Steve's 260z 2+2

[Nexussteve]

Next, I turned my attention to parts again. Starting with the radiator, which didn't look too healthy from the inside!

So out with the old!

Due to the horrible lower control arm pin problem we all know so well, I decided to do away with them and get some uprated ones. While I was at it, I figured I'd get all my suspension and brake upgrades from the same place!
Sooo.... I went to T3.
Now, I knew it was going to be a bit of a ball-ache ordering stuff from the states, but these guys really are the slowest company I have ever dealt with.
From payment (8th of June) I have only just received the items yesterday!!! (3rd September) Almost 3 months! They didn't contact me ONCE in this time to say it was going to be late - which really was my only issue!
After I had finally contacted them to find out what was going on, they said that they were really busy with (insert names here)'s project cars and they've run out of my parts!! Why should I care about any other car, but my own!! Am I supposed to know these people and care how important they are?? I had just spent almost $6K with these guys and they are treating me like a second-class customer!
Then, when I finally get the parts, they haven't been wrapped properly or checked before dispatch and therefore I have parts that have cosmetic damage! Not what you want to see after spending that money!

Needless to say - NOT a happy bunny!

ANYWAYS, rant over. This being said, the build quality of the parts that FINALLY came, really are great and I'm, very pleased with that aspect of it. Should parts of this quality become available in the UK, I'd recommend anyone to go there instead, but unfortunately T3 seem to be the only suppliers (and they obviously know it!!)

 

[Nexussteve]

Engine next!
Started the strip down and clean on the engine. Going to try and rebuild this myself. I have the classic: "How to rebuild your Nissan & Datsun OHC engine" to help me through!

Engine seems pretty well looked-after. All bolts seemed torqued correctly. All gaskets I've removed so far have been cork or paper. Am I right in assuming these are original or are the modern aftermarket ones still cork?
Thermostat housing (bottom half) has completely gone, so will have to replace this. Any idea on the best place to find this?
Started to clean parts with soda - cleaning up quite well!

Now it's just affording the re-bore, new parts and headwork! :/

 

[jonbills]

Good work. You can get some cork gaskets still, but they're not very good. There are good fibre gaskets available for cam cover and sump from Mr F. Not sure where else you'd find a cork gasket on this engine.

 

[Nexussteve]

Good work. You can get some cork gaskets still, but they're not very good. There are good fibre gaskets available for cam cover and sump from Mr F. Not sure where else you'd find a cork gasket on this engine.

Thanks for the info! Yeah, I'd rather not use cork if I can help it!

 

[Farmer42]

It's very unlikely that you will need a full re-bore unless you are converting from 2.6L to a 2.8L. If the bores and crank journals are ok (no scoring etc.) you should be able to get away with honing and a new set of Rings and bearing shells. If you do re-bore, you will need to factor in pistons etc.

I have nearly finished rebuilding a L26 and so far it has cost me in the region of £800 without any major block work. I got a full head and block gasket set from Mr F together with a timing chain kit and clutch kit for about £500. All the gaskets you will need are in there but I would recommend replacing the core plugs.

I had work done on the cylinder head which cost around £260 but the valve guides and seats were ok so it was only minor seat cutting. The big cost on a cylinder head will be a cam kit if you need it. Mine was ok which was a relief.

I had the same problem as you where the thermostat housing together with a few other ancillary pipe flanges had turned to dust. Not easy to get hold of those but at least I can swap them from another engine.

Good luck

 

[Nexussteve]

Thanks. Iam boring to a 2.8. Will probably go down the high-lift cam route too. Glad you gave some rough costs too. Gives me an idea!

 

[toopy]

Thermostat housing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Datsun-Ho...748366?hash=item1eb66f068e:g:x6sAAOSwTapV6GW-

 

[Nexussteve]

Thanks Toopy!

 

[richiep]

It's very unlikely that you will need a full re-bore unless you are converting from 2.6L to a 2.8L. If the bores and crank journals are ok (no scoring etc.) you should be able to get away with honing and a new set of Rings and bearing shells. If you do re-bore, you will need to factor in pistons etc.

If you are going to the trouble of a rebuild then you should include having the crank professionally checked for straightness, balance, journal measurements and journals polished as a matter of course. Replace any and all bearings with new. These are the kind of things that will bite you on the a$$ if you don't address when you have the opportunity.

 

[Nexussteve]

If you are going to the trouble of a rebuild then you should include having the crank professionally checked for straightness, balance, journal measurements and journals polished as a matter of course. Replace any and all bearings with new. These are the kind of things that will bite you on the a$$ if you don't address when you have the opportunity.

