Chapter X -- Make It Run and Stop
Glass Auto Restorations overhauled the motor for me, probably in 2002. I kept it covered to fend off dust and other contaminates until we installed it here but it has never been started or even turned over. I purchased the Datsun 5-speed gearbox about 2006 that we installed along with the engine. It has never been tested nor had oil added. I'm pretty sure the differential was dry when I got the car. Currently, there is no exhaust system but more on that later. Finally, the brakes and clutch are all new but have not been filled with fluid. All these items need attention before the car can be driven, even for a test.
With the body assembly pretty well finished, see here except for the hood (convertible top, remember) and that is for another chapter, it was time to finish under the bonnet and get the motor running. I finished installing the related ancillary stuff, oil and temp senders vacuum advance tube and such. I started with the motor by removing the spark plugs and pumping a couple of good squirts of motor oil into each cylinder and let it set over the weekend. Then I removed the valve cover to check the valves for operation. Since the engine had set so long without turning, I wanted to be sure there were no stuck valves before cranking with the starter. I put it in 5th gear and slowly rolled it forward until I could see all eight valves both open and close. I knew Mike Glass used plenty of assembly lube when he assembled it. Satisfied, I closed it back up and pressed on.
The next step was to fill the sump with motor oil. I added three quarts of Valvoline VR1, 20W-50, before checking the level; the manual says it should hold 3.8 quarts. To my surprise, it registered a good three inches above the Max mark on the stick. Mike Glass assured me he would not have filled it after the overhaul so I assume I must have at some time that I do not remember. My first thought was to catch the drained oil in something clean for reuse. Second thought, however, reminds me that, since I don't remember putting it in, I certainly don't know what is there. And, since I do not want to use any oil without the proper ZDDP, especially during the critical breakin period, I should probably just dump it and start over.
After refilling properly, I primed the oil pump by removing its outlet pipe and squirting a few ounces of Lucas Oil Treatment in, following instructions from Mike Glass. Then I bought and installed a battery and attempted to get oil pressure. With the plugs still out, I cranked it on the starter a few short bursts, up to maybe 10 seconds each. On the third try, the needle flicked. Holding a couple seconds more, it jumped up to 40 pounds. That's enough to try starting. But first it needs an exhaust system. As I said, some of these chapters may be a little out of order. The exhaust system is included in the assembly chapter although this is the time it ws done.
The next order of business was to get the motor started. This turned out to be far from trivial. First, the fuel pump didn't run. Checking proved that I had wired it for negative earth when I thought I would convert the car if not already done. After correcting that, it ran but didn't pump so we rigged a gravity feed system. It still wouldn't even attempt to start. Pulling a spark plug indicated there was no spark, even at the points. Checking the gap and cleaning the points seemed to give at least a little spark but still no start. I removed the cover from the front carb float bowl to find that the needle valve was stuck and required some effort to clean thoroughly. The rear carb was full and the valve was quite free. After a couple more tries, it tried to pop once or twice then overran the starter. This was enough encouragement that we pressed on. In a couple more, it finally started. I let it run for maybe 10 or 15 seconds as there is no water in the radiator.
A bench test proved the pump makes its usual noise but only produces a small trickle of fuel. A test of the identical pump on the Prefect showed that it should produce a substantial stream. A new pump was in order. I purchased one at NAPA and converted it to positive ground. This amounts to changing the connectors on the two wires. I tested it and got it installed the next day and everything works now. I started to fill the radiator with plain water so I could run it a little longer. Then I remembered the caution on the heater. It cannot be drained along with the rest of the system. The radiator has never been tested so I don't know if it leaks or not. Rather than risk leaving the heater full of water, I decided to drain the radiator and wait until spring for further running.
Then there was a minor problem with the wiring. The original ignition switch did not have an auxiliary position but the replacement does, maybe for later cars. Although I don't intend to have a radio, I thought it would be appropriate to run the green wire circuit from it. I discovered later that the fuel pump also runs from the same wire that feeds the green wire fuse. That's not a killer problem but the switch came out fairly easily so I ran a separate wire from the run position to the fuel pump. At this point, I put it away for the winter to work on the Prefect, hoping at the time to maybe have it ready for final paint before the summer heat.
Several Months Pause While Working On Other Stuff
Well, by mid spring, I did get the Prefect completely in primer although still not ready for paint. Anyway, it was time to get back on the Sprite. First order of business was to get the motor running. I got 3 gallons of fuel and put it in the tank, only to notice that my fuel gauge now always shows empty. All right, another problem to chase later. This time, it didn't start right away and once it finally did, it was running very lean. We finally found this to be a fuel delivery problem. The pump was just not pumping enough fuel. After a few hours of testing everything in the system individually and finding no faults, I accidentally discovered the outlet fitting from the tank was loose. The pump was sucking air. With that corrected, everything worked fine and I was able to run it several minutes, enough time to check the dwell and get the carbs synced and mixture adjusted, at least close. I also found the tachometer not working at all so yet another problem to chase later.
