'79 620 daily

[Gary]

progress;

temp is good! solid 85ish degrees, gets up to 90deg or so with decent revs but doesnt budge after that

 

my rattle/squeak is still there, even after enlarging the hole a little and using wheel hub grease. maybe its something else :(

 

also ive only just sorta noticed the brakes are dragging a bit. sort of like 1/4 of the rotor (and what sounds like the brake shoes but hard to tell) is sticking out and the rest isnt, so every turn i get a very soft scraping noise. louder at low rpm, doesnt do it at high rpm. i know front wheel bearings arent the best on the front which ill replace, ive messed with adjusting the rear hubs till they dont do anything and still that noise. ive backed off the master cylinder adjustment till the pedal is loose, again still that noise. tried pulling the handbrake a little while driving to see if it helped the noise, not really... drove it like i was stalling it up and that seemed to lessen the noise (cos of course brakes were under pressure), but noise still remains. weird

 

the radiator i have has provision for coolant recovery system, which i thought would be wise to have if not for the J then for the future L. so i pinched a spare overflow tank from one of my pulsars and made it fit the 620. i bleached the insides (was nasty) which worked good, now im just bleaching the top of it so should be ready to put together tomoz. heres the bracket;

 

ive noticed speedo is a solid 10k's out too which is no suprise. nice that its an even or so 10k's though :D

[Gary]

progress;

today messed about with cleaning the overflow tank, but most of the day was spent making way for and purchasing this;

 

new tools!!!!11 :hyper:

 

should enable me to weld stainless and aluminium, ive got a lot of practise ahead of me but it'll be worth it i think. needs a trolley before i can use it cos the gas bottles and both welders dont fit on the one i made from a food cart ages ago :( gunna be fair fun getting into it though, cant wait!

[Pedro]

Once you get the hang of the tig, the mig won't be getting much love.

[Zeusimo]

:w00t: 200 Amps Of Awsomeness :rofl:

[Gary]

only 185 i think :( 95% of what ill ever do is going to be thin though so not so bad

 

will see how it goes, i think the MIG will still be in good service since its quicker and simpler to knock things up with. who knows though hey :D

 

progress;

fixed that damn squeak, it was the washers for the cab mount. i got the hole in the cab about a mm off so its shifted the bush toward fouling the gusseting in the chassis mount. ive replaced that one with a smaller washer for now

 

also had a peek at the brake dramas ive got, it looks like my axle end play is about 2mm... should be 0.15mm. thats a problem but im not sure its THE problem, i dunno if the wheel bearing is worn or not, i dunno how to tell with live rear axles. i might look into fresh hubs and shoes too since my ones look about ready for retirement

 

also wired in the light for the temp guage, fiddled about with the parkers so they work now (swapped them with the indicators), now mysteriously the rear left side indicator is not working :\ wiring back there is fair nasty though (fair corroded) so that may be why

[Gary]

progress;

messed about with the overflow bottle, all done;

 

been a bit distracted sorting out stuff for TIG like making the trolley, setting it up, getting another gas bottle (pretty sure ill want another E bottle, i got a D of argon for now though), finding electrodes (normal tool shops dont carry them :(), finding filler wire (got some for alu and for ms), then some stuff to practise on, then a bench grinder and appropriate wheel to suit tungsten. my local steel shop was awesome though, he's a fabricator that stocks more steel than he can use so he sells it retail too. i dropped in, asked for some aluminium and he pointed to a scrap bin and said go for it :D got a sweet range of stuff to mess about with, and for free! then he set about telling me how to get started and some tricks for puddle control, and told me to go watch his son who was TIG'ing away in the background at the time - champion :D

 

sorted brake drama. thanks to mike who mentioned the 620 diffs have a little block inbetween the spider gears called a thrust block :\ my problem was that the other diff didnt, which meant the axles were floating too far inward, which pulled the hubs inward which made them foul on one or two things of the drum brake mechanism (a protrusion on the star wheel adjuster thing, and one of the springs that hold the shoes in) ive swapped back to the stock diff center, seems to be apples

 

couple little things to do before i can take it for a spin, ill get em done tomoz

[works510]

weird on the thrust block, ive interchanged a few different H190's and never had any drama's.

