New Datsun 521 Owner

[Kyle253]

Just bought a 1972 Datsun 521 Pickup the other day.

Got it for 600 dollars running.

Alternator didn't work, fixed that.

Has a few problems but is in pretty good condition for being as old as it is.

Minor "Cancer" rust underneith the driver door and inside the cab on the floor board.

Engine has a leak, looks like it's coming from the freeze caps/plugs. I've never changed those so it should be interesting finding out how to.

I'm going to do a rebuild on the engine eventually and restore the truck as much as possible and then lower it about 3".

 

My question is it's currently got the original 4 speed in it. is there a 5 speed that will bolt up to it?

I can't even get it over 50 miles an hour. And that's a problen I have to drive on the highway to get to work.

 

I'll post some pics up later.

[izzo]

yes, L series trans will bolt up to it. I think the dogleg 200sx trans missions are a direct swap with no drive line shortening....

 

 

Best bet is to find another motor and build it while you drive it, a lot of "rebuilds" and "projects" never get done anymore it seems. Anyways. Freeze plug isnt to hard, get the old one out, put some red rtv around the lip of the new one, tap it back into place... Pretty easy :D

[74datsun620]

Welcome to Ratsun and good luck on your Datsun pickup.

[sycloned916]

 

 

My question is it's currently got the original 4 speed in it. is there a 5 speed that will bolt up to it?

I can't even get it over 50 miles an hour. And that's a problen I have to drive on the highway to get to work.

 

I'll post some pics up later.

 

That's a Datsun for ya keep it under 50mph. That how my j13 and the 4-speed was when I first got it, Big Rigs were passing me. Nice buy.

[fisch]

Just bought a 1972 Datsun 521 Pickup the other day.

Got it for 600 dollars running.

Alternator didn't work, fixed that.

Has a few problems but is in pretty good condition for being as old as it is.

Minor "Cancer" rust underneith the driver door and inside the cab on the floor board.

Engine has a leak, looks like it's coming from the freeze caps/plugs. I've never changed those so it should be interesting finding out how to.

I'm going to do a rebuild on the engine eventually and restore the truck as much as possible and then lower it about 3".

 

My question is it's currently got the original 4 speed in it. is there a 5 speed that will bolt up to it?

I can't even get it over 50 miles an hour. And that's a problen I have to drive on the highway to get to work.

 

I'll post some pics up later.

 

Welcome! Pics are a must around here! The 1978-79 200sx 5 speed will bolt right up with no major driveshaft mods. But because the 5-speed had a splined driveshaft stuck in the end of it and the 521 has a 4 bolt flange, you have to cap the end of the 5-speed with a freeze plug or your fluid will leak out!

 

But the biggest mod you have to do to get it to work is that the 521 transmount has to be shortened 2 inches and welded back together to line up with the 5-speed. There are writeups on all of this here if you get to that point.

 

This is the most direct option for a 5-speed in a 521 though.

[Kyle253]

Sweet Thanks.

I'll look into the 200sx tranny.

Tomorrow my friend is going to take pictures of it, I'll get them up right after.

 

I'm looking for an engine for it right now.

I just did the brakes too.

And am looking into swaping drum to disk.

I didn't like paying 85 dollars for one drum.

 

And aslo if anyone knows of any good places to get parts for my truck that would be great.

The main places don't seem to keep parts on stock.

I really need to replace the bushing all around.

 

But all in all it's way easy to work on so far and fun.

Way easier than any other vehicle I've owned.

And it looks nice.

 

This is what I'm going to try and go for.

We'll see how well I do.

 

 

 

[Hurley]

You will need to go lower than 3 inches for that look.

[Kyle253]

Yeah, But it almost looks like this truck is bagged.

Unless he just doesn't ever turn.

I don't want to bag the truck, just lower it.

If it's a little higher than that I'll be fine.

I don't want to be so low that I have to fear every speed bump I see.

Plus I where I live the pot holes and horrible road's just doesn't make sense to be slammed.

[Kyle253]

Hurley you live in Sonora?

[dat521gatherer]

cool a local 521 owner thats in my area. welcome aboard. i drive my 71 521 as a daily driver and get it around 70 to 80mph from tacoma to fife depending on the traffic. 50 sounds a little slow. hit me up some time i'd like to see your truck. i have a few spare parts too. the first 2 things you may want to find is a 32/36 weber and a electronic distributor (dizzy). peace.

[izzo]

cool man :D

 

Use lowering blocks in the rear if you ever plan on hauling stuff. Even then its kinda weird. Body gets close to the ground if you put some weight in the back!

Heres my '80 720. I didn't lower the read, but hauled many engines/transmissions, garbage, quads, people etc... When loaded it sat a bit lower and looked just right lol. Taking springs out will work, but isn't the way to go if you plan on ever using the bed...

 

This is it, lowered by the torsion bars. A couple of things to think about, you can use the pinto shocks but they are only shorter by an inch? I paid 13 dollars at rock auto for both of them. When you lower it, look around and find the thread about how to re-index them. It will make it less bouncy. I lowered it so much that the caster bar(think thats what its called) hit the idler arm, exhaust pipe is about 2 inches off the ground. Every pothole i can feel shit slamming :( I hit the frame a lot just going in my driveway.... My exhaust scrapes at every speed bump. You will have to tweak some things around till you get it right.

 

[Kyle253]

cool a local 521 owner thats in my area. welcome aboard. i drive my 71 521 as a daily driver and get it around 70 to 80mph from tacoma to fife depending on the traffic. 50 sounds a little slow. hit me up some time i'd like to see your truck. i have a few spare parts too. the first 2 things you may want to find is a 32/36 weber and a electronic distributor (dizzy). peace.

