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barNLove!


HOGIE

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Awesome. I saw that post and was trying to figure out the logistics. :lol:

 

Glad you got it and brought it here :D

Agreed, awesome indeed!

 

Very happy to get this truck as share it with the Ratsun community. I have to sell my 620. So plans to have a lowered KA 620 and stock 521 have changed to lowered KA swapped 521 and a stock NL320. I can handle this scenario though

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Perfect time to send some money to MKlotz.

 

If he doesn't have much money, and isn't going to drive it much, drum brakes will stop it, they stop the 521s.

Right now I would put all the effort towards getting it running without over heating, but make sure it has gear lube in the transmission first, as long as what is in it is oil and not water and it is at the proper level it will do for getting the engine running, oh and make sure it is in neutral.

I was just asking about his plans for front brakes.

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Ah. I still have 4 wheel drums on my 521.

 

After getting everything properly adjusted, I must say, they actually work very well.

 

I never liked the drum brakes because I could never get them adjusted properly, when hard braking the truck always went counter clockwise(pulled left), I finally got sick of it and seen a 521 truck in the wrecking yard with front 620 disc brakes, well it was in there for a reason, it was a failed attempt and that is why it was there, well I took it to the next step and figured out why it didn't work and the rest is history, that was just about 12/13/14 years ago, its been so long I can't remember how long ago anymore.

This truck needs to be running first, after it is running I would just blow air thru all the brake lines, take apart all the brake cylinders and clean them, put brake fluid in it and bleed the brakes and see what happens.

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Mine dips right when the brakes are applied.

 

 

I'm used to it so I know to bob the wheel a touch left when braking.

I'd rather go to the shoulder than oncoming traffic.

 

I have up given up getting it perfectly even.

Slowly collection bits for the disc swap.

 

 

 

Any updates on the NL?

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So your keeping the stock front drum brakes on the NL320?

  

 

Stock brake for the foreseeable future but plans change

 

Ah. I still have 4 wheel drums on my 521.

After getting everything properly adjusted, I must say, they actually work very well.

I'm fine with stock brakes in my 521 too. Although it's powered by an L16 and when I upgrade to more power I'm going to go to disc front and maybe disc rear because lower

 

 

My plan for the NL is a stock summer cruiser so no need for disc brakes. This only weighs 945kg = 2083lbs

http://www.earlydatsun.com/datsun32065.html

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Any updates on the NL?

Haven't had any free time to dig in the the truck but I do today. I'm going to jack it up to ID which wheels are dragging then pull the wheels to try freeing up brake. Once the wheels are free in can move it around easy and dig in/ take more pics.

 

 

Time to get off Ratsun and go play with my Datsun

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Passenger front brake was dragging. Was able to back off adjuster and now the wheel turns freely Drive front was already free

 

Driver rear turns freely but passenger rear is almost completely locked. It took three people to push it into the garage and we wenched it into the trailer. The adjuster is near seized, was able to move it half a tooth. Removed cap and wheel. Tapped around the outside of the drum trying to break it free. Barely and movement. A lot of rusty dust feel out. Pulled the bleeder out and it's bone dry. Stopped there with the brakes

 

 

In the engine bay. I pushed on the fan blade to get an eye on the end of the crank pulley. It turned the belt which turned over the crank pulley. Score! First time since I've had it. Ckecked the engine oil. Pretty clean. The spark plugs are brand new, never fired. Coolant is clean bright green. There was a packrats cherry out hoard in the air filter box.

 

While under the truck I found a small patch of rust on the floor board. Under the passenger side of bench.

 

 

 

Plan is still free up the brakes. Service all brake components. Then flush fuel and brake lines. Take the fuel tank to work and dip it. Change fluids. Lube shift linkage. Clean interior and reupholster bench.

 

As soon as the fuel system has been cleaned up I'll try starting my barNLove

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I personally would leave the tank where it is unless I seen rust holes in it, remove the sender thru the access hole in the bed and look at the inside of the tank.

My NL320 I bought from Mike was just fine except for the float, I took the sender out and looked in the tank, it was fine, but the float was shot, so I put another sender in and called it good, the gauge works.

The thing about that truck is that it likely had never had ethanol fuel in it, so maybe it didn't rust inside at all. 

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I personally would leave the tank where it is unless I seen rust holes in it, remove the sender thru the access hole in the bed and look at the inside of the tank.

My NL320 I bought from Mike was just fine except for the float, I took the sender out and looked in the tank, it was fine, but the float was shot, so I put another sender in and called it good, the gauge works.

The thing about that truck is that it likely had never had ethanol fuel in it, so maybe it didn't rust inside at all.

I'm probably going to go ahead and hot tank, acid dip and flush my tank. I've done this on both my 620 and 521. Had no problems and love having the knowledge that zero crud is going to get pumped into my engine. Only question is if the sending unit is broken by me or junk when it gets pulled out where to get a new one.

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It took some hammering around the sides plus pulling at the edge for a while to get the drum out far enough to get a screw driver then a pry bar better the axle and drum. But I finally got the drum off the cruddy old shoes.

 

image_zpskxkudlsy.jpg

 

 

 

The wheel cylinder is dry inside and the rubber dust shields are brittle and hard. Probably seized pistons has something to do with seized brakes. Rusty behind the wheel cylinder on the backing plate.

 

image_zps64mhasfr.jpg

 

 

 

Dirt old adjuster has a seized star bolt. It was nearly all the way backed off so although it wouldn't turn when I tried to back it off to free up the brakes I don't think it was the problem.

 

image_zps5wroy6ic.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

I'm assuming the rest of the brake components look a lot like these parts so I'm going to order brake shoes, return springs kits, wheel cylinder rebuild kits (or wheels cylinders), maybe adjusters if I can't free up the one or I find damage and maybe wheel seal and bearing while I'm in there.

 

I'm going to take the backing plates and drums to work to hot tank and acid treat them to clean them up. Also take the drums to Les Scwabbs to have them checked to see if they are within spec.

 

 

 

 

I'm wondering about what parts are interchangeable between different models. While looking at Rockauto I've seen that the drums and shoes are listed at the same part number for 320, 520, 521 and 620. Are other parts like wheel cylinders, bearing, wheels seals, brake adjuster and return spring hardware kits also the same. I know the front wheel bearings are different so that doesn't work.

 

 

I might wait to do all of this brake work for a few weeks and just slap a wheel back on it to make it a roller and start in on trying to get the engine started while researching on getting all the brake parts I need so it not on jack stand for weeks unable to move.

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Don't fix what isn't broken, remove the sender while the tank is where it is and look inside, Mike never did anything to this tank as far as I can tell, it still had the rotten float inside it, if he had done anything with the tank I am sure he would have fixed the float, and this NL320 was pulled out of the bushes as I recall.

Once you dip that tank, if it has holes in it afterwards, good luck finding another one, they are not the same as the L320, they are different, and I don't have an extra for you, I cannot even find a good rear bumper for these NL320s, as everyone that finds one is trying to save it, they are not parting it out, you are lucky that both your taillight bezels are good, 320 parts are drying up, and what is out there people want a fortune for, someone recently wanted a $1000.00 for a set of NL320 taillight bezels on Facebook, don't know if they sold or not as I don't do Facebook.

DSCN1675.JPG

I would not mess with the tank until you know it has rust in it, it is a very big pain to get in and out, and you will not be able to get parts/hoses for it, you will have to make everything including the gasket between the sender and the tank.

 

As for the brake parts such as brake cylinders and such, not sure if they are available either, as for the star wheel, hit it with PB blaster and use punches/sockets to tap it apart, once apart clean them up and put them back together, I do it all the time, but it helps for me to have had two other 320 axles to remove parts from in case I ruined what I had.

You need to save what you have, 520 and maybe 521 parts may work, but availability is always an issue. 

You are not going to be able to afford all new stuff for one of these trucks, you will sink a large fortune in money and time making it dependable in your mind, just get it going and fix what needs fixed as it breaks, get the brakes done with new brake cylinders and get a new master, a 521 brake master will work if you use the 320 rod, then get the engine running using a gas can, once it is running blow air thru the line from the front to the tank and listen for air at the filler, then put a couple gallons in the tank, connect up the hoses and see if you can get it to run, use an aftermarket clear filter in the fuel line near the inner fender well and keep looking at how much crap is in it, if you see rust, then drop the tank, if you don't see anything but gas then call that part good for now, as far as I can tell that is what Mike did, and he daily drove it without a fuel gauge, he just kept track of his mileage.

If you were closer I am sure if it was going to run, we could get it running in a couple hours at the most, I have done it several times with engines that sat 10/20 years, I have this routine I go thru to start one, I have never failed yet except for one diesel engine that had been in a swamp for over 20 years, and it was drug into that swamp because it would not run, but I did get it to hit a couple times, but it never ran. :( 

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I'm not an expert on interchageable parts, but I do know that the 320 has SAE threads on most of the truck. This includes brake lines. If you buy newer parts, from a 620, the threads are undoubtedly going to be metric (10x1.0) so you'll have to make new brake lines.

 

This could actually be an opportunity to be sure the truck makes it into the next life. Upgrade with newer, more commonly available parts, and make the required mods to make them all fit.

 

One upgrade I would seriously consider is installing a dual circuit master cylinder from a 620. There are three reasons for this upgrade. First and most obvious reason is the safety factor. Second is the brake proportioning front to rear. If you install a prop valve at the same time, either auto adjust or manual adjust, the brakes will work a lot better. Third is the residual valve. I don't believe the 320 had a residual valve at all, which allows the wheel cylinders to suck air, introducing air and impurities into the system.

 

When I restored my 320 mechanicals the first time around, I used all NOS 320 parts. Within 8 years I had to replace a couple of the wheel cylinders. They got crudded up and seized. This was most likely caused by the lack of residual valves. The second time around I installed a dual circuit master and all those problems went away.

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I'm not an expert on interchageable parts, but I do know that the 320 has SAE threads on most of the truck. This includes brake lines. If you buy newer parts, from a 620, the threads are undoubtedly going to be metric (10x1.0) so you'll have to make new brake lines.

 

This could actually be an opportunity to be sure the truck makes it into the next life. Upgrade with newer, more commonly available parts, and make the required mods to make them all fit.

 

One upgrade I would seriously consider is installing a dual circuit master cylinder from a 620. There are three reasons for this upgrade. First and most obvious reason is the safety factor. Second is the brake proportioning front to rear. If you install a prop valve at the same time, either auto adjust or manual adjust, the brakes will work a lot better. Third is the residual valve. I don't believe the 320 had a residual valve at all, which allows the wheel cylinders to suck air, introducing air and impurities into the system.

 

When I restored my 320 mechanicals the first time around, I used all NOS 320 parts. Within 8 years I had to replace a couple of the wheel cylinders. They got crudded up and seized. This was most likely caused by the lack of residual valves. The second time around I installed a dual circuit master and all those problems went away.

On my 521, and every other 521, the brake components are metric, chassis hardware are SAE, and the cab is metric. Please, anyone correct me if I'm wrong. If I have to run new brake lines with new fittings I'd be fine with that. This project going to e a stock cruiser but some chassis upgraded will happen to make it safe and reliable. I do like the idea of moving to a dual brake master setup.

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Just take that adjuster and drop it in some PB blaster for a while. If that doesn't work, hit it with a torch. The aluminum should swell enough to loosen the star wheel.

  

Rock auto 1972 620 adjusters $8.99 each plus shipping might work.  These are on close out so hurry.

 

BECK/ARNLEY 0850024 Left rear

 

BECK/ARNLEY 0850032 Right rear

 

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,1972,620+pickup,1.6l+l4,1210082,brake/wheel+hub,miscellaneous+hardware,685

 

PB and adjusters are both are on my list

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I don't know if I just got lucky but I replaced most of my brake components with new parts and everything seems to be working correctly so far and it's been coming on to 2 years since I've done the work.

 

I created a thread HERE with all the parts I used, hopefully it comes in handy.

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