MTBiker_Boy

Alright i might have the answer, from the 620 facebook group. BSPT, british pipe taper, also known as JIS, japanese industrial standard, is a supposedly identical diameter and only one tpi off from npt. They still use inches for the sizing though. Fucking hell

Yeah it’s probably metric, but it was so close to a 1/8 npt that i was really hoping it was. It is a tapered thread, so not any standard metric stuff though.

Anybody know what the thread is on the mechanical fuel pumps? I thought it was 1/8 NPT, and it is very close, but not quite. The black fitting in the pictures is a 1/8 NPT fitting i bought, thinking it would work.

Yeah, that’s a fair point. I didn’t even think that other people might look at this

I’m confused, why is everybody talking about getting the rust off? I’m not putting any effort into the fuel tank, i installed a fuel cell. I don’t need the tank anymore.

Yeah i think it was on a post about crappy alternators that mike said that

I gave up on all the old stuff as soon as i saw it. New fuel cell came with it’s own sender. I’m never going to use the old stuff, but a wise man once told me to never get rid of OEM datsun parts 😉 

Alright i am terrible with updating this, but here ya go.

So since i got the new fuel pump, i have had more fuel problems, so i decided to go down the line, from the lines down to the tank. I ended up removing the bed and taking a look at the gas tank, and i have no words for what i found.

https://imgur.com/rOTehttps://imgur.com/rOTetfS

https://imgur.com/GFUaXQ9

Needless to say it was a bit rusty... so anyway i knew then that i had to get rid of it.

My options were to

A. Find a new (used) one that isn't rusty,

B. Restore this one, which is a tall order

C. Fuel cell time

I couldn't find any new ones, i might've been able to modyify and fit one from a 720 or d21 or something, but even then i'm still dealing with oem stuff and i don't really want to have to do new hard lines.

Restoring this one would have been expensive if i brought it to someone, and i couldn't do it on my own,

so i was left with the option of doing a fuel cell.

I knew that there was already a write up of doing a fuel cell, so i decided that it shouldn't be too hard if i just followed this.

there were some things i didn't like with the mounting though. Namely that it wasn't level and it was too low. I don't plan on using the stock fill neck, i am fine with cutting a hole in the bed, so i made a new design.

the top rib you see intersecting is the support rib on the bed, which i am going to have to notch, but i'm not too worried about that. i have to cut out a middle section of that anyway for the fill point, so it is what it is. I used 1/8 inch mild steel on the top strap, 1/8 stainless on the bottom, and 11ga brackets cut from sendcutsend. I might end up posting the cad drawings and doing a write up on it, but idk how much demand there is for that.

In any case, next i just have to plumb it up, and i'm probably going to switch to an electric fuel pump, so i have to figure out how to wire that as well.

more to come probably

Where from? Is there a better resolution one?

I’m not worried at all about having a flat face. The worst thing that could happen is just a tiny bit of sine error changing the leverage ratio throughout the pull. That already happens going from the rotational motion of the handle to the linear motion of the locking system.

and yes, those wipes. The ones that keep water from getting inside the door. I was hoping there was a nice and easy way to get them out rather than pulling and twisting, but i guess it is what it is.

Also maybe i’m just dumb and/or blind, but i can’t find anywhere that explains how to replace the side window wipes. I have ones that came with the truck when i bought it, so i figure i should probably do it but i have no clue how. 

Yep, you can see from my wednesday post a pic from the old one, but it goes from the handle down to connect to the rest of the locking mechanism.

may have gone a little overkill, but plastic be gone. Still gotta go pick up two nylock nuts to go onto the end and the install in the truck

Ok that makes sense. So it is not really a matter of not being able to turbo an l20b, but rather it getting really expensive really quick if i want to go any further than a couple psi.

Before i get into this, i am curious, how is turboing an l series more expensive than swapping in a KA24? Keep in mind this question comes from ignorance, not malice. I saw this kit online, which got me thinking about it. Blow Through Kit (turbodatsun.com) but if i take that kit, (1210), add on a used sr20det-sized turbo (200), and another 1000 for the parts to make a manifold,exhuast, and various hoses and whatnot. I am still below 2500 dollars. I can't even buy an sr20 for that much. What am i missing? Because that doesn't seem like huge money to me. i can put maybe 5 psi through and it should be fine. (Assuming the engine was mint beforehand. Mine's not, but there's more to come on that.) That's also a lot less effort than a full engine swap.

