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My new 520 from USA to England and some questions


Willdatsun

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This just arrived here in England, a 67 520.

 

container-520.jpgI got it from a Ratsun member in Idaho but he never actually started to do any work on it, looks like it was from Oregon before he got it (Oregon Plates) . It appears to have a J15 kinda half installed in it, with many things not hooked up, and the starter motor is missing, and some of the wiring. I'm trying to figure out where the power from the battery actually enters the wiring on the rest of the truck. If anyone can send me a picture or photo where this wire goes into the loom and the colour of it etc I would appreciate it. Assuming the engine will actually run, truck needs brakes, handbrake cables, tyres, . The base of the air cleaner is missing as are the hub caps. Maybe someone on here has some.

 

Windshield has some massive chips too which will fail our 'MOT' test so I need to get a windshield.

 

Truck is very solid and is the only one in England. Woo!

 

Will

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This is a 521.

EngMay81.jpg

On this truck, there is a white wire that goes from the battery positive directly to the fuse box. I believe 520 trucks did the same thing.

The big red cable goes down the the starter. There is also a wire from alternator positive, that goes to the starter motor, same connection as the battery cable.

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On a 521, and most Datsuns, Nissan does something I have seen few car makers do. They run a dedicated ground wire from the alternator frame to one of the voltage regulator mounting bolts. They do not depend on a metal alternator frame being bolted to am engine, or even a bracket on an engine, and the engine connected to a frame, and the frame connected to the body sheet metal for a ground for the regulator.

 

Your new to you 520 will have a lot fewer electrical issues if you check that ground, and the following others are in place.

Negative battery post to engine. This cable also has a wire to the alternator frame.

Alternator frame to voltage regulator mount. This is the one I mentioned above. This means the alternator frame has two wires going to it.

On a 521, the voltage regulator also has a dedicated ground wire going to the headlights. This wire may also splice into the other grounds

Engine to frame. I am not sure how this was done on a new 520/521 but I add an extra wire looping around the rubber on a motor mount.

Cab to frame. Body bolts may have done this on new trucks, but 40 plus years of use, and exposure to environmental issues causing rust may compromise this ground.

Bed to frame. Same issues as cab to frame.

Finally, taillights to frame. Originally, the taillight frame (bracket) were grounded to the bed. The rear tires (tyres to you British folks) throw road grime, water, gravel, snow in the winter at the taillights. The ground connection from the taillight to the bed goes bad. You probably need to ground both taillights individually to the frame.

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they're pretty bad. Thanks for the electrical tips, most Datsun I've seen have an alternator ground, however I don't have the luxury of a starter motor yet so the alternator is not doing a lot so far.

 

Fitted a new spring in the rear brake drum today which means the thing does at least roll now.

Need to find a source for parking brake cables.

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We now have this RUNNING. Woo!! Starter was missing but I borrowed one from my 620. Distributor was in 180° out, and the fuel line was clogged, not to mention some wiring was wrong. Bolted up the exhaust, fitted the driveshaft and honed the clutch slave and made a pushrod for that and installed it. Getting close to being driveable. Need parking brake cables.

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We now have this RUNNING. Woo!! Starter was missing but I borrowed one from my 620. Distributor was in 180° out, and the fuel line was clogged, not to mention some wiring was wrong. Bolted up the exhaust, fitted the driveshaft and honed the clutch slave and made a pushrod for that and installed it. Getting close to being driveable. Need to find out if the parking brake cables are same as 521 and also where to find them!

 

 

The 520/521 park brake cables are all the same.

You either need to have them made by copying your old set, or look on ebay ect.

Over here I would suggest looking in the wrecking yards, but that might be an issue for you.

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Indeed. Been scouring ebay, only 620 on there. Didn't know if there were any parts companies in USA who could still supply 521 cables.

 

Last time I went to the nissan dealer about these cables, they had one side but not the other, but that was at least 10 years ago.

I likely have what you need if your talking about just the rear cables, but they are used and quite likely are rusty, as if they move in there cable housings I save them.

The 320/520/521 are all the same as far as I know, the question is do you need more than just the rear cables?

There is a whole system under there that has several differant cables, I beleave there are 5 total.

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  • 2 months later...

Time for a little update

520-008.jpg

 

Finally managed to track down a starter motor here in the UK. Also got hold of a pair of handbrake cables from Scandinavia! They fitted now. Footbrake not working yet, requires all hoses, trying to match them to something in the UK. I think they're something like 3/8 unc thread. Next it will need upper arm outer rubber bushes. I think Rock Auto can send me some over. 

Started cleaning the paint up. Replaced the burned out headlamps and have fitted two Koito outer lamps from UK spec 620 which have

replaceable bulbs. The condition of the zinc brackets etc on this is amazing.

520feb1.jpg

 

520feb3.jpg

 

520feb5.jpg

 

 

 

Seemed to be some insects living in it one upon a time, not sure what, we don't get whatever that is here in the UK, is it wasps?

520waspnest.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

I should update this really. We rebushed the whole front end, fitted new kingpins (a biatch of a job) and fixed the brakes, lights, and got this registered in the UK. It has actually been sold on and has been rather modified by the new owners.

 

520frow2.jpg

520 driven to local car show before I sold it.

 

how it looks now..

players1.jpg

 

 

http://www.speedhunters.com/2014/03/a-datsun-520-pickup-players-style/

 

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