Last Old Norwegian 521

[wayno]

Get everything you can, radiator, wiring harness if possible, gauge clusters, anything from a 521, if the engine is out of something else, get everything from the radiator to the driveline, and if it is a H190 rearend, get that pumpkin also, as you might like that gearing better with the L18.

[Conan]

_{He has a Datsun 180B 810 from 1980 that i have to scavange from, he has lots of parts for the 810 but nothing for the 521, i probably should have mentioned that. I was thinking i would just clear out the engine bay, but do i need any more parts ie. for the power train? or will i be able to use the the 521 parts from between the tranny and rear wheels? and im guessing the 810 diff wont fit my 521 or should i take that as well?}

[wayno]

I guess it would depend on if the 810 has a H190 rearend, most L blocks came with 437 gears in the rear, but J blocks came with 488s, so if the 810 has a front drop out 3rd member, and it is the same looking/size as your front drop out pumpkin, then I would grab it, datzenmike would likely know if the rearends were the same.

You will likely need the radiator, as the outlets are where they need to be, although it might not just bolt into your 521, you might be able to modify the core support to bolt it in.

Get as much of the exhaust system you can, unless you have the money to have one custom made.

Just grab anything that it looks like you can use, that's what I do.

[Conan]

Thank you for the good and fast reply Wayno :) I will be picking up the engine on friday, unfortunately i won't have time to do the swap before this winter (pregno girlfriend is battling against my datsun time), meaning i wont get the enjoyment of more power before next summer, can't wait! Just hope my pics gets the ratsun approval when they finally arrive :thumbup:

[Conan]

Im now the proud owner of a L18 unfortunatly with a 4speed tranny!! I am reconsidering going against my girlfriends whip and do the engine swap as soon as i am done with paint. The engine ran good but doesnt look too good, it had been standing outside in a car without a hood, does anyone have any good cleaning tips? i want to clean it and paint it.

 

When doing the swap i think all i need to modify is the engine mounts, tranny strut and radiator screws. Correct me if im wrong, the electricals are exactly the same (except for external voltage regulator) i just need to unconnect and reconnect the wires or do i need to add something?

[wayno]

Im now the proud owner of a L18 unfortunatly with a 4speed tranny!! I am reconsidering going against my girlfriends whip and do the engine swap as soon as i am done with paint. The engine ran good but doesnt look too good, it had been standing outside in a car without a hood, does anyone have any good cleaning tips? i want to clean it and paint it.

 

When doing the swap i think all i need to modify is the engine mounts, tranny strut and radiator screws. Correct me if im wrong, the electricals are exactly the same (except for external voltage regulator) i just need to unconnect and reconnect the wires or do i need to add something?

 

 

What do you mean "ran good"?

Did you see it running?

 

See the wires in the photos above, this is how I wired my 521 to go from a externally regulated alternator to a internally regulated alternator, I used jumper wires, I don't know if your trucks are wired the same, but it seems likely it would be.

[Conan]

Yes i saw it run, he had 3 engines, one of which was still in a car, so i took the one i knew worked, cost me $1300 ($300 in ferries and gasoline) datsun parts don't come cheap around here, but now that its paid the expense is already forgotten and i want to get it running in the 521 so i can get some joy out of it before the winter sets in.

 

First i need to find a good way to hoist the engine, dont have anything for that yet and my garage roof isnt too strong, but i think a buddy of mine has an engine hoist lying around somewhere on his farm.

 

Thanx for the pics ;)

[Conan]

Small update, cab has been painted dark green metallic with black rising sun on the hood. Pics have been taken, but i still have to make a new floor for the truck bed, which will be done after my engine swap before i upload my work. I can say as much as, it looks F***ing awesome, knowing i will have to park it on the street scares me already!

[Z chopper]

come on quit teaseing us, you say you have pics prove it :poke: :P show us some Norwegian 521 pics

[Willdatsun]

Just to let you know I saw a 521 when I visited a guy called Svein Erik in Norway. I even have a small photo of it somewhere.

[Conan]

Im presuming its Svein Erik Finnerud, he is the formann of the Datsun club here in norway, so it wouldnt shock me if he has one hehe.

 

Since i got datsun restraints last weekend by my gf and wont be able to start with the engine swap before this coming weekend, i will see if i can upload some pics today after work since i have been teasing for so long hehe

[Conan]

Ok so this is where i am at......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wayno]

I like it, it looks good.

