Z~Rac3r's Lil 620 Pickup

[Z_Rac3r]

Last build thread got deleted, and since I'm back to tinkering with the Dattos and lurking all the other projects Ratsun's been up to, figured I should make a new build thread for the 620.

 

Bought the truck Nov 2009 from the original owner (well, it was kept in the family). Was used as a farm truck and hadnt even been registered since 97. She ran off the original L18, although burned oil, leaked oil, and compression wasn't very good, I fell in love with her. An hour after buying it, my buddy Hugh and I bled the brakes and tried to do a quick lookover before going to a Ratsun meet :cool:

 

 

After daily driving it for a bit and trying to find where the loss of power was coming from, put a Weber 32/33 Downdraft on it trying to pick it up a little bit.

 

 

Drove it out to Hood River pretty often, put some highway miles on her until she just couldnt take anymore. Or maybe half a Z is a lot to haul back to Portland haha. Went with Skib, and exit64 to pickup a 280zxt engine for my Z, brought back the good full of schwag, and the 620 bed loaded to the max.

 

 

 

After checking the compression and realizing two of the cylinders were super low, and the rings were probably shot, picked up another L18 (supposed to be one of those from japan after XX,XXX miles) Swapped that in there with the help of a few Ratsuners, after learning the hard way, pull it with the transmission if you don't want a pain in the ass. :lol:

 

Went to turn the key after the swap... the engine was siezed! Im an idiot for not checking it out when the kid dropped it off, really really stupid mistake, but gotta learn I guess, not hard to turn over the crank and make sure the damn thing spins. Literally months went by of me wailing on it everyday, doing all the tricks in the book to get it unseized, one day, it worked. But once I got it running, the throwout bearing was ticking and the clutch seemed screwy. I had the truck shipped from Portland to Santa Babara when I moved then pulled the tranny and replaced the bearing, and realigned the clutch, then ran like a champ.... for 150miles before spinning a bearing and seizing right on the side of the freeway. I was still carrying around the original L18 in the bed of the truck from the previous swap, had it towed to my friends house, and swapped the original L18 back in there in the street haha :lol: I mean at least I could drive it around with that engine.

 

Since then I've finally killed the stock L18. Believe it spun a bearing as well, will know tomorrow when I pull it out of the truck finally. I've been working on something else... hehe. My first engine from the ground up! I bought the L20 block, rods, pistons, crankshaft, and W58 head with fresh valve job from E&L Machinery in Hood River OR. Been carting it around along with all the Datto parts, and now after the truck has sat for months in the back of the shop, its time to build. Right before parking her I replaced the front brakes, and lowered her 2 inches. Shes got some stock chevy wheels.

 

 

 

I don't know about the other car chicks on this site, but its freaking annoying when showing off your car, everyone asks. "Is this your boyfriends car?" Therefore, I started searching for hot pink engine paint... no luck. However, purple was the next best thing. Honed out the cylinders, cleaned her up, and painted. Polished the crap out of the valve cover, the difference is crazy! Pulled timing cover and pulleys and random bits and pieces from the other 2 engines I have for the truck (the blown up 2 haha). Using standard size bearings and rings, the block looks brand new and everything is so polished and clean! First time I put the crankshaft in, after tighting down the main bearing caps using the right torque specs and pattern, the thing wouldn't budge. <_< Took it out and spent 5 hours polishing, then tried again, spins beautifully! I need the rods out of the other engine, because I can't seem to find what I did with the caps for the rods I have already. So thats why today I pulled the 620 out of the weeds, and pulled the engine today. hopefully tomorrow I can finish the rotating assembly, and just start putting everything else together tomorrow. Slow process so far, I keep getting sidetracked with the Z! And here are the oics.... :D :cool:

 

[Skib]

about time :lol:

 

 

looking good :cool:

[Skib]

packed full of Z parts lolz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and we took the whole drivetrain and suspension from this poor ZX that now lives here on this bronco :(

 

[Skib]

blew a tire on the way out there too

 

 

 

 

[dubber]

You have so much love for this truck. Anyone other than a hardcore datsun lover would have left it on te side of the road.

 

Respect. :)

[DanielC]

"I don't know about the other car chicks on this site, but its freaking annoying when showing off your car, everyone asks. "Is this your boyfriends car?" "

 

Rachael,

Some stereotypes are true. Let's just take Ratsun for example. There is like about 5000 members, and maybe five females who are actually doing things to their old Datsuns.

