720 Diesel Work Truck update

[hitch]

It was most recently owned by a guy in Chattanooga, but prior to that I think it was in the Knoxville area. Just under 100k with factory AC that works. It runs great and has nearly zero rust. It runs great and holds speed on level ground great. What does everyone think about the camper shell?

I would really like the Factory Service Manual and the Diesel supplement. Let me know what you have. I'll post some daytime pictures tomorrow. I guess when I find a rust free Datsun, I just gotta have it.

[datzenmike]

Looks like an '81 or early '82 so SD 22 diesel then? The SD22 was available from '80 to Oct '82 and any FSM of those years should have the info in it. Properly maintained they can go 5 times that distance. The SD22 and SD25 only came with a 5 speed and in 2wd trucks.

[hitch]

Yes, 81, so far the only things it needs are... One high beam is out and the snorkle between the air filter and intake is falling apart. Yes on the SD22. Hope parts are available.

[Sealik]

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[bdshort86]

WOW! That truck looks amazingly clean! Congratulations on the find, you'll love it!

 

Engine/chassis/drivetrain parts aren't too hard to get, but body and interior parts can only be had from junk yards. The Nissan dealer still carries a surprising amount of parts even for the diesel. And, you can still get parts for the SD22 from the company that still builds them (Jesco). They're great little trucks! Mine has over 300k on it now, doesn't burn any oil between changes, and gets 25+ MPG.

[hitch]

Clean Bed

With Tailgate, and shiny new hitch ball just installed.

Sporting new Bedmat, was for 86 and newer and required slight trimming.

Up on the ramps, getting new rear gear oil.

Left Front

Interior Drivers side, check out those nice seats, great upgrade.

Front, see the dented bumper, it was perfect before I parked it on a hill behind the house and stalled it as it bumped a tree, not to bright!

Under hood drivers side, see the air filter snorkel, is duct taped, need to find a flex hose to replace that short piece.

Under hood passenger

Passenger Front

Passenger Rear

Passenger interior

Speedo, 95K

 

All filters and fluids changed today with chassis lube. Should be good to go on a road trip soon. I'd like to find a carpet kit for it. and possibly put some stripe or graphic on the side. This will be a work truck, so I'll probably keep it looking like grandpa's truck, unless I find some nice skinny alloy wheels.

[wayno]

This is a fairly nice example of the 720 diesel, I have the same canopy on mine, i do not have a functioning AC unit though. They don't have a lot of power, but they get really good mileage, you should get 25mpg in the city, and over 30 on the hiway, if you keep it under 60mph, you likely will get over 35mpg. Mine had over 350,000 when I sold it and it still ran great. The only thing that drove me nuts about them is the fact that they wouldn't go up a significant hill on the hiway without having to drop a gear, and if the one ahead of you slowed down, then speed back up, you don't have a prayer on keeping up the pace, you just floor it and hope the people in back of you are not in a hurry.

[qwik510]

Nice truck Hitch. Wanna Sell It?

[hitch]

Nice truck Hitch. Wanna Sell It?

 

Might consider a trade for one of your cars,an LS1 240 would be nice. But not really, this will be my work truck since I'm giving up the company truck end of the month. I'll be in the Honda Odyssey as my daily driver after that. So, where would I ever find another truck as nice as this one! Since you are the EC Datsun parts guru, I need a carpet kit for the truck, let me know if you see anything.

[datzenmike]

Yes, 81, so far the only things it needs are... One high beam is out and the snorkle between the air filter and intake is falling apart. Yes on the SD22. Hope parts are available.

 

If you change the oil and filters, air/oil/fuel, when recommended you shouldn't need to worry about parts for it. (it will run forever) Other than the motor, everything else is just the usual 720 stuff.

[Yedi]

wow beutifull much nicer than mine getting ready to rebuild the engine on mine... how is the camper attached?

[hitch]

wow beutifull much nicer than mine getting ready to rebuild the engine on mine... how is the camper attached?

 

Good Luck with the rebuild.

The Camper top, I'm happy you asked, just looked. Four 3/16" flat head screws without fender washers or lock nuts / lock washers. Guess that will be my next project. I can see my post to Ratusn "You are never gonna believe this, my camper top flew off and was destroyed" Thanks for asking

 

Next project, ad a leaf to get the rear up when loaded and towing. Brought the kit home tonight.

[darrel]

Here's a great site for all things nissan diesel.

http://nissandiesel.dyndns.org/index.php

[rodabaugh]

http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_Product/PartDetail.aspx?ModelName=720+Pickup&ModelYear=1981&ModelSeries=720&FileType=236&SelectConditions=(1%3dK%2fCAB%3b2%3dSD22%3b3%3dDX%3b4%3dF5%3b5%3dLONG%3b6%3d2WD%3b)&ShowConditions=(1%3dK%2fCAB%3b2%3dSD22%3b)&seeDesc=False&goBack=True&SectionNo=B&ComponentsNo=165&ComponentsIndex=3

 

 

 

Its expensive but you can buy the airbox on this website and the piping.....My 82 king diesel had the same issue, guess the boxes were not very sturdy...instead of replacing the airbox I simply adapted a K&N filter to it and it works great. Figured without the air box i could gain a 1/2 mile per hour lol

[hitch]

I know it is dirty as sin, but it has been in the woods for a month or so. I was having problems leaving drive ways and scraping the hitch when towing, plus it looked funny so low in the back. I also wanted a ladder rack for Christmas, found this one on Craigs for $100 and it allows me to keep the cap and open the side windows. I found the shocks with spring support for $5 each at an RV dealer, they fit great and the result is about 4" of lift. The truck now sits level. So, with a total investment of about $20 in hardware, $10 in shocks, and the ladder rack, I have a nice work truck.

