A 521 in Massachusetts

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Sucks that you need a spare. Radiator caps used to last, well shit, the one on my 1949 Farmall Cub tractor is original.

[Crashtd420]

2 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Sucks that you need a spare. Radiator caps used to last, well shit, the one on my 1949 Farmall Cub tractor is original.

Only reason I want spares is because it's not a normal cap for some reason.... 

This one lasted 5 years and I plan on driving the truck so I assume it will fail again at some point and then I'll be searching again ....

If not for ebay I wouldn't have been able to find a replacement....

Since the problem is currently solved I have more time to be able to find a suitable easy to obtain cap.... if possible....

[NC85ST]

The biggest problem I have when I buy a spare anything, is either remembering that I have it or worse, where I put it. The older I get, the worse it gets.

[Crashtd420]

1 hour ago, NC85ST said:

The biggest problem I have when I buy a spare anything, is either remembering that I have it or worse, where I put it. The older I get, the worse it gets.

It's funny you say that,  I just struck a deal with my son to help me clean up the shelving and storage of all my parts and supplies... 

I have found things years later after i have bough replacements....

My weed whacker charger was in the box with my paint spray guns...

Why? I have no idea , but I would have and didnt ever look there to see if it was.....

Now that the bed is back on the truck I have room in the garage to do some clean up and organizing....

[Crashtd420]

Now that I said that maybe even an inventory list wouldn't be a bad idea while I'm at it.  

[thisismatt]

45 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said:

Now that I said that maybe even an inventory list wouldn't be a bad idea while I'm at it.  

 

I did this. I'm bad at updating it, but it has most of my 521 parts on it. Here's a sample 😅

[KELMO]

I did roughly the same thing only using Xcel spreadsheets. Different tabs for each bin/tub of parts then label said bin/tub with the title of the corresponding tab.

 

I too, am bad at updating.

[Crashtd420]

Simple upgrade,  

Replaced my Gatorade coolant bottle for something a bit better...

Not thrilled with the way they want you to mount it but the can itself is good.... 

[Crashtd420]

The next little issue popped up today.... went to go to work and I had 150 psi on my oil gauge....

As it warmed up i could see it jump from below 65 to max at the 150.... 

It would show idle pressure correctly but as soon as the rpms went up the gauge would max...

Pretty sure it's just the sensor.

 

Also seems like it was leaking oil too because the screw terminals were a little wet and right below was a drip... 

 

New one on the way,  hopefully someday I can upgrade these cheap gauges and sensors to a set of speedhut.... 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

That sucks.

 

I am a mechanical gauge die hard, that is, whenever I get the choice. But that's not always the case. I use OEM senders on electrical gauges if available too.

 

Speedhut gauges have been know to have their problems, and the actual build quality is not like one would expect. They are made from plastic, as opposed to other gauges like Auto-Meter, Smiths, Stewart Warner, etc, which are all metal. But, they are definitely inexpensive for what you get. And for the record, I have not had any issues with the Speedhut gauges I have installed, but I have heard of problems.

[Crashtd420]

9 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

That sucks.

 

I am a mechanical gauge die hard, that is, whenever I get the choice. But that's not always the case. I use OEM senders on electrical gauges if available too.

 

Speedhut gauges have been know to have their problems, and the actual build quality is not like one would expect. They are made from plastic, as opposed to other gauges like Auto-Meter, Smiths, Stewart Warner, etc, which are all metal. But, they are definitely inexpensive for what you get. And for the record, I have not had any issues with the Speedhut gauges I have installed, but I have heard of problems.

Always good to know, I guess I liked them more for the customizing...

Never heard about issues but then again I never searched.... people on ratsun seemed to have good luck...

 

For now I have a mechanical one I'm gonna screw into the block... no feed line to bring it inside so I won't be able to see it but my idiot light still works on the dash so I'll be ok...

[d.p]

I have an autometer mechanical oil pressure gauge for over a year now without any issues.  Reads right around 55pis give or take under load and 25-30 at idle.  I think it cost me $75 give or take.  

 

[mrbigtanker]

7 hours ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

That sucks.

 

I am a mechanical gauge die hard, that is, whenever I get the choice. But that's not always the case. I use OEM senders on electrical gauges if available too.

 

Speedhut gauges have been know to have their problems, and the actual build quality is not like one would expect. They are made from plastic, as opposed to other gauges like Auto-Meter, Smiths, Stewart Warner, etc, which are all metal. But, they are definitely inexpensive for what you get. And for the record, I have not had any issues with the Speedhut gauges I have installed, but I have heard of problems.

The one on my wagon is Speed Hut and its all metal and requires a ground. Reads like a champ.

[Crashtd420]

Trust me my gauges are the cheapest possible right now....

The only one I spent money on was the air/fuel gauge... shit the face of my voltage gauge says water temperature on it.... 

With the exterior done for the moment I'm saving up for some interior love... 

Seat cover, door cards and new gauges. The three that need upgrading are tach, oil pressure, voltage ... I wouldnt mind knowing the actual water temperature and possibly oil temperature... the same company that makes my air/fuel gauge also has some combo gauges...

 

For now a mechanical gauge right off the block will do... the nice thing is this gauge verified I had good idle pressure...

 

[datzenmike]

10 hours ago, Crashtd420 said:

The next little issue popped up today.... went to go to work and I had 150 psi on my oil gauge....

As it warmed up i could see it jump from below 65 to max at the 150.... 

It would show idle pressure correctly but as soon as the rpms went up the gauge would max...

Pretty sure it's just the sensor.

 

Also seems like it was leaking oil too because the screw terminals were a little wet and right below was a drip... 

 

New one on the way,  hopefully someday I can upgrade these cheap gauges and sensors to a set of speedhut.... 

 

Without the regulator in the oil pump you basically have a pressure washer. I had a piece of aluminum casting flash jam the relief piston in the bore and around town was ok but on the highway it split my new oil filter. Happened twice because I thought it was the filter. After the second time and VERY lucky to not run the oil dry I dug into it more and found the problem. The relief valve is accessible from the outside of the pump so maybe undo the hex plug and spring and make sure the piston is moving freely. It's outer hex plug, spring and piston. You should be able to fish the spring out and bump the starter. Oil pressure should push the piston out if not stuck.

 

If the oil filter splits it won't take long to pump the pan dry.

 

Then again it could be the gauge.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Ironically...I'm dealing with a defective oil pressure sending unit as we speak. Installed it today. Worked once. Failed on the second run. Standard Motor Products. Made in who knows where.

 

Nothing is good quality anymore.

[Crashtd420]

9 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 

Without the regulator in the oil pump you basically have a pressure washer. I had a piece of aluminum casting flash jam the relief piston in the bore and around town was ok but on the highway it split my new oil filter. Happened twice because I thought it was the filter. After the second time and VERY lucky to not run the oil dry I dug into it more and found the problem. The relief valve is accessible from the outside of the pump so maybe undo the hex plug and spring and make sure the piston is moving freely. It's outer hex plug, spring and piston. You should be able to fish the spring out and bump the starter. Oil pressure should push the piston out if not stuck.

 

If the oil filter splits it won't take long to pump the pan dry.

 

Then again it could be the gauge.

Definitely the sender for the gauge..

The mechical gauge said about 60 with cold startup and and was around 20 at hot idle, with a spray bar attached and 60 hot with the rpms up....

[Crashtd420]

I have a cooling question...

 

When I drive on a hot day my temp needle is right at the mid point.. today was exceptionally hot and humid and I used my ac.. on the highway it's about the same but around town it wants to creep up a bit... my best guess is a needles width gap or so above the halfway mark and seems to stay ..

 

I am currently running a 180 degree thermostat, my question is would I benefit from running a 170 or 160?

[thisismatt]

Not sure how the stock guage translates to actual temperature, but no, a lower temp thermostat won't help anything, and will only cause your engine to spend more time below proper operating temp during warm-up.

[Crashtd420]

18 minutes ago, thisismatt said:

Not sure how the stock guage translates to actual temperature, but no, a lower temp thermostat won't help anything, and will only cause your engine to spend more time below proper operating temp during warm-up.

Thanks....

I do believe I'm still in the green zone for running, I know the heat from the ac condenser has to go some where and around town I'm mostly relying on the fans...

Maybe I'll just check the temperature of the upper hose with my infrared temp gun and see what that says.... probably over thinking things again....

[datzenmike]

A needle width is nothing to worry about. All Datsuns I have had ran at just above half in the marked run range. If you think about it if it wasn't safe it wouldn't be marked as a 'run range'. The gauge doesn't read degrees but is just a scale that at a glance will tell you if it's not in it's normal position. My L20B fans turn on at about 3/4 for 10 seconds when idling, never when driving, then off for 30 and repeat. The sensor is from a later '90s Sentra 200sx  SR20DE so what ever that is set for turning the fans on. It's mounted in the lower rad hose. When driving (climbing a mountain in 3rd/4th at 4,000+ right to the floor) it has gone up to 3/4 but not above. The fans are wired so they can come on after the engine is stopped to reduce heat soak.

[bananahamuck]

Harbor freight infrared thermo tester ,, fairly cheap and pretty accurate.  Then you can assess from different points in engine compartment to ease the stress . 
 

If you’re not a HF “fan” for whatever reason .. other places ( Amazon) sell them also. 

 

 

 

oops ,, read end of your response….  
 

nevermind .. haha 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by bananahamuck

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Are your fans wired to run when the A/C is on?

[Crashtd420]

2 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Are your fans wired to run when the A/C is on?

Yes and no.... they come on with a thermal sensor when the engine heats up...

I can activate them separately with a dash switch.... which is what I do if I want the ac on and they are not already on... I have a dash light that lets me know if they are..

The odd thing about the ac fan wiring is it has three separate wires for the 3 different speeds between the switch and fan. So getting 1 signal wire as a trigger wasn't going to work...

It's something I'm planning to revisit... I'd also like to add a dedicated fan to the ac condenser and have that and the idle up happen more automatically vs the switches....

But in the end the highest I'm going on the dash gauge is maybe 2/3... 

Its gonna be another hot one so I'll be able to get some good reading tomorrow.... as I said, probably over thinking it...

[thisismatt]

Some (all?) newer cars have at least one fan come on when the AC is running.  With the 3 speed wires, can you apply power to any combination of them and have the fastest of the connected speeds run?  That is, if you wired the low speed to automatically come on with the AC, could you hook up the high speed wire to a separate temp switch that would kick it into high gear if the engine temp got to said temp?