440k

My cat's breath smells like cat food:nervous: Yeah, Jim, it's all in good humour. That's the problem with these internet forums - sometimes hard to tell whether people are serious or not. I take everything here pretty light hearted - no point getting upset about what's written on the internet. Then there are some people who take the internet far too seriously.

Wise words, young grasshopper. A good set of 14's will look a treat on a 240K. If you want to run slightly bigger brakes, then 15"s should do, although 16's may be needed for uber brakes. You'll get far better handling on a good set of 14" wheels and tyres, than buying the cheapest 35 series tyres you can afford, to stretch over your 18" fulsik chromies. Leave those to the Civic brigade. I plan to run 15's on mine to fit the hilux brakes under the front, although I haven't established whether this will be necessary yet. That's plenty big enough for me

Actually, Lachlan, this guy is into motorbikes, but I don't think he's had the 240K long enough to be the guy. Bloody cheeky I reckon!! If he could only see your car now. Mr Camouflage - I'm keeping :tapemouth :tapemouth :tapemouth about this topic.

[dummy spit] Fine, have it your way. I'm wrong, everyone else is right. There. Is that better? [/dummy spit] I guess I must be one of the Godzilla heads, then. I wasn't aware that they were marketed in Oz as Nissans. Still stand by my comments about them not being well known, where the 240K has been a common sight on Australian roads (although not what you'd call common anymore) Now, to continue hijacking the thread (sorry Tonyasap) The deal on my 240K 2 door fell through. We agreed with a handshake, and I told him I'd get back to him this afternoon - he was more than happy with that. I was buying the car for a friend, who was planning on turning it into a daily driver. When I spoke to my friend, he backed out of the deal. No problem, I thought, I'll let the seller know that he can choose to put it back on the market, or if he wants me to keep my word (which I was more than prepared to so) I'd still buy it at the agreed price, but probably just resell it on ebay, or here, and possibly make money on it (certainly the case if I put it on Ebay). I felt obligated to let him know my intentions, because I don't like the thought of profiteering out of other people. He said he was happy either way, but half way through the discussion, decided to keep it (he'd been in 2 minds about it all along). He'd seen Lachlan's beautiful coupe around the area, and was keen to do the GTR on his own as well. So, Lachlan. Looks like you're responsible for another Datto fan's slow descent into hell:stupid:

Michael - yes, you guys seem to have much better access to the interesting cars over there:( . I know the Princes weren't well known over here, although I have come across the odd one in papers, and probably seen one or 2 on the road (before I knew what they were). I recall growing up in the 80's. many of my high school and uni mates had 240K's (at least 5 of them) and at the time they were boring, family cars with not much going for them (personally, I was into 1600's and gravel roads). It amuses me that these cars, which you couldn't give away in the 80's, are now becoming so scarce and sought after. Good call on the GT4 thing. I suspect a lot of youngsters (and some of us older farts) are learning their motoring expertise from computer games and the internet. I just met a couple of dudes this morning who run a race shop - it's a grungy workshop tucked in the back of labrador, with some nice IP cars in there. They were proud of being "old Skool" mechanics, and were telling me stories about their early days. One of them worked on the Repco program in the late 60's, for Black Jack himself. I could have sat there and listened to these guys for hours. Of course the 240K's new found popularity is a two edged sword. Anyone with a decent example will get better money for it, but those of us with a less than decent example will struggle to get bits for them. Having said all that, I've just this morning bought another nice, straight, original 2 door to add to my collection

As I said, not sold in Australia as Nissans. The Prince Skylines were available here (although in very small numbers). OK - so you say the original GTR was a Nissan - do you really think the average punter is going to know that? My whole point was that the 240K is starting to gain popularity because all of the godzilla heads out there can identify with it as being "the original GTR". 99% of them will hever have seen a C10 Skyline, and aren't likely to, either, so whether they were marketed as a Nissan or Prince really means very little in that argument.

Yes, but those ones weren't sold as Nissans, not here in Oz anyway. They were Prince Skylines. Minor but significant detail. Besides, if you could get your hands on one (GTR or otherwise), it would be worth plenty more than a 240K

Keep it original. Yes, the 240K is becoming more popular (I blame the Skyline GTR phenomenon, and the 240K was the first Nissan Skyline GTR ever made, so all the dorifto kings want one now). Despite their new found popularity, prices haven't done much. If you do build it into a show car, be prepared to lose money hand over fist (as you do with most cars)

Yeh, I'm supposed to go and pick it up from Lachlan, but have been a little slack lately:cheeky: There are a few parts I want off it, but all others will be made available to fellow enthusiasts. I'm just trying to work out the best way to do it - am building a new shed, so should have room to store a few bits. How's your weekend Lachlan? I have Sunday free, so might try and come around to collect it if you're around.

