Official Intro

[KFunk740]

My name is Kevin, and I've been lurking mostly, and gaining some knowledge. I'm a little tired of my tiny/great handling cars, and I needed something slower and more practical for daily use, motorcycle hauling, etc. My other vehicles include a 1974 BMW 2002 (full suspension / Weber sidedrafts, won a season championship with it at autocross, and done a few track days with it), a 1992 Miata (full suspension / former autocross car, now a rusty winter beater), a 1981 Yamaha XS400 (beater bike for great mileage), and a 1983 Yamaha RX50 (2-stroke, 50cc street-legal bike that's great for teaching people to ride).

I'm also into rallycross a little bit (only when I borrow or rent cars), and have run a 24 Hours of LeMons race in a beat-up BMW 325es that was converted into a giant chicken.

 

My girlfriend loves old trucks too, and she got hooked on the look of the L320's. I spent a couple months searching all over relentlessly on ebay and craigslist, just barely got outbid on one in Tennessee, and eventually was lucky enough to dig up an old ad on this very forum for a truck that was just too perfect for my needs. It was a whole lot of hassle getting all the details worked out and the truck shipped over to Ohio, but it was well worth it.

Here's the original ad: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/22458-1965-datsun-l320/page__p__319759#entry319759

 

Here's my thread on the '02 forum from when I first got it:

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/component/option,com_forum/Itemid,50/page,viewtopic/t,359314/

 

Here's some pics a friend took at a cruise-in:

 

I just want a rock solid daily driver, that is simple and quirky. I plan to leave the exterior close to what it is (might clearcoat the spots missing paint on the roof and on the bed). I'd like to rust-proof the hell out of the underside, but I still don't want to drive it in winter time here. There's also little things I might do to make it more comfortable and reliable. This truck appears to have a J13 by the way, and is supposedly freshly rebuilt. It starts up easy, and runs all day, so I tent to believe that.

 

Since getting it on June 15th, I've driven it about 1500 miles. I've replaced the leaky front wheel cylinders and adjusted/bled all the brakes, so now it is braking rock solid. I installed new 3-point retractable seatbelts (chrome airplane style), which makes my girlfriend way more comfortable riding it. I can give some advice on doing this if you need. I just got done changing the gear oil in it. I've been working the windshield wipers a lot, but it's difficult to keep them from getting stuck at the right side of the windshield and not coming back. I've re-greased and tightened everything, and used some new rubber washers to hold the motor in place, but there's still slop in it. I'm gonna have to locate some better mounting bushings, I think.

I've also fabricated a new horn connector for the steering wheel, as the one that was in it was missing/broken. It seems to be honking great now.

I've also changed the oil, inspected the carb jets and cleaned them, etc. I still have a little bit of a stumble occasionally while cruising at a constant speed. I think I'll pull the distributor cap next and investigate things.

 

Oh, and is there any way I can swap crankbolts so the stock hand crank will work in this J13 motor? Otherwise, I was thinking about hacking up a cheap socket to try it, but it just might rip my arm off if I don't do it right....

 

Well thanks for the help, and thanks to the forum for helping get me a great truck! I'm really happy with it so far.

 

 

Thanks,

Kevin

[KFunk740]

 

Hopefully this works. That's a pic of it hauling my RX50 at a Car / Motorcycle Cruise-In. I decided to take both!

[RedBanner]

Welcome, stumbling at constant speed does sound like the dizzy, happens in every datt ive gotten probly the bearing getting alittle worn

[KFunk740]

Welcome, stumbling at constant speed does sound like the dizzy, happens in every datt ive gotten probly the bearing getting alittle worn

 

Yeah, I checked the dwell with my meter and it seemed perfect, but have yet to take cap off. I could find an electronic ignition in there, for all I know. Any tips on taking the dizzy apart and what kind of lube to use, and/or sources for bearings? I'm used to the old Bosch distributor in my 2002 that's a lot more easy to access on the top of the engine. I'm still running points in it... maybe I'll trust an electronic ignition someday...

