datsunrides Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 (edited) Got some more work done today. Decided to tackle the back end of the truck. New brake parts. Dirt cheap on closeout from Rock Auto. And installed. Freshly turned drums. New brake hose. Also set about lowering the back. Got these brand new Belltech 2" blocks off fleabay for $4! Bumpstops trimmed. Blocks installed. Ordered new shocks for the front and back, should get them tomorrow. I plan on making some headway on the front end tomorrow. Got some of the stuff painted today and hope to get some of the other parts cleaned and painted. Mark Edited December 25, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
Hurley Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 looking good mark! Quote Link to comment
the510keeper Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 Wow, this is awesome, love builds like this. If you want caravan to Canby we leave Friday morning, get there Friday night. Camp out all weekend. Swapmeet in March Sac. hope to see you there. Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted January 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 If you want caravan to Canby we leave Friday morning, get there Friday night. That is definitely a possibility. Swapmeet in March Sac. hope to see you there. I sure hope to make it. Work got in the way the last couple ones. Mark Quote Link to comment
Burabuda Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 dang mark i musta forgot your're here at ratsun too? where are you not is the question haha cool project btw (although i must confess i almost believed i'd see a galant fto before i clicked on it) Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 dang mark i musta forgot your're here at ratsun too? where are you not is the question haha cool project btw (although i must confess i almost believed i'd see a galant fto before i clicked on it) :lol: I think there are a few you have not found me at yet! I've got a diverse collection as you know, and ya gotta go to where the info is. ;) Cool peeps that share the passion help too! :thumbup: I would LOVE to find a Mits FTO for sure. Or GTO. Maybe someday. Mark Quote Link to comment
Burabuda Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 i'm not limiting myself to datsuns anymore either and if you recall that fto with the mr engine in oz also has a toyota, datsun & mazda in his fleet :cool: Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted January 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 FTO and MR engine = :hyper: Mark Quote Link to comment
Burabuda Posted January 14, 2011 Report Share Posted January 14, 2011 FTO and MR engine = :hyper: Mark hell yeah! and were you around a few years ago when they found that gto mr in washington state? i had NO idea it was for sale, and now it's gone out of the country :blink: Quote Link to comment
Ridenbug Posted January 20, 2011 Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 Nice build and thread! Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted February 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 (edited) Finally got some time to get back on this. Pics tell the story. Cleaned up the outside frame rails and painted. Replaced the frame bushings (boy, that was a fun experience <_< ), installed the new idler arm and centerlink with new tie rod ends. Installed upper Beebani arms with 620 ball joint type cross shafts, new bushings/joints along with new tie rod assemblies. Assembled the front spindles. Has new rotors/calipers/bearings/seals. Rear shocks installed. Going to hopefully get the trans tunnel closed up and the shifter mounted tomorrow. Mark Edited December 25, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) Have not done much since the last post. Did manage to weld up the trans tunnel and started putting down the sound deadner. I've been trying to figure out what to do about wheels and figured I'd see what I could do with the "wagon wheels" that were on there. I sandblasted the wheels, inside and outside, and painted it with duplicolor graphite wheel paint. Added new chrome centercaps and lugs nuts. I actually think these came out looking pretty good for the minimal investment. Cost about $20 per wheel for the refresh. Mark Edited December 25, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
Ken_B Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Lookin good :thumbup: Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted March 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2011 Thanks! I finally found the parts I needed to finish the front disc swap so hopefully I can get the truck back on the ground next weekend. Cleaning and painting the parts today. Mark Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted March 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 (edited) Finally finished up the front disc swap. Found out the 521 sway bar does not reach the 620 mount location so now in search of one of those. And back on all 4 wheels. The rear has the 2" blocks and the front torsions are cranked down a little. Not slammed, but a nice stance for a driver. Next up is a new exhaust system and a front end alignment. Still need to get that shifter mounted. Hope to get that mounted up and take her for a spin this weekend and see how she runs. Mark Edited December 25, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
flatcat19 Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Clean. Looks great. Lots of good info in here also! I, thank you. :D Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted March 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) Finally got around to getting the floor shifter mounted. Started by fabricating a shifter mount to the original floor plate. After that was complete, I welded a cover to close off the original shifter location. Here is the completed piece. After that fun task, I spend a few hours making up a new linkage. It was made difficult by the location of the torsion bar adjuster bolt. Very little room to work between the bolt and the transmission. The only thing left transmission wise is hooking up a kickdown switch. Since the shifter is now hooked up, it was time to take her on her maiden voyage. Did a few laps around the neighborhood and all systems seem to be in order. Engine runs great, trans shifts fine, and brakes work good. I do need to roll the fenders