'79 620 daily

[Gary]

progress;

wiring is about done i think, was all over the place before so i tried to get everything to a single wrap rather than the 73 or so i had before. with terminals relocated i had to extend a few things too, and extend the lines for one of the headlights cos ive moved stuff

 

ive ran wire to the alternator on the other side, dizzy, temp, coil and thermo, and made new thick lines for the engine-chassis and chassis-terminal ground, and the alternator and starter since the old ones were... old :D

 

i had to relocate the coil but i didnt want screws poking out of the wheel well, so i used the existing tapped holes just near where the horn bolts on, which meant modifying the bracket i had for the coil to suit. also messed around with the location of the horn, and

 

i havent wrapped the loom proper, i might leave it till i know what ive done is right. just a couple things to do till its complete :D one of which is battery, it's managed to drain itself cos i didnt disconnect it properly :(

 

i think ill finish exhaust after that

[Gary]

progress;

i got a call from an ozdat member about a little something he found in a wrecking yard:

 

:D

 

so yesterday i swung round for a look at it. was a reasonably complete standard cab 620, had some cool shit like wing windows ;) and an original bench seat (bit late now :lol:), and a parcel shelf under the dash, aaand the thing that opens the vent for the heater was intact, not like mine. had a repro bonnet too which was weird, theyd cut back the top to baremetal though and let it rust. the cab was fargone (pillars were rusted out pretty good), it had what looks like a commodore bullbar :\ but cooler than most of that, had a floorshift 4speed for the J! wasnt factory by the looks of things, the column shift stuff was all still there

 

i spent some time stripping it and ended up getting the bench, the wing windows, the parcel shelf, i got the trim around the doors cos mine was missing/nasty, a couple of the knobs for the switches etc, a few missing clips, some good window winders, an original rearview mirror, black door handles, steering column shroud since mine is nasty, and a couple other little things. was a good score :D looking back i should have got the seatbelt catches (this one had 3, room for a middle passenger) cos mine are different but ive gotta visit a datsun workshop over that way sometime soon anyway so if its still there ill get em then

 

also when looking around for other datsuns i had a peek at some L20's and found this :( pretty sure the block is different anyway, but still!

 

also tucked the wiring in front of the radiator with a little clearance so hopefully its happy, also installed rad and thermo together

[Mika]

I think that bonnet belongs on your car!

[Gary]

i thought about it :lol:

[Gary]

progress;

had some other stuff to take care of, been killing progress :(

 

ive messed around some more with wiring inside the cab, the temp guage was getting 12V through sender wire for some reason and flicking straight to hot. ended up being cos i tried to run the temp guage in the cluster and my extra guage from the one sender. fixed and now its apples once more

 

then got to exhaust, i had to plug the EGR hole in the manifold so i cut the fitting out and welded it over so it looks like a bolt. then the rest just needed to be welded properly, then mounted properly rather than just bolted to the frame. i bent up some 10mm steel rod to make hooks then used the generic hangers to stop it hitting things. also painted it quick and fitted it

 

ill pull the box soon for the throwout bearing carrier, then finish the shifter facia and make a gaiter. then i think its just getting the dellortos sorted and hoping the L is in good nick :huh:

[SR20-620]

If I were you i would go back and get that l20b with the v912 head. Thats some serious upgrading for your truck!

[Gary]

good eyes :D i didnt think to look. would be cool but chances are that one is toast, the rest of the blueys in the yard were in ok nick. if the engine i have needs a rebuild ill think about it though

 

progress;

i cut a hole in the shifter facia, i got an idea of where to go then used a compass between the punches there from factory, the idea being to keep the hole centered good. then drilled holes for the gaiter (8x6mm bolts should hold it in place, probably should have gone for 10 though :lol:). i know its a lot, but its mainly cos im going for a certain look. also to hold down some rubber sheet to try insulate the cab a little more against noise etc. i dont think ill make the gaiter for a while yet, just concentrating on getting it running first

 

then dropped the box cos i used the wrong carrier, shouldnt have used the one i got with the box, should have used the 510 one i had. the bearing is different so ill get the right one tomoz

[Zeusimo]

Exhaust Video? :D :huh:

[Gary]

will do :D

 

If I were you i would go back and get that l20b with the v912 head. Thats some serious upgrading for your truck!

was a V91 head, not a 912

 

i didnt have a lot on today cos im waiting for parts so i went round to talk to a datsun workshop about my 40's and swung by the same wrecker to get seatbelts (and a gearstick for the FJ). i checked the engines out while i was there, a few V91's but no 912's

 

to find one in low model bluebirds isnt too likely though :D

[Gary]

progress;

swapped the carrier, turns out i didnt need the fresh throwout bearing, i should have just used the one in the clutch kit i already had :\ good for spares i spose if i ever get something else powered by an L. maybe a roadster or something cool one day

 

while i was down there i fixed the reverse switch too, the wiring had been pulled off and the prongs bent backward. all wired up now

