New World Datsuns...

So I threw some flush down the upper hose and let it sit for a while only about 5 or 10 minutes cuz I didn't want to do too much of a chemical flush even though that's the stuff you're supposed to run for 3 days. Anyway got it where it was happy piddling push it out and drained all the antifreeze out of it that I could get, and proceeded to start it and keep filling up the top hose while running. It's a bit of a delicate operation because you have to wait until it starts pissing out the bottom hose because it's bottom thermostat. But you don't want to get it too hot because then you could overheat it. I literally just sat here with the thing running for about an hour until it finally came out pretty damn clear. Have the heater on hot hopefully got a good clean out too. Amazing how much rust was still in this thing. I'm hoping this good flushing session will make it so the new radiator lasts quite a while.

All right it's in and it's running so far no leaks which is good. I don't have all the connectors for the fans yet so I need to source those at the wrecking yard and then wire those up. I also realized that the extra width of the fan shroud and my overflow bottle doesn't fit in its spot anymore. So it looks like we'll have to find a different version of that one. Or relocate the bracket which of course has a really nice little screw right about where the fan shroud is now.

Put about a gallon of straight in it and a little bit of mix I figure there's probably a gallon left in the heater system and engine being I flushed the holy crap out of it. I will re check later of course probably do a flush again.

Hey remember that one time at band camp when you installed the new aluminum radiator and it leaked? Yeah, that's annoying. Box wasn't damaged, radiator doesn't look damaged. But it is! Steady drip drip below the bottom outlet. Thought it was that until I watched the drips form on the bottom. Grrr. Cheap Chinese aluminum. Get what you pay for. Fortunately I'll run it by the Datsun guru (we made nice after 6 months) and have him weld that up. Sigh, doing jobs twice is fun.

Do you have a pressure tester at your shop ?

No, but Joe does, I dropped it off with him today.

So we found the leak in the fin tube, super thin. Was going to alumaweld/braze it with low temp aluminum, but I contacted the vendor and they took it back so I ordered another one. Hopefully it won't leak. I think the mounting flange is slightly different, might have to fiddle with the fan shroud, but oh well. Also got the water to air intercooler kit, so this weekend is definitely going to be a wagon weekend!

Intercooler installations are always fun, cutting sheet metal is the fun part, not really, I hate cutting sheet metal, I regret putting one in the 1980 720 turbodiesel as it made no difference, but mine are diesel.

Have fun this coming weekend, the weather is supposed to improve as the week goes by.

So this time I was smarter and built a test rig. And after regulating the air compressor down to about 10 to 12 PSI or so it held just fine. Use the top half of a old fuel pressure regulator I had which seem to work really nicely and just ran out the screw and used the air fitting with the angled rubber tip on it to block it off. Finishing my final adjustments of the mounting flange to make it fit the Maxima core support and pretty soon it will be in!

I need to get some thinner cardstock to do templates but I had some cardboard so there we go whipped up a little crappy c channel looking thing to fill in the hole on the side of the radiator since it sticks out over it a little bit. Figured since I'm doing the project I might as well make it as effective as possible.

This brings me to installing my bending brake that I've had for I don't know 3 or 4 years probably. I kept running out of spots to put it because I don't have enough space to mount it in the garage and then use it and you have to make sure you can fit a pretty good sheet in otherwise what's the point. So I'm going to mount the c channel to the desk and then weld the one side or maybe both and maybe both other side just for good measure but short of it is I'll trim off the edge so it will stick out just a little bit but I should have a very nice area to fit big sheets to bend wherever I need them.

The other thing I have to do is relieve the edge so the brake can operate, and then on the other side where the bar is held, I need to relieve that so I can put vise grips there to hold whatever piece I'm working on. I ran out of acetylene, so I cut off the end with the grinder. I'm going to try my shitty plasma cutter tomorrow at maximum outlet voltage and see if it gets through the 1/4" material on the sides. I'm dubious, but hopefully it will do enough so I can finish up with the cutting wheel since there Oxarc isn't open tomorrow. The plasma cutter can do 10 mm at 40 amps, but I can only run 19 (outlet rated to 20), so theoretically 5mm. It may work, it may not. If not, then it just means a whole lot of annoyance with the grinder and cutting wheel. The piece is too long to get with the bandsaw.

Mine will eat 1/8" all day long. Once it gets thicker than that...good luck.

Yeah, I'm not optimistic, we'll see.

Yep not even close. Should have gotten a real plasma cutter that worked on 240 but oh well. Guess it's a whole lot of shiny death wheel and earmuffs.

Well that took forever and a day and half a cut off wheel but it's done. Now I just need to make a couple other holes on the other side for vice grip attachment when using the bending brake.

Did a test fit it's almost enough just going to take the grinder and grind down the inner edge.

I need to remove the points but you get the idea. It's just about ready to get drilled and then put in the box van. And yes I could have just spent this piece already that I need to make but I've been wanting to mount this for so long I figured I'd just finish it first nicer than bending it in a vise.

Installed and ready to weld! I am going to have to spray paint this end yellow so I don't run into it. Already bonked my head once tightening the bolts. Dad got the Milwaukee for my birthday. It's way the hell better than the piece of shit Ryobi. This gun will get box van lug nuts off on the road if I have a flat.

Viola! Complete! Now I can actually use it to bend the side sheet metal for the radiator.