though. Brought it back in the garage and double checked all the bolts and fluid levels. Everything looked good, so I took it down to fill the tank and then dropped it off to get a new exhaust installed. It's still there as he is having a little issue snaking the down pipe around the torsion bars, but told me it would be ready tomorrow. Still lots to complete before hopefully taking it down with my Roadster to Solvang in a month, but at least it is now driveable! ? Mark Edited December 25, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted April 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) First, I got the truck back from the muffler shop Tuesday and they did a good job. Went and got it tagged and now it's legal. Figured I'd take it on it's first road test Thursday down to the Santa Clara meet. 120 mile round trip went well and made notes on some minor issues that arose during the trip. A couple of those items were only half the dash lights working and the fuel gauge working intermittent. So today I went about fixing those and dealing with the fact the factory seam sealer was pretty much gone. The problem with the dash lights and fuel gauge turned out to be a cracked circuit board. A few minutes with a soldergun and that was fixed. Next, I removed what was left of the seam sealer and brushed out the areas with a small ss brush. Here is a pic of the areas brushed out and primed. And with the new seam sealer laid down. While I was doing the seam sealer work, I noticed a gas smell. I looked under the truck and noticed a little dripping from around a previous repair that looked like JB weld or something similar. Decided to drop the tank an see what's doing. Here is a pic of the leaking "repair" And the 2 pinholes that are the source of the leak. Pretty sure the leak happend due to f'n ethanol in the gas. Anyways, going to cut the bad spot out and weld in a patch. And since the tank is out. I figure now is the time to install an in tank fuel pump setup. Need to figure out what to use as a donor and then get it done. Mark Edited December 25, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
Ken_B Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 If you are going to weld on that fuel tank I would fill it completly with water and drain it to try to get all the gasoline vapors out and even after that I still wouldnt reccomend it. :unsure: Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted April 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 I have welded on quite a few tanks and know how to do it safely. Actually, just flushing it with water will NOT remove the gas vapors enough to weld safely. I do flush the tank with water a few times, but the key is to have an inert purge, such as nitrogen, fill the tank while welding. No oxygen, no boom. Mark Quote Link to comment
Ken_B Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Good deal, Just didnt want the guy with the sweet 521 gettin blowed up ;) Quote Link to comment
mklotz70 Posted April 4, 2011 Report Share Posted April 4, 2011 Just reread this entire thread again.....beautiful work!! I haven't checked into it personally, but I'm pretty sure you can have a radiator shop hot tank the gas tank to make it nice and clean for welding. Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted April 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 (edited) On 4/3/2011 at 9:09 PM, Ken_B said: Good deal, Just didnt want the guy with the sweet 521 gettin blowed up ? :thumbup: Went to the J/Y Friday and found the donor vehicle for the fuel pump. 97' Kia Sportage. The tank was the closest to the height of the 521 tank (and easiest to remove! :lol: ). The parts, (bonus is it looks like a new pump!) So I started with patching the pinholes in the tank I "found" last week. Cut the bad section out and welded a patch in. Then, I cut a hole in the top of the tank to weld in the donor mounting ring.Spend a little time here making sure the pump would be clocked so the pump outlets would face the right way and the pump would physically fit in the sump. Then, I figured the placement of the sump in the tank. This required the stock pickup tube be bent out of the way and the sending unit rotated slightly. Next was to weld the sump to the bottom of the tank. Now, I could figure how much I needed to shorten the holder assembly. Turns out it needed to be shortened 2 1/4" to fit correctly. (yes, I know there is a clamp missing) Had to plug a hole left by some sort of solenoid. And how it will look completed. Ran out of gas for my welder. <_< Going to get the bottle filled up this week and finish welding it up and installed next weekend. Hopefully it all works out! Mark Edited December 26, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
datsunrides Posted April 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) Got it all finished up. Pics of the progress, Finished welding everything up and then took it out for a quick sandblast. Primed. Painted. Installed. Filled the tank back and she fired right up. Need to figure out a new filler hose. It had been replaced at some point with straight hose, but that stuff is not flexible and had kinked. I've got leftover mandrel bends from a previous project so I think I can make something out of those and just use some short hose sections to couple it together. I've also been working on buffing the paint out. So far it is shining up nice for 40 year old paint. Mark Edited December 26, 2018 by datsunrides relink pics Quote Link to comment
yello620 Posted April 17, 2011 Report Share Posted April 17, 2011 Finally finished up the front disc swap. Found out the 521 sway bar does not reach the 620 mount location so now in search of one of those. Mark Mark, when doing the sway bar part of the disc conversion on the 620's, it does not look like it will fit at all when the suspension is hanging(frame on jackstands). But when you set the truck down on the ground, everything kinda levels out and the swaybar fits reasonably well, not perfect, but that is the only option. So you might look at it again with the truck on the ground. The endlinks to the control arms end up at a little bit of an angle like this \/, but not to bad. Ohh, and that electric fuel pump system looks great too. Did that tank sump come from the kia also? Just drilled out some spot welds to remove it? Quote Link to comment
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