 

Yeah I'm in Fife right now visiting my parent's and working on my truck.

I actually have a weber carb, I just haven't looked to see what kind.

The guy who owned it before me had some troubles with it or something.

Engine needs a little work and the tranny could be the slow problem.

 

cool man

 

Use lowering blocks in the rear if you ever plan on hauling stuff. Even then its kinda weird. Body gets close to the ground if you put some weight in the back!

Heres my '80 720. I didn't lower the read, but hauled many engines/transmissions, garbage, quads, people etc... When loaded it sat a bit lower and looked just right lol. Taking springs out will work, but isn't the way to go if you plan on ever using the bed...

 

This is it, lowered by the torsion bars. A couple of things to think about, you can use the pinto shocks but they are only shorter by an inch? I paid 13 dollars at rock auto for both of them. When you lower it, look around and find the thread about how to re-index them. It will make it less bouncy. I lowered it so much that the caster bar(think thats what its called) hit the idler arm, exhaust pipe is about 2 inches off the ground. Every pothole i can feel shit slamming I hit the frame a lot just going in my driveway.... My exhaust scrapes at every speed bump. You will have to tweak some things around till you get it right.

 

Yeah I was going to use lowering blocks. And try and find pinto shocks up front.

I was trying to find someone who has done coilover's on the truck, seems impossible to find.

I've seen one picture of the rear with coilover's but looks like a lot of modification and not something I want to do.

[Kyle253]

Finally got some photos of the truck.

Here they are.

 

 

[dat521gatherer]

great pics. looks like u need a fuse box cover and a fuel filter. i might have a cover for you.

[sycloned916]

Looks kinda like my SR520 wow Nice. :(

[fisch]

Looks real solid man! Congrats!

[Kyle253]

Thanks.

My friend is a photographer he takes some really good pictures.

 

Yeah there were a couple thing's missing when I got it.

I'm also new to carberator's haha.

I've only worked on fuel injection, so I'm reading up on Carb's as much as I can.

 

And the fuse box was all messed up when I got it.

Wires were exposed and taped up with electrical tape.

Me and my friend had to go through the truck and cap off exposed wires and rewire some things.

 

I put a fire extinguisher in the truck just in case.

You never know. haha

[banzai510(hainz)]

theres a little more than just bolteing up the 5 speed.You have to modifly the reat mount on from the 521 that comes off the 4 spped and mate it up to the 5 speed. Ask Datto510 on here. PM him. Ps you dont tneed a freezeplug to block the oil the splines to that when you plug the yoke in. However the 521 4 speed has a bolt underneath/inside that holds it on to the transmission. the reg 510 and later or just plain other datuns use a slip on yoke. Youll just slide it in and that it.

 

if yout truck does not go over 50mph theres soemthing wrong. ok I can see 65 being a bit noisey and rought but it should go over 50.

Maybe the timming chain is on wrong and the timming of the cam of off a tooth or 2 or maybe the oil pump/dist set up

 

go to olddatsuns.com

 

http://www.guba.com/watch/3000024223/Hainz-Datsun-L-Series-Engine-01-Timing-Tare-down-and-Rebuild

[dat521gatherer]

cool truck, i pretty much thought it was u when i seen yer 521 pulling into the parking lot. let me know when you want to play with those brakes.

[Kyle253]

cool truck, i pretty much thought it was u when i seen yer 521 pulling into the parking lot. let me know when you want to play with those brakes.

 

 

You know it's funny right after we were done talking I went back to my truck and they were working fine. Good pressure and everything. All I have to do is get new front drums and shoes and it should be perfect. But I still want to figure out why my truck has trouble going over 50 miles and hour. I don't know if it's my transmission or something with the Carb. Maybe this Sunday at the meet someone can check it out.

 

 

[slowdown]

i have a bone stock l16 in my 521 with the stock four speed and all i can get out of her is like 53 the speedo says 56 but its not right....at sixty on the speedo which i think is 56 57 she sounds like she wraped up real tight im not sure what an l16 revs to and i have no tach but i feel bad for her around there usually its before a hill and ill jump her out to neutral.....???

[Kyle253]

i have a bone stock l16 in my 521 with the stock four speed and all i can get out of her is like 53 the speedo says 56 but its not right....at sixty on the speedo which i think is 56 57 she sounds like she wraped up real tight im not sure what an l16 revs to and i have no tach but i feel bad for her around there usually its before a hill and ill jump her out to neutral.....???

 

yeah same here. I does not sound good when it goes up to 60. So I try to keep it under 45.

[moparvwfreak]

with my 620 (73 L16 4spd originally) at 60 she was turning 4000 rpm. she seemed to cruise all day long there and not have an issue. took her down to Portland and back no issues.

 

as for the truck, i would rock the hell out of it! thats a nice little rig.

[low_blazer]

x2

 

the L16 in my old 73 was happy at 4-4500 on the freeway, no problem, even burning through a quart of oil every 2 days..lol.

 

Definately a nice little truck, I'd love to come across a decent 521 for that price!

[banzai510(hainz)]

Ok you have a DGV carb

 

make sure the choke plate is not blocking. maybe choke is staying ON so the choke plate blocks the air on higher RPM. I seen this BEFORE the choke 12volt wire was not hooked up and choke plate was blocking airflow. I believe this will be 72 or later as they started comming with the eleltric choke(wire)

 

 

you adjust the timming?????????

 

unless the motor was recently reassembled and the previos owner put the chain off a link ot 2 then sold it to you. That means you too SLOWDOWN ck the timming chain and see if timmed correctly.

Use my vid.