Bringing my 620 Back to Life

[Weaver]

Hello all!

 

I inherited a 79 620 from my grandad a few years ago, and since it's spring break and I have nothing else to do, I'm going to start working on it. =P

It's going to be a slow project since I don't have any money atm, but I'm going to try and do what I can. With the added inconvenience of not having a garage, it's going to be tough. xD

 

My current plans are to get it running, once that happens, I'll work on getting rid of the major rust spots and fiberglass over the big holes in the body. I don't think I want to do anything major with it, just get it back to looking like new.

My dad wants me to sell it, but I would love to fix it up and drive it. :cool:

 

 

Pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2009 by Weaver

[Wharf Rat]

Welcome to Ratsun the BEST Datsun site on planet Earth Weaver and glad to hear this was your Grand Dads Ol' truck :)

 

Get her running, drain gas at tank and carb and flush the lines with some fresh gas. How long has the truck sat there? you may want to pull the spark plugs and squirt some Marvel Mystery oil in the combustion chambers and turn it over by hand the next day. Better safe then sorry. Buy some new filters Gas and Oil for now.

 

Save it and pass it down the line some day, the frame looks pretty good :)

 

Send us more pics and info, how many miles are on it and so on.

 

These trucks will be worth several million dollars in a few years or two hundred and fifty seven and a couple hours or so :D

 

Just save it because it was you Pa's if for no other reason :)

 

If you don't we will find you and teach you a lesson :eek:

[datto510]

If you don't we will find you and teach you a lesson :eek:

 

 

He is not kidding!:blink:

 

Welcome to Ratsun!

[Weaver]

Thanks for the welcome, 'tis good to be here!

 

Let's see, info about the truck...

It hasn't been driven for 12 years, it's been sitting out in the weather for 10. *cries*

It has either 119,000 or 219,000 miles on it. (damn that 5 digit odometer)

There's surface rust on the frame, but it's in excellent condition (never been wrecked).

And aside from the dry rotted hoses and lack of AC compressor (I have no idea what happened to it) the engine is in great shape. I squirted some PB blaster in the cylinders a few weeks ago and turned the engine over by hand, so I know it isn't seized up.

I'm pretty sure it runs, but I need a new mounting bolt for the starter, because one on it now isn't the right size, and it wobbles a bit.

 

I think I'm gonna have to lift the cab off the chassis because there's a lot of body work that needs to be done: there's about an 10 inch hole under the passenger side floor mat. I might be able to go to a junk yard and get me a new floorpan, hood, front valence, and possibly a firewall and cowl.

Edited April 6, 2009 by Weaver

[Guest nateoneel]

where ya from? that lil truck will need some work but nothing like a lil elbow grease can't fix. good luck

[oldsklminitrk]

You in Georgia cause if ya are your in luck.....why cause I got a spare parts truck for all the little goodies you might need and hell I might would help....and to boot a Marine here.

[Tompsukka]

Oh my. If a truck had been sitting outside for 10years in finland there would be NOTHING left :lol:

[Guest jaimesix]

Thanks for the welcome, 'tis good to be here!

 

Let's see, info about the truck...

It hasn't been driven for 12 years, it's been sitting out in the weather for 10. *cries*

It has either 119,000 or 219,000 miles on it. (damn that 5 digit odometer)

There's surface rust on the frame, but it's in excellent condition (never been wrecked).

And aside from the dry rotted hoses and lack of AC compressor (I have no idea what happened to it) the engine is in great shape. I squirted some PB blaster in the cylinders a few weeks ago and turned the engine over by hand, so I know it isn't seized up.

I'm pretty sure it runs, but I need a new mounting bolt for the starter, because one on it now isn't the right size, and it wobbles a bit.

 

I think I'm gonna have to lift the cab off the chassis because there's a lot of body work that needs to be done: there's about an 10 inch hole under the passenger side floor mat. I might be able to go to a junk yard and get me a new floorpan, hood, front valence, and possibly a firewall and cowl.

 

Very nice truck. You are right, looks straight, no accidents. Taking the cab off the frame is an excellent idea, then you can paint the cab and repair any posible small rust spots, and you can paint that frame and leave it in A shape.

 

Nice!

 

Oh my. If a truck had been sitting outside for 10years in finland there would be NOTHING left :lol:

 

Well, not your 210, after that good acid and rust preventive paint you are using!

 

That stuff is good!

 

Jaime._________________________________________________________

[Weaver]

You in Georgia cause if ya are your in luck.....why cause I got a spare parts truck for all the little goodies you might need and hell I might would help....and to boot a Marine here.

 

Yep, I'm in Conyers, where're you?

And a Marine? Awesome.

 

Very nice truck. You are right, looks straight, no accidents. Taking the cab off the frame is an excellent idea, then you can paint the cab and repair any posible small rust spots, and you can paint that frame and leave it in A shape.

 

That's what I was planning on, except take the words "possible" and "small" out of there. :lol:

 

It's like this under the floor mats on both sides:

 

I pulled the starter out, and found out that whoever bolted it on there used the wrong size bolt and stripped the threads on the tranny. I'll have to tap that out to a larger size before I can do anything else.

Having the starter loose tore up the gear, but I think it's still usable. Just the top edge of the gears are beveled.

