Camshaft Oil Spray Bar Redesign and Rebuild

[madkaw]

Well I've learned something in regards to later an earlier versions. I guess I will just buy a later version and go from there. I'm tired of trying to make the early one work and then worry about it holding together

[Captain Obvious]

You'll never get one of the early versions to hold together. It's really a botched design. The new version, however, is fine.

I've never researched the timeline to figure out when exactly they changed it. My only data point is my old 260 built in 3/74 had the old style bar.

[LeonV]

I believe the N42 head got the new bar, so 75-76 280Z would be the most common application.

[siteunseen]

I had one plus an oiler cam on a 9/'76 N47.  Jeff G also has one of these transition heads.  At $60 I'm tempted to head out to the mosquito infested junkyard nearby and pull some valve covers, if I do I'll send you a PM Steve.  I might even go today? need to see what the weather going to do first, lots of rain in the area.

EDIT: Can't make it today.  After a few cups of coffee I remember the things I've committed to already.

[madkaw]

Thanks for the thoughts Cliff. I've been wanting a n42 head- so maybe I can find it and the spray bar at the same time. I think the owner sprung for a billet one though

[Captain Obvious]

Haha! Well if the owner is really desiring "billet" bling, send me PM. Bling $$ for something that not everyone has is something I can do.   

[madkaw]

I wasn't after bling, nor was he, but that's your options for a new bar. He negotiated a great price from zccjdm, so we are going that route. As important as this part is for this engine, I can see paying money for the best option. Since there really are no options except using a cleaned up 40 year old used part - the bling seems much more attractive .  He also wants to keep his project moving at a brisk rate , so a swipe of the card and it's done . Thanks for the offer though:)

[Captain Obvious]

Sorry, I wasn't implying that it was all about the bling.  Without the attempted humor, what I meant was... If you exhaust other alternatives and are completely stuck without a replacement, I'll make one. It's just expensive. But I do carve the distribution blocks out of what some would call billet.

I'm surprised with how few options there are too. I guess that most people convert over to the internally oiled cams and get rid of the bar completely?

It sounds like you found a suitable replacement?

[siteunseen]

15 hours ago, madkaw said:

Thanks for the thoughts Cliff. I've been wanting a n42 head- so maybe I can find it and the spray bar at the same time. I think the owner sprung for a billet one though

I've gotten myself a project that I'm regretting already, a Sentra that's been sitting under a tree for three or four years.  The HVAC system was full of leaves/pine straw, filled up my 6 gallon shop vac.   So I go to my storage building to get my freon gauges to add some 134a and low and behold I found 1 newer style bar and two early ones.  I had completely forgot about them.  I was going to talk to you about selling it.  I really didn't want to so knowing that you have one now has made my morning. 

I looked at that JDM site you referred to, that's some really nice stuff but my card doesn't swipe that easy.  You have an eager client and I'm glad, for you.

[siteunseen]

3 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

I guess that most people convert over to the internally oiled cams and get rid of the bar completely?

The N42 I found at a machine shop that had been abandoned had been swapped to the oiler cam.  I bought it for the cost of the work the shop had done, $250.  It's on my 280.

[madkaw]

Can't wait to see this high dollar spray bar in person. I post some pics. 

Datsun Picker's --lol

[siteunseen]

16 hours ago, madkaw said:

Can't wait to see this high dollar spray bar in person. I post some pics. 

Datsun Picker's --lol

That be great, I'd like to see how they make that work.  My guess is they just drill a straight line all the way through then 2 bigger holes at the cam towers to feed it and then 12 smaller ones.  Where the originals drop down closer to the cam, that one shoots from the same height as the tower's feed hole.  You may need to install a high volume oil pump?

Something similar to the fuel rail I made.  Maybe we can make our own some day?