My 1971 521

[Crashtd420]

Lash pads should be just sitting in there... a magnet should work ....

 

How does the cam look?

Also check the wipe pattern on the lash pad and on the rocker tip ... that will tell you if it was setup correctly.....

[d.p]

Thanks buddy. Magnet worked. Cam looks good. No strange wear or anything that I can see. 

 

All lash pads look like this:

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by d.p

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Trusting just any machine shop to know how to do Datsun stuff is a gamble. Hopefully they aren't the typical redneck hacks that seem to populate machine shops.

 

You could ask them to set the valve heights and rocker geometry. If they understand what that means, then that right there is a good indication that they know Datsuns.

 

As far as the cam towers go, try not to remove them, but if they do need to come off, making sure the cam turns freely is imperative. Sometimes they install perfectly. Other times, you may need to knock them around with taps from a hammer to get them seated properly.

[d.p]

There are shims installed already and I haven't touched the cam towers.   The cam spun freely once I got some of the rocker arms out as well so it appears everything is sound there.  The guy who did the head on my L16 took it all apart and re-assembled without issue because at the time I wasn't comfortable doing it myself.  I trust him and could give him the cam, rockers and lash pads and have him put it all back together for me.

 

Is it a bitch to put the rockers back on after the head is done?  I had a bitch of a time compressing the springs to get them out.  

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

With the rocker adjusters backed all the way down, you can use a large screwdriver to lift the back of the rocker up and then push it onto the adjuster ball.

[d.p]

Got some New headlights overnight from Japan. 

 

 

[DanielC]

Some headlight lamps (bulbs) have a beam pattern that is higher on the right side of the road, to illuminate road signs.

 

I believe the Japanese drive on the left side of the road. 

 

If these Japanese headlights have a beam pattern to illuminate road signs on left side of Japanese roads, they will be shining into drivers eyes here in the states.

[mainer311]

I like that you can get them in yellow. Are they for H4 bulbs?

[datzenmike]

God almighty hang onto the lash pads!!! Don't let a shop near them. Try to keep the cam towers on if milling the head. If they just HAVE to come off, take them off yourself and mark them carefully so they go back together in the same position with same fasteners. DO NOT OVER TORQUE the cam tower bolts, they will strip. 

[d.p]

I don't drive the truck to care about the beam pattern and very rarely do I ever drive it at night.  Yeah H4 bulbs. 

 

The block, pistons, head and timing cover went to the machine shop and the head went to the shop looking like this minus the lash pads:

 

 

I am going to take the crank to have them mag and polish if need be as well. 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2019 by d.p

[datzenmike]

I run my lights at all times. All newer cars, just about ALL the cars on the road today have daytime running lights. To the point that other drivers expect or take for granted that cars have them. Not having lights on is almost like trying not to be seen, and this is bad. On a sunny day if you are driving along in the shade or on the sunny side of a car, that car could pull out in front of you because they didn't look hard enough to see you. People expect headlights on cars and today the drivers are worse than 20 years ago.

[d.p]

Marchals installed, look great IMHO:

 

 

 

[mrbigtanker]

On 8/31/2019 at 5:03 PM, d.p said:

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by mrbigtanker

[datzenmike]

I'd worry about the wiring. I had the new Halogen bulbs in my '71 back in '78 is to replace the tungsten ones. They would draw more than the fuses could handle. I went up 10 amps on the fuse but that's a lot of current for old 16/18 gauge wiring from '71.

 

See about replacing the lamp harness with a 12 or 14 gauge wire kit and use the hi/low signal from the old wires to switch relays with power directly from the battery. Even on old halogen bulbs brighten because the voltage drop is less with the larger gauge wire.

[d.p]

They make h4 relay harnesses don’t they?  See a bunch of them on eBay and Amazon.  Something like this work? 

 

https://www.dapperlighting.com/products/dapper-lighting-h4-relay-kit

 

I also planned on upgrading my alternator but haven’t gotten around to it. Someday. 

Edited September 1, 2019 by d.p

[d.p]

Or this?

 

https://www.painlessperformance.com/wc/lv.php?sl=30814

[datzenmike]

20 gauge wire??????? I would want at least 14 gauge which is about 1/5 the resistance of 20. Hell the factory wire is at least 20, maybe even 18.

 

38 minutes ago, d.p said:

Or this?

 

https://www.painlessperformance.com/wc/lv.php?sl=30814

 

Wire gauge isn't even mentioned.

[wayno]

The first Dapperlighting link used 14 gauge.

[datzenmike]

- 20AWG Wiring with 14AWG Power Leads

 

To me this says 14 gauge to connect the relays to the battery and ground? The 20 (to me) says all the wiring to the bulbs otherwise what's the 20 for? 

[d.p]

Does it matter when power is coming off the battery and with the relays?  I mean I would think these guys selling this shit would have some knowledge of what they are doing?  Especially painless charging $175 for their kit.

 

not too many 4 light h4 harnesses our there.  Lot of 2 headlight harnesses.  

[wayno]

I don't know a lot about wiring needs.

[datzenmike]

Thinner wire safely carries less current. If you up-grade your lights (other than perhaps HID or LED) they will draw more current. Thinner wire has more resistance to electrical flow than thicker so if you try to pull more current through a thin wire it will do two things. It will not allow as much current through and lights are dimmer than they should be, and the thinner wires can over heat and warm up. This is why your starter cable is so thick. Starters draw hundreds of amps. I long ago changed my headlamps to 12 gauge. Bigger is always better.

[mrbigtanker]

1 hour ago, datzenmike said:

Thinner wire safely carries less current. If you up-grade your lights (other than perhaps HID or LED) they will draw more current. Thinner wire has more resistance to electrical flow than thicker so if you try to pull more current through a thin wire it will do two things. It will not allow as much current through and lights are dimmer than they should be, and the thinner wires can over heat and warm up. This is why your starter cable is so thick. Starters draw hundreds of amps. I long ago changed my headlamps to 12 gauge. Bigger is always better.

Exactly why I went with LED. But my wire harness is upgraded. Also all my lights are on at once. 4 H4 bulbs draw over 8 amps alone so 2 would be a little over 4 amps. Drew you will be fine up grade in the future. If you run LED’s there nicer [what ever anyone else says] and less draw.

[d.p]

Word. 

[datzenmike]

9 hours ago, mrbigtanker said:

Exactly why I went with LED. But my wire harness is upgraded. Also all my lights are on at once. 4 H4 bulbs draw over 8 amps alone so 2 would be a little over 4 amps. Drew you will be fine up grade in the future. If you run LED’s there nicer [what ever anyone else says] and less draw.

 

word X2.

 

LEDs are probably the most efficient but horrendous prices for good ones. This may come down in the future. HIDs are far and away more efficient for light output at 55 watts than filament bulbs. Their low cost and high output is why I went with them instead of LEDs... at that time. I didn't up grade my lights to 'look cool' I did it to SEE at night. The stock tungsten sealed beams are like seeing by candle light in comparison to an arc welder. I re-wired my headlight harness for using H4 bulbs that draw more power than stock and only later switched to HID in projectors. I use projectors with beam cut off on the low beams because I do care that I not blind oncoming traffic even though they do not extend to me the same courtesy. My high beams are not gated with a beam cut off and the full light output is used for far seeing.