A Crow to Eat, and a 710 Wagon (Single Cam KA swap) (Need Motor Mount Help plz respond)

[datsunfreak]

It's not the coil. It's the 10 amp fuse on the left side of the fuse box closest to the door.

 

Never replace a coil without checking that it has power.

 

Check to see if both coils have power, they do.

 

;)

[datzenmike]

Didn't get the memo.....

[cleverusername]

It's not the coil. It's the 10 amp fuse on the left side of the fuse box closest to the door.

 

Never replace a coil without checking that it has power.

 

 

The #4 plug that is abnormally clean.... this is an almost classic example of a blown head gasket. I'm curious if you are needing to add coolant to the rad on a regular basis?

The coil has power. Both #4 plugs were clean because I had the plug wires wrong. I switched it around and one of the #4 plugs is firing while the other isn't, because the coil is bad. I know you think I do everything wrong but give me a little credit Mike.

[datzenmike]

I never thought that. There are 8 wires on a tiny distributor cap, very easy to get mixed up.

 

Z engines run about 3 degrees but with single plug it needs more advance, like 10 or more. Effectively it's running retarded now. With both plugs it will be just right.

 

Intake coil is powered directly from the ignition switch. Exhaust side (for some reason known only to Nissan) is powered through the fuse box.

[cleverusername]

Some good news, some bad news.

Good news is, I drove it about 30 miles last night like it was nothing car is hella sweet. Needs the tires balanced, and a few other things to really cruise well, but overall, not bad at all.

Bad news, I replaced the coil, it's still getting power, and it still isn't firing. I'm guessing that it's an issues with being actuated from the distributor? Any help is appreciated.

[datsunfreak]

 I replaced the coil, it's still getting power, and it still isn't firing. I'm guessing that it's an issues with being actuated from the distributor? Any help is appreciated.

 

Seems like it would have to be. Have you looked at the rotor and cap? 

[S30Jay]

Is the power to the coil constant or pulsed while the engine is running? Disclaimer - I've never worked on this type of ignition, but any ignition I've seen if the circuit to the coil doesn't get interrupted the coil won't discharge.

 

It's likely run by some type of ignition module, i have a feeling that may need to be looked at.

 

Hope that helps....

[datzenmike]

Try This...

 

 

Look at the harness of wires coming out of the distributor. There should be 3 wires but check and see if there is a 4th white wire with it's own plug connector. Like this...

 

 

If you have that 4th white wire disconnect it and see if your spark comes back.

 

 

Your module is under the screw on rotor. This is an early dizzy with 3 wires. I'm hoping yours has four.

 

[cleverusername]

Mine is a three wire. Kind of lost on what to do. Also my tail lights stopped working, and it wasn't a fuse, so I'm working on figuring that out so I can go on some night time tofu delivery runs. Got some shit done this weekend, I'll do a full update with oics tomorrow.

[S30Jay]

If you have a test light you can check if your coil is getting the correct signal from the module. Clip the light to a ground point (bare metal) and touch the +post on your battery, if it lights the ground is good (if not try another location) then touch it to the - coil terminal and have someone crank the engine. The light should blink. If it stays lit constant or doesn't light at all your module is likely bad. Verify the ignition module is getting 12v input at its connector, and a good ground there too. If so you need a module.

 

For tailights going out all together like that, you may have lost a ground on that circuit or possibly a bad headlight switch. Basically need to troubleshoot the circuit and find out the facts.

 

I'd check the ground first at the tailights to confirm they are grounded, then check at the switch. If grounds are cool, check for power coming into the switch, then on the output with the switch closed (on). Basically if it goes in but doesn't come out the switch is beat.

 

Again I hope this helps!

[cleverusername]

Alright full update as promised. This weekend was pretty hectic so I didn't do a ton. But I did build this little bracket for my throttle return spring

I also had the back seat out trying to look for continuity in the wires going back to my seats (there is none)

In addition to about 30 pounds of snakeskin and mouse shit, I found this

So my doors lock and unlock now.

I also found this:

It's too big to be human. Still fucking disgusting.

Honestly the more I drive the more shit starts breaking. Most of it is electrical, but other random shit keeps breaking too, like my rear view mirror breaking off it's bracket today. I'm honestly thinking about a KA so I can fully rewire this car and make sure half of my wires aren't all the same green (thanks PO)

 

TLDR: I'm frustrated, I found a tooth under my backseat.

[Lockleaf]

You have to drive it to find the weak links. It's called shakedown. It's always there. Just power through.

 

I had the same wiring problem in my 71 510 wagon. Everything was red or yellow. I ended up pulling a complete harness from an '82 720 and retrofitting that. My thread is called half pint if you want to see.