[RedBanner]

Just take the cap off and rotor( theres a piece of spring steel in the rotor watxh that it doesnt fall out) and try and wiggle the shaft, if it doesnt wiggle at all bump the,starter and,try it from a diff angle, sometimes there hard to wiggle while installed even if,the bearings bad. Mark where the rotor points and take the dizzy ajustment/retaining screw out and lift the,dizzy about an inch or untill rhe rotor stops spinning and mark where it points, remove the dizzy all the way and wiggle the gear side I bet theres slop, or get an electric dizzy. Datsun electric dizzies are bad ass but check the bearing couse there all 70 bucks and hard(for me) to change.

[wayno]

Welcome to Ratsun Nice looking truck. :cool:

[KFunk740]

Another question: The hood prop rubs against the aircleaner and rattles like hell. I think that's because the engine has the J13 aircleaner assembly, which has an intake tube that points diagonally toward the front passenger side of the car. The stock E-1 aircleaner has an intake tube that points toward the front drivers side. Any ideas on easiest fix? I like my hood prop, and want to keep it. Would it be difficult to find a stock L320 aircleaner, and put it on my Nikki carb?

 

OK, one more: Vapor-lock- If the truck is warmed up, and I shut down for like 15 minutes or so, then it doesn't want to start right away. It just takes some extra cranking, then it goes. Not a huge problem, but embarassing when someone is admiring the truck, and then it doesn't want to start immediately. It sure seems like vapor-lock to me, and you cna tell there's a big bubble in the fuel line by watching the carb window while starting it warm. I've tried re-routing the fuel line to go more toward the fender (and away from exhaust manifold), and it might've helped a little, but it's still a small problem. Any ideas? Surely this wasn't a problem on stock trucks...

[wayno]

I don't have a stock setup on any running E1 engine at this time, my NL320 has a weber on it with an aftermarket airfilter, the 63 L320 I have has the wrong carb on it and the stock airfilter was modified to fit. I just went out and looked at the other NL320 with all the stock stuff on it, the hood prop as you call it, rests on the airfilter also, it points towards the passinger side headlight, as this vehicle doesn't run at the moment, it is not on my top 40 of things to worry about. Here are some oics.

[KFunk740]

I don't have a stock setup on any running E1 engine at this time, my NL320 has a weber on it with an aftermarket airfilter, the 63 L320 I have has the wrong carb on it and the stock airfilter was modified to fit. I just went out and looked at the other NL320 with all the stock stuff on it, the hood prop as you call it, rests on the airfilter also, it points towards the passinger side headlight, as this vehicle doesn't run at the moment, it is not on my top 40 of things to worry about. Here are some oics.

 

 

 

That's currently what I have. This is what I want:

 

Found that on a google image search.

[Wide14u]

the truck and the bike are sharp welcome to ratsun

[KFunk740]

the truck and the bike are sharp welcome to ratsun

 

Thanks guys! While I'm here, I'll throw out a few more questions that I haven't been able to find with a search very well....

 

I'd like to bring down the revs and get great mileage on the highway, at some point. If I wanted to put in a 5-speed, what would be the easiest one to find and swap in? If that's not do-able, how hard is it to swap in the 3.70 or 3.90 from a roadster? If it's just bolt-in and go, that'd be great and easily reversible. But if it involves pounding out bearings, measuring, shimming, etc.... I might not want to do that.

 

Any ideas on speaker boxes that will fit behind the seats? Not much room there... Considering some Pioneer enclosed surface mount speakers, but can't really tell much from the dimensions I can find online.

 

And by the way... my parts stash seems to include one NOS vent window seal.... which I should probably install at some point. It seems that these are really hard to find, but someone mentioned that maybe somebody can make a mold from a decent one and perhaps start making copies cheap. I don't know if it's OEM original or what, but would you guys be interested in loaning it to a rubber shop so they can make copies of it? I've got a whole collection other parts that Jaybird tossed in the bed before shipping it, and for now I plan on hanging on to most of them in case I need them.

