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Re: story and questions

To: <kiplinger@designsol.com>, <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: story and questions
From: "ken pletcher" <pletch@pacbell.net>
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 19:07:03 -0800
My 2000 had a second paper thin washer that nobody else has mentioned.  It
went between the crank and the
chain sprocket.
     Ken
DATSTER
-----Original Message-----
From: kiplinger@designsol.com <kiplinger@designsol.com>
To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Date: Wednesday, March 17, 1999 9:13 PM
Subject: story and questions


>Hi everyone,
>     I have a story to tell and a few questions at the end. If you get
bored,
>please go to the end.
>     About 4 years ago, I got in over my head and bought a '69 2000. The
owner
>told me that it needed a new head gasket, but otherwise ran. I had just
gotten
>done rebuilding (mostly) a '71 VW Bus, so was feeling cocky. I figured I
could
>sell the bus at a big profit, and thus pay for whatever the Roadster
needed. So
>I bought it. I got MANY used parts along with it. Two days later, the bus
drove
>itself into the Sacramento River. I had parked it at work, was late from
getting
>it smogged, and forgot to set the brake. It's amazing how much pity you get
when
>your bus is under 20 feet of water. Oh yeah, it hit a tree on the way, so
was
>totaled. After paying a diver and 2 tow trucks, (A bus makes a heavy fish
tank)
>I was broke. I got $35 for the bus. I can laugh now, but it was painful.
>     So I went to work on the U20 motor. I got together all of my parts and
the
>two pictures I had of the engine compartment, along with Chilton and the
>original (poorly translated, poorly organized) shop manual, and a Rallye
>catalog. I had no idea the internet even existed. I pulled the head and
found
>that it had been done before, and whoever put it back together used grease
>instead of gasket dressing. I guess they wanted to preserve the gasket.
There
>were also about 3 extra wires on the distributor. The jackshaft was 180
degrees
>off. I rebuilt the entire brake system. The carbs were shot. I figured out
by
>peeling off the registration stickers that it had been idle since 1985.
Someone
>had registered it for one year to get it current. Anyway, I still had
parts. I
>traded and paid for carb parts. Had the head shaved, (it was it's first
time)
>and put it back together. I bent an exhaust valve in the process, though,
but
>got it to pass smog. Knowing it was running rough, I didn't drive it any
more,
>but remember I was broke. I bought an old 64 Ford hay truck to get me
around. I
>thought I couldn't afford the suspension parts that the roadster needed.
Fast
>forward...
>     Now I live in Santa Barbara. New job, including computer training, and
I
>towed my roadster along with me. I'm tired of getting laughed at here at
work,
>so I recently pulled the head again, along with the front engine cover. I'm
>about to buy the gaskets, and front oil seal. I'm going to try a boot kit
for
>the front steering and suspension and 4 identical tires.
>     WHERE DOES THE LITTLE METAL PIECE (thin steel washer???) ON THE
CRANKSHAFT
>PULLEY GO? It is keyed, and looks like a shaped washer. I put it on wrong
the
>first time, and it got chewed by the sprocket. I can't find it in any
manual
>including the on-line parts manual at roadster.org.
>     HOW CAN I PULL THE BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD ENDS TO PUT ON THE BOOT KIT
>WITHOUT TRASHING THEM?
>      By the way, you guys that have put together roadster websites ought
to
>have your heads examined. Is this what is meant by roadsteritis? I hope
that
>it's not contagious through the computer terminal. No really, I'm
astounded.
>This e-mail exploder is pretty sick too.
>     Thanks in advance,
>     Ken
>     '69 2000
>     Santa Barbara
>      ------Look for the trashiest one at Solvang if I'm lucky.
>
>


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