Paul,
With all you hear from me, you might think my opinion is crazy, but I think
the U-20 is a very reliable motor.
Ok, Ok, The 60,000 mile timing chain is a weak link (oops), but it's well
known. I think anyone on this list, running a 100k timing chain knows better
and it will be no surprise when it jumps out of the hood!
Blown head gaskets seem to be well distributed within our population, 1.6 or
2.0. Same for dropped valve seats, well, except for the cast iron head
1600's :-)
My melted piston was my doing. I'll bet I can meltdown a 1600 given half a
chance and my former ignorance. When I say "my car is my daily driver", I'm
saying "I'm too dam cheap to buy another car" And I really do drive too
hard. It's a failing of mine I've had my entire life and seriously, I really
do ask myself "What's your dam hurry, boy?". So don't be too quick to use my
adventures as a reliability study. If your speaking statistics, I'm the
skewed datapoint that should be thrown out as an outlier.
My respect for the R-16 has grown by leaps and bounds every time I get to
drive one. You've got to respect the package Nissan put together, The
gearing of the 4 speed and lower rear, makes our 1600s right quick! But,
Dam! I love my U-20. It provides a certain guttural satisfaction for me. One
day soon, I'll own a 66 SPL and I'll keep that R-16 intact and then you'll
hear how I blew it up as well.
So buy a U-20, or keep the R Motor or drop in a KA24 or get creative with a
SR20 or a FJ20 if you feel up to it. You can do what ever you want. What
you've learnt on this list gives you that freedom.
My suggestion is that you toss a coin. No matter which way you go, you win.
Your friend, on the correct side of the "Orange Curtain"
Victor
70 SRL 31113136
Los Angeles
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=123073
SoCalROC http://www.ameri-eagle.com/datsun/
----- Original Message -----
From: Pam and Paul Bauman <plhbauman@earthlink.net>
To: Datsun List <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2000 8:45 PM
Subject: U20 Questions
What's up with this U20 thing?
After several years of going through turns sideways, and generally making a
Roadsterass of myself, I refuse to believe that 2000 drivers are that much
harder on their cars than 1600 drivers. Yet, some of the predominant issues
I see on the list regarding U20s are: 'I melted a piston' or 'chewed up
another timing chain' or 'there goes the head gasket'. Come on. guys, even
the AEC has rules to guard against frequent and unexpected meltdowns!
Are there that many more U20s on the road that it skews the statistical
average, or are 2000 engines just an 'event' waiting to happen? What am I to
expect if I buy one of these SRL fixer-uppers as my next restoration
project? Maybe It was blind luck, but I had 96K miles on my car before
rebuilding the engine, and that because it had started to put out smoke and
use a little too much oil. Didn't throw a rod, didn't suck a valve, it just
wore out!
I may still buy a U20, if the price is right, but all this talk is beginning
to sound like a power on the road versus hours on the road thing to
me...help me out, here.
Paul
67 1600
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=881168
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