Any ideas?

[Chickenman]

17 hours ago, Boomguy said:

Oh I know the 5 speed needs to be swapped out or rebuilt. The rally is about 1500kms in length and I want to make sure everything is going to be right. As far as finding a good used unit that may be harder then it was a few years ago. Maybe there are some forum members here in the Vancouver area of BC that may know of one.

You're actually in a Hot Bed for Datsun enthusiasts.  Lots of local 510's and the Z cars are starting to come out of the Woodwork as well. Tons of guys and shops around with Datsun experience. Most are all ex-racers or current racers.  Want parts and info locally? Log onto: http://www.the510realm.com/ . Lots of local help there for any Datsuns. Byron510 and Bertvorgon are just two of the local members on The510Realm who can point you towards spare parts such as Tranny's, engines, suspension parts etc. Lots of local cruises as well, and they even invite us Pointy Nose Cars

Go see Marty McKinney at Southside Nissan ( Vancouver )  for any OEM Datsun parts you need. Or Bruce Yeo at Coquitlam Nissan or Glen Goodwin at West Cost Nissan ( Maple Ridge ) all are top notch Datsun Parts Managers who know their stuff, All are ex-racers and willing to go the extra mile to find rare parts.

As for Bearings. Pull the old bearings out, get the numbers stamped on them and visit a local bearing wholesaler. BC Bearing or places like that. They usually have everything in stock. Nissan bearings are pretty common industry standards. Lordco could get them as well, but you'll pay more for the same bearing.

If you want a recommendation for a shop to rebuild your Transmission, take it to Berts Automotive in Surrey. Talk to Georges Kreuzkamp... tell him Chickenman sent you. George is a long time Datsun racer and really knows his stuff.

http://www.bertsauto.com/home.php

 

A bit closer to you is Specialty Engineering out by Boundary Bay Airport. Andy Pearson is the owner. Top notch work and fabrication. Datsun specialist's par excellance...  Might cost a little bit more than the average shop, but excellent work usually does. And it will be done right... ALWAYS!! 

http://www.specialtyengineering.ca/

 

Hope this helps.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Chickenman

[Boomguy]

Thanks Chickenman! I actually have known Andy for quite awhile, although since he moved I haven't been to his new shop. I tried splitting the trans yesterday , after a couple of hours I called your buddy Georges and dropped it off to his shop. I think the glue that someone warned me about sticking the two halves together won! I figured even if I could get this apart I still will need to drop it off to someone, I would have been so mad if I got it back in the car and one of the gears didn't work. I'll keep you all informed as to what Georges finds and if there is a fix without starting to buy too many hard parts. I have lined up another five speed just in case through a serendipitous text message.

[Boomguy]

So quick update on the 5 speed... I took it down to Georges for him to work on it, very nice and knowledgeable guy, and he tore into it. What he found was one of the bearings on the main shaft had let go but only the inner race. The bearings were still in tact and there was no damage to any hardware in the case. He said the balk rings looked almost new. So a set of new bearings and seals and she is good to go. Now the down side. ..  The numbers he gave me for ratios matched that of a transmission out of a 720 truck or a wide ratio, 3.5 , 2.2, 1.4, 1, .8. At least now I know why I was shifting out of first so quickly with my 3.9 rear end! I did find it interesting how similar the ratios are to the original 4 speed of the 240z... just need a 3.3  diff!

[grannyknot]

That's pretty lucky, I'm sure I'm not the only here who thought it would be absolute carnage inside.

You could just start in 2nd gear

[Boomguy]

Just now, grannyknot said:

 

You could just start in 2nd gear

That is awesome! 

[Chickenman]

Speaking of starting in 2nd gear...

I used to race Datsun 1200's back in the mid to late 70's. Had some pretty trick stuff Nissan Comp stuff in that car.  A-12 FIA head ( Uber rare now ) , Twin 44 Mikuni's ( Yes 44's .. that's no Typo ) , Electromotive valve train, 7 qt Nissan Comp aluminium sump,  8 lb Tilton flywheel, fully adjustable Nissan Comp suspension and an Ultra- Close Nissan Comp 4 speed. Dynod at 142 HP ( crank ) at 8,800 RPM. I shifted at 9,200. 4.36 gears with spool. Car weighed a minuscule 1,405 lbs...with fuel cell filled 50%.

No minimum weight in ICSCC. Had to make the car weigh 1,600 lbs for SCCA... and that just killed the performance. 

The UC 4 speed was pretty rare. 1200's weren't homolgated for 5 speeds back then. Nissan basically threw out 1st gear, and used a stock 2nd gear ratio ( 2.169 ) as  the new first. . We had a super tight hairpin at my home track ( Westwood ) and it would be first gear in my car. The UC gearbox was perfect in that car, as it had zero torque or power below about 6,000 rpm. I'd exit the hairpin with 7,000 on the clock, then it was row through the gears as fast as you could at 9,200 rpm. Thank heavens we always had rolling starts though. I was a real SOB to get rolling from a stop. 

Engines were bullet proof. I'd get a season out of them easy.

[Zed Head]

1 hour ago, Boomguy said:

Now the down side. ..  The numbers he gave me for ratios matched that of a transmission out of a 720 truck or a wide ratio, 3.5 , 2.2, 1.4, 1, .8. At least now I know why I was shifting out of first so quickly with my 3.9 rear end! I did find it interesting how similar the ratios are to the original 4 speed of the 240z... just need a 3.3  diff!

Too bad you and Mr. Abate are on opposite coasts.  He's looking for those ratios.

 

[Boomguy]

19 minutes ago, Chickenman said:

Speaking of starting in 2nd gear...

......"8 lb Tilton flywheel".....

I may have also aquired one of these from Georges as well as getting the Trans rebuilt.... 

[Zed Head]

I'm jumping between threads here.  How could you have those ratios on an L6 engine unless somebody swapped bellhousings?  Or swapped gear sets?  Just asking.  Maybe George knows.

[Boomguy]

That is how the car came to me 20 something years ago. I always assumed it was a 280z Trans along with the motor. 

[Zed Head]

Might be an old competition transmission.  They came with a variety of ratio choices, apparently.  There was recent discussion about it.  

Good news that a simple bearing change will fix it.  Although, I've wondered how much bending and twisting it takes to get a bearing cage to pop out like that.  Really, it's just there to keep the balls apart.  How does it get loose?

[Boomguy]

Georges said the torque of a hard start off the line will jar them over time... he has seen the nose of the main shaft sheer off I think is what he said... the bearing starts to go and cuts a groove in the shaft and then it snaps like you scored a tile or piece of glass.