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Gasket & Cooling Tricks

To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
Subject: Gasket & Cooling Tricks
From: Andy Pal <apal@burstein.com>
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 11:55:25 -0700
It seems the temp is getting up there and folks are noticing it in their
roadsters.

Here are a few tricks & things:

1) Electric fan. I put one on my 67.5 1600. I managed to mount it in front
of the
engine. This is because I wanted to keep the shroud & water pump fan in
place (somewhat
of a purist thing, and also I want the electric to assist the existing
system.

In order to do this. I needed the 2 bars in front of the radiator to move
forward
about 1/2 inch or so. I cut 9 metal tube pieces each ~1/2 inch long. I
pulled the rad out
and took advantage of a CLR soaking & reverse flushing while it was out. I
then put
the electric fan on the front and put the rad back in. I put the 9 spacers I
made in
so the radiator mounts (4x) had spacers, where the bars attach to the car
had spacers
(4x) and the overflow tank had a spacer (1x). I then reassembled everything,
works
like a champ.

2) Gasket tricks: While I had the rad etc... out, I decided to replace the
water pump
gasket (it had a tiny "steamer" coming through a bolt). I went to Lows (I'm
sure 
Home Depot, Hechingers etc... have the same thing) and found 1 foot square x
1/8
inch red rubber gasket material. I cut a water pump gasket (eyeball & bic
pen technique)
and put it in. Works like a champ, no leaks. I like it because if you use
the
"gasket in a toothpaste tube stuff", the inner parts of it break off when
torqued
and wind up in your radiator.

3) I cut new SU float chamber gaskets out of the same stuff. Works fine. I'm
still partial to cutting these out of rubberized cork, but this stuff works
in a pinch.

4) General cooling thing to keep an eye on (with a 1600 R series engine).
The
small hose that run from the top of the "tower" to the rad. Use an "awl" or
thin screw driver to make sure that there is no blockage on the radiator
"T" thingy. If there is blockage, it will make things heat up.

5) About 10 years ago I changed the overflow tank area. I added another 
stock overflow tank. I Put a 7 lb cap on the tank which is connected
to the rad. The drain tube from that overflow (top tube by the cap)
goes into the bottom of tank #2. Tank #2 has a 15 lb cap, and has the
drain go to the world. The theory is that when tank #1 pressure gets high,
it relieves to tank #2 (pushing steam into tank #2) and pulling water into
tank #1.

Ok, I guess I gotta go back to work....

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