engine questions

[love_my_gt]

Alright so I've got a couple questions and fear I don't have enough info to get the answers I need yet. What engine would have been stock in a 74 datsun 620? Would it have been the l20 or an l18? If it is NOT an l20b then would the cam shaft from it work in an l20b? Would I have to readjust anything to make it work?

 

Here is what I'm up against. I am looking at a 78 kc truck. He had it down to upgrade the carb (I assume to a weber). Once he got it back together he drove it a bit then it developed a miss. Come to find out it had somehow managed to break the cam shaft in half. He replaced the cam in it with that from a 74 truck, but now is having running issues, which he has yet to properly describe to me. He simply told me " I think the carb is the main problem." I'm not so sure of this though...

[datzenmike]

Alright so I've got a couple questions and fear I don't have enough info to get the answers I need yet. What engine would have been stock in a 74 datsun 620? Would it have been the l20 or an l18? If it is NOT an l20b then would the cam shaft from it work in an l20b? Would I have to readjust anything to make it work?

 

Here is what I'm up against. I am looking at a 78 kc truck. He had it down to upgrade the carb (I assume to a weber). Once he got it back together he drove it a bit then it developed a miss. Come to find out it had somehow managed to break the cam shaft in half. He replaced the cam in it with that from a 74 truck, but now is having running issues, which he has yet to properly describe to me. He simply told me " I think the carb is the main problem." I'm not so sure of this though...

 

October '73 to August '74 was L18 so all of the '74 model year. (edit)

 

L18 and L20B cams will swap.

 

NOTE: If you do not know to wedge the timing chain to prevent the chain tensioner from falling out.... find out more about doing so.

[love_my_gt]

Thank you mike. I knew you'd know and hoped you'd chime in. I thought I remembered the 74 trucks having the l18, but wasn't sure 100%. Glad to know they'll swap. I know they had some issues with the timing chain after this all happened. They said it's making a bit of noise from under the timing cover. They just hadn't specified what other issues it is having.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Watchthis,how to do timming chains.

[pharouh]

"Issues with the timing chain"? Not good.

If it's not the carb,it could be the cam isn't timed right. It sounds like the front cover needs to come off.

 

How do you break a camshaft?

[love_my_gt]

"How do you break a camshaft?" thats what i wanna know

[banzai510(hainz)]

if head is bend from say overheating it can cause a load I guess, No oil in towers. Or head was milled and a cam tower had one to many shims which will cause a bind.

 

Maybe it just broke.

[ggzilla]

October '73 is the 1974 model year. MY for USA traditionally starts in October.

[datzenmike]

Did I say that? Yeah that's probably all of the '74 model. Usually it's July but back then sometimes it was more fluid when the year end was. '73 ran from Sept to Sept.

[ggzilla]

No worries Mike, some banzai dude said it but later edited his post.

 

The traditional USA car model year starts in October and Datsun often followed that. But legally (in USA), they are allowed to sell car made on January 2nd, 2011 as a 2012 model. So yes, it varies by model. Add to that sometimes state governments will title a car not by model year or calendar year (but by mistake the wrong year) and it can get real confusing.