 

i cleaned up my new seatbelt buckles then drowned them in 5.56, it has some sort of rust inhibitor which darkens the metal a bit (probably a weak converter or something i dunno), im gunna leave them unpainted i think it looks cool. messed around with the bolt holes in the cab, then fitted them. they suit the bench heaps better, the old ones were designed for buckets

 

with the box back up and aligned good, i got the bench out of the tub and back inside the cab, then got it in position to find it clears the gear selector bit of the box, so i should be able to slide the bench all the way forward if i modify the gearstick accordingly. i noticed i didnt have any decent rod so ill need to get some tomoz. also need to think about making a hectic billet lightweight racing VTEC mugen nismo high powered gear knob for some extra front wheel hp :D

 

ive pulled apart the DHLA's a bit to find out how theyre jetted, i dont really know what im doing yet (they smell awesome though :lol:) so i might have a chat to a good carb shop see if they can at least get me running enough to have it tuned properly someplace. ive learned ive got an emissions version though, which sacrifices tuneability but since im not serious about power that doesnt matter. so far as i hear the emissions ones are easier to tune though, which is good for me!

 

also had a bit of a cleanup of the shed and managed to find these hiding away:

 

two original bullet boxes made in the early 70's from a place about 30k's from me. the factory they were made in has since been shut down and turned into a housing estate, not too long ago either. the bottoms were rusted fair good but still together, so ive cut it back, treated then painted just the bottoms, im gunna use em for rope and tiedown stuff, and for the jack and tools for the ute. trying to think of a clean place to mount them so they're visible :D almost makes me wish i had a trayback or a stepside ...almost! :lol:

[Pedro]

Ammo boxes are awesome for all sorts of stuff

 

[bonvo]

i want to get a few ammo boxes to hold some things in the car

[Gary]

that looks awesome :D you can catch em in ratrods here and there too, suits them to the ground!

 

progress;

i started work on getting the shifter right, while i was at my steel place getting some 14mm rod i noticed they had aluminium stock lying around so i got some for the gearknob, only to find i already had better stuff at home :huh: i pulled the gearknob from the car im driving now (a furious mazda 121 :lol:) cos its almost perfect for my hand so i tried copying it out of aluminium. i got pretty close but the new one has more of a gradient toward the top which turned out to feel nicer anyway

 

then messed around with the gearstick to try move it forward a bit and get it into a more comfortable position, but still be able to change gears with the bench moved all the way forward. i got pretty close, i can shift normally when its one notch back from full forward. ive got first gear in a comfortable spot, and 5th sits just in front of my knee with the way i sit so it suits me perfect. bad luck for anyone else that might drive it :D

 

the facia for the gearstick doesnt suit anymore cos i sort of forgot about catering for the horizontal bit so that needs more work, the stick needs trimming and welding proper before i can use it but should be done tomoz

 

the more im looking at the dellortos the more daunting it seems, i think it'll be wise to stick with the stock carb so i know the engine is running right, then get the 40's on after that. see how it goes i spose

[WAGON JON]

Wow that whole shifting linkage is crazy! Just a suggestion, bigger welds so it won't break on you! :D

[Gary]

it kept breaking when trying to figure out where to place it :( welded up good now

 

progress;

finished the gearstick and fitted it, then marked out where to chop the facia (looks... like something else heh) then put some more bolt holes in it, fitted it and now its win! still needs a gaiter but ill do that when i trim the kick panels, which isnt a priority so ill get to it whenev

 

bench is in properly now, pretty sure interior is finished, a couple more things and itll be time to start it. or try to start it anyway

[Wide14u]

i think i want you to drive this worse then then you do :D

[Gary]

getting close :D i thought about what i still had to do and it isnt much!

 

progress;

decided to stick with a stock carb i have, just to make sure the engine is alright before trying to figure out the dellortos. the stock one i have uses a linkage for the throttle instead of the cable ive got in the ute, so ive hacked at it to suit cable. i found a throttle thing from an SR20DE intake manifold i have floating around, dismantled it and got one of the cable retainer things out. it fit in between the fork for the throttle on the carb, so i got it in a suitable position then welded it on. then made a bracket to hold the throttle cable in place, and its done :D needs a little clearancing for the manifold bolts, forgot about those

 

i cut a few things off the manifold and cleaned it up a little, then plugged the coolant fitting just near the carb, and reattached the other plug and the fitting for the brake booster

 

tested it all out, works good :D i think i just need to connect clutch slave, fill fluids, then have a go at starting it :D

[copydat]

Such a crafty bastard! Nice work Gary.

[Wide14u]

Such a crafty bastard! Nice work Gary.