Although maybe I didnt notice em? haha

Commercials seem to have that part only though from what ive seen.

 

Looking good tho, diggin the black interior better than the Tan now.

[Gary]

thanks :) most pics ive seen of other H190's didnt have it, so yeah as you said probs just a ute thing. would probably work out easier come time to swap the whole axle anyway for disc rear, i think drums will need some money into em soon

 

progress;

all back together and goin fine :) now i'm just chasing leaks :( seems i didnt do the rear main right, its still leaking ffs. ill employ a little trickiness see if it gets past inspection

 

ive been doing little things here and there, like aligning the door catch for the drivers side a little better, i got some car mats, been messing about a little with wiring, my indicators work now (i removed one of the plugs cos corrosion)

 

i think its wheel bearings, a couple little tidy ups then its RWC time! no doubt ill find more stuff though

[Gary]

progress;

well the windscreen was annoying me so i replaced it. thanks to careless grinding inside the cab earlier i had quite a lot of marks on the inside of the glass, which wouldnt have got through most RWC places. so i spent some time removing the old one and found various areas or rust while i was there. treated and painted them all nice, then went for a trip and got me a windscreen seal from rarespares (waltzed in, asked for it, was in stock and ready to go! hows that :lol:), a chap came round today with fresh glass and installed it for me. one less thing to worry about

 

ive been messing about with the diff some more too, the pinion shaft seal was busted and leaking so that came out for a new one, when it was apart i could see the surface the seal contacts with (slip yoke surface) was corroded and worn down to a small step. bad news considering finding a replacement will be difficult. i got it on the lathe and cleaned it up a little so it feels smoother, i dont think it'll be good enough but it should be ok until new diff time. thats all back together now, i think pinion preload is good... i went to 110 ftlb but when i tested it later it needed like 10ftlb to move it... should be less than 1 hah now its about 1ftlb so i hope it doesnt grenade any time soon

 

found a leak coming from one of the pushrod inspection covers and fixed it, also made this sneaky thing to catch leaks so i could see if anything else was leaking (looked like the trans sump pan was leaking for a bit but was just runoff from the engine sump). :lol: i guess they cant argue that its actually really leaking anywhere, will probably remove it before RWC and plug the hole with RTV

 

found another leak at the thermostat housing (NEVER EVER USE FACTORY GASKETS EVER) i give them fair go every time and they all fail. RTV'd it, works good now

 

a while ago i ordered a wheel dresser for the grinding wheels ive got, i got that today and now have true/clean wheels with which to grind electrodes and things, (theyre cool things those wheel dressers) so can get into TIG anytime

 

getting there... i got put on to a nice RWC shop too by the windscreen chap too, hopefully checks out!

[copydat]

good stuff Gary!

 

How much that screen and seal set you back if you don't mind? I got a source up here in Sydney with 2 screens in stock - not cheap though and they are happy to install also and can get rubbers. I have to get all new rubbers and seals all over so I'm thinking I'll give it all a go myself......

 

What's that gasket exhaust flange doing? hahaha - giving it that true Datto rattle!

[Gary]

hehe that flange bit was before reassembly. rattles bad enough with it torqued down to 146,411ftlb!

 

windscreen was $215 fitted from national windscreens, the seal was $115 from rarespares. fair surprised they had anything to be honest

 

national windscreens do have a listing, the first chap i spoke to said yep and quoted, second chap took a good two or so minutes looking about the place trying to figure out what car it was. he suggested that it in fact wasnt a commercial ute, but a 120Y :huh: he then became fairly adamant that the ute i was staring at whilst talking to him was a 2door coupe :lol: eventually found what i was on about and got it sorted

obrien quoted $550 odd clams fitted, seal not included. the only thing they've got going for them is the windscreen has a lifetime replacement warranty if it ever needs replacing for any reason. but when you think about it, chips and light cracks are about the most you're ever likely to cop, and fixing them is cheap so 550 was far too steep in my eyes

 

it looked fair simple to replace, but the windscreen place might be reluctant to give you the windscreen supply only for much cheaper. worth a question though, i think they make most of their money on the installation so you might well save a bit :)

[copydat]

this mob sells the screen for $260, haven't quoted on fitting nor the rubbers but I shouldn't hang about waiting or I'll miss out!

