521Restore with L20B

[Datsun_SME]

About a 4 years ago my Datsun took a crap and I didn't want to deal with it. Just recently my cousin has been searching for an engine to swap out the old one and he found one. Well, it was a napz and I didn't want to modify anything so I said, what the hell and pulled the engine with the tranny my self to see what the problem was. BLOWN HEAD GASKET!

 

 

 I've never done something like this before and my wife getting pissed cause I wont stop working on it now. I'm hooked! Anyway, the engine needed some serious cleaning along with tranny. So I got some degreaser and a power washer and went to work.  

 

this was after I was done.

 OK, here's the problem ,maybe (if anyone knows different)

The little port hole or what ever it is (its not the speedometer hole or reverse light) has a plastic fitting, doesn't look threaded was leaking tranny fluid when I flipped it to wash the tranny. now it was only leaking when I was putting it in gears flipped over. was wondering if maybe I broke something off or its like a pressure relief hole? Any help would be awesome and I didn't search to hard for an existing thread on the subject so I don't want to hear any bull! Thanks ratsun homies.  

Here's a shot of truck with bed off

[Tristin]

 

Oh my fucking lord... a single post user that isnt trying to buy something, and made an introduction. New favorite member for sure. 

 

Welcome to the site. Glad to hear you caught the 'itus and are now addicted to working on the truck. We love pictures here, so you made a first great post. Would love to see some full shots of the truck if you have them. 

 

Unfortunately Im not a tranny guy so I cant help with the plastic part, but Im sure someone will chime in (paging Mike!) shortly. Once again welcome!

[oldskoolvws]

Well that headgasket sure is problem. Easy fix though. Does anyone know if the L20 has an available MLS gasket?

 

Also, that trans is Mike's territory. Sure he'll chime in soon.

 

Ooops...welcome and great first post.

[Datsun_SME]

Thanks. Oh yeah the tranny is four speed and not sure what it came off of.

[Tristin]

Does anyone know if the L20 has an available MLS gasket?

 

The only MLS gaskets I know of are from Cometic, but they only make L6 versions. 

[bananahamuck]

Yes it was a little push-in plastic breather thing ,, you could find metal or plastic tube the right size ( tight) and shove in there and run a rubber hose up to a point higher if you cant find one.

 

 

 

This is what a good one looks like

 

 

and a broken one ,, if i yanked on that tube it would come out..

 

[Datsun_SME]

Front of truck. Ill get it out side tomorrow and take a few more.

[Datsun_SME]

Thanks S&S. Ill do some searching or rig something up. TRANNY SAVER!

[datzenmike]

 

By the looks of it this was driven for some time like this. The hot exhaust is very 'corrosive' so take a good look at the soft aluminum head in this area. If it's eaten away you may have to surface it or if really bad tig weld it first.

 

 

Banananan-amok is correct it's just a breather. Maybe a small metal pipe with a hose on the end to keep water spray out. Transmissions insides get hotter than you can hold... the air expands and contracts. That an F4W63 used with the previous J13 motor in the 521, also in the 510,710, A10 and the 610 but longer. 

 

F = floorshift

4 = four forward speeds

W = Warner synchromesh rings

63 = mm between main and countershaft.

[4perrev]

Welcome. Nice truck so far. The head gasket is a pretty straight forward fix. Just make sure you time it all right when you put it back together, There's a pretty good manual site for old trucks and cars here that may come in handy:http://manualmotor.b...l-download.html

[hurricane14]

man i let him off easy.... gave him all the advise about pics, and an intro for his first post, so he doesn't catch heat, and how helpful everyone is if you come in here cool and not like a dousche, and look what happens.. "great first post", "favorite newbie"...  :confused:..... .. :sick: ...

 

   no seriously, nice to finally see you get in here and get going on your truck. like i said, lots of help in here and love for the dattos.

 

         welcome to the club, cuz.  (about time)..... now let's see moar oics!!

[piraterumm]

Welcome ! :)

[Datsun_SME]

OK, so today I pressure washed and degreased some more here is a pic of the engine before I started.

 So I got carried away and never took a clean pic, but it took one of my first engine paint job! Tell me what you think?

Also, someone had asked for some other pics of the truck. here they are...

inside needs work, I found a junk yard with an old bench seat, waiting on the guy to call back.

Here's the bed resting on trailer for now

I was wondering where most of you buy your clutch discs/throw-out bearing from? Orileys, Napa, and autozone want to sell me the whole kit for around $100 and I don't need all that. Its the only thing holding me up from putting engine back together. Any info would be helpful. Thanks

[Datsun_SME]

I've been reading a lot of posts about certain heads with certain stock exhaust manis will Improve power/ compression and what not. I'm not a very technical guy and need some info....I have the L20b with A26 exhaust mani

W58 head

Whatever these numbers mean on top of head where valve cover gasket goes

Top of head gasket/ cam

Here's the intake mani w/ 38DGAS webber

So what am I looking at? hp,  fuel econ, over all performance? Is there any other info that you need to asses the topic? Thanks

[TENDRIL]

is the w58 you have a closed chamber (peanut head)?  

[Datsun_SME]

Yes it its.

[wayno]

It's a smog head, I have two of them in the shed, both the supposedly rare closed chamber.  <_<

If you are going to drive it like normal, meaning that your foot is not either buried in the gas or the brakes 100 percent of the time like if you were on a track, then that head will work fine.

To change over to an A87, U67, W53, or a 219 if you are lucky enough to find one at a decent price, you would need a square port exhaust manifold, and decent head, so if your not the type revving your engine above 5000rpms all the time, just use what you have.

HP is not cheap if your looking for noticeable gains, since I don't know your situation, I would say get it going with what you have, then make bigger plans after it's a daily driver.

[Datsun_SME]

Thanks for the tip. I know this guy who has like 3-4 Datsun's out here in Colorado sitting in a junk-yard, ill check to see if they have those heads you were talking about. Right now im just trying to get it running again, but it would be nice to have the horse power someday.

[Datsun_SME]

Alright....Video of the timing chain nut/ lobe thing that runs fuel pump. does it matter where it is positioned?

Had to post this!

And this to.

OK back to work... Here's pic with pretty much everything hooked up minus a couple hoses/wires.

this is what I came up with to fix the broken breather thing fro the tranny, will it work?

Got some new fuel line and clamps today, waiting on lower thermostat mount from e-bay and a couple minor things and should be ready to start it up!

[Datsun_SME]

Well I got the engine in all by myself and it was a bitch! Anyway got everything hooked back up an it wouldn't start...... I saw a previous thread about 38 DAGS and called  PIERCE MANIFOLDS to ask them about jets. I think this might be the problem why the L20B was not starting. I have spark, gas, air...........according to the manual my timing is right with an l20b, unless I have different distributor from diff engine? I don't want to pull engine again! I Put timing sprocket back on in the same exact position as when took off, it was TDC. Here's some pics anyways..

Took carb off to get ready for the new jets. Ill post jet info when they arrive.

[Charlie69]

If that carb is a 38dgas weber and it came with the motor it is probably ok on jet size for now.  When you work the throttle by hand do you see/hear fuel entering the carb throats into the manifold?

 

Most common problem I have seen on the webers is the float is to high or tolow.

[Datsun_SME]

Ok, the Webber that it  came off of was an inline 6 cyl jeep. Not the one with the engine when purchased. I originally had a 32/36 dgv but I put that on my CJ7. The obvious is to put the old 32/36 back on the Datsun.....But I want to try the 38 DGAS. I hear it gives more power.... if tuned right. I read all the previous threads and some say no problem with 38 and some say "to much carb"... we'll see when the jets arrive.Yes there is fuel into the carb. when I apply the throttle I do observe fuel entering the carb. and from exhaust there is  black smoke coming out.

[Charlie69]

38DGAS Webers work best on performance built L20Bs.

[Datsun_SME]

_{I finally got ahold of the guy who owns a junkyard out here in CO this weekend, and found my donor truck. I think this 521 has seen better days....}

_{Pic of inside with random junk}

_{And this is what I managed to salvage from the truck. There were a couple of other nice parts that I didn't really need, but wanted bad.} 

  

_{The guy had two more 521's that were in pretty bad shape also. One still had the L16 intact (minus some parts) with a 210 head. Is this one of the heads that would give more power running on an l20b instead of the W58 peanut? I'm not even sure if you can swap a head from l16 to l20b. I also got my jet kit in for the 38 DGAS, put on yesterday along with new plugs/wires, hooked gas tank up/truck bed. After work I'm going to fire it up. ill post video(only if I get it started).}

[datzenmike]

Yes you can swap the 210 head onto an L20B but I wouldn't. It has smaller valves and ports. The compression will go up to 9.23 and may ping on regular gas. The L20B will run out of top end power sooner.

 

The 38 is meant for a 6 cylinder motor. Never over carb a motor. It will run best at full throttle and worse at low throttle. Not saying it won't work just won't work well at all speeds. If it did we would all be running 1180 Hollys.

 

Run the W58 head. The stamped initials are not stock so perhaps it's from a re-builder or it was given a shave.