noob Qs about 520/521

[Willdatsun]

We never got 520/521 here in the UK, can someone tell me when the L series came in them? Was it late 521s? What year? Were they ever sold along side J engines? Did they make a longbed one? Only ever seen short bed ones. Are they similar cabs on 520/521? Same beds? How easy would one convert to RH drive, is the firewall or dash simpler to change over than on 620? Some cars are super easy as the holes are already there or the pressings are symmetrical at least, but 620 looks tricky.

 

Thanks a lot !

[DanielC]

We never got 520/521 here in the UK, can someone tell me when the L series came in them?

Late 1968, early 1969

 

Was it late 521s?

I would consider it early 521 trucks.

 

What year?

Late 1968, early 1969

 

Were they ever sold along side J engines?

No, the L-16 superseeded the J series.

 

Did they make a longbed one?

All had a six foot long bed.

 

Only ever seen short bed ones. Are they similar cabs on 520/521?

The cabs are similar, but there are some differences. 520 trucks were more rounded at the front, 521 trucks are more square. The 520 also started with only two headlights, and was converted to four. All 521 trucks in the states have four headlights.

 

Same beds?

I think so, may be very minor differences.

 

How easy would one convert to RH drive.

Pretty easy, if you can get the RHD specific parts. You may have to get them imported from southeast Asia.

 

is the firewall

The firewall has dimples in the metal where the steering column woud go if the truck was converted to RHD.

 

or dash simpler to change over than on 620?

I believe the hole for the combo meter is the same size as the hole for the glovebox.

 

Some cars are super easy as the holes are already there or the pressings are symmetrical at least, but 620 looks tricky

 

I believe they did make RHD 521 trucks from the factory. Look for a 521 truck from Australia.

[Willdatsun]

Thanks. Yes I have seen a 521 in Australia but they tell me they are rare there and therefore seem to command much higher prices than trucks in USA. Yes i would think if i can get a steering box from Austrlia, the truck would be RH drive-able. (wipers etc would be round the wrong way but not the end of the world)

[datzenmike]

In N Am the L520 was made until Sept. '68. The '69 model, was made from Oct '68 until June '69 and was the first 521. It was called the L521 because it still had the same J13 motor as the L520. The '70 model year, from July '69 on, had the new L16 motors in them and were called the PL521.

[datsunaholic]

Some incorrect stuff posted above. Datzenmike has it right.

 

1) 520s only ever had the J-series engine. 520s were made until about halfway through the 1968 model year. 521s were basically a sheet-metal change from the firewall forward, plus minor other changes year to year.

 

2) L-series was from July 69 (1970 model year and on) and ONLY for the US/Canada market. Outside the US, all 521s had J-series engines through end of model in 1972.

 

3) Yes, they made a longbed version. The US and Canada only ever got shortbeds, but most of the rest of the world got longbeds. There were also cargo vans and "double" pickup versions. The "double" pick up had a rear seat, and the body was one unit with the bed, which was tiny.

 

4) Yes, there were RHD versions. I'm surprised they didn't have them in GB, but there were 520s and 521s in Japan, Australia, Thailand, South Africa, Hong Kong, etc, and these are all RHD.

 

5) Switching a LHD to RHD isn't impossible, but you at a minimum need the steering box and some welding skills, since the frame mounts don't exist and the steering boxes are different. I suppose the existing ones could be modified. The dash can be swapped over by drilling new holes and filling in the old ones (for the key, mostly). The cutouts in the dash face for the gauges and teh glove box are exactly the same size. There's also the pedal assembly which probably isn't a direct swap.

 

The wipers being the wrong way around isn't too bad- with the 320, Datsun never made ones specific to LHD, so all US ones are backwards anyway. They did make specific ones for the 520 and newer.

[ggzilla]

Does England forbid one from driving LHD vehicles? Even with an older vehicle?

[datsunaholic]

Seeing that there are a bunch of American iron over there with LHD, I don't think so. Several guys have LHD Datsuns they brought over from Norway.

[Willdatsun]

We can drive LH drive vehicles yes (I have two Plymouth Furys) but its a pain sometimes, like overtaking. Not that you'd do that much overtaking in a 520 :) Datsuns started selling VERY LATE here in the UK, goodness knows why.. the first commercial Datsun we got here was the 620 and that wasn't until around 1977. (all J15 powered) We had to put up with rubbish like Morris Marina pickup until then. We didn't get 1200 pickups, and didn't get S10/S110 models but did get S12. We did however get Laurel, (from '72) Cedric (from '71) and Skyline (from 75) here but numbers remaining can be counted on one hand. Newish cars are so cheap here, that people don't bother to keep cars long enough for them to get old and survive.

