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Max's 1986 Nissan 720 King Cab 4x4: "Big Bird"


MaxChlan

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Question about fixing a small gauge issue:

 

My temperature gauge is functioning, however the gauge only moves just a smidgen past the cold line, and has never gone further than that during normal operation. Here are two images: The first one is what the gauge reads after a 25 minute drive on the freeway from Savage to Minneapolis (blowing hot heat the whole time). The second one is where it rests when the key is turned to the "off" position. Has anyone had a similar problem? If so, what did you do to fix the problem? 

IbNueda.jpg

Fr0BWxj.jpg

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My 86 had this problem turned out to be the guage, I have been into Datsun/Nissan trucks since the mid seenties so I know to keep spare parts around.  Junk yards are your friend unless you have room to store complete trucks for parts.  LOL

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The gauge should read almost halfway up in the 'run range'.

 

Sensor is just below the thermostat, Yellow/Black stripe wire. Just hold against the intake. Gauge should read full HOT.

 

1/ If it does read HOT either the connection is bad, the sender is bad or the engine is cold and the thermostat is stuck open.

2/ If it reads about the same then there is a problem between there and includes the gauge.

 

A low reading gauge could be anything but I would immediately change the thermostat. They don't last forever and this may have failed or stuck open and the engine never warms up. Spend $10 on one, not a WallMart $3.99.

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Fellas, I'm on the hunt for the clock that goes into the dash. I've been scouring Ebay and craigslist, and I can not seem to come across one at a non-outrageous price (There is a cluster on Ebay that has the clock, but the guy wants like $170 for it; fuck that). I have already posted in the Classifieds, but if anyone has a clock or knows of someone that does, please send me their way! Not having a clock in my vehicle has been surprisingly irritating.

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The clock find is a right of passage. A test.

They are out there, and I have found them, but getting a good deal is the trick. I scored an entire dash cluster with clock and tach for $40. If you keep looking, one will turn up at a local wrecking yard. It is a great day when you score your clock! And the instrument cluster rehab project was actually a lot of fun. The clocks are quartz type, which last forever. I have yet to find a broken clock.

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The clock find is a right of passage. A test.

They are out there, and I have found them, but getting a good deal is the trick. I scored an entire dash cluster with clock and tach for $40. If you keep looking, one will turn up at a local wrecking yard. It is a great day when you score your clock! And the instrument cluster rehab project was actually a lot of fun. The clocks are quartz type, which last forever. I have yet to find a broken clock.

DrvnDrvr has one that he is going to test to insure it works; 60 bucks+ shipping seems fair to me. I am very excited

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Fellas, a few quick question about tires:

 

The truck currently has Goodyear Wrangler RT/S 255 70r16's up front that have about 9/32 tread left, and pretty bald Dunlop AT21 265 70r16's in the back.  

 

What is the appropriate tires size for my truck? Seeing that I have two different widths/heights, I would like it to be uniform. 

 

Winter is coming, and I want to put some winter tires: I'm thinking about Blizzaks's or General Grabber Arctics, but what is your guys' experiences/preferences?

 

Because my front tires seem to be impossible to find, and the back ones are basically bald and causing some slight rattling at high speeds, I'm thinking about new spring/summer/fall tires, and I would like some pointers on what I should look for, or what you guys have on your 720's; I'm currently looking at Yoko Geolandar G015's, but I honestly do not have a brand preference. 

 

Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated!

Driver door jams there is a sticker that has lots of information Including biuld date and tire size. On the passenger inner fender is an aluminum plate that has engine, trans, and rear axle information.

 

It is best on a four wheel drive to have a matched set of 5 tires including the spare.  different height tires can cause problems when in four wheel drive.

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The gauge should read almost halfway up in the 'run range'.

 

Sensor is just below the thermostat, Yellow/Black stripe wire. Just hold against the intake. Gauge should read full HOT.

 

1/ If it does read HOT either the connection is bad, the sender is bad or the engine is cold and the thermostat is stuck open.

2/ If it reads about the same then there is a problem between there and includes the gauge.

 

A low reading gauge could be anything but I would immediately change the thermostat. They don't last forever and this may have failed or stuck open and the engine never warms up. Spend $10 on one, not a WallMart $3.99.

Well, I do not think it is the thermostat because I get heat relatively quickly in the cabin.

 

How exactly do you get to read full hot? My sensor plug has a little black dongle on it, and if I just hold it to the manifold, it won't ground because there isn't any contact on the outside of the dongle. 

 

Either way, my contacts were pretty green; I think it is cause to change the sensor, but I can't know that for sure until I insure it is not the gauge. 

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Thank you. I've never been happier to see a gauge read hot before. Well, now that I know that the gauge is working, it's just a $10 temperature sensor! I tried cleaning the contacts off with a brush and some elbow grease, but it still will not read past the point in the picture above. 

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So, according to 720InOlyWa I have completed my right of passage and transcended into an *actual* 720 owner

4yXtk2T.jpg

An image with it out of the glass:

xhYF6Nb.jpg

With the cluster out; can anyone tell me what that connector is in the back left? Looks like a six pin connector; the clock connector in my vehicle was taped up against the lower portion of the dash, to the left of where the cruise control and defrost would be; it eluded me for a good 20 minute:

MvvUaSR.jpg

I forget where I read this (maybe it was Nico), but someone had an issue with oil wicking up the speedo cable. Mine was absolutely covered: 

ak4za1u.jpg

Super big shout-out to DrvnDrvr for the clock; now all I need is an extra light to light it up, Does anyone know where to scoop one up?