 

Wish this rain would hold up for a bit, my ute is in bare metal waiting to get primer on it! :mad:

[Gary]

she'll be right :D little more prep to kill it and will be apples i reckon!

 

progress;

i made the front number plate holder today, full hectic drift spec to the side. should be good for a few hp at the rears :D was simpler doing it this way is all

 

took it for a test spin, diff was whiny so i tightened the pinion nut a bit more and now its nice and quiet, and no more leaking i think. ill get some more stop smoke maybe, then book RWC for next week sometime

[Gary]

progress;

sorted out a couple more things, i remembered handbrake was still loose so i fixed that by shortening it. nice and tight now and ive now got adjustment. hopefully the way ive done it will hold

 

touched up the bodywork a little, sanded back a few things and painted bits here and there. still looks shit, just less shit :D

 

also gave interior a nice clean, a lot nicer now :D

 

the parker globes in my headlights dont seem to seat properly, ive forced them back in so they work again so should be good for now but will need fixing eventually

 

today i rolled into vicroads for some temp rego so i could hit rwc place, i ended up having to transfer the ute into my name and pay rego, just need to show them a RWC and it'll be apples so thats all i need to do

 

i also pulled my rear main oil catcher thing off so i could paint it, the rag was completely clean :\ the drips coming out of that little hole werent actually from the rear main, but from the other leak i fixed. turns out i was only half as useless as i thought i was! hah

 

its still smoking though, thats about the only problem i have with it :( gunna drop lots of stop smoke in and cross fingers for roadworthy. maaan i want that L20 :(

 

also took it for a spin to see how its all going. its driving nice, 80k's is about the limit of comfort for the J i think, doesnt sound like its having much fun any faster than that. i took a quick pic while i was out;

 

ill call a place up tomorrow, hopefully get RWC done in a week or so depending what he wants me to fix. not far to go! hah

[Gary]

progress;

over the week ive been messing about with little things here and there, tried calling the place i was recommended to but it turns out he's gone :( so hit parts place for some advice and got sent to another shop which worked out good

 

dropped it off this morning, had it tested and it came up with minor things! :D fuckin win! just need to do;

washer jets

tiny exhaust leak

one of the exhaust mounts didnt actually weld to anything so its loose (whole section is rusted so i was being careful not to blow through, obviously a little too careful hah)

castor arm bushes

swaybar D link bushes

window winder (broke :()

and i need to retrofit an interior light

 

which is all win, i can do those in no time. castor bushes might be interesting but last resort ill get some extra soft urethane and cast some with holes innit so it'll have enough flex to function as a bush :D maybe, i guess ill see how it goes

 

real close to having it on the road every day :D happy as a clam

[Gary]

progress;

today was cool, i got some bushes for the swaybar links and castor arms, just waiting for the D's. i need to turn new crush tubes for the castor bushes, old ones are rusted out and bent and generally nasty. and too short too which is interesting

 

also went for a spin to a couple wreckers to find an interior light that'd suit. i ended up pulling one from a ford ranger (of all things) which looked about the right size, and the plastic bit could easily be trimmed to suit the hole in the 620 body. other than that, it looks to be plug and play

 

tomoz ill fix the exhaust, and turn some things i think

[Gary]

progress;

finished fitting the bushes today :) i got the D bushes i needed, then made new crush tubes for the castor bushes (which are maybe slightly too long at 55mm, 50mm probably better), messed about unbending some of the washers, cut back and painted a few things, then greased and assembled it all

 

tomoz exhaust

[Zeusimo]

Where Did You Get Those Bushings? :P

[Gary]

from my friendly neighbourhood parts place :D they were cheap and its quicker so it beats making them :unsure:

 

the brand is superpro which i think is mainly found in australia, id imagine nolathane make them too though (red might suit car better heh)