 

Thanks for the info, amazing detail thankyou very much . Prepare for more questions on 620s :)

[skyc110]

converting is not preferable, you will gona pay as what u pay for the car, after that u will be in danger

we converted more 500 Datsun skyline 240k ( we bring from Australia to middle east ) to LHD, costly and unsafely

try to locate RHD from south Cyprus ( the steering wheel their is RHD as the UK )

north Cyprus is LHD so u have to search in the south only.

[Willdatsun]

More 520/1 Qs. Metric or Imperial? the J engines are Imperial but is the body/chassis etc otherwise metric on these? What about brake components, pipe fittings, wheel stud threads?

 

Does a late 521 drive the same as a early 620?

 

What side of the car is the wiring harness , like where it goes through the firewall?

 

Thanks!

[ggzilla]

As with all Datsuns, a mix of metric and imperial. The engine is mostly metric.

 

521 is a heavy duty pickup, rides much rougher than most 620s.

[DanielC]

I stand corrected on long bed 521 trucks, they were made, but not imported here.

L-16 engines used metric fasteners, but the pipe fittings were BSPT. (oil pressure fitting, PCV valve fitting, temp sensor fitting.

The body of a 521 uses "inch" threads here. Fenders are held on with 1/4-28 bolts. Rear brake wheel cylinders use 5/16-24 nuts. Brake and clutch line flare nut fittings are 3/8-24. Wheel studs are 7/16, not sure of the thread pitch.

The wiring harness goes through the firewall on the right side.

 

The frame of an early 620 looks pretty much like the frame on a 521. I bet they probably did drive about the same when both were new, but they are not new anymore. I believe the 620 is all metric, but some of the parts are very similar. I think a 620 rear wheel cylinder will bolt on a 521 backing plate, but you will need the metric nuts to hold it, M8x1.25 and a metric flare nut fitting M10x1.0.

 

I think the 620 also got a dual reservoir brake master cylinder. A really nice safety addition. Later 620 trucks also got a ball joint front end, and disk brakes.

 

As I found out with 521 trucks, there are probably different versions of the truck in different foreign countries.

[ggzilla]

Yes, correct -- there are different versions in different countries. As with all Datsuns, including the 510 series.

[Willdatsun]

Thanks! Thats exactly the info I needed. I love you guys! :) I didn't even know early 620 frames were different to late frames, with the exeption of the gas tank not mounted on the early frame (seems crazy, what if you put a different back on the truck? )

 

the difference I knew about were the front A arms/joints/brakes all different on the late ones, and some rad panels kink out at the front but thats best left to a 620 thread.

Just to let the USA guys know .. my 78 620 has balljoints and drums, double leading shoe drums (four front wheel cylinders). I would guess that truck would be an easy upgrade to discs if I changed the stub axle assembly.

 

Will

[Willdatsun]

521 inside the bed, looks like a extra piece of metal at the front of the left wheel house, whats that?

[ggzilla]

pics?

[wayno]

521 inside the bed, looks like a extra piece of metal at the front of the left wheel house, whats that?

 

 

Emissions stuff

[DAT510]

unless he's talking about the fuel tank access?

[ggzilla]

he might be asking about the strengthening panel

[wayno]

He is talking about that vapor system that the 521 has in front of the driverside fender well in the box, I use that particular line as a fuel return, I just re-routed the hose strait to the tank.

[Willdatsun]

aah so the fuel filler and tank are on the left on the 521 instead of 620/720 right side. I am learning more on here than I ever did at school. Okay next up, does the 521 have a removeable scuttle /cowl panel (where the wipers are) like on 620?

Are the steering boxes the same on 520/521 and 620? Linkages etc?

[mrbigtanker]

aah so the fuel filler and tank are on the left on the 521 instead of 620/720 right side. I am learning more on here than I ever did at school. Okay next up, does the 521 have a removeable scuttle /cowl panel (where the wipers are) like on 620?

Are the steering boxes the same on 520/521 and 620? Linkages etc?

so there is no cowl for the wipers unbolt it in the engine compartment i think 3 13mm boils,and go under the dash and unclip the wiper assembly its that easy,also 2 plugs right at the wiper motor.Suspension is i am pretty sure the same king crap setup.

[ggzilla]

The linkage and boxes are SIMILAR to the 620, but NOT the same.