I also never looked at powder coating the cab. I'd like to learn more about that, is it expensive? do you do the whole cab or just the parts particularly vulnerable to rust? do you paint over it?

On 4/25/2022 at 11:11 AM, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I get that. Stock L motors are not very impressive. But...turboing any L motor costs twice as much as swapping in a KA24 or SR20. Yes, I like to see L motors in old Datsuns, but the money spent to do a proper turbo build is huge.

 

I hate rust. The thing about rust that kills me is that if you can see it, that means that there's a much larger problem hidden under the layers. Just knowing what lies beneath makes me shiver. There's never an easy way to attack it either. Pulling the cab is definitely the best way to go.If you're going that far, you should consider having it blasted and powder coated too. I just got one back from the coaters which was done in a zinc rich powder that is super corrosion resistant. I've got another one at the coaters that I didn't want to remove all the seam sealer from (because it was in great shape), but it's going to upstate New York and I wanted it coated, so I asked, and yes, even the seam sealer can take the heat. They bake it to 360 degrees, instead of the usual 400 degrees.

Alright some stuff has happened over the weekend.

First off, I went home (where my truck resides) for the weekend, so i could fit the fuel pump that i got from @420n620. It works great so far! I was worried with a NOS one, the seals and stuff would be dried up, but it all looked good. There is 1000% a difference between a legit fuel pump and the orielly ones. Milled mounting surface, box with japanese on it, plugs on the ends, ends facing the right way, everything is just right. So i have high hopes. https://i.imgur.com/hXZEDsB.mp4

The truck started up as soon as fuel got to the carb, i let it run for 10 minutes or so, and then i shut it off to work on the seats. the next morning though, i had to crank it for like 30 seconds again before it would start. And it's not like it started with the fuel in the bowl, then shut off again, it was nothing for 30 seconds. This makes me think that fuel is being siphoned out of the carb. Is that a sign of it needing a rebuild? or is it something else? I don't know much about carburetors.

It also sounded like it was running a bit rough, is this a spark/ignition issue? https://i.imgur.com/6UCIcug.mp4

Anyway, it was time to work on the seats. I figured out by a rough estimate and using my keys as a plumb bob from the steering column, the seat brackets should be 3.5 inches from the door sill. At least with my combination of Amazon.com: InVictus Steel Side Mount Brakcet for Bucket Race Seat (1 Pack, Black) : Automotive and JEGS 702270: Bomber Seat 18 in. Natural Aluminum - JEGS High Performance. That being the case, and keeping it level, the edge of the seat bottom barely cleared the trans tunnel. so modification of the seat brackets was in order. Not a huge deal, because they are cheap. I had some other things to modify as well anyway, like the bracket fouling the seatbelt hole. 

I also got locked out of the driver's door of my truck twice more, which is really annoying. The last time the plastic piece completely broke, and disappeared. https://i.imgur.com/jadiEpO.mp4

But enough complaining about my problems, time to solve them. I took the seat brackets and pushrod with me back to school where there is a full metal shop and i can work on them. First up was the seat brackets. 

I cut two of the seat brackets lengthwise with a small bandsaw using a block to prop it up, and a piece of steel and some vice grips to make an impromptu fence to keep it straight. I then swapped the two cutoff pieces (left base to right top, right base to left top) and welded them back together so they will go way under the seat and hopefully clear the trans tunnel. To those of you who are pro welders, feel free to roast me and tell me how this weld is going to make my truck explode.

I still have yet to do the other modifications to the bracket, but that's tomorrow's project. When i get home i'll hit it with a rattlecan black to cover up my welds.

After that was done, it was time to address the handle push bar. I'm making two of them because i don't want the other one to fail either. 

I measured the holes in my truck, and they were both 1/4 inch, or just large enough for the smooth shank of a 1/4 bolt to slip through. So for this, i used some 1/4 inch rod i found in the shop. I'm assuming mild steel. I determined through careful measurement and guesstimation that 7 1/2 inches were needed per pushrod, and the plan was this; 2.5 inches of rod, bend 15 degrees, 4 inches of rod, bend 75 degrees, and then 1 inch of rod. I used an oxyacetylene torch to heat it up and bend it, but i'm sure the same could be done with any sort of torch. I then tacked on a 1/4 inch washer right next to the 75 degree bend.

