Datsun 240Z L24 Engine Full Rebuild [video] | Hacker News Reader

Datsun 240Z L24 Engine Full Rebuild [video]

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See also the 240Z restoration in progress by @mymechanics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B13vXFj37RI&list=PLN0SuqPcbL...

I'm in awe of the level of detail and the casual ability to just fabricate anything. And the large capacity for work.

Bart Simpson meme: say-the-line:

“I make a new one”

Love this channel so much.

Was about to post this, thoroughly enjoyed the 3 videos last night. The attention to detail is wild, the time investment to build + edit the videos is also commendable... I think he said he spent about 4+ months now on the bodywork.

He is very skilled and a pleasure to watch. His restorations make the items better than the original. The Datsun project is a bit boring as I'm not a car guy, but I'm impressed that he manages to keep the level of craftsmanship high.

Bad Obsession Motorsport's Project Binky is also highly recommended to anyone who wants to watch a couple guys basically build a car from scratch. Lotta fabrication in that one.

M539 Restorations as well if you like that kind of vibe!

That car was in excellent condition. Not much of a restoration.

Start around 38 seconds and watch to 2m13s. Your definition of "in excellent condition" and mine seem to differ greatly.

IMO, that car was between "driver" and "restorable" condition and I tend to think it was much closer to the latter.

Perhaps I'm use to people taking parts cars and bringing them back to life....

I’ve driven my share of “push to start” cars in the past, and I’m not talking about the little silver button on the dash of newer cars.

Mymechanics videos are amazing. The level of detail and skill is just astounding. You should watch a random restoration video. He can make restoring a wooden spoon interesting

Painting cast iron

Pro tip if you are going to paint a cast iron block, after degreasing/cleaning, hit the surface with a blowtorch to drive out moisture from the porous surface. THEN apply a primer, THEN paint with a brush. You're only going to do this once, do it right. Do not do what this guy did which was SPRAY paint a block holding on to a lot of moisture. This is exactly how you end up with cracking/flaking paint 2-3 years after a completed build.

You'll see the iron change color when the water is driven from it

I strongly recommend nobody try to lift or move an engine or transmission out of a pickup bed by themselves without a strong swing-arm winch. Those suckers are really heavy, and the damage they do when they fall on something costs more than the parts. If it falls on a person, woof...

Engine, sure, but a Nissan/Datsun manual transmission is only like 80lbs, if that.

Can confirm. Had an engine stand break in ‘94. With a fully assembled SBC about to get on the cherry picker to install. Instead it landed in my foot. Curiously, I didn’t break anything. Also the only time ive ever had a triage nurse avoid paperwork and just send me to xray

You should also check out RRC Restoration. Full rebuild of both bikes and cars, and with good narration. https://www.youtube.com/@RRCRestoration

240Z has to be one of my favorite cars. Love this build.

I had the 280ZX Turbo. Of my dozen past cars, that's the one I still miss to this day. Not as powerful as my old Mustangs, but light as a feather and one of the best overall balanced cars I've ever owned. Even today's cars are all about a single aspect or two. The old Datsun just balanced everything perfectly - even the turbo lag was consistent and in character for the rest of the car.

If you're into this, you'll love M539 restorations. Here's a ground up rebuild of the S65 V8 out of an E92 M3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfuXp8QnWoU&t=2s

I own this car and the engine. I did extensive engine repairs and maintenance (rod bearings, valve cover seals, throttle actuators, SAP, plugs, coils, sensors).

This is insanely expensive amount of parts in this video, not even counting the work itself. Basically it would never make economic sense to do a rebuild like this.

He buys cars in sketchy condition for very cheap. For example, this car was:

- Crashed in the US - Auctioned to a European dealership who replaced the odometer - Sold to two more owners, the latter who seized the engine

He's traveling around central Europe to tow cars from people who would otherwise scrap them.

Interesting post, I just recently watched anothers youtuber restore a 240z https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN0SuqPcbLqGvImGUuOaCsLXT...

Feels like someone should mention the Mighty Car Mods 240z too; https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLp0KnUFYB--h5YF10GYt3nE0F...

Look up the Scarab series of modded Datsuns too (Chevy 327 V8 in a 280Z):

https://datsunforum.com/the-scarab-legend-the-original-hybri...

Notice that so many parts are metal and only needed sandblasting. Modern German cars use plastic intake manifolds and rocker covers, they’re all cactus before it’s 10 years old.

Fun video. As we say in biz, "been there done that". Autocrossed a 240 for a short time. Better cars honestly, but it looks cool.

Yeah. Nice looking cars but kind of a pile under the sheet metal. And that L-series is just ugh. Yuck. I hated working on them

Late 70's/early 80's 911's had to drop the engine to change the spark plugs. Dad's work neighbor Porsche shop was printing money left, right, and center.

I thought a 3rd gen fbody was bad on the #7/8 plugs. Had to get those from underneath.

Or drill through the firewall, which is why many of those cars are no longer with us. Beautiful cars, at least the Pontiac version, but now almost impossible to source.

And you'll never find one with good interior parts.