Before you pull your J block out and make the rig undrivable, you need to figure out what your going to do about the oilpan, you need a 521 L16 oilpan from an L block I beleave.

It looks like this L18 oilpan will interfere with the steering linkage, I don't think the sump is far enough forward, you might be able to modify it.

This is what I found on a 521 truck in the wrecking yard, the sump was in front of the steering linkage.

 

 

 

Usually the sump is in the rear, it's in back of the steering linkage and above the bar from the lower control arm connections on each side.

The middle one is what you need in the photos below.

As you can see, it has a low section in the middle to drain the oil, but the sump is in the rear.

[Conan]

Wayno thank you, i love you and i hate you........ Looks like i will be enjoying some more Joy13 hehe.

 

On what cars can i find the oil pan i need? i will start the pan hunt today, im hoping that my luck will change once i get this in order hehe.

[wayno]

Wayno thank you, i love you and i hate you........ Looks like i will be enjoying some more Joy13 hehe.

 

On what cars can i find the oil pan i need? i will start the pan hunt today, im hoping that my luck will change once i get this in order hehe.

 

I hate to tell you this, but you need an oilpan and pickup tube from a 1969-72 datsun 521 truck with a L16 engine, there might be others that will work, but I don't know what they are, I don't even know where that morfed oilpan came from in the photo below, BTW the drain plug is on the front on this oilpan.

Maybe you can modify your oilpan, but you need to do a lot of measuring first, and be ready, as I hate surprises myself.

I have never successfully put a L block into a J block frame, the only time I tried I gave up, as I knew the truck wasn't going to stay on that frame, and less than 6 months later it was sitting on a 720 frame, and that is where it is today, and I did this because there are so many benefits putting it on a 720 frame, power steering, disc brakes, removable tranny cross member, part availability, the list goes on and on.

Look around over there for the oilpan, if you can't find one, let me know, and I will start looking, but shipping could get spendy.

[Willdatsun]

What is the difference in J and L frames then?

[wayno]

What is the difference in J and L frames then?

 

 

 

As far as I know, the frames are the same, but the J block oilpan will not fit on a L block, and the L18 block he bought came from a 710 or something like that, and that vehicle has a differant oilpan with a semi front sump, the 521 has a semi rear sump, they are not compatible, the oilpan on his engine will likely be sitting on the steering linkage.

Also the L block motor mounts are on the middle sides, while the J block mounts are on the front sides of the engine, two totally differant engine mount setups on basicly the same frame.

You need to do some measuring, I don't beleave that you can mount the engine high enough to clear the steering linkage with that oilpan unless the engine/valve cover/carb sticks out of the hood, but I don't know everything, I could be missing something.

[Conan]

As far as I know, the frames are the same, but the J block oilpan will not fit on a L block, and the L18 block he bought came from a 710 or something like that, and that vehicle has a differant oilpan with a semi front sump, the 521 has a semi rear sump, they are not compatible, the oilpan on his engine will likely be sitting on the steering linkage.

Also the L block motor mounts are on the middle sides, while the J block mounts are on the front sides of the engine, two totally differant engine mount setups on basicly the same frame.

You need to do some measuring, I don't beleave that you can mount the engine high enough to clear the steering linkage with that oilpan unless the engine/valve cover/carb sticks out of the hood, but I don't know everything, I could be missing something.

 

 

I cant get it in front, behind or over the steering linkage. Im starting to smell my welder already. I was thinking either cut up the oil pan and modify it to work (not affraid of breaking it as i have no other use for it) or would it maybe be possible to fabricate a new cross bar for the steering with a curve in each corner making it go under? changing frame is also out of the question. I think i have to make due with what i have. Is regular 1mm steel thin plate ok for making a new sump?

[wayno]

I cant get it in front, behind or over the steering linkage. Im starting to smell my welder already. I was thinking either cut up the oil pan and modify it to work (not affraid of breaking it as i have no other use for it) or would it maybe be possible to fabricate a new cross bar for the steering with a curve in each corner making it go under? changing frame is also out of the question. I think i have to make due with what i have. Is regular 1mm steel thin plate ok for making a new sump?

 

 

You will have to make a modified oil pickup tube also, or maybe the J block one will work???.

