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compression »
https://forums.nicoclub.com/compression-u9345.html
Tue May 18, 2004 5:19 pm
Getting an L-series (2, or 2.2 liter) to make 200 at the wheels is going to be a huge challenge for ya, I personally dont think it is possible normally aspirated. It is going to be very expensive and the motor is going to be strung out, like a tight rubberband waiting to snap. It also wont be very "streetable", probably will overheat, have a terrible idle, and only run good when its spinning 6500 rpm. We are talking fully ported heads, cam, valves, pistons, rods, 13:1 compression... everything will have to be massaged to the max and you would have to run her on race gas all the time.The L-series like to make all their torque down low the peeter out as the RPM go up, partially due to the poor flowing heads.If you really are determined to go with the L and have a lot of cash sitting around...then get a longblock built by rebello or a similar race engine place, because thats what you are looking for, a full race motor. The L-series was a good engine in its time, and it is tough as nails, but times have changed dramatically.If you are talking turbo, good luck, you will need to EFI it, use a standalone, and probalby make your own manifold, probably rebuild it , and it will still be slower than a stock SR20DET in a 510. There are a few out there with L turbos, but there is a reason why they have never been popular. Remeber, the L motor was widely used for about 25 years in all sorts of datsuns and nissans, so whatever you are thinking of doing, someone has tried, and can probably give you some good advice as to why it did or didnt work. oh yeah, and the thing with dual carbs, is not vapor lock (there are heatshields availble) but the fac that they get terrible mileage and are a beotch to tune. Not many people know how to tune them or know when or how to swap needles and sync them.
OR, you can just skip that step of the 510 learning curver, (realizing that $4,500 later, and it still is not fast enough for ya and runs like crap) save yourself some money (and a lot of time) and go straight to a motor swap. A VG, KA, or SR seem to be the popular choices, but of course you could swap in whatever you wanted.The above mentioned engines will make 200hp at the rear wheels (some with more mods than others) much easier than an L-series, and they will drive a lot better too. Do some research before dropping all your money into an L-series. Maybe ask the opinions of the guys who have been in it for years and years on the bluebirds e-mail list. You can subscribe at the dimequarterly.com (look on the sidebar for "mailing list").This forum does not draw a lot seasoned 510 veterans, so it is not the best place for experienced advice.
Just trying to save you a lot of trouble, I have learned all this from my own experiences over the past 8 years with my various 510's and from gathering information from all over. I am not just shooting from the hip here. I hope you get an engine in there you like and you are happy with it...let the spending begin! "Datsun 510" translates into "a hole in road in which you throw all your money".....ha ha ha