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My tach has started to act funny. When the vehicle is running it used to sit at around 600, and about 800 when warm, and now it is sitting at 900 or 1000 without any change in engine noise. It also seems to be displaying a laggy reading, and does not move consistently. Moreover, when I turn the vehicle off it doesn't go back to zero, it stays around 900. If I slap the dash it will fall to zero quickly as it should. Any ideas? 

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I can‘t help it- I am a 720 clock freak! (Nice job scoring yours, BTW.) I like to sit in my truck and just listen to the clock tick. But that‘s me. I have a backup clock, and one in both 720s now, so Im not hoarding or even looking for another. Everybody ought to have a quartz clock in their 720 truck!  All of my gauges have dim indicator needles at night. They just don‘t glow anymore. I need to get some good gauge needle paint and go over them again.

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Low gauge reading. You are used to things the way they are and are used to the heat you get from the heater. It's very easy to get used you what you have and think nothing is wrong. Thermostats are only $10 for a really good one and cheaper than a sender that might turn out to be OK. My 710 had heat, but the gauge didn't reach the warm range. It was close but not there. I pulled the thermostat and it was not closing. I threw an old one I had in and the difference was amazing. I thought the plastic would melt on the dash! I was so damn mad that I put up with it for so long. The engine ran better also at the right temperature.

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So, some great things happened this weekend! 

 

Firstly, I purchased the wrong sized snow tires for my rims (I guess they are Toyota Tundra 16" rims), so I took advantage of Black Friday and picked up some 15" rims off of a Nissan Xterra for less than $100; got them mounted at Apple Valley Ford today and caught a glimpse of a Cobra Kit Car up on the lift.

 

Secondly, I had my clutch blow out on I-35 going south back to the shack in Minneapolis in the rain on Tuesday night. I was able to get off with the clutch slipping and pull into a small parking lot where two Toyota J40 Land Cruisers were chillin' (very cool/rare vehicle up here). Gotta tow from my uncle to the farm where it sat until today,

 

Lastly, put about five hours of *actual* work into putting a replacement clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing from Exedy in, as well as a new rear main seal since we were in there today. Because we had a lift, my aforementioned cousin and I simply pulled the transmission out the bottom by removing the forward cross-member and mounts. It was kind of was a pain taking the seats, center console and sound dampening out to get at the bracket which holds the shift lever in, but I got it out with some effort and some discoveries of old California scratch offs from the late 80's tucked under the seats and carpet. I'm thinking the original owner had the console out for some time as he used the bracket to store coins and pens. None the less, bled the new clutch, changed the transmission fluid, and drove it home to Minneapolis. It shifts much better and more consistently, which is a plus.  I threw in the bulb which DrvnDrvr so graciously sent to me for free (shout out to him again for the clock!!) as well this evening. 

 

Overall, a very successful holiday weekend! Now, back to my school work.  :crying: 

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Thanks DrvnDvr, I'm starting to come up with a general list of how I want this truck to turn out. 

Next on my list is figuring out where to find out one of the accessory belt tensioners can be found.

The tensioner squeels occasionally, and generally make it sound like it is not running as good as it could be.

JBYGOaw.jpg

(from Lockleaf's Shinanigan's forum)

Anyone know?

 

Also on my list is polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension; my 720 is a little bit creaky! 

I'd also like to get an aftermarket steering wheel. The current one really doesn't fit my driving style well, and I need something a little thicker. DrvnDvr and I have talked about issues with finding the right adapter for Grant GT wheels, so if anyone has done it, link me or give me part number please! In addition to new seats; haven't had any luck with finding Isuzu Rodeos with good seats for a bolt on swap. 

After that, probably going to go with paint for the bed instead of Line-X or Rhino Line, then put my roll bar on and wire those KC's. 

Also, ignition kill switch; this truck is just an easy target at the U of M for amateurs. At least it's a manual transmission ( I have not met a single person at school who knows how to drive one).

 

 After all that is done, I think eventually once the Z24 dies I'll go KA swap. 

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Tensioner pulley, about $25

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Accessory-Drive-Belt-Tensioner-Pulley-CADNA-35037-/252650980941?fits=Make%3ANissan%7CModel%3A720&hash=item3ad32c064d:g:BmEAAOSwj85YNvuC&vxp=mtr

 

Steering wheel

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nissan-720-1980-86-Steering-wheel-OEM-/152337066684?hash=item2377ff2abc:g:UugAAOSw-CpX~uIl&vxp=mtr

 

@ $160 a bit pricey for me.

s-l1600.jpg

 

From the emirates 720 broshure and most likely unobtainable. Looks cool tho.

datsun-pickup-interior_zpsrabsiqzd.jpg

 

I've heard certain replacement bushings can be quite hard to get a stiffer suspension. The down side is they wear out faster.

 

The seats in my 720 came out of a Stanza but the rear mount points needed a 1 1/2" block under the seat frame and are about 2" farther back.

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