pope_face

Hmm... the power assist Z32TT clutch sounds like a good idea... I ought to see if I can find out how much the force is reduced by the booster though... and then it's a matter of trying to find one to try out that isn't overly pricey. Somehow I figure if I get one from the dealership or auto parts store I'll be looking at some $300+, not to mention getting a vacuum pump... I don't trust the carb to provide a steady, uninterrupted vacuum, and it'd be nice to have an electrical pump to provide boost when the engine's off... Actually... it would be interesting to get an entire Z32TT... would that fit? I'm positive someone's done it before... Then again, it would likely have too many electronics in it... is there any way to reduce the amount of electronics in an engine, maybe with an FI to carb swap? As for why I can't use the clutch pedal... I'm glad the question didn't come up before. I know some forums that would simply say "Just learn to use the clutch pedal!" without even trying to answer my question, so thanks guys. Nice to know that there are reasonable people around. I have used a clutch pedal before, in Poland when I was getting a quick lesson in driving a shift, and here when I have to move the truck around a bit, but I don't think it's safe for me to use in daily driving. I have a disability that limits movement to my legs, so my legs aren't as strong or fast as most people's... I can drive a normal automatic, but I use both feet... left foot on the brake, right foot on the gas. It would just be too hard for me to effectively switch between gas and brake repeatedly, especially in such a confined space. The only other real possibility (that hasn't come up yet) would be to switch either the gas or brake pedal to a hand lever... the gas would be the easiest, but it would be pretty strange to learn...

I was considering the clutch hand lever to the clutch pedal, and it would work, but it would need a massive amount of strength to use... The master cylinder piston only needs to move about an inch, which is right about how much throw I get on a clutch hand lever, but using the foot requires quite a bit of force, and that's about 6 inches of movement... Decrease the travel and increase the force... Unless, like I said, I use a power brake booster, but then I'd have to get the booster and a vacuum pump, and there's no guarantee that'd even work... But... you mentioned getting the transmission modified... is it possible to do that? I think I'm going to just start poking around and looking for a decent L16 with an auto tranny to use... Thanks for looking up the 510 though... I appreciate the help. Just out of curiosity, do you happen to have the information on the paddle shift? I'm just curious as to how complicated it ended up being... and do you know if they started with an auto or manual transmission?

Daniel... I think I know what you mean about the different fenders. I'm trying to locate a decent set to replace mine with, and I drove out to the boonies last week to take a look at a set that someone had. Unfortunatly, they ended up being the wrong style... the front on these came down all the way to the bottom of the wheel well (mine end right around the top of the bumper), and the entire fender seemed shorter (grille to windshield) by a couple inches... Kinda makes it a hassle to find decent replacement parts, especially with the lack of 521's on this side of the border...

I wouldn't mind a small block, but I went with the Datsun so that I could have a four-cylinder. I was considering some of the older American pickups but I just couldn't see myself putting enough gas in it to run it as much as I'd like to. Besides, like I said above, I like how simple the older engines are... although I'm pretty sure there'd be some way to use a large motorbike engine and tranny and modify it to fit... Some bikes came with an automatic clutch, and it is possible to get automatic clutch kits for a motorcycle... The only issue is how well it would work in a truck... somehow I figure the powerband and transmission would be off... Edit: Actually... apparently the 2004 Yamaha FJR 1300 has a 1298cc in-line four engine with a 5-speed (I think) transmission and a shaft-driven rear wheel... the whole thing puts out about 140 hp at 8,000 rpm and 100 ft.lbs of torque at 7,000 rpm... I know the J13 puts out 67 hp at 5,700 rpm... not sure about the torque. Does anyone know what issues could arise from using a motorcycle engine in a truck? Only obvious problem I can see would be the engine speeds... but as far as I know my 521 has a 4.88 final drive ratio, so as far as the wheels go it should be similar to running lower rpms with a lower gear ratio, correct? Any major flaws in my thinking here?