Although i haven't done it yet(again, tomorrow project), Next up will be threading 2 inches of the bottom 2 1/2, and threading as much as possible of the inch up top, maybe leaving an eight of an inch for the pivot to not ride on threads. I suppose this could be done with allthread too, but i like to think i'm a little more high class than that.

That got pretty damn close to the dimensions/offset of the stock wire piece, but i don't have the top plastic piece, so i don't know for sure. I'll have to test fit it when i can get back home to work on my truck. this will also have nylon lock nuts on them. ironic considering the whole point was to get rid of the plastic, but this is different i swear. I'm also aware that this is way overbuilt for this small task, but i tend to overcompensate for things. Why do you think i drive such a small truck?

I'm considering doing a write up on this, but it doesn't seem like a huge problem or it would have been done before. right?

Oh and one last thing. I am all about preserving patina, and i love the shiny patina look on classics. I have seen plenty of products for preserving patina, but what should I do about the roof? the cracked and flaky paint wouldn't even allow me to apply a product to it because i can't drag a cloth over it without more coming off. 

Haha i mean i get that it may sound dumb, but i plan on doing all of the bodywork all at once when i have somewhere to take the cab off and can do a frame-off restoration. I’ll have it sent off for paint/repair etc. and at that point will be repairing rust holes.

Plus i don’t really see the rust as a problem because i have only driven it in the summer, so not worried about the cold getting in, and it’s a body on frame so i’m not worried about the structure of the truck, and it’s all had a por-15 treatment so the rust isn’t expanding. Idk maybe living in minnesota has desensitized me to rust, but i just don’t see it as a huge problem.
 

A larger problem to me is that the truck is boring with such a gutless motor. It is likely that there is something else wrong with it causing lack of power too, but i don’t even know where to begin. I’ll start looking into that once i get the fuel pump sorted. And supposedly that got delivered yesterday, so when i get home from college this weekend i can get it installed and have the first start up of the year!

I’m not installing sliders, just installing them as far back as possible. I plan on being the only one to drive it, and seat height/leg room doesn’t matter for passengers

I agree, it is much easier to weld in a comfortable position. That being said, i think you guys are too focused on the swiss cheese floors. That project is 5+ years down the line, and there is much more to do before then. Right now i am more focused on getting the door locks fixed, seats fully installed, drop spindles or torsion bars for lowering the front, and turboing the l20b

I’ve taken a look at those brackets, and they would be nice so there wouldn’t be any interference with the bracket and the seatbelt hole, but then i would have to redrill the seats, as well as i don’t think they would allow enough of a shift over, they would still hit the trans tunnel.

I haven’t done any sheet metal work to that extent, so it would definitely be a new experience, but again, that’ll likely happen after i‘m done with everything else, like sorting suspension, brakes, engine swapping, rewiring everything, a fuel cell, redoing interior, etc. which won’t be for another 5 years.

I grew up and still “live in” bloomington, but i am going to school in st cloud.

Thanks, i think it’s coming along nicely as well!

Not entirely sure i follow what you are saying about the seat brackets. If i understand correctly, you are saying to swap the lefts and rights, so they brackets would appear to go in before becoming flat. https://www.amazon.com/Invictus-Mount-Bucket-Brackets-Black/dp/B07DPRSB2G/ref=asc_df_B07DPRSB2G/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312061982315&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16812417632570500412&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1020086&hvtargid=pla-569746664151&psc=1#immersive-view_1649959231009
the brackets are these units, and they go down from the seat, outwards, and then go flat on the inside. So flipping them wouldn’t really gain me any space, best that would do is expose the mounting bolts, which admittedly wouldn’t be a bad idea. My idea though is to try to replicate these sparco seat brackets’ shape, at least for the parts that hit the tunnel. https://www.sparcousa.com/side-mount-aluminum-hd either that or cut out a bit of the trans tunnel, but i’m not sure how much space i really have to work with there, i’d have to take a look under the truck.

as far as the christmas tree clips, thank you for the advice, but i would rather weld in new floors than put more plastic in my truck, because i seem to have problems with plastic. Also i know that kf vintage makes replacement sheet metal for the entire floor, so when i get to the stage of the build where it is time to make it nice, i.e. repaint, removing dents and rust, etc. then i’ll start worrying about that.