You just do not fit the "normal" mold of a typical girl we males run across. Most girls about your age are more interested in what some Kardiashian chick is wearing, or were more obsessed with two people getting married in some country we fought a war with over 200 years ago, to get independent from, and would not dare touch anything besides the steering wheel and the key of their car, for fear they would lose a press-on finger nail.

You are a very cool exceptional, (using your own words) "car chick". If you are asked a stupid question about "your boyfriend's car" you should swell with pride, because, most other times it is. Consider it a compliment, gloat a little inside, and watch the guy be dumbfounded as he tries to process the information that you just told him about working on your own car.

Love the color of the engine. But now you will probably get this question. "Your boyfriend let you paint his engine THAT color?"

 

Keep up the good work. Do not be insulted by us dumb car guys.

[]2eDeYe]

Nice pickup. Funny to see Skib's old wagon all white :lol:

 

 

Glad to see at least parts of that Z will be used properly.. :blink:

[Skib]

2eDeYe' date='12 May 2011 - 07:26 AM' timestamp='1305210405' post='474876']

Nice pickup. Funny to see Skib's old wagon all white :lol:

 

 

 

:rofl: that was like 2 years ago

[freaky510]

blew a tire on the way out there too

 

 

 

Now thats just HOT !! A woman that can change a tire on her own :rolleyes:

[Ken_B]

Now thats just HOT !! A woman that can change a tire on her own :rolleyes:

 

 

And a good lookin one too!

[DISLEXICDIME]

Wow I didn't know you still had that truck megan. Keep up the good work

[hang_510]

A woman that can change a tire on her own

she had too, skib couldn't do it.

[I'm BLUE]

Neat Truck ! ,,, Do you still have the turbo engine ? ,,, I also demand moar oics of fresh rebuilt engine :D ,,, k thx bro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wait a minute ,,,,,,,, Skibby ,,,,,, you silly ,,,, silly bastard ,,,,,, that's where my ZX axles came from that I bought from you isn't it ? :lol:

 

I salute you ! :D :lol:

 

 

Oh yeah ,,, My Z parts buying habit has decreased ,,, finally ,,, that is until you get your hands on some moar z parts

[blackdeth666]

your hair matches the truck lol! Clean little 620 you got there. I know exactly what your talking about with the stuck motor, I always seem to do shit THE HARD WAY!

[Skib]

she had too, skib couldn't do it.

 

shes perfectly capable of doing it herself :P

and someone had to take the pics :fu:

 

 

that's where my ZX axles came from that I bought from you isn't it ?

 

sure is :lol:

 

Oh yeah ,,, My Z parts buying habit has decreased ,,, finally ,,, that is until you get your hands on some moar z parts

 

know what your car needs? some fiber glass fenders :cool: and your in luck! I just happen to have a set :lol:

[831Sunny]

blew a tire on the way out there too

 

 

 

I think I am in love lolz keep up the good work. You should be proud. Not all chicks are into cars. Which is sad IMHO

[Z_Rac3r]

Had to get somethin done yesterday, took oics because its ratsun, and... well... this just reminded me of ratsun haha. It was too complicated to get the cherry picker in the back lot, so.... we used a forklift. Old engine, out :)

 

 

I dropped the pan, the Rod in Cyl. 3 was blue from getting too hot.. looks like an oil passage clogged and that one wasn't getting oil. Spun the bearing to pieces.

 

Planning on working on the new engine all night tonight. Tomorrow going to Bimmerfest in Pasadena CA. :cool:

[Rustina 510]

Nice improv. Looking good.

[Z chopper]

I think skib was to scared to help since Z_Rac3r had a tire iron right beside her and with womens lib wel........l, skib did the smart and safe thing stand back and take pics.

 

 

[Skib]

I think skib was to scared to help since Z_Rac3r had a tire iron right beside her and with womens lib wel........l, skib did the smart and safe thing stand back and take pics.

 

 

lol oh you dont even know :lol:

[Z_Rac3r]

lmao :lol: , not another word skib, not another word. ;)

[Skib]

lmao :lol: , not another word skib, not another word. ;)

 

 

lolz see? told you :lol:

 

 

she hits me when no ones looking :unsure:

[Siqx20]

Diggin the cherry picker ;) lol

[]2eDeYe]

Forklift FTW

[Skib]

and for the record .....

 

 

i helped :lol: