Datsun Roadster: 2020 Challenge Build

 

 

244 hours.

From this picture I can't tell where you'll mount the turbo?

In reply to BarryNorman :

We mustn't be looking at the same thing 

I dunno guys, seems like 4 turbos would fit here really nicely.

And stampie! Cool stat. I better make my next 49 hours count...

This morning I measured, adjusted, measured, looked, thought, realized I didn't clean all the paint i needed to for welding, took it apart and cleaned,put it back together, and did the measuring thing all over again.

Then I tacked the mounts into place.

So I'm trying to get the output shaft of the motorcycle as parallel with the axle as possible. But with very short length of output shaft, and very few places to reference on the engine case, I had to make some assumptions and then also use some neat visual tricks to get everything aligned.

Tricks like these are how the ancient Greeks and Romans built things like the Parthenon straight. So I got my Greek engineer on:

251 hours.

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

50 more hours and you could have built a Factory Five Cobra.  I just wanted a reference.

I would assume they threw a LOT more money at it!

Measure and mark chain (this one is from the f440 as received, but I think it'll work).

Grind rivet.

Pound it out (the pictured nail doesn't work well, need something more substantial). Then reassemble with the master link. Good enough for now. I left it a little long, I might take one more link out later if needed.

Next I turned my attention to shifting. Here's a cable to hydraulic converter that was on the old vfr engine (which uses a hydraulic clutch). Not sure why they did this and didn't just use a hydraulic master at the clutch handle, but ok.

This pivot looks useful!

And they even predrilled a hole through this bolt for me!

Here's how I think it will all go together - obviously I need to optimize the angles a bit more, and yes, that is a quickshifter sensor rod... 

255 hours.

03Panther said:

Stampie (FS) said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

50 more hours and you could have built a Factory Five Cobra.  I just wanted a reference.

I would assume they threw a LOT more money at it!

If someone brings a ffr cobra to the challenge I will take them on straight up. For pinks.

Another hour this morning. My 5 yo son was up early and came out with me so progress was slower than normal but very rewarding!

1. we drilled the hole slightly larger in the adjustment screw in preparation for threading. 

2. I learned that the #10-32 machine screw tap that I am waiting for in the mail is functionally equivalent to the M5x0.8 tap that I already have... Oh imperial vs metric

3. I kept moving forward on my clutch cable routing and sizing. I think at this point I'm going to join two clutch cable sheaths and add a new longer cable through the whole thing. 

256 hours

Sport Bike Engined cars no mater how fast they are feel frantic and full "Racecar".

We had an old FSAE car when I was in college that had WAY to old tires that had no grip.  It also had a Supercharged CBR600 engine on it.  It made like 65 HP and was affectionately known as "The fat one" as it was about 100lbs heavier then normal FSAE cars.  I autox'd it and it was about the same lap times as a FS mustang but OMG was it fun.  It's all about the noise and the 11K RPM. 

I think your's will be a blast no matter which engine it ends up with.

So how do I budget for cashier error? I bought 10ft of cable at .79 $/foot. Yet I just noticed she only rang me up for 1 foot.

You've got the receipt. so 10'=.79=tax, so 2'=16 cents

Wait, how does the mulch factor into this project?

The pick mattock handle I totally get.

TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) said:

Wait, how does the mulch factor into this project?

Once you go BLK you never go BCK 

Actually my Sunday project was removing all this rock:

and replacing it with the mulch here

Only problem is, my wife likes how it looks so much I've earned the right to do the rest of the trees and bushes on our lot. Doh!

In her defense, it does look good.

Last few days have been weird for time in the shop, but I've been piecing it together.

Worked on the gas tank, shifter, and clutch cable.

Gas tank - had to buy a cbr600 fuel pump since none was included with parts bike. Gsxr pump probably would have worked but fuel pressure differences were enough to make me think twice (at idle, NBD, at wot, no bueno). Of course, cbr pump is slightly bigger and needs a bigger hole. So I cut off the old mount bolts.

I'm going to have to cut a bigger hole now, then make more mount holes. I figure I've already done it once I can do it again. I hope.

Next I started threading that bolt to make a threaded bushing to adapt the shift rod to my shift fork. Of course I snapped the tap off in the workpiece. Bought two new bolts and one new tap. Drilling straight through an entire bolt and then tapping the while thing it much harder in practice than in theory! However after a couple tries and being super nervous I was going to snap the tap again I ended up with a piece that will work perfectly. (The black cap screw pictured here).

I also measured and cut and made a plan to adapt my two cables into one long one but the work isn't done yet on the clutch. No pics yet.

259 hours.

Kept at the shifter today.

Made a plate

Marked and then cut a vertical piece. Tacking and then test shifting to commence shortly!

260 hours 

Welded the stuff together (poorly), and started adjusting. It wasn't really working and I was a bit dejected about it. Started looking at different options before I had an epiphany and found that the shifter itself was just not articulating far enough. 

A little grinder action, an DEN:

We will see how it drives but for now I'm stoked. It was a little hard to hold my cell phone steady and shift at the same time, but it worked.

262 hours.

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

No AnDen! 

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

I'm surprised you weren't making "vroom vroom" noises while running it through the gears. 

I was hoping for the vroom noises!!!

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

Kept at the shifter today.

Made a plate

260 hours 

I'm pretty sure the technical term for that is "bracket", no?

also, congrats on the small victory.  keep stringing them together!

Well, clutch cable is driving me nuts! I think I'm going to switch to other tasks for a bit and come back to it.

But, here's what I have done:

First I took this aluminum spacer and drilled the inside to have the same diameter as my cable sheaths, but also have a small lip inside as a positive stop.

Two cable sheaths spliced together beautifully.

Transmission end perfect.

Then I installed the cable and used the screw stop barrel you can see on my bench in the above photo. All that took about an hour. Unfortunately it was just a hair too long, and with the adjusters all the way out I could just barely get disengagement. So I went to shorten the inner cable.

In so doing, I ducked up the cable end with the set screw barrel. Had to cut the screwed up portion off and reset. 

Then it was too short, and the set screw wasn't holding anymore. (One hour more to make it worse).

Then I took it apart, cut more of the sheath off, reinstall the cable, drill and use a new set screw barrel stop. Barrel stop holding really well! Upon installation however, inner cable is still too short!!!! Grrr. So I tried to be very careful and remove a bit more sheath without taking the cable out. Did it once successfully but didn't get enough sheath off. AHHHHHRG!!! 

Second try you guessed it, I nicked the inner cable. Would it probably still work? Sure. Would I run it if I were at the event and didn't have another option? Yes. Am I going to install it like this when I still have time to do it right? Nope nope nope.

1 hour forward, 2 hours back. Berk. 265 hours.

"one hour more to make it worse"

i speak your language.

Ok, one day without working on the clutch cable.

Today I took a look at the throttle cable. Maybe if I need to buy cable stuff I can make one order (fat chance). I will need some sort of fitting at the engine end of the throttle cable. I can probably make something by drilling an old bolt, but I may be able to buy something as well. Need more research.

Then, I got into more more weight reduction!

Theses boxes were old suspension mount points and were in the way of easy installation of my chain tensioners.

Also, the tensioners themselves were now too short. So I cut down a new piece of all thread to longer lengths.

Here's how they will go:

Quick job but nice to have it out of the way!

266 hours.

This morning I worked on improving the throttle cable mount situation 

Had to drill a hole in this old bolt.

First I drilled a hole in scrap wood to hold the bolt perpendicular to the drill press. Then I drilled a hole, then made it bigger for the top portion.

Here's how it connects to the pedal. Nice!

267 hours.

2 more hours since last post, but not much done.

Started cutting new hold for fuel pump:

Also, I finished up the throttle cable. It looks effin awesome. 

Unfortunately, when I crimped the s bend (it's a piece of nicopp to keep the cable away from the pedal travel) to the cable housing, I think I crimped the cable housing a bit. Cable action is not smooth enough for me to feel comfortable. Drat. I'm going to try and lube the cable but might need to undo the s bend mod.

269 hours.