Hahaha, yeah I was considering that myself... although, I went a little further than a Honda engine... I was considering an older Porsche engine... Or even one of the old 1600cc VW bus engines... I think they were basically the same engine as the older Porsches, but with a different drivetrain and maybe a little less power... then you could keep the Datsun 1600 badges on the side, and no-one would be the wiser! Put a tonneau (sp?) cover and you could have a badass little truck... or, maybe the engine/transmission out of an MR2 could be made to fit? Or... a Ferrari, if you wanted to get really hardcore... Could you imagine a V12 Ferrari engine with the tiptronic transmission shoved in the bed of a one tonne 521?

Thanks for the help kiznook... and you too tnip. I know what you mean about locating parts and all. In all honesty, I was considering blaspheming and replacing the engine with an older Honda or Volkswagen engine or something of the sort, just to get the semi-auto out of it... But, what with the Honda being a FWD and the Volkswagen being a rear engine (and a pancake at that) it would be more than a bit of a hassle... although a mid-engined 521 would be kinda cool... Oi, looks like I'll work on figuring out some sort of hand clutch... If that doesn't work, I suppose I'll try to track down an L-series engine with an auto... or even something newer, as long as it's carbed and sans computer...

Yeah, I think it was like '70... Edit: According to the Chilton '70-'88 Nissan Pickup manual: 1970-72 L16 1973-74 L18 1975-80 L20B I think there was a cutoff date though... I have a '70 521 with the J13, but I don't remember the date of manufacture...

Mmm, I know what you mean about the new semi-autos... the new Nissans have the Tiptronic shifters... that would be pretty cool. However, getting the engine to fit might be a bit of a hassle... I'm planning on doing most of the work myself, and I don't exactly have the gear (or the space, or inclination) to do such a major swap. Besides, I'm not much for newer engines... I appreciate what they can do for most people, but my current DD has a FI engine (the only one I've owned) and I hate it... I like the simplicity of the J-series, and I'm a carb guy at heart...

I have nothing against autos, but I just like the idea of having a manual transmission... as for an electronic shifter, I'm not quite sure what you mean... I don't think I've heard of them before. Ideally, I'd love a semi-auto... I had one in a little Honda I had a while ago... Slow off the mark, but it was tiny and agile, and had alright power up in the powerband... I remember going up a mountain doing 75 km/h (40 mph ish, I think...) in first gear with the engine sitting at just below 8,000 rpm... I suppose if I can't sort out the hand clutch I'll have to get an auto... I'd rather have a Dat I can drive rather than a useless four speed. The only thing is, I don't think there were any automatic transmissions for the J-series... so I'd have to get an L-series. Am I wrong on that, or is that the way it is? Or... ideally, were there any semi-auto transmissions for either the J- or the L-series? Or, any way to modify just the clutch so it's automatic, and keep the manual shifting? Or modify an automatic transmission into a semi-auto?

Hey, my name is Fil... I live in Vancouver, BC, and I picked up a 1970 L521 back in September. I haven't had a chance to do any work to it, but I'm hoping to tear it apart and rebuild it... And from what I can tell, it can certainly use a little TLC... It's got the J13 with the four-speed. I have no idea how many miles are on it though... the odometer says some six-odd thousand miles, but I have no idea how many times it's rolled over. It runs fairly well though... I'm just having problems with the alternator not charging, and the carb could use a rebuild (or a replacement). I'm hoping to keep the engine, but that ultimately depends on whether or not I can replace the clutch pedal with a hand clutch... Too many problems for me and the foot pedal... I don't have pictures, but I'll take some tommorow as it should be nice and sunny. I do, however, have a few questions... Does anyone know a relatively inexpensive yet effective way of making the clutch hand operated vs foot operated? The only real requirement I have is that the clutch be operated from the gear shift stalk (possibly with a motorcycle clutch lever or something similar) and not require too much effort to apply. I'm considering eliminating the master cylinder and using a power steering pump or small hydraulic pump instead, then using a valve or series of valves to adjust the pressure going to the slave cylinder... I've also considered using a motorcycle lever attached to the master cylinder by one or a series of cables, using a power brake booster to reduce the amount of force needed on the lever... Or, even replacing the master cylinder with a power brake booster and brake master cylinder combination, and running that to a clutch lever... Anyone have any ideas on that? Getting custom hydraulic lines or cables or whatnot isn't an issue, as there's a shop here that I often visit for work for that very reason... so it's just a matter of getting a working plan... Fil