I would use a 2x4 and the belt from my pants to drop the engine just enough to change them. Amen for Mg and Al engine blocks, boohoo over heating them :O

Back yard swapped many 911s, 914s and VW Bugs, Vanagons, etc. Give me a air cooled flat.

Many called it the "Two Forty Zee" while many of us naturally said "Two Forty Zed." I have to admit ''Zee-car'' sounds better than ''Zed-car'' unless you're talking about old British cop shows. I was glad that Datsun dropped the ''Fairlady'' handle for exports.

> Many called it the "Two Forty Zee" while many of us naturally said "Two Forty Zed."

Isn't "zed" vs "zee" mostly a US vs UK thing? Wouldn't "two forty zee" be natural to many?

I kind of like Nissan/Datsun's domestic naming schemes.

Who doesn't want to be rolling around in a Fairlady, Cedric or even a Rasheen!

How do you learn how to fix cars and engines as a hobby?

Buy an old car. When problems start appearing, learn how fix them. I feel most "car guys" got started this way in their youth, out of necessity.

Get something cheap to learn on at first, before spending the time and money on a "classic". Something fairly common, so you can find info on repair online (forums/youtube). Get a Haynes workshop manual for it.

Make sure you have access to a garage space with a lift.

The lift is optional for most tasks if you're young enough your back won't hurt- I built my autocross car in my parent's garage on jackstands, including cutting out and replacing everything from the trailing arms back. Only thing that a lift was truly needed for in that car was the clutch and flywheel swap.

I’m 42 now but I started when I was 6 on model cars.

Just get an old car and buy some tools and teach yourself. There's a ton of information online. For a lot of cars, you can find step-by-step instructions or walkthrough videos of common procedures.

I would start with some easier procedures to get your confidence up, like maybe a valve cover gasket replacement or a serpentine belt replacement. Then move on to harder things.

Also, if you live in a rust-prone area (and you are using simple hand tools), your most important items will be penetrating oil, a big breaker bar, and a large sledgehammer. :) Getting rusty things unstuck is kind of an art in and of itself.

Don't forget the propane torch! With rusty bolts I find I need penetrating oil, heat and a breaker bar or impact gun all together.

Buy an old car or motorcycle which has service data available to the consumer and uses commonly available parts. Start by learning how to change all the fluids, then start replacing wear items and making repairs.

Some good learning resources:

- Honda Common Service Manual (general motorcycle repair)

- Haynes, Clymer, or official service data for your vehicle

- ChrisFix on YouTube

- Revzilla's The Shop Manual (and its precursor, Motorcyclist's MC Garage)

- The forum or subreddit for your vehicle

Just a suggestion … start with rebuilding a used lawnmower engine, sell it. Buy a used automotive carburetor, a brand like Holly, rebuild that then sell it. Move on to a used car that Uses a naturally aspirated carburetor. Start with something easy such as the brakes, then rebuild the engine. The rear end would be rather easy and fun to rebuild, then try the transmission. Hayes/Chilton books worked well. Manufacturer shop manuals are the best. I was able to buy a shop manual book for my Datsun 280ZX when I restored that way back in the day (pre-internet). These days, verify the content in YouTube videos you watch with the manuals if you are not comfortable doing it. Buy the tools as you need them. Find a local machine shop for things like head and valve work, cleaning the engine block and checking for cracks, etc.

To answer your question as to where did I learn that, I did all of the above in a class in high school.

Kinda hard to find a carbed car that's not falling apart from rust these days. Late 90s/Early 2000s is about where the good stuff is now.

Similar with lawnmowers, the market is mostly electric now.

Thank you for pointing that out and my apologies for my mistake. I haven’t looked at the market since 2019. I did a quick search and found many project cars which would need some body work in edition to what the OP is looking to learn. Learning about fuel injection instead of naturally aspirated it is then with the early 90s/2000s. :)

I would have thought with the replacement of gas powered lawnmower type engines with electric that it would be easy to find a used 5hp Briggs and Stratton to overhaul. A lot of the commercial landscapers around here still use gas powered tools.

The Holley (or Carter) carburetors were pretty easy to find on eBay. Some that looked like they would need a rebuild kit seemed rather inexpensive, in the $50 dollar range.

Looking at the prices of the Datsun Z-Series, wish I kept mine. Who knew they would rise in value so much! I think I paid $2000.00 for a used one in great condition back in the day. They are an absolute blast to drive!

This thread has me wanting to pick up a project truck from the 50s or 60s. Fun hobby, brings back memories of when I worked on restoring cars at Barrett Jackson.

I mean, if you wanna be on a high carb diet, lots of great motorcycles used carbs into the 2010s. Hell, Suzuki will sell you a brand new DR-Z400 with a Mikuni!

there are some guys near me who do this sort of stuff. I love to stop & talk to them.

"Oh, so that's what a rear main seal is!"

Haha, yep. In general, it's one of the biggest sources of oil drips when a vehicle is parked on a steep driveway.

If you ever need a VW engine rebuilt, avoid GEX of Booneville, AR. Their process involves throwing discarded parts together as quickly as possible without care about craftsmanship, excellence, or anything else but money. That their shop is a messy, dirty disaster should be the big red flag.

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