 

the castor rod bushes were listed for a 620 (no crush tube though, and you need a longer one than stock :(), but the swaybar D bushes and the link bushes werent in under 620 so i went to 720 stuff instead which works fine. i had to specify swaybar diameter (21mm for mine, they came in 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24 i tthinnkk)

 

progress;

today fixed the exhaust, just a couple holes around the muffler and i welded up the mount i made then gave it a quick shot with some high temp paint to make the repairs a little more obvious :lol:

 

also cut the back of my new interior light to fit the hole in the cab then bent the globe holder so it sits higher away from grounding out on the chassis. i thought i lost the wiring inside the cab for a minute but managed to get that back ok, doesnt look like much fun running those ones hah

 

i cleaned the door switch terminals (still doesnt work when the doors open though :\) then drilled some holes to suit the fixing points for the light, then got it all together for a test and it kinda works. only when the switch is set to on, when it set to door it remains off. not sure why, but doesnt really matter

 

tomoz ill try get the washer jets working, then just need to fix the window winder and im set

[Gary]

progress;

fixed the washers today, for some reason i had two grounds running to the washer pump. so fixed that so it works nice now, but then one of the jets was really weak and both were aimed over the roof :\ i fixed one side but after trying to fix the other i snapped it clean :( a quick clean up and some araldite sorted it good though, now its all back together and spraying fine

 

also fixed the winder, just had to make a better/stronger knob to go onto the ones i got from ebay which didnt take long

 

thats it! should be legal now. ill see if i can get final inspection done monday, then its all apples legally speaking. just need an L series then a tub, a good slamming and it'll be done!

[Gary]

progress;

today i was messing about the garage cleaning a little and getting the tub ready for some work since i didnt have a lot else to do for the ute. ive rested it on a couple of trestle tables so i can get access to all the sides and a little of the underside for repair. cant wait to get it back on, i liked the no tub look for a while but having the 5hook back on will be lots better :D

 

when i got it home from RWC inspection it had a high idle as though the throttle cable was stuck. seems to have fixed itself now though. i tried starting it up today to make sure it was running ok, but it barely ran and was missing. ended up being the plugs, i think they're oil fouled :( fresh ones in and it starts and runs perfect all ready to go for tomoz

[Gary]

progress;

 

passed second inspection :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D another datsun tearin it up :D

 

just under 14months, all for this little piece of green paper;

 

one of the chaps at the shop asked if i wanted to sell it cos him and a mate had a rotary conversion for it :cool: i used to get that question quite a bit with the 510, i didnt think the 620 would be the same heh

 

i went into vicroads straight after so now its on the road a proper legal :) ill get workin on the tub so i can drop it asap

[Rob W.]

Nice to see another 620 on the road. Congrats Gary and nice work. Can't wait to see it when you're done.

[copydat]

nice one mate!

[Gary]

thanks :D nice that its all gone reasonably to plan

 

progress;

now i can do what i want to do, rather than what i have to do :D

 

first on the list is engine/trans i think. the plan is to swap it out for an L20 i have from my 510, and a 5speed i got from an ozdat member :) the L ive got was run on straight gas for a while and the insides are immaculate, the head looks ported too. im fairly sure its copped a rebuild at some stage, so im hoping its a good runner (a bump in compression would be nice too, common for gas conversions :unsure:)

 

i rummaged about the 510 (i wish i could work on it next :() and the shed and found a flywheel, sandwich plate, starter, dizzy is somewhere, alternator is mystery, but found a stock L18 carb and manifold, and a bluey 5speed. ive got headers for the L but theyre not in very good condition. a well known shop in vic has told me to stick with the stock manifold for now anywho so i'll clean it up and do that i think. flywheel is currently soaking and should be good with a face which i'll get done soon too. dellortos will find their way on once i know a little more about the L i'm attaching it to (and once i know a little more about carbs :lol:)

 

before i do much more i need to do a comp test, which will be interesting given the starter bolts to the box's bellhousing and not the block :\ ill work something out and cross fingers for some solid figures

 

if its good, it'll be on for some paint, some fresh gaskets, some assembly and some noise! cant wait