Definitely going to be thorough! Only want to be doing this once!!
May be getting Fourways to do the bottom end, but haven't decided yet.

 

[jonbills]

If you do it yourself, you can get the rebuild for maybe £500 (if there are no problems with Pistons or crank etc). If you pay someone else to rebuild the bottom end and give a warranty I think you'll be looking at a couple of grand min. And Fourways I'm sure are not at the cheap end of that market.

 

[Nexussteve]

If you do it yourself, you can get the rebuild for maybe £500 (if there are no problems with Pistons or crank etc). If you pay someone else to rebuild the bottom end and give a warranty I think you'll be looking at a couple of grand min. And Fourways I'm sure are not at the cheap end of that market.

Wow, as much as that?
Looks like I may be doing it myself then!

 

[richiep]

Wow, as much as that?
Looks like I may be doing it myself then!

Indeed. Fourways will most certainly not be cheap. At all. They are a SE-based specialist who are obviously going to be premium rate.

This is where I would recommend putting feelers out and getting an idea of what good engine builders/machine shops there are in your area that could handle key aspects (such as crank balancing/polishing, block cleaning and honing etc.).

Having pulled several of these engines apart now and recently cleaned and rebuilt the head in my car, I'm a believer that they are simple enough for DIY building to be reasonable, as long as you are strictly methodical, work cleanly, do all the research, have the tools, have some connections/knowledge base to fall back on and help if required, and outsource the critical machine work to trusted parties. I tend to be OCD about some stuff, so I think my personality might be pretty suited to engine work!

 

[Farmer42]

If you do it yourself, you can get the rebuild for maybe £500 (if there are no problems with Pistons or crank etc). If you pay someone else to rebuild the bottom end and give a warranty I think you'll be looking at a couple of grand min. And Fourways I'm sure are not at the cheap end of that market.

That's just for the bottom end. You will need to factor in costs to refurbish the head such as skimming, porting or valve & seat cutting valve guides possibly and also the cam kit which alone will cost upwards of £800. Then there is the possibility of new water pump, oil pump and timing chain kit plus labour to do it all.

You still need to factor in Head costs if you do it yourself and on top of that, you will need various tools like valve spring compressor, piston ring compressor etc.

The bonus is that apart from the machining, it is relatively simple to do a full rebuild yourself as I have found out. Yes, there will be hiccups but there is plenty of advice out there. I think £500 for the bits to do it yourself is a bit low especially as you will definitely need new pistons as you will have an extra 3mm on the bores. The machining will probably cost about £300-400. It's not going to be cheap!!

It may be worth trying to get hold of a L28 in reasonable running order that just needs a refresh which may reduce costs.

 

[Nexussteve]

Finding a L28 has proved difficult, hence the reason for the rebore.

I have most of the tools and I've ported and polished a head before, so can keep costs down there.
Will have an ask around. I know there's plenty of other places, just not sure how good their work is - at least I know Fourways know these engines! But yeah, Fourways are expensive, but it is specialist!

 

[richiep]

That's just for the bottom end. You will need to factor in costs to refurbish the head such as skimming, porting or valve & seat cutting valve guides possibly and also the cam kit which alone will cost upwards of £800. Then there is the possibility of new water pump, oil pump and timing chain kit plus labour to do it all.

The water and oil pumps and timing chain kit should all be replaced as a matter of course. Consider them consumables. Cam kits - as a package they are expensive. However, there are options, i.e. get existing cam re-profiled for a couple of hundred quid, have existing rockers resurfaced, etc. You still may have to change springs, retainers, and lash pads depending on cam specs, but its worth doing the sums to see if this is a worthwhile route.

It may be worth trying to get hold of a L28 in reasonable running order that just needs a refresh which may reduce costs.

The problem there is that is no longer an easy exercise if the aim is to build an engine that will last. Very few come available that wouldn't benefit from what amounts to a near complete rebuild given unknown history, possibility they've been sitting in someone's garden/yard/leaky shed for 20 years, etc. EDIT: as the OP has found out!

On a different note OP, if you are going to bore to 86mm to give a de facto L28, new pistons aren't super expensive. Rockauto do a flat-top set by ITM for £180 including postage. Just make sure you get the cylinder walls checked for thickness; 86mm is the factory specified limit for the P30 block. Corrosion may have thinned the walls over time and casting variations influence the situation. Some blocks can take it, others not. A similar situation to taking L28 blocks out to 89mm for stroker builds.

 

[Dougs260z]

Thanks for the the photos, i am just about to start my 260z 2+2 restoration