 

i couldn't say it any better

[Gary]

:blush: im much more of a hack than anything resembling a craftsman! :lol:

 

progress;

i put the bonnet back on which made me realise i need a bonnet prop since my old one sorta doesnt fit the new rad support :\ so i bent one up quick, then remembered the old one kept falling out so i messed around with the bottom of it to try stop it happening. i used the old rubber bush but made a sleeve to fit the back of it, then drilled and tapped the prop. the trick is the rod is pulled backward into the hole, but kept out enough by the rubber bush, which is held in by the sleeve i made, which the rod bolts against. works good, barely moves at all now :D

 

also messed about with the engine to find i still had to deal with the PCV system. since i dont have an airbox for now, and im planning to keep PCV away from the dellortos later, i rummaged about the shed and found an old catchcan i had part traded for aages ago. then set about making it fit without drilling the firewall, i used the back of one of the heater bolts and a random tapped hole. also got some hose and plumbed it after sealing everything with RTV

 

tomoz need to bleed clutch, then fill box, rad and sump with fluid, then look for anything i missed, and maybe get to start it tomoz or saturday

[Wide14u]

:hyper: its so close this is killing me

[Gary]

progress;

quite a number of fails :\ first things first, filled engine with oil and trans with fluid - no leaks which is awesome

 

then filled rad with water (to flush it out a bit before using coolant) to find a welsh plug in the carb manifold was leaking

 

tried filling clutch master with fluid and bled it to find the piston pops out. so i tried a bluebird one i had, and a fresh 720/truck one - still popped out. weird, so i made a longer actuator rod which solved it nicely. nice firm pedal now which is great

 

i ignored the manifold leak for now, so all ready to go. cranked till i had oil pressure (no probs), then plugs back in and cranked fine (feels like engine has solid comp :D) realised i needed a different coil while i was redoing the wiring, so off and away to get me a HEC715 i think it was (rushed to get it on a sunday, paid retail :()

 

turned the fuel pump on, working good, tried to start it up to find fuel flying out of every part the carb has. fuel pressure a bit high maybe :lol:

 

so i hit local parts store for a pressure reg to suit carb applications, new guy suggested an alfa's malpassi reg designed for turbo applications :huh: or a billet one for $250 :( so i then went on the hunt for a nice fuel reg

 

i ended up at a localish carb shop specialising in dellortos, and here's where the biggest fail comes :D after chatting with the owner of the place, he suggested my 40's will start and run ok if they were jetted for most other L applications, it'll just need a tune to run good is all. so no emulsion tube changes, no choke swaps or anything, just main and idle jets :lol: no need to even have considered going with a stock carb ;) highlights that ive got no idea with carbs! not that i ever thought i did though i spose. he had a good reg for a good price, so i got that and headed home cursing my own stupidity :) thank lord baby jesus and allah for tricky old school gurus. he also mentioned mine were emissions carbs (which i knew) designed specifically for alfas, also that progression (idle to open throttle i guess?) is tricky to work out, but not so bad for people who dont want perfection. me to a tee then!

 

so ive drained coolant, pulled the stock carb off, and tried to fit the dellortos to find they foul the freshly mounted catch can :D removed said catch can, made an even fresher bracket to drop it a bit (looks better now that its less visible heh), all good. hooked up hoses to find they fouled both the accellerator pump stuff below the carb, and also fouled the throttle bracket on the rear carb. i swapped one of the fittings on the catch can for a right angle one, re-plumbed it and now it doesnt foul anything, carbs sit nice and look tits, and now ready to try to get them to work!

 

so! ive tapped the top 4 holes that hold the stacks/air filters/airbox (they were just holes, weirdly), cleaned up a few things, pulled the throttle brackets (universal lynx ones) and trimmed them, then removed the plug for the brake booster vac hose and put a nice fitting in (weirdly, the spare ones i got with my fuel reg fitted perfectly, they even suited the hose diameter spot on), sprayed some slightly rusty bits and messed around with a few more little things

 

today i worked on the linkages a bit, sanding back some of the rust that make them seize up a little and made it tricky to assemble, bent some brackets straight again then coated everything with 5.56. theyre looking cool now - well used :D

 

tomoz i need to make a bracket to suit the throttle cable, and work out where to put the little carrier thing for it, on either end would be easiest but i want it in the middle of the two throttle brackets which makes things a little trickier. so its getting there i spose :D

[Wide14u]

dont stop you are just teasing us :D

[Mika]

Ah man! I have 2 spare new HEC 715's i think!

 

 

 

edit: I lied. They are 716's

[Gary]

716's are one better! ...maybe! heh thanks anywho

 

progress;

more fun with more linkages today, i got out all the ones i had, including one for a cable i pinched from a spare nikki carby, then welded two together to solve the cable linkage

 

then made a bracket for the cable to suit

 

then needed a way to stop the rod (all the brackets bolt to it) from sliding about, so i drilled and tapped one end and filled it with a bolt, then made a little aluminium stopper to go on the other end

 

then bolted it all together, just needs some fiddling to make sure both throttles open at exactly the same time, but other than that it works good. im loving the patina ive got on everything :D the way the light in the garage was hitting the enginebay today had me just staring at them for ages :huh: