1981 HL KA24ET 510 Wagon

[sac510]

Hey guys, a year or so ago i picked up a 1981 510 wagon and have loved it since. Now i belive this is will be the first KA-T HL 510? but im not sure. I picked up the motor about 6 months ago from a friend. It was in his 89 240sx but he swapped to a RB20 so he gave it to me. Anyway i know that there are not very known things about the HL 510 so i have a few specific questions.

1. What axle came in the HL wagon? its solid and i want to put a lsd or something back there. I dont want to have to weld it, or swap out to another axle.

2. Supsension. What can i do with the front. The struts are blown and its WAY to soft/high. Is the set up the same as the PL510's? Rear suspension ideas without having to 4link.

3. Weight? Just trying to figure out how fast this thing will be. with 8psi boost im thinking about 250whp.

4. Body. The front end on this thing is hideous. too square and the bumper is massive. will anything else fit?


Thanks in advance you guys.

[datzenmike]

1. What axle came in the HL wagon? its solid and i want to put a lsd or something back there. I dont want to have to weld it, or swap out to another axle.

H-165B 3.363 ratio. The 710 and '77-'82 200sx also used this differential with ratios of 3.70, 3.889 and 4.11

2. Supsension. What can i do with the front. The struts are blown and its WAY to soft/high. Is the set up the same as the PL510's? Rear suspension ideas without having to 4link.

(corection:)
The '82-'83 200sx is almost the same but with links and coils but with the more stout H-190. You would have to investigate the width compatibility The H-190 handle about 300 ft lb of torque.

3. Weight? Just trying to figure out how fast this thing will be. with 8psi boost im thinking about 250whp.

I only know they are heavier than the PL which are between 1,950 to 2,150 for the wagon.

4. Body. The front end on this thing is hideous. too square and the bumper is massive. will anything else fit?

Thanks in advance you guys.

I like the shape, it is what it is. You can't change it without making it worse than it is. Throw the bumpers away, if stopped say they're out being chromed.

[merlin]

sac510 wrote:
4. Body. The front end on this thing is hideous. too square and the bumper is massive. will anything else fit?

Find an earlier pre 1978-79 HL and steal the round headlight grille, etc, that will help some. Also look up Violet Gt on wiki and have a look at the rally flared cars.

I can't find a gvw for your vehicle in the parts catalog... probably too many variations.

Bumpers? go to the junkyard with a measuring tape... I've seen a datsun 620 with a 92 toyot tercel front plastic bumper on it... it looked like it belonged there if you squinted... Problem is if you want Chrome and skinny you have to go pre 73... rare! Expensive!
.

[sac510]

Thanks for the info so far. although one problem. The 4 linked rear was true for most, Not for mine. maybe since its a wagon? IDK. But i can assure you that it has leafs our rear. Any ideas on what i can do for the front? will all of the normal PL 510 tricks work or are they totally different. Im not looking for you guys to give me step by step instructions. Just need to know how much of this car is the same to the PL. And thanks in advance, and i hope that the bad wrap that most of the other HL owners have brought here doesnt change anything.

[sac510]

Also about the rear end. Its a solid axle. Were the 200sx and 710's as well? i didnt think that they were.

[datzenmike]

Aww, Sun. morning posts before coffee!!! Absolutely, the wagons were leaf spring, my bad. The '81 would have had a 3.365 ratio also my bad.

200sx '77-'82 were H-165 solid axle with coils. The 710 had H165 solid axle with leaf springs like yours. his is one of the big differences with the 710/610... the 610 had IRS at the back on the sedan and leaf on the goons.

BTW the H-165 is good for only 200-220 ft lbs of torque. The '82-'83 200sx and the '80-'84 Maxima goon both used a much much stronger (285 ft lb) H-190 solid rear axle. You would have to convert to leaf spring and check the width for compatibility.

[sac510]

okay yeah thats what i had figured on the rear axle. now what to do about the front suspension?

[okayfine]

Just need to know how much of this car is the same to the PL.

None. Similar, yes, very. For the front can you do the same sort of modifications? Yes.

For the rear, if you must have an LSD, you're going to have to swap rear axles to Ford. Yes, you can swap to an H190 rear axle and Nissan did make LSD pumpkins for the H190, but for the money you'd spend and the time you'd have to spend searching and wrenching, you could have long ago ordered a Ford 8.8 with LSD in your choice of ratios, discs, and reliability.

[tatange]

This one died off pretty quick. Any updates?