced into the tank via the spill return line.the million dollar nozzels just happend to be the same as a perkins engine.new replacements cost me $35 for 4.

it all died.
i was going to the USA the drive route 66 and head south to new orleans endine back in LA via sacremento. I removed the head to fix an oil leak while i was away.the head had cracked between the valves.2 cyl had had water damaging the top of the piston.I ordered a replacment but ended up with a 1990 vanette LD20II and a 3speed auto from an 910 LD20T.

the rego ran out by months and getting the car roadworthy to pass RTA pit inspection was too hard for a stressed ME.I bought a $100 P76 6cyl. it used aprox 2 liters of oil a day.150KM. without blowing smoke.the home run often required used spark plugs and a jumper battery.with the seal removed from the radiator cap with a 20 liter drum collected the water,this is then drawn back in through the heater.it was good on fuel and used oil was free.

this is ok for me but wife to be isnt happy.14 hours and 40+ gallons of fuel to travel 700 km was the last straw.a 3000 KM trip was due in the next few weeks to victoria.

[davehoos]

PRODJECT 3 P76
I quickly removed the LD20II and auto i had fitted to the VK.
I cant remember driving it.the holden was originally auto,i had refitted the pedals and selector.the auto is the same length as a 5 speed and uses the same shaft and speedo gear.they use a GM cable end on the speedo cable.the VK was fitted with a electric kickdown GM-trimatic,i simply made the jatco selector arm on the gear box the same length as the trimatic and swaped the rod over to the right side.i welded 2 arms together to get the length and add strength and bent it up over the tail shaft so it was in the same arc as original without too much flex.the ld20 was a manual with a large flywheel.the old auto used a flywheel like the LD28.the newer engine have a spigiot for the flywheel to sit on whille its fitted.i had to cut it off and file flat.not good practise.

I simpley lifted out the motor gearbox out of the leyland.it was a bench seat 3 speed manual 2.6[E6].

i made lots of measurements and it was and easy fit.

It didnt fit.

the LD20II has a rubber drive belt,with oil pump on the crank end.the sump is very different and the oil pick up is at the front.i had to cut a hole in the middle and reposition the engine forward.the engine mounts off a vanette face back the center line is almost at the center of the 3 cyl.the leyland has a simple crossmember curved forward with a TRW rack across the front.engine mount flange is weilded on top at the front of a box section that hold the rack.basically the same as most nissan and holdens.

i then put a section into the sump to fill the hole.I also wielded the engine pipe togeter using a muffler with a strap on top holding it to the rear engine mount boss. a 10 inch long 8 mm plate bolted to the gearbox sat on top of the original mount. a small angle bolted to the rear flanges and welded just to stop any whipping[overkill].

australian cars used similar sorced parts.the local slip yoke used the same unijoints as the leyland.the shaft was short so a mitubishi sigma was used.

i put a tbar shift in temporary,the p76 uses a B/W35,a datsun selector was found and i drilled a hole for the rod to suit.i had to use the nissan selector switch.no kick down.the speedo cable was from a 75 holden with TH 400.the p76 has a 3.89:1 so i fitted the original 19 tooth speedo gear.VDO speedo all using the same turns per KM.

water was simple,top hose was the same,radiator service swaped the lower hose on the radiator to get it on the left side.original V8 fan cowl with the vanette blade noisey type that always sound like its working.these are not the same water pumps and line up in the center. the heater return hose is on the water pump left side no change a 5/8 hose clamped to the strut tower.,the hot pipe is on the right rear-i fitted a nissan steel pipe to the gearbox bolts from a previous van engine to feed it to the left rear.i also fitted a water to oil heat exchanger in the same circuit using it as a hose join.
fuel lines come out the right rear,an original return hose and 2 lenths of supply hoses with a 720 double element filter bolted to the strut tower.i planed to bolt it to the engine.i also had an electric pump as a auto primer.i had planed to fit it and fuel filter under the rear before as it often vapour locked.

the electrics lined up only had to lengthen by joining alt indicator wire .the IP switch oil light starter are in the same positions.the VDO temp sender fitted and the wire put in a piece of tubing with the extra alternator wiring and P cliped it to the timing cover.this is the same p76.
battery is on the left,harness raps around to the front right I had run a larger battery cable through the original harness P clips across the rear engine bay to the starter.the main power comes from here and leyland ran extra cables to the alternator to get a good voltage and earth as a waranty item.these often look thrown in.also relay for the statrer.
I used one of these cables to power the glow plugs of the starter.

air cleaner was the J-car camira box.i replaced it several times with different ideas untill i used the big donaldson bolted to the left strut tower.LD20II air intke is out the rear facing down.one 90 deg rubber hose.2 L28E intake hoses joined to enlarge it to suit the donaldson filter.

first road test is the trip to nyngan then bendigo.it was noisey as at 50 mph.induction noise.extreamly quick of the start but over 50 mph was painfull.often needing a down hill run to get to 60-70 cruise.

the noise was the drive shaft,took a lot of fiddle to get the angles to work.
needed a 2 piece and when it hit the bump stops the shaft touched the floor.i fitted stronger springs and bump stops.

the vibration damaged the gear box,and as a 60mph comuter it didnt work.i removed the 3 speed auto and fitted the 5 speed. fuel use did not change.only the noise.removing the fan added extra power and warmed up the engine to get it smooth.it was also nippy.i then fitted a 4.2 first gear gearbox with a 720 bench seat geat stick.it went up under the dash in top gear.that had a o.8 OD with the 3.89:1 is saw out its life towing fam machinery and boat trailers out of the river

p76 has a simple cable clutch.i worked it out to use a 510 clutch fork and pull off the rear gearbox with a counter lever..i didnt get around to finding an old cabstar for these old parts.so i bolted a mater cylinder to a plate and mounted it in front of the steering rack.i used a urvan gear selector as a pusrod.i bent the rod incase of a crash as it was meter long.

at the local show i started the engine cold,it was rattling a bit and pannels vibratted.i held the rpm up and moved to drive off.the local police blocked off my departure.the conversation was polite.

now i saw you the other day...what was it ..i was in a rush...is this registered...where is the front plate.OK your not going to renew this are you....been a good day today