[wayno]

There is no 5 speed that I know of, unless the modified one(datsun trans.) that the vintage mg parts suppiers has put together will bolt to your engine which costs almost $4000.00 dollars. The differential is a differant story, you can use the gears out of all the datsun/nissan trucks up to about 1985, but you have to swap the spyders(side gears) from your pumpkin into the new pumpkin, as your axles have a differant style of teeth. I beleave that somewhere in this thread is a discription on how to do it, sorry I don't want to go threw it all to find the page. This was the former owner of my NL320, he put 389 gears in my pickup when he owned it.

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/393-mklotz70-nl320/page__view__findpost__p__330297__hl__mklotz__fromsearch__1

[AZ_L320]

That's currently what I have. This is what I want:

 

Found that on a google image search.

 

Hey That's my Truck.... ha..ha...

 

Dale

[ol' 320]

If I wanted to put in a 5-speed, what would be the easiest one to find and swap in? If that's not do-able, how hard is it to swap in the 3.70 or 3.90 from a roadster? If it's just bolt-in and go, that'd be great and easily reversible. But if it involves pounding out bearings, measuring, shimming, etc.... I might not want to do that.

 

Any ideas on speaker boxes that will fit behind the seats? Not much room there... Considering some Pioneer enclosed surface mount speakers, but can't really tell much from the dimensions I can find online.

 

And by the way... my parts stash seems to include one NOS vent window seal.... which I should probably install at some point. It seems that these are really hard to find, but someone mentioned that maybe somebody can make a mold from a decent one and perhaps start making copies cheap. I don't know if it's OEM original or what, but would you guys be interested in loaning it to a rubber shop so they can make copies of it? I've got a whole collection other parts that Jaybird tossed in the bed before shipping it, and for now I plan on hanging on to most of them in case I need them.

 

Howdy, I could not help but notice this in your post.... I just bought a 1965 320 and it really needs a set of new vent window rubbers:) I was referred to a guy named Clauss in Hesperia who can make such parts and I have an inquiry into him on just this subject. Would you be willing to hold off on installing that vent rubber for a bit so I can look into this? Which side is new,and do you have another good one for the mate? Feel free to PM me.

 

I have been lurking here a little bit, just registered today after striking a deal to buy a 65 320 I saw listed on here. Matt Stoffregen installed a dogleg fivespeed in the truck. Perhaps you should email him to see if he could set you up.

 

 

 

 

[KFunk740]

Just take the cap off and rotor( theres a piece of spring steel in the rotor watxh that it doesnt fall out) and try and wiggle the shaft, if it doesnt wiggle at all bump the,starter and,try it from a diff angle, sometimes there hard to wiggle while installed even if,the bearings bad. Mark where the rotor points and take the dizzy ajustment/retaining screw out and lift the,dizzy about an inch or untill rhe rotor stops spinning and mark where it points, remove the dizzy all the way and wiggle the gear side I bet theres slop, or get an electric dizzy. Datsun electric dizzies are bad ass but check the bearing couse there all 70 bucks and hard(for me) to change.

 

Well, I haven't pulled the dizzy all the way off yet, but I took the cap and rotor off.... and yep, found an electronic conversion. It's a Pertronix ignitor, which I think is just a points replacement. It's really commonly done on BMW 2002s (like my other car), but personally I don't trust them entirely and still have points in my BMW.

The dizzy looks like its all new inside there, just like everything else with this engine. I think pretty much any worn parts on this engine have been replaced very recently. A manufacturing flaw in the Pertronix right now is my best idea (as even nearly new ones have failed quite often on the BMW forums). I'm wondering if I can get the new points out of my stash, and possibly find a condenser too, and swap them in real quick to see if the problem is fixed.