A 5 speed Nissan gearbox.
The OD gearbox that I made reference to several entries ago I've decided to shelf for the time being and I've revisited an idea that I had previously decided was too hard and too expensive.
However, I've been motivated by some threads by a few other forum members most influential being Herb (Ozieagel) and his 'home-done' conversion.
The topic of a 5 speed Nissan conversion has come up several times recently and Herb has usually had some input - this entry in particular which he has attached his documentation of his conversion.

http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1875697,1876971#msg-1876971

Apparently he used a previous account which is in the library as the basis for his conversion. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Herb) Different transmission but similar.

http://www.mgexperience.net/article/300zx-5spd-install.html

I will be attempting to use a similar gearbox as Herb and the fact that he is in Australia gives me confidence in my ability to give this a good go.

That brings me to the other factor - the acquisition of a suitable gear box.
Several weeks ago, (actually, several months ago I started looking) just before I went into hospital I came across 2 Nissan 5 speed boxes on eBay that looked just like the one that Herb had used and there also was some suggestion that they may have been from a 240/260Z. $40 was the opening bid so I took a punt and put $45 on the one that I thought looked the best.
It was a leap of faith and the seller could not tell me exactly what they had come from. Anyway, long story short I got it for $41.
My prostate op intervened so I wasn't able to collect until just recently.
Cleaned it up and checked the gear ratios and these published in a post on the forum.
http://www.mgexperience.net/phorum/read.php?1,1911560,1911560#msg-1911560
That post shows the photos and the results of a run test David and I did with a drill attached to the input shaft.
Result: Reverse Idler, toast! A real mess with a tooth missing. We took the casing off the back to discover what the noise was and found the munched up idler gear.
As usual, forgot to take photos of the damage but I'm hopeful that it can be repaired and the other gears are ok.
$41 starting point still gives me some leeway to get the box into shape.
Herb has also helped me out with a copy of the relevant bits of the service manual from a Bluebird which used the 'same' gearbox.
It's worth noting here that the gear ratios of the box I have suggest that it's likely to have come from a Vanette possibly a diesel. No matter the ratios are very close to the ratios of the OD mk1 box.
I've attached some photos of the box. These and some more can the seen at:
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n255/sweep_2006/Overdrive%20Gearbox/Nissan%205%20Speed/
Stay tuned for more!

This entry is a copy of the text I put in a OT forum post concerning my prostate surgery.

"OK. First the symptoms.

I like an egg for breakfast on odd days and I often cook it in the Microwave - small bowl sprayed with Canola oil, egg cracked into it and whipped to stop it exploding. 1 min on high. Works every time, comes out a bit like overdone scrambled. Great to put on a piece of toast.

So I'm standing at the bench with the dish , just sprayed and a newly poured cup of coffee waiting to cool.

Cracked the egg and dropped it into the coffee instead of the dish. WTF! Stood there for a few seconds contemplating how my brain allowed me to do that then fished out the yolk added another egg to it, threw out the coffee and started again.

That's how things have been going lately for me.

Now, what I think is the cause.

Tomorrow I go into hospital for an operation on Friday to remove my prostate. I've been waiting for this for a few months now and you might remember I mentioned that I had Prostate cancer diagnosed in March this year and had a pre-op. check which found a heart issue which meant quad. bypass surgery in May and having recovered successfully from that it's now back to the main game and that time has finally come around.

Logic and everyone I talk to tells me that this op. will be a 'cake-walk' compared to what I've been through. BUT my emotional side doesn't see it that way and I'm quietly shitting myself.

Look, I know I'll be fine but I've had too long to think about this and it has finally dawned on me that - oh shit I've got cancer. I think previously I thought what I had was not proper cancer. I went down to Sydney last Wednesday for the pre admission and it wasn't 'till I was on the train coming home when I started going though some of the brochures and info sheets that it dawned on me and the last few days have been filled with incidents like the above.

I'm having a "Robot Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy" which from all accounts is the cutting edge in this type of procedure. I have full confidence in the team who is doing it and it is being done at the same hospital that did my heart and I have nothing but praise for the way I was treated then.

I just want the next fortnight over with and at the end of the year I'm going to pretend 2011 didn't happen."

After the surgery, still in the ward.

"OK. It's me again and the deed has been done. I will get the pathology from the removed prostate on Tues but the Dr has said all the right things about how the op. went and how he expects the results to turn out.
Still in post op. will be going home tomorrow.
Thanks for all you good wishes and hopefully I'll be recovered soon.
Still got a catheter in but that should come out on Thurs.

Chris

Ps if you are interested this is the Dr that performed the op.
Link to Robotic operation here

And home a couple of days later.

Well I'm home. Sharon picked me up this morning at about 11:30 and was home at about 1:30.
Not a pleasant trip but manageable.
Not that long after getting home got a phone call from Stricker - "Cancer contained to the prostate with the outside clear!" The best possible result!

