'78 510 donor car for '72 510... L20B swap + what other parts worth taking? AC? Ignition?

[Kenton]

Hi all, I have a few specific and then some very broad open ended questions, so I'm not sure if one thread is a good idea or if I should ask individually, but I'll just start here.

 

I'm helping out my brother with his project daily '72 510 2 door 4 speed/L16. We just picked up a complete but non-running '78 510 hatch auto (ran when parked 7ish years ago) We mainly got it for the L20 but I'm wondering if there are any other parts worth taking off it..?

 

His car was originally equipped with AC/heat but that's long gone, but since the '78 is complete I was wondering if it'd be possible to retrofit and re-install AC and/or heat into his '72? What parts would I need to take to make it work?

 

Also what about the electronic ignition system the '78 is equipped with? Is it a good idea to just keep that on the L20 and swap it with the engine? What needs to brought over from the donor?

 

Any other parts worth adding/swapping or parts we should hang on to that have some value?

 

Any help or pointing in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

[TENDRIL]

the steering box

[zerow]

On a '78 510, the distributor should be the "matchbox" type. You will know if it is by the black ignition module on the side of the distributor. It will be stamped E12-80. If this is the case, take it with all the associated wiring to the coil (the coil will also be of use). This gives you the highly coveted Electronic Ignition that many of us have had to scrounge for over the years for our Datsuns.

[datzenmike]

'78 would be a remote igniter, only '78s and earlier California vehicles had them. '79 was the first year the matchbox was used on all vehicles. Be sure to get the coil and the remote box is under the dash, possibly on the pass side upper kick panel.

 

The L20B is not going to work in the 510 unless you also find a 6 bolt flywheel to go with it. Car L20Bs will have a 200mm flywheel and the L16 clutch will fit it. Trucks had 225mm flywheels so if that's all you find you will need to buy a matching 225mm clutch for it.

 

The steering box is a good idea. It will fit a 510 and parts are NLA for them so it might be worth selling to someone who needs one later. Maybe the master cylinder and booster?

[zerow]

Thanks Mike. Since I am in California, I forget that the CA cars I come across have the E.I. stock. :)

[LenRobertson]

The L20b block is about 3/4" taller than the L16 block. Get the exhaust pipe from the donor car at least back to where it goes straight toward the rear, so you have an exhaust down pipe from the exhaust manifold with the extra length. Even if you plan a new exhaust system, you may want this to get it running on a temporary basis, to get it to the muffler shop anyway. Also the flange where the exhaust pipe bolts to the manifold may be different between the two cars. I can't remember.

 

If you do a Google Image search for something like Datsun 510 air conditioner, there will be a few pics of under-the-dash AC units for 510s. You will probably need to get something like this rather than what I assume is a built-into-the-dash system which the '78 has. Maybe you can remove the '78 in-dash and hack it into the older car, but probably not worth the trouble. The AC compressor, bracket, and condenser in front of the radiator should be adaptable to the '72.

 

Ignition switch, headlight switch, wiper switch, may be worth keeping as spares for the '72. I'm not sure they interchange, but don't take up much storage space.

 

Len

[Kenton]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah, the distributor isn't the matchbox type. And I'm aware that the L20 is taller so we'll figure out exhaust when we come to it. He's got dual side drafts so that should take care of the air cleaner clearance issue, and I know we have to switch the oil pan and pickup from the L16... Just need to source a flywheel now.

 

What are the differences between the older steering box and the newer one? Is it worth switching or just hanging on to/selling?

[banzai510(hainz)]

keep the box as a spare

[BrooklynAnnarkie]

What do the fenders look like on the donor car?

[ggzilla]

All 1978 USA got electronic ignition.

[datzenmike]

'78 would be a remote igniter, only '78s and earlier California vehicles had them.

 

Yes. I guess this could be taken as not the rest of N Am in '78