Build date ?

[xxmass]

hi, my '72 521 door plate shows 8/71. i have the fuel vapor return stuff and a single points distributor. is it titled incorrectly as a '72?

[datzenmike]

Go by the door plate. Year on ownerships were often shown as the date of purchase so it could have been made in 70 (as a '71 model year) and not sold until after the new year '71 or even later.

[xxmass]

do we know when the dual point dizzy was put in the trucks? i would like to go with pertronix 1741 but i'm not sure if that is my application.

[datzenmike]

I don't think the PerTronix fits a dual point dizzy, you need a single points or have the shaft turned down smaller. Yours looks like it would work.

[xxmass]

thanks mike. my cofusion is: i thought 72 521s had the dual points. i thought i had a 72.

 

 

[ggzilla]

The 1972 510 started production in last half of 1971. This is model year vs date of manufacturer.

 

You can buy a 2013 car right now.

[datsunaholic]

The dual-points showed up for the 1970 model year, and were used for the 1970, 71, 72, and 73 model years 510, 521, and 620. Don't know about the 610 (which had an L18 in '73). I've heard that some '70 model year L16s didn't have them originally, but the 1970 I had did. ALL 1971 and '72 L16 North American models had dual points. The only vehicles I know that had the small-cap, single point distributor on a L-series was the 68-69 510.

[xxmass]

so my dizzy is not stock? does the head have a matching serial number to the engine block and chassis?

 

...and the 1741 is correct?

 

thanks for the attention.

[datzenmike]

My parts book shows only the '70 521 with single, the L18 620 had single, my L18 710 had single, L18 610s were single.

[Jayden71]

Would be pretty simple to drop in a single point dizzy and it would still look stock. L16 '72 521 should have a 210 head on it, which could also be swapped out rather easily and still look stock. My 71 521 has a build date of 9/70. Get rid of the points and go matchbox :thumbup:

[bananahamuck]

Looking at your pictures it looks like you have a single point ..But in your top looking down picture i cant tell if it has a upper ring that you will have to machine down..I painted it with a yellow stripe..if it doesn`t your probably good to go...We used the same number Pertronix kit on both machined down ring and non ring type ..

 

If it was a dual point it would have 2 dips where the wires go through ..The distributor in pic still has white plastic in them.

 

some pictures if it helps..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again pictures are of things you DONT want to see , but machining the ring down will only cost you about 20 bucks or so..

[ggzilla]

There is a number stamped on the distributor housing which will positively ID the distributor (regardless of what engine it is in now).

 

Look on the outside of the distributor for the 22100- part number and the D411- part number.

[xxmass]

thanks for the help. i wish i could have the datsun and ratsun at work, but my short tires and 4 speed make highway travel a chore for the little beast. i'll locate the part numbers and get back this evening.

[DanielC]

The model year for many trucks was changed usually in September. If you have a truck built in August of 1971, if you take into account a slow boat trip from Japan, your truck could be a 1972 model year.

 

I Have the parts or most all of five Datsun 521 trucks.

One truck a build date of January 1970, but sold in California, has the evaporative emission system.

The next truck, sold new in Oregon, build date of March 1970, did not have the evaporative emission system.

The third truck, build date April 1970 did have the evaporative emission system.

 

Another change to look for on the 521 trucks is if it has a manual choke. The manual choke was changed to am electric choke in vety late model year 1971, or in 1972 Datsun 521 trucks. Another minor difference is the engine is the heated air to the air cleaner, from the exhaust manifold. Earlier trucks just had a manual toggle lever on the air cleaner shout, the later ones had a thermostacitally controlled carb hot air valve.

 

To the best of my knowledge, all L-16 521 trucks came with a dual point distributor.

If you are going to take the time to go to electronic ignition, really try to find a matchbox distributor.

[datzenmike]

The above. (last line)

[xxmass]

i found only one number casting: 150

 

located right where the vacum advance diaphragm thing is mounted.

it also has just the one plastic gate for the wire to pass through. i'll keep looking for the matchbox thank you.

[datzenmike]

Part number is right there stamped into the aluminum. 22100-?????. The ????? will tell what year and model it came out of.

 

[ggzilla]

He won't be able to see that because of the grease ... but it looks like an Hitachi D4A which started around 1974.

[xxmass]

 

looks like 22100-09600

 

electric choke and thermostat controlled hot air to the air filter

[ggzilla]

D4A is the type, which is Hitachi D4A, mid-1970s distributor with the large cap.

 

22100-09600 is the Nissan part number. It is not a 510 part number, but came from a later engine.

[datsunaholic]

I think that's 22100-U9600. Probably circa '76-77. Which unfortunately I believe has that ring boss between the rotor shaft and the lobes that prevents attaching the magnet ring. Can have it machined off, I guess. It's pretty rare to find a large-cap dist that the pertronix fits without machining the ring boss, unfortunately.

[xxmass]

well poop! thanks everyone for the input and the attention to this thread.

[ggzilla]

Matchbox distributor is better than a pertronix conversion anyways.