Original rear bumper height, about 9"

After Shocks with springs

Now nearly 12"

Old view

New with ladder rack

[hitch]

With this rack, I can still open the side window to access my tools! Three side access to the bed is great for a work truck.

[wayno]

I am a big fan of the contractors canopy also, but I found out that my engine just was not strong enough to haul the trailer with all my equipment, and a load of roof debris without being floored all the time, the engine starts to heat up being floored all the time. They are great little engines though, good fuel mileage, even around town, mine got 25mpg.

[hitch]

Wayno, I pull a 5X10 landscape trailer with two Commercial walk behind mowers and trimmers. Usually about 1500#. Long grades I'm down to about 40mph and sometimes 3rd gear when fully loaded. I'm mostly on 45mph roads so I don't care about towing speeds. On the highway, level, 60+ is no problem. Just the long grades, 4th is required.

[wayno]

Wayno, I pull a 5X10 landscape trailer with two Commercial walk behind mowers and trimmers. Usually about 1500#. Long grades I'm down to about 40mph and sometimes 3rd gear when fully loaded. I'm mostly on 45mph roads so I don't care about towing speeds. On the highway, level, 60+ is no problem. Just the long grades, 4th is required.

 

I have basicly the same thing, 5X8 utility trailer with electric brakes added, as I have two complete pressure washing systems plus everything I will ever need to use pressure washing, I am sure there is at least a thousand pounds of equipment plus the trailer, but what gets me is the roof debris, I have a 6X8 flatbed dually 521 that is full half of the time, it is usually soaking wet, and can weigh close to a ton or more when full, so when the work truck was taken down for repairs, I used the 720 diesel, it just couldn't take it. It was easier to haul another 720 diesel behind my 720 diesel, than haul that trailer.

This is my setup.

This is what I sometimes do to the datto, I actually abuse it like this regularly.

I have changed over to the SD25 in most my diesels now, the last holdout is my 720 dually, which has a rebuilt SD22 with less than a hundred miles on it.

I guess I want to keep up with the traffic around me, so dropping into 3rd just isn't in my vocabulary, something is wrong with it if I end up in 3rd, it drives me nuts having to drop into 4th, unless it is a really steep hill where everyone is crawling. I am really happy with my 521 kingcab diesel with a SD25 engine, I rarely get below 60mph in 4th on steep hills, I put 350 gears in the rearend.

[hitch]

Just installed my "Tiny Tach"

 

The sensor is attached to the rear injector tube. Simple install, chassis ground, 12v switched source and ground under the dash. Shows hour meter and rpm. The tach is back lit.

 

Total install took less than 30 min.

[wayno]

Just installed my "Tiny Tach"

 

The sensor is attached to the rear injector tube. Simple install, chassis ground, 12v switched source and ground under the dash. Shows hour meter and rpm. The tach is back lit.

 

Total install took less than 30 min.

 

I have a tiny tach also, mine doesn't work properly, and the manufacturer got tired of dealing with it, they don't talk to me anymore, my issue is when I let off the gas(:lol:) pedal, the tach goes to the hours mode, and when I hit the pedal it goes back to RPMs, and at idle it is in hours mode also.

My first one worked great, but now I am unhappy with it.

[hitch]

Out working last weekend.

[hitch]

Vehicle = 1981 720 SD22 with 99k miles. I have about 4k miles on the current fuel filter. The truck was running great, then a couple of weeks ago, I noticed it cranked just a little longer before starting. Then the last time I drove it, Saturday, I noticed a couple of stumbles, then a sporadic loss of power for just a second or two. By the time I was nearly home, about a 10 mile trip, I feared I would not make it up a couple of grades as the engine barely kept running. I ordered a fuel filter and installed it today. Now it is running like new! It seems like that was a very short life for the "WIX 33393" as I only drive about 100 miles per week and mostly on Saturday. I'm going to keep a spare filter in the truck from now on and possibly change it every oil change. Is that over kill, just seems like something as easy as a fuel filter could leave you stranded in very short order if you drive many miles in these trucks. Does Diesel have a higher propensity to be contaminated than gasoline, could I just have gotten a bad tank of fuel?

[wayno]

Vehicle = 1981 720 SD22 with 99k miles. I have about 4k miles on the current fuel filter. The truck was running great, then a couple of weeks ago, I noticed it cranked just a little longer before starting. Then the last time I drove it, Saturday, I noticed a couple of stumbles, then a sporadic loss of power for just a second or two. By the time I was nearly home, about a 10 mile trip, I feared I would not make it up a couple of grades as the engine barely kept running. I ordered a fuel filter and installed it today. Now it is running like new! It seems like that was a very short life for the "WIX 33393" as I only drive about 100 miles per week and mostly on Saturday. I'm going to keep a spare filter in the truck from now on and possibly change it every oil change. Is that over kill, just seems like something as easy as a fuel filter could leave you stranded in very short order if you drive many miles in these trucks. Does Diesel have a higher propensity to be contaminated than gasoline, could I just have gotten a bad tank of fuel?

 

I carry a couple extra filters(pre-filters) in the glove compartment all the time, it seems to be the worst if I am driving on the freeway for long periods of time.

My main filter(spin on/napa) never gets plugged, as the pre-filter seems to get it all.

[hitch]

Wayno, my 81 only has the spin on, no pre filter. From what i can tell, they implemented the pre filter with the 82 model. The rapid way driveability was affected, makes me think carrying a spare is warrented. Where is the pre filter placed on yout truck? It must be before the lift pump. Do you have a part number?