What's the exact process you used for bleeding the brakes? I always get the helper to give it a couple of pumps and hold pressure. Then I crack the bleed nipple (enough to let the fluid run out, yet maintain good pressure in the lines), and let it drain. Before the pedal gets tot he floor, I tighten the nippple again, so that it can't suck air back through the bleed nipple. It is very important to keep pressure in the brake lines, so that you can't suck air back in. Did you do that? Also, make sure the fluid reservoir is always topped up, so it can't suck any air in. Another method I recently heard was to use a large syringe with a rubber hose, and suck the old fluid out through the nipple. Again, keep the fluid topped up in the reservoir. I have never tried this method, so can't comment on it, but it sounds logical. If you've properly bled the brakes, then your back drum shoes probably need adjustment (the new drums may be slightly more worn than the old ones). The back brakes aren't self adjusting, so no matter how much you bleed the brakes, they will always feel spongy. You'll see the adjuster in your picture where the drum is off, at the top of the assembly, where the tops of the brake shoes pivot. This has bolt coming from the back, which has a tapered head on it (between the 2 pistons that locate the upper ends of the brake shoes). This can be screwed in or out to adjust the brake shoes (although it's best to remove all load from it before trying to adjust it, as it will probably be very tight and rusty). This could be the problem.

Haha don't worry Lachlan - we've all made mistakes - some more expensive than others. At least you're having a go - that's more than I can say about many people out there. Considering the age of the car, it might be worth pricing new wheel cylinders. If they're really cheap, probably best to go that way, rather than try to rebuild the old ones. They will be a ba$tard to replace (nothing too difficult - just a pain in the rear) but nothing's impossible. There are a series of interlocking shims that hold the assembly in place (on the back side of the backing plate) that are very fiddly to fit. Just make sure you note the order they come off, and make sure everything's clean, and it should be fairly straight forward (making sure you don't bend them in the process).

Yes, put me down for a set (flares, front and rear spoiler).

Ahem... That's DATSUN to you young'uns 'tis true. I spent a large part of the 90's swapping various Datsun bits into my 1600's to make them go faster. I often marvelled at the interchangeability of so many parts. Smart cookies these Nissan / Datsun engineers.

Great to hear, Lachlan! Sounds like you're enjoying the manual experience. It's only a matter of time before you have the triple 45mm Webers fitted, with fully worked L28 up front. :tapemouth Of course - makes perfect sense now! Why didn't I think of it?? :stupid:Pretty lame of the neighbours to call the cops though. It's not as if you regularly hoon around your neighbourhood. Might be time to get a second muffler (or resonator) fitted, if the cops are going to be keeping an eye on you.

Yep, paint away, Lachlan. As long as it's clean and rust free, you won't have a drama. As far as the rear seal goes, I imagine it's possible, but not as easy as the front seal. With the front one, you can get the seal out pretty easily with the harmonic balancer out of the way. No such luck with the rear one though. my biggest concern with the back one is that once you start trying to remove the seal, you'll damage it and be forced to replace it (ie once you start, there's no truning back).

Just thinking, does anyone know whether this seal can be replaced without having to remove (at least partially) the rear crank bearing cap? I've only ever replaced these seals with the engine stripped. Trying to replace the seal without removing the bearing cap(s) may cause more trouble than it's worth. Just a thought.....

No, it's the seal in the back of the engine block we're talking about. This seals around the crankshaft end spigot (and stops engine oil getting into the bellhousing and onto the clutch - as has happened in the past on the donor car, judging by the thick black sludge inside the bellhousing).

Flywheel, throwout bearing carrier and complete gearbox are coming as a matched set from the donor car, meaning the whole assembly was working together beforehand. As long as the new replacement clutch assembly is the same diameter and height as the one that came out, all should be sweet. I'd ask for specs on the 2 clutches, and use whichever is the heavier clamping force (assuming that the 200SX one bolts up to the flywheel). The clutch and throwout bearing that came out both looked to be in pretty good condition. Still, best to replace them both for peace of mind. Lachlan - for a bit more expertise on all things 240K, give Dave or Nikki a call on 07 5441 6411. They own a auto spares shop, and rally a very fast 240K, so can give you some good advice. Otherwise, call Stewart Wilkins at SSS in Sydney. What he doesn't know about Datsuns hasn't been discovered yet.

You could go to a hydraulics shop and try to get a couple of bungs for the screw nipples in the radiator (i assume that the connections screw into the radiator - didn't have a good look). Baing automotive, they may not be a standard hydraulic thread. Yes, the rear gearbox seal is the one that seals onto the driveshaft (remember the oil started coming out of the gearbox when we pulled the driveshaft out?). If the gearbox has sat for a long time, the seal can harden and start to leak once you start driving the car again.

Yes, it was a good day. Felt good to get back into a bit of serious "mechanic-ing" - been a few years since I've had the opportunity to do much of it. The old car is indeed greasy. some components had over a centimetre of grease / sludge built up on them over the years. Of course a large portion of it ended up on our clothes / hands.:cross-eye As you said, probably not a bad thing that the clutches didn't match up - gives you time to get all the parts properly sorted. On the clutch pedal stopper, you could probably get away without one, but it might make the pedal sit way too high, and give it a lot of play. I had all kinds of trouble in my Magna with the adjustment of the pedal. It had to be exactly spot on, or the clutch felt like crap (more so than normal, anyway) A couple of other things I'd suggest before bolting it all together: -Buy a couple of litres of new gearbox oil (Castrol VMX80 is a good, thin heavy duty gear oil - allows for fast changes without making the box too baulky). After all the hard work, you don't want to put the crappy old oil back in (although I admit it didn't look - or smell - too bad) -As I suggested, buy a rebuild kit for the slave cylinder, as it's totally shot. The bore looked good, and might just need a very light clean with a scouring pad (plastic) or maybe some 1200 grit wet and dry. The rebuild kit will most likely consist of the piston seal and a rubber boot, so should be pretty cheap. - Clean all the clutch and flywheel bolts (maybe degrease them, hit them with a wire brush if necessary to clean the threads up), and hit them with CRC to protect them till you put them back in. This always makes it easier to put things back together. Remember the old adage - cleanliness is next to godliness. - It's worth picking up a new gearbox rear seal. Nothing worse than going through all the hard work only to find that the gearbox leaks oil. Again, easy to do with everything out of the car. Before bolting the gearbox back in, make sure you take the gearbox filler plug out, just to make sure it DOES come out. Nothing worse than trying to fill the box through the shifter hole if the filler bung doesn't come out. If I think of anything else, I'll add it to the list. At this stage, I should be able to come and give you a hand again. Cheers Peter

Challenge fibreglass? They used to quote about $180 for a set IIRC. In any case, yes, put me down as a definite. I spoke to them almost a year ago, and have been "fixin" to order them since them. Also very keen on a rear spoiler - let us know the price and I'll almost certainly buy one of them as well. Cheers Peter

RB26 has a factory rev limit of 8000, and is basically built from race bits. It's in a different league to the 20's, 25's and 30's (RB30 was an Australianised version of the RB, which was only SOHC and had the power delivery of a tractor to satisfy the Australian taxi market). All have extremely tough bottom ends, and are capable of massive power without having to open them up. Kent, A rear cage will give you a little extra rigidity, but won't come anywhere near a full cage. You can strengthen the shell by seam welding the engine bay (wherever there are spot welds, just stitch weld along the join). This is mainly done around the strut towers, and chassis rails. Also a strut brace that ties to the firewall helps to stiffen the engine bay nicely. The engine bay is normally the weakest point in any car.

Hey Lachlan. IMHO, the best thing to do would be to plan to do the conversion on 2 separate weekends. On the first weekend, take out the gearbox, clutch and flywheel to see exactly what you have got. Then you can take the clutch in and check whether the 260Z (or others) will fit. This also lets you inspect the condition of other bits (flywheel, throwout bearing, etc.) and also gives you time to sort everything out before trying to refit it into your car. Once you have everything 100% sorted, then you can plan to refit it all into your car. Looks like I'll be OK for this Saturday, so should be over by 9 or so (unless you want me there earlier) Peter

Kent, have you checked the float and valve seat yet? If these are OK, then what fuel pump are you using? Too much pressure will cause the fuel to blow past the valve and flood the carby.

Hey Lachlan, how's it all going? I'm back in the country now, so glad to give you a hand if you like. I've done a few gearbox swaps in 1600's, so it's pretty similar. I always align my clutches with a vernier, and haven't had a problem getting it all together. For clutches, ring Jim Berry (07 3847 9999) and have a chat. He will build you what you want, for a fraction of the cost of most others (he supplies Rigoli, MRT and others with their "off the shelf" kits). If he doesn't have an off the shelf item, best bet would be to take yours in and he'll rebuild it to whatever spec you need (as opposed to what the fully sik magazines will tell you that you need). Also take in the flywheel, and he'll machine it for you. As Mark said, not really needed (I've never done it) but recommended for longevity and performance of the new clutch. You'll only need a jack, and probably a couple of extra pairs of hands to remove / refit the gearbox (just be aware that the auto is one heavy lump). don't forget to drain the coolant out of your radiator before disconnecting your exhaust (needed to tilt the engine far enough back). On that note, you'll need a new exhaust manifold gasket too (pretty cheap). Hey Mark, welcome to the forums. I gather you'd know Dave Gaines pretty well, then??