Did all the 521s over there come with J blocks?

I am sure that a 521 oilpan/pickup tube can be found for a reasonable price over here, but the shipping will likely be expensive.

You might only need to cut/raise the very front of the pan, and then add to the back to make up for what was removed in the front, if the middle can be left alone, it would be much easier to deal with, and maybe the oil pickup tube is in the middle.

I would try to do/modify as little as possible, it don't have to be pretty, just functional.

I have a few oilpans that have been modified sitting around here, it is not that unusual of a thing to do.

[Conan]

I have been thinking about raising the suspension earlier, but what if i drop that idea and raise the body instead? i was thinking if i do a 2inch body lift i would get the clearance i need to avoid the hood? B)

[Willdatsun]

do NOT mess with the steering cross rod. That could be very very dangerous.

 

Im sure shipping a oil pan from USA would not be too expensive, they don't weigh very much!

 

I expect 620 J and L frames also have different engine mounts, all UK 620 had J engine, and we didn't get 521 and earlier commercials.

[wayno]

I agree with Willdatsun above, and I suppose I should have said something in my earlier post, you don't really want to mess with the steering hardware/cross rod(center link), I have seen a few examples of guys posting what someone else did to there datsuns prior to them buying them, some scary stuff if you ask me.

You should either modify your L block oilpan, or buy a L16 oilpan/oil pickup tube from someone like me in the USA and have it shipped to you, if you can weld, I would try modifing yours first, and if that don't work out, then have one shipped.

There is a lot that can go wrong with modifying that center link, I found that if it is not perfectly strait, when I turned my steering wheel, the center link would just bend, as it is not made of high quality metal, I can bend it with my two hands/arms and my knee easily.

 

There is one thing that can give you a little room to work with, but you have to modify your idler arm and pitman arm, your 521 center link drops in from the top, so the hole is tapered from the top down, if you take both of them arms to a machine shop that has the proper tools, you can have them taper the otherside of the holes, so that the tierod end can drop in from the top, or can be put in from the bottom going up, but be aware that it was not meant to be this way, but I made my connection to my custom power steering center link in my 521 this way, I have all the castle nuts and cotter pins in position, as I don't need my steering falling apart while driving down the road, and then hitting someone head on and killing them and myself.

 

This is a customized 720 pitman arm that I had re-tapered to clear the driverside idler arm.

 

This will drop the center link shaft over 2 inches, almost as low as the piece of metal between the lower control arm mounts, so if you can use the oilpan you have with that bar in position, then the center link might also clear the pan, you need to measure everything twice.

The center link in the photos above is a custom part that I used so I could have power steering in my 521, I put an idler arm in the steering gears place on the driverside frame, then I put a 720 power steering box/gear as far forward on the outside of the frame as I could get it, then I made the connection from that 720 steering gear arm to the custom center link using the stock center link.

I mocked all this up on a bare frame in my driveway before I put it on my truck, I knew everything would work before I installed any of it on my truck, and I have been driving it for several years now this way.

If you do not understand everything I have told you in this post, do not do anything I have explained until you do understand it.

 

I hope this helps you, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[Conan]

Sounds like messing with steering is a lot of work, and possibly more time consuming and money draining than all my other options. I am going to look a bit more into lifting the cab 2 inches higher that way i don´t have to mess with anything else. Will i encounter any other problems if i decide to just shove in some spaces to get more room?

[wayno]

Sounds like messing with steering is a lot of work, and possibly more time consuming and money draining than all my other options. I am going to look a bit more into lifting the cab 2 inches higher that way i don´t have to mess with anything else. Will i encounter any other problems if i decide to just shove in some spaces to get more room?

 

 

Modifying the oilpan if the oil pickup tube will work as it is, is your easiest option other than finding a 521 oilpan/pickup tube.

I had that pitman arm modified for less than $50.00(one hole modified), you would need two holes done to drop that center link.

How deep is that oilpan from the mount surface to the lowest part?

[DAT510]

You scared me for a sec with the sump talk wayno.. lol

I'm going to do the J to L swap soon too.

 

 

You also need to drill out a piece of metal on the core support in order to mount the rad more forward.

If you look at your core support from the the engine, you'll see that there are already mounting points for the radiator under the hump of metal, I wish I had oics to show you.