Yup, that’s what i was sayin datzenmike will tell me to find a used one but idk if it matters, looking at my floors.

Alright ladies and gentlemen, i am back. The winter has died down here in MN, although i am sure there is snow still to come because it’s never over when you think it’s over. In any case, that means car show season is back and i need to get my truck back up and running.

First off, around november, i tried another fuel pump i got from autozone, but that was even worse than the orielly one for multiple reasons. After that, and as per @datzenmike’s recommendation, i found an OEM NOS fuel pump in the classifieds, and i just need @420n620 to respond to my messages😁.
Second, last fall i got some aluminum bomber seats off of some guy on facebook marketplace for cheap, and got around to cutting the old seats out (because if you recall they were welded to the floor). There was minor damage to the cab floor but they are already pretty messed up, so i’m not too worried. The only other thing is that the seat is like 4 inches offset to the outside because the seat bracket is hitting the trans tunnel, so i have to cut up the bracket to make it fit. Here they are mocked up, don’t mind the swiss cheese floor. 
Third, in response to this,

On 7/24/2021 at 2:13 PM, datzenmike said:

 

You should already have this or something similar to keep water and fumes out of the cab. Over top of this is the boot or black vinyl dress up covering that laces up. Once the console is removed you may find that there is a big gap in the carpet under it. Take it out and look but be prepared to put it back. Again try the classifieds for a better used one.

This is what i currently have under the center console. No rubber boot, just a hole the shifter goes through. I will look through the classifieds before buying anything off of amazon, but at this point looking at my floor, i’m not sure if plugging that hole is going to make much of a difference.

Fourth, when i was working on the inside of my truck, at one point i apparently closed the door a little too hard and got locked out of the driver’s door. The passenger side was fine, so i could still get in, and the interior handle worked, but the exterior handle didn’t. I took the door panel off and found this bar (vertical one)had fallen out, and the plastic bit holding it in at the top was broken. It works fine for now, because it hasn’t moved, but i’m worried that once it does, i’m gonna get locked out again. I’m sure i’m gonna hear the “Find an OEM one on classifieds” again, but does anybody else make replacements that aren’t 40+ years old? Plastic technology has improved a lot since then.

Finally, i have been doing a lot of planning over the winter, and i want your thoughts on my plans. 
Front brakes will be upgraded according to this post, with parts from multiple different hardbodies.

While doing that, i will be obviously be using D21 spindles, though i am not sure whether to use oem ones or drop spindles. I have 2 inch blocks for the rear, not installed yet, and i am going to lower the front to match, but i’m not sure whether it is better to use the drop spindles or torsion bars.
For rear brakes, i am going to wait for @BEEBANI to start taking orders again, and use his kit that takes isuzu parts. Hopefully i’ll order that with the coilover conversion kit.

After that is wheels time, and i am going to get some old jdm 3 piece wheels, or copy @darealjonb on instagram because his wheel/tire setup looks sick.

At that point is power time. I want somewhere around 300 hp, so i am debating on swapping in a KA24 (with turbo) or an SR20, leaning towards the KA because of the price, although the sr is appealing because of the weight. Or i could turbo to l20b, but i’m not sure how far i could push it, and i’m not sure if i should convert it to efi or do a carbureted turbo setup. Does anybody have a good write up on turbo l20b’s?

At some point along the line i am going to be rewiring the whole truck because it is a disaster, as well as redoing the interior (which is pretty much just the dash) but i am not sure when that’ll happen.

feel free to ask any questions or answer any of mine. Thanks! 🙏🏻 

I’m assuming that one worked, right? I had another shitty one die on me.

Also, my center console is pretty beat up and ugly, so i want to get rid of it. I found this piece online, but i’m not sure if it is what i want. Will this cover the hole in the floor when i take out the center console, or is this for some other purpose?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N7CNHP5/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=A1WA2JZFJH9IO8&psc=1