Driving my 71 510 in low temps/ more questions

[Datsunrider71]

Last night my 510 just died on me on the high way after a hour of driving. It still gets gas to the weber and all that. I have a aluminum Radiator on the car so the temp of the car was in the cold zone but I guess when I got up to were I am the temp droped more because of the Higher elevation so I'm wandering if the gas froze on me can some one tell me if this ever happened to them.

 

 

Thx

[banzai510(hainz)]

a non heated intake mayb freeze the carb esp if just above freezing and rainy. Happen it me once. let it sit and engine will warm the carb and will run till it freezes again.

 

. you sure this is temp related ? If freezing it felles like it running out of gas.

 

maybe other issue?

[Datsunrider71]

Yeah it is a other issue my fuel pump for the second time fell apart on me smh

[banzai510(hainz)]

make sure the fuel pump has that spacer inbetween head and pump otherwise the arm will bend and fuck it up.

 

make ssure the hose intake is nit ripped otherwise will suck air

 

I a=have had good luck with stock Koyosan units and the cheap aftermarkets ones made in mexico(not as cool)but they worked for me till I got a koyosan unit

[Datsunrider71]

I put the spacer on always and it just falls apart on me after a week or so I don't know if It's something I'm doing wrong or what.

 

 

It's a new hose.

 

I have a autozone one

[datzenmike]

 so the temp of the car was in the cold zone

.

If you mean your temperature gauge was reading low or below NORMAL run range then you need to replace your thermostat or at least check to see if it even has one. The L series should be running around 185F or so for best performance and cold weather driveability. The thermostat should block the flow of cold water through the engine when it is cold also. When the motor warms up it slowly allows more and more coolant to flow to the rad and maintains the engine at a controlled  185F or so. Some thermostats can fail in the open position

and the motor can never warm up. It will perform poorly and give poor mileage.

 

 

 

You may also have had some carb icing. Gas absorbs heat from the air when it evaporates in the base of the carb or the intake. If the air is already very cool and damp, like freezing rain or fog, this can cause frost to collect inside the carb. It will coat and cover the venturi and prevent it from sucking in gas. The gas pedal has to be pushed down more and more until the car just won't go any more. Usually sitting for a few minutes will thaw it out and you can drive for another 1/4 mile until it does it again. Gas treatment does not cure this.

 

What you need is the carb warm air re connected. I see you have a weber, and it won't have this. The stock air cleaner housing will have a hose from the snorkel down to the hot exhaust manifold. Air warmed by the exhaust manifold is drawn into the carb. This air is too warm to freeze.

[Datsunrider71]

Thanks! For the info DM i will change the thermostat and see what happens

[Datsunrider71]

Didn't want to make another post

 

All righty then, Okay I went through two fuel pumps from autozone already they keep falling apart a week later has this happened to any one on here. Can I be putting the pump wrong?

[ggzilla]

Weve seen them break.

 

What specifically falls off? The bolts?

[Datsunrider71]

Nah the arm comes apart from the pump because the spring falls off and this time the car left me on the masspike I had to pay 230 to get it towed to my friends house that wasn't a good night

[banzai510(hainz)]

carry a spare. hopefully you got a warentee n this pump

Buy a koyosan unit then.

[datzenmike]

Is there a spacer between the fuel pump and the head. There should be the pump, and gasket, the spacer, a gasket and the head. Without the 1/4" spacer the pump arm sits against the eccentric wrong inside the head.

[banzai510(hainz)]

mike post 4

I asked the same thing about the spacer.

 

Can those pumps be that bad??????????

[Datsunrider71]

Yeah i put in the spacer. I guess so but I'm hoping this time it will do fine.

 

 

Just put on the pump and thermostat but now the car is running hot now can it be a block some where

[ggzilla]

After changing the thermostat it will run hot if you didn't get the air out common problem. Let it cool and top off the radiator.

[Datsunrider71]

Ok cool thanks

[datzenmike]

Depends how hot is defined. Most Datsun temp gauges have a NORMAL run range. All Datsuns I have had tend to run about a third of the way up into the run range and definitely below half way point.

 

Keep in mind that just because something has been changed for a new one does not automatically eliminate it as the cause of a new problem. Indeed a new problem could be the last thing changed.

[Datsunrider71]

Okay I was driving for a hour and the temp was fluctuating it was in the cold zone for lets say 15 minutes then went pass the normal temp then back down Again can that be air in the Coolant system? Doing that

[Datsunrider71]

Depends how hot is defined. Most Datsun temp gauges have a NORMAL run range. All Datsuns I have had tend to run about a third of the way up into the run range and definitely below half way point

 

Keep in mind that just because something has been changed for a new one does not automatically eliminate it as the cause of a new problem. Indeed a new problem could be the last thing changed.

Where I made the red line Dmike

[ggzilla]

That is within the normal range - according to you 510 owners manual.

[Datsunrider71]

With a new water pump and radiator?

[datzenmike]

.

Where I made the red line Dmike

Looks like about 1/3 of the way into the normal run range... perfect.

 

The sudden dropping is the opening of the thermostat. Cold water enters the bottom of the motor and up past the thermostat causing the temp sender to signal a drop to the gauge. The thermostat closes and the motor begins to heat the water again. This may happen several times before it equalizes and runs steady.

 

 

Very hard to trap air in an L series motor. I know that people have said they had to jack the front of their cars up to get the air out it's not needed. Because the thermostat is mounted vertically, as soon as it opens any air bubbles immediately rise up through the opening and settle in the highest place... the top of the rad tank. Later, the dropped level can be replaced with more coolant.

[ggzilla]

With a.brand new 510 back in 1972!

[H5WAGON]

If this is one of those cheap ass pumps....get it off your car. :ninja: (Sorry I hate them with a passion...just the look alone)

Get a real Nissan pump.

Pics...would help this thread.

[Datsunrider71]

.

 

Where I made the red line Dmike

Looks like about 1/3 of the way into the normal run range... perfect.

 

The sudden dropping is the opening of the thermostat. Cold water enters the bottom of the motor and up past the thermostat causing the temp sender to signal a drop to the gauge. The thermostat closes and the motor begins to heat the water again. This may happen several times before it equalizes and runs steady.

 

 

Very hard to trap air in an L series motor. I know that people have said they had to jack the front of their cars up to get the air out it's not needed. Because the thermostat is mounted vertically, as soon as it opens any air bubbles immediately rise up through the opening and settle in the highest place... the top of the rad tank. Later, the dropped level can be replaced with more coolant.

Cool I was worried the hole why home I thought it was something bad I never been in a car that did that. Rad tank??