The next day, I began the initial breakin procedure, Run it for a while at 2200 rpm but varying some between 1000 and 3000, all with no load. I did four sessions of approximately 15 minutes each. By the end, it took less throttle opening to accomplish the same rpm so I think it was starting to loosen up a little. Also, each session got it up to operating temperature with no radiator leaks. So, I drained the temporary water and installed anti freeze.
Next step was brakes. Years ago I bought a Mityvac but never opened the packaging. I put the car on jack stands, removed the wheels, filled the reservoir and started at the right rear, trying to vacuum bleed the brakes. After a long time and a lot of strokes on the hand pump, I decided something was wrong. I moved to the right front, the closest to the master in hopes of seeing some progress but that failed as well. The next day, I tried a different technique on the vacuum pump, never letting the vacuum drop to zero. This also didn't seem to help. Finally, I pushed the pedal to the floor one time and walked away to do something else for a while. When walking by the car later, I noticed a small puddle of something under that right front caliper. It was brake fluid, leaking from a loose fitting at the hose to the caliper. After tightening that connection, all four cylinders bled as they should have. Vacuum bleeding still is not perfect. I tried both grease and teflon tape at the bleed nipples but could never fully eliminate sucking some air, causing bubbles in the hose and confusing the issue at hand. I have enough pedal to safely test drive but I would not want to call it finished at that point.
Later, it occurred to me that I may not have adjusted the rear drum brakes. The right one turned out to be a little loose but the left was a lot loose. Adjusting these made the brake pedal firm and where it should be. So, brakes are done. Then Rick showed up in town for a few days and volunteered to help bleeding the clutch. After finally removing the slave cylinder and raising it above the master, With the Rivergate conversion, it is on a hose rather than a pipe, it appeared to work fine. A couple of days after he left, I discovered the new master cylinder was leaking behind the piston. I recall the cost of the new Lockheed cylinder, when I purchased it, as $75 or so. The cost today is $229! I opted for the after market version instead at $39. I installed the new one and Rick was back in town a couple of weeks later and helped me install it. So far all seems all right.
A few weeks later, I decided to try a test drive. I need to take it home and bring the Volkswagen to the shop where I can work on its starter problem. As fate would have it, the clutch failed to work. It would not disengage. I think full pedal moves the release arm maybe 1/4 inch. Thinking back when we exchanged the master cylinder, Rick was in a hurry to leave town and we were very careful to not let any fluid out or air in. So, in the interest of time, we thought it not necessary to bleed it. Also, thinking a little deeper, a clutch is not like brakes. With brakes you really use only the first inch or two of the pedal. If you have a little air in the lines, you lose maybe another inch or two but there is still enough pedal to stop the car. With the clutch, you use mostly the whole pedal. If you have just a little air then it goes to the floor and the clutch does not disengage. I am hoping that we left enough air in to cause this failure.
I finally finished painting the Prefect before the weather gets too hot to paint and returned to this project. When I ordered the conversion kit for the Datsun 5 speed gearbox from Rivergate, I also ordered their clutch slave cylinder option. It includes a braided hose from the master to the slave, which is on the same side of the engine as the master. This makes it fairly easy to remove the slave and lift it, with its hose, over the wing and above the master. Vacuum bleeding, or even traditional pedal bleeding, becomes almost trivial since you are pulling, or pushing, any air up the line instead of down. After bleeding, the pushrod moved a little more than an inch, as did the release arm after reinstalling. One hears stories of how difficult these things can be to bleed in standard configuration.
With the clutch now working the next step was an initial test drive. But first, check the wheel
alignment. I set up the strings and checked several times. The toe in was always between 1/16 and
3/32. The specified tolerance is between zero and 1/8. I declared it right and proceeded to the test
drive. These photos show Onslow (I have named it) in my "hi-tech" alignment shop. So now
for the test drive. I first drove around our parking lot once then diciding that went well enough, I
took to the street. The first test was just to the corner about a block away. That was uphill just
in case there was a serious problem and I could coast or easily push it back to the shop. Since that
went well, I bravely tried the other direction, downhill this time. That went well too so I then took
him around the block, then a couple of blocks, including a stop and restart. A few minutes later, we
went to Wilshire and back, twice. That's nearly a half mile away. I got to use all five gears and
all worked perfectly. The photos below finally show Onslow in full sunlight.
The next day it started raining and we have not installed the new hood so back to the shop. Actually
there are still a few clean up things to be done before going home anyway. The obvious one here is
the bonnet not fully closed. I have not adjusted the latch yet.
By the next day it was dry again so we adjusted the bonnet latch and took Onslow home. Judy finally got that ride she had been pestering me about for a long time. Her we are in the driveway after goind for lunch and an extended drive. I think that smile on her face indicates approval.