Will go back down on Thursday and have the catheter removed and that should be it. Just a slow-ish recovery and hopefully it will be all over with.

Will see Stricker on that day as well but will not see him again until early December. At that time subject to a clear PSA test he will declare it gone.
As long as I continue to get zero PSA results the prostate cancer phase of my life should be closed.

It's not quite over yet - but close enough. Hell of a ride!

A recent thread about a stuck bonnet (Hood?, the bit over the motor) prompted me to start this.
About 500mm of SS cable, Teflon lined sheath 400mm, a SS Countersunk head screw and a chunk of 10mm plastic. Cable was an off-cut from my recent throttle cable upgrade. Just seemed a shame to throw it away.
Starting Bits.

Careful Drilling.
2mm drill through the middle of the screw. Didn't need to be very accurate, as long as it didn't come out the side.

Fuzzy view of the handle.
Tee handle cut to shape, sanded and corners taken off with a 1/8 rounding over bit in router. Shocking pic.

Close-up of Cable End.
Cable end brazed to screw. Had to recut the slot after it filled with braze.

Assembled Cable.
The Tee handle was counterbored and countersunk so the screw would screw into the end. A small piece of 4mm fibreglass tube was pressed into the other side just to stop the bare cable from cutting into the plastic. This is what you will be able to grasp under the left guard, near the headlight bucket.

After a visit to the local bike shop.
Two sheath caps and two cable support bits. (Not sure what they are called) Cost = $2. Plus a couple of SS washers and a teflon button that should make a nice washer. Could use all sorts of things here, this just appeared to be a good size and thickness plus it's got a nice chamfer on one side.

Teflon button drilled.
This worked out quite well. Drilling from the top initially allowed me to pop out the nail without damage. Then drilled to suit the threaded part in the photo.

Handle end assembly.
This is how the parts assemble. The gap between the Teflon piece and the washer is where the hole in the inner guard goes.

Tee handle end.
A locking washer will go under the nut as well. This is what is exposed in the wheel well.

The business end.
The end at the catch with a similar arrangement to retain the other end of the sheath. The outer had to have about 40mm extra cut off to allow the cable to protrude further during installation.

Another view.
Shows the cap and the retaining screw at the catch end. Flat washers and a locking washer will go here as well.

The whole thing.
All the bits ready to install. The cable end will attach in the same hole as the existing cable and the cable outer located in it's own hole just next to the existing.

Cable attachment at catch.
Additional 1/4" hole for end next to existing cable. Inner cable goes to same point as original - hole needed to be enlarged.

Cable end at fender.
1/4" hole in inner fender. The cable end with the teflon washer is attached .

View under wheel well.
Penatrol around the hole and a little seam sealer behind the teflon washer to seal. Not a good picture.

And that's it!
It works quite well, a little awkward to get to but that's probably a good thing.

This is the text of the final entry in a forum post regarding how the cable is attached to the body.

Link to forum discussion here.


OK. Just back from a test drive after 'doin' the deed'.

Report is, All fixed! With a cautionary tale at the end.

Took the pedal box cover off to give me more room and stuck my my hand in there and gave a good tug and twist. Just undid the spiral with the main bit still in there. Bugger, well there's no going back now! Took the inner out by disconnecting at the carb and that's when I found the subject of the cautionary tale. (More about that later).

Without the inner I just kept tugging until the sheath was out. It came out bare - ie no cap, just the end of the spiral. Checked the dia of the new one and decided that I needed to drill out the hole so the new one would fit. Well, using a series of drill bits held in a tap holder I discovered eventually that there were not one but two sheath caps in there and by the time I'd got them out many hand cramps and scratches on the backs of my hand had ensued.

Cleaned out the crap, shavings and bits of gunk and slipped the new sheath, with it's cap, in there. I'd bought a length of stainless cable and teflon coated sheath some time ago but didn't get around to it till now.
Trimmed the sheath (twice, actually, turns out a bit longer for sure doesn't work here) and put the cap on the carb end as well.

Fed the new cable up through the pedal and the cable and through the flange on the carbs and pulled everything up tight and fixed the carb end of the cable.

Trimmed the cable off and put everything back together and kicked it over to warm up while I packed all my tools away. I was thinking all the time I should do photos but there was not much to take so you've missed out - but I assure you, it did happen!

All good! Which brings me to the cautionary tale.

RULE#1 Always check the easy stuff first!

This whole episode was initiated by the throttle sticking and not returning smoothly after a high speed run yesterday. I assumed it was the cable. I had committed myself to replacing the cable inner and outer when I pulled the sheath and it unspiralled. However, when I went to disconnect the inner from the carb I found that one of the return springs had let go. Damn! That was a much easier fix and I should have checked those first.

Well, alls well that ends well. I fixed the spring and have got a nice new throttle cable as well. The new one is a lot thicker than the one I took out anyway and the sheath is a slick teflon coated one so it's all good.

Thanks for your responses - except no-one said 'check your return springs' so actually it's all you guy's fault!

BTW, surgery recovery coming along fine. Cardiology surgeon checked me out on friday and was happy with my progress. Gave me a 2 to 3 decade 'warranty'- unlimited mileage. Also had a carotid arteries scan and they checked out great.
First good news I've had in a while.
Anyway, back on topic.

When I put the fuel system together, I had some issues with the tank and rubbish in it and ended up getting a new one. The sending unit seemed ok and I was sure the gauge was ok and I'd got a new solid state voltage regulator 'thingy' from Moss and every thing looked like it was good except the gauge wouldn't work.
Well, I put up with that for 3 years using the backup gauge (odo.) and got used to using that.
I knew how to check the sender, just didn't get around to it. Well, a few months ago I got David to watch the gauge and shorted the wires on the sender and he reported that the gauge went to full. Confirming that the sender wasn't right.
Ordered a new one, $40, and it's been sitting in a box since before my op.

Today I felt good enough to give it a go replacing it and after backing the car up on some ramps I syphoned as much out of the tank as I could, about 15 ltrs, and replaced the sender. Went in easily and I now have a functioning fuel gauge.
I put the 10 - 15 ltrs back in and it showed about 1/4 full. Went and filled up. Put 34lts in it and shows full.
Really chuffed 'bout the whole thing. Looks like it will be fairly accurate too.
The old one appears to have a hole in the float. When it dries out I might try to solder the float up and have it as a spare.

Chris

I wrote this a few days ago as a personal email and thought I'd put it here as well minus some of the personal stuff.

My op. was done at 11am, Mon. and the first recollection I have after that was Tues morning. Most of the tubes and 'yucky' stuff had already been removed before I was fully aware and for that I'm grateful. They got me up Tuesday afternoon and I was sitting in a chair when Sharon came to see me that afternoon.
Apparently I looked pretty good much to Sharon's relief. (We both still have a mental image of how bad Father looked after his second op. and I was very worried that Sharon could be confronted by that again).
They kicked me out of ICU early 'cause they needed the bed Tuesday evening and they took me up to a ward which looked pretty deserted, stuck me in a double room by myself and a nurse stayed with me all that night. Not really necessary, but apparently I'm paying for 2 nights in ICU so they still had to give me intensive care, it just wasn't in the ICU ward.
Next day, I became part of the normal recovery patients even though all the other heart patients were on the floor above me.
During the day Air Ambulance paramedics brought in a guy from Dubbo who'd had a incident at home and they realised that he needed to be down here for his treatment. His name, Robert (Bob) Browne, late sixties and he failed his angiogram the next day so they kept him in for his triple bypass on Tuesday (yesterday). He's got a fairly rare clotting issue as well that complicates his op. Anyway as it turns out it was extremely good to have someone to talk to as the recovery days get mind-numbingly boring and I think he appreciated seeing first hand what the recovery would be like.
I have to say that all in all it was nowhere near as bad, physically, as I had imagined. There's a bit of emotional stuff that I'm having to deal with but it is manageable.
Sharon came and saw me each afternoon and the care I got was faultless from the nurses and staff at StVP.
Got one visit from Farnsworth (the surgeon) but Thorburn saw me most days. There were a few issues with my BSLs so Thorburn got an Endocrinologist, Dr Weissberger, to monitor those and he changed my medication a little so I'm back on track there now. The whole thing has been an appetite killer and so far I lost about 5kgs.
Had visits from Physio people as well and I was walking up and down the corridor a few times a day, in fact most nights I got up and went for a walk at about 3am as well. Found it hard to sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time.
They were also monitoring my lung capacity and I had Xrays every couple of days to make sure that there was no fluid developing or remaining there as well. Because of the pain, your breathing tends to be shallow and the lungs can shrink and become filled with fluid with all the complications that come with that. But, I'm OK there.
Thorburn saw me Sat morning and said that he thought I'd be fine to go home but we should wait to get the ok from Farnsworth. Farnsworth usually came in Sunday arvo. so I was thinking that I'd be home Monday.
Next day, I'm up, showered and sitting waiting for Farnsworth and the nurses are talking about Farnsworth coming in and one of them says "I'll just go and ring him and see if I can find out when". Well, she comes back and says "can't get him, but I just remembered that he's in London for 2 weeks so I rang Thorburn and you're good to go".
Great news! Getting bored stupid in here! Rang Sharon told her and to cut short was home about 6pm Sunday.
Good to be home!
Away from home almost exactly 1 week and now, as I sit here it's been 9 days from the op.
Went down to Terrigal yesterday had a walk around and had lunch next to the beach. Great day, can certainly get used to that and will probably do something similar today.
All in all, life's pretty good!