 

Both the 510 and the 720 have a body harness connector under the carpet near the passenger seat by the trans tunnel. Assuming you have the same connector, might be worth checking for damage and/or corrosion.

[S30Jay]

Was the PO a Sasquatch?

[cleverusername]

You have to drive it to find the weak links. It's called shakedown. It's always there. Just power through.

 

I had the same wiring problem in my 71 510 wagon. Everything was red or yellow. I ended up pulling a complete harness from an '82 720 and retrofitting that. My thread is called half pint if you want to see.

 

Both the 510 and the 720 have a body harness connector under the carpet near the passenger seat by the trans tunnel. Assuming you have the same connector, might be worth checking for damage and/or corrosion.

I've been following your thread actually. Like I said I'm seriously considering a full new harness, maybe for a KA maybe not. I'm also thinking about waiting for my insurance money, buying a Honduh or something as a dd, and making this into a skids car since if i do that I won't have 240 money... I guess the most frustrating thing for me is I'm really good at fixing mechanical or cosmetic stuff, but I'm like a caveman when it comes to electric shit.

[cleverusername]

Was the PO a Sasquatch?

Maybe a small one. He had the hair for it...

[banzai510(hainz)]

I the  harness is not cut up it should be a EZ to figure out.

[cleverusername]

I the  harness is not cut up it should be a EZ to figure out.

It's cut up, fucked up, corroded, and half the wires are all the same color.

[Lockleaf]

Looking at a complete diagram can be super intimidating. But remember, you only need to understand the function and location of one wire at a time.

 

I have often found that by picking a system and drawing that system on its own piece of paper, I can get a much clearer understanding of what is going on.

 

I would still start over with another harness that is in decent shape, but you can get it figured out, maybe with some help from Rats.

 

How do you eat an elephant? By taking one bite at a time.

[S30Jay]

That's solid advice Lockleaf!

[datsunfreak]

I'm seriously considering a full new harness... but I'm like a caveman when it comes to electric shit.

 

For real, rewiring one from scratch yourself is the quickest way to learn. And if you did it, you know where everything goes. The better aftermarket harnesses (Painless) come with very comprehensive instructions as well. 

 

After doing one complete rewire on a Datsun, that's all I'm ever going to do. I'm done chasing problems in 40 year old wiring.   :thumbup:

 

In fact, the first thing I did on my Roadster was to rip out every single factory wire.   :rofl:

[banzai510(hainz)]

only need to know the section that is bad , STUDY THAT PART OF THE DIAGRAM.

 

 

knew ONE GUY WAS GOING TO REWIRE HIS CAR. Find out he had the harness connector plugged in wrong under the glove compartment

[cleverusername]

 

How do you eat an elephant? By taking one bite at a time.

For a second I thought this was a joke about the tooth in the backseat lol. Solid advice from all of you. Definitely looking at either a 720 harness or a kit from painless right now. I also need money before I can do anything. First paycheck from my summer job can't come fast enough.

[cleverusername]

Weekend update:

I accomplished a whole lot by not doing much.

First of all my rear view mirror broke off it's brackets. Ordered a Wink mirror and got it installed hella sweet today.

I ordered a new distributor that hopefully has a good ignition module so both my coils will fire, but I haven't had the chance to install it because I still need to drive to work and stuff. 

But the single biggest thing I did was take out all my fuses, sand them, sand the connectors for them, and put them back in. A few of the clips (for lack of a better term) broke, so there is some foil holding everything together, but here's a list of things that work now that didn't before: tail lights, headlights don't randomly die, gauge lights, temp gauge. The fuel gauge started acting like it was going to work, but it's still reading empty. I'm probably going to try and build a new fuse box since a ton of my connectors broke, but that's a project for another weekend. I'll throw up some oics tomorrow of working gauges and my jdmhellasweetrice mirror.

[Abe Froman]

You could just replace it,

 

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fuse-Box-New-for-Violet-Stanza-710-711-140J-160J-1974-1977-/222138388220?fits=Make%3ADatsun|Model%3A710&hash=item33b87acefc:g:EE0AAOSwT6pVlfbs&vxp=mtr

[cleverusername]

Tomorrow, a few weeks, same thing right? I've done a decent bit of stuff, but none of it was really picture worthy. I replaced the distributor, and all 8 plugs are firing now. I found TDC, built a timing mark, set my timing, the car is running fucking sweet. I took the wheels to our friends house to balance them, and holy shit they are bad wheels. One of them took almost 8oz of weight to balance it. New wheels were ordered, as well as new tires. Checked all the alignment stuff, and the car has about 1 degree of positive camber in the front, so I'm about to lower it to see if that helps solve my problem, since struts gain negative camber when lowered. I also ordered a new fuse box that isn't in yet. 

 

Oh and here's that picture of the Wink