Edited April 6, 2009 by Weaver

[CharlieBucket]

good to see another GA guy on the board. FYI-the pull-a-part south{downtown, off moreland} just got a 76 620 in last week. they email me whenever they get a new one. there is a 72 at the PAP in buford but i heard someone got the engine already. i pulled a few little things of it. body parts where pretty good. also you and any other GA guys that might read this should come out to our old school meets. it for anything japanese pre-1985. next one is may 2nd at road atlanta. we get to do victory laps and everything.

[Weaver]

Hmm, never heard of Pull-a-Part before...

I'll have to add my email to their list. The East lot is about 15 minutes away from me, and you can't beat $15 for an AC compressor.

Edited April 6, 2009 by Weaver

[73dat]

Welcome to the forum,nice project.......................:cool:

[oldsklminitrk]

Down here in Dublin about and hour below Macon....hit me up on yahoo....nonamefril

[Weaver]

Er, don't have yahoo...

I don't use IM at all in fact.

 

Well, it warmed up today, so I could tamper with the truck a bit. Can't do much untill I get a starter though...

Here's what I did yesterday

 

Tapping the stripped holes:

Had to drill out the holes on the starter:

Installed:

 

Yeah, tried cranking it, and after a few spins, the starter started smoking.

Today:

 

Just tinkering around today, finding out what I need to do to repair the floor.

No major rust under the seat:

But behind it is pretty bad. I might be able to grind down all the rust and patch this area with fiberglass.

I have 50 sheets of that 5" x 40" galvanized steel (in the picture), I might be able to use that, but that gauge would be hard to weld with a stick welder (don't have a MIG at the house).

RUST!!!! D=

The hood hinges are gone

Like my mulch? xD

 

 

I take wayyy too many pictures.

Edited April 9, 2009 by Phlebmaster
FIXED YOUR PIX-- use the IMG tags for forums

[Weaver]

Update:

SHE'S ALIVE!!!

New starter was installed; it cranked up right after the fuel system got pressure.

Runs like I just drove it off the lot. :D:D:D I need a new flywheel though, because the starter that was on it wasn't the right one...

 

Now I can start with the body work!!! I'll try to get the cab off of it later this week, if I can get enough people to help me.

The hydraulics on the tractor isn't working, so I can't lift it off with the boom like I had planned. :(

[ppeters914]

Thanks for the welcome, 'tis good to be here!

 

Let's see, info about the truck...

It hasn't been driven for 12 years, it's been sitting out in the weather for 10.

 

Good thing you told us otherwise we'd never have guessed that. :lol::lol::lol:

 

Welcome!

[Weaver]

^Haha, thanks.

 

So, things are moving even slower now that I'm back in school, but I'm trying to get some stuff done with the truck.

 

Apparently, when my truck started up, it was a one time thing.:( There's a problem with the flywheel or something (I think).

 

Here's the deal, whenever I try to crank it up, I hear a horrible grinding noise from the flywheel, BUT, the engine turns over. I guess the gears are't engaging completely, but they are meshing enough to spin the engine over (but it spins very slowly)

Can someone please give me some insight as to what might be causing this?

 

I know I'm missing the rear cover (I think that's what it's called, pic of it below), could that be the problem?

 

Using Phlebmaster's pic, as it's the only good one I could find of it. :D

[Phlebmaster]

Could be the throw out bearing....;)

[Weaver]

It's an automatic...

Aren't those only on manual trannys?

Edited April 13, 2009 by Weaver

[Phlebmaster]

It's an automatic...

Aren't those only on manual trannys?

 

lol...OOPS!! Sorry. :D

 

I wasn't paying attention.... :o

[Weaver]

Haha, no problem, I wouldn't have known either way. xD (don't know much about that stuff)

 

I think that rear cover might be the problem.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when installed, it would be a spacer in between the engine and transmission, separating them a little bit. The starter, being bolted onto the tranny, would then be moved back closer to the flywheel, right? With it closer to the flywheel, the gears would mesh a lot better. ???

 

I guess I need to get my hands on a cover and see if that's the problem. It might still be in my grandads garage, as he never threw anything away. :lol:

[Weaver]

Ahh, nevermind that last post, that's probably not what's causing it...

Anyone have any ideas? I need to get my hands dirty and find out what's wrong, but I hate lying down under it in the leaves to work on it. (long hair)

 

I'll probably take the fenders off and take them to school so I can clean them up and get them primered.

Pic for the helluvit:

Edited April 18, 2009 by Weaver

[bonvo]

does your school have a body shop?

[Weaver]

Yeah, we have an automotive tech class and a collision repair class. (and a bunch of other career oriented technical courses) There's six car bays, a frame machine, paint booth, etc... Not the best equipment, but it works.

http://www.rockdale.k12.ga.us/personal/sbrandenburg/AT-1/default.aspx

[Weaver]

Quick update:

It runs now! Starts up easily now that I put in a new battery. After the crank seal on my mom's van busted, I took the battery out of it and put it in the truck, and as it turns out, the battery was the problem! It wasn't putting out enough amps to start it.

Right now, I'm going to start working on patching the holes. I'm hoping it's possible to do that without lifting the cab off the frame, because I just want to get it roadworthy as quickly as possible so I can start driving. (my mom took my car since her van doesn't run, so the only thing I can drive is the truck)