DanielC Posted June 29, 2018 Report Share Posted June 29, 2018 In January this year, I got a L-20-b engine out of a 1980 720 truck in a junkyard, but it was missing the shift lever.Then I was at an auto parts store, in March, getting some parts for the L-20-B engine, and one of the part time workers at the auto parts store asked me if I was interested in an old Datsun engine and transmission he had. I asked if the engine was a L-20-B, he said he did not know. Later, he identified the engine as a L-20-B. But he also thought the transmission was only a four speed. I went and bought the engine, and transmission, the transmission was also missing a shift lever. I posted pictures of the transmission in another post, and it was identified as a long shaft dogleg five speed, and I needed shift levers for both transmissions. Wayno mentioned he had some shift levers. I visited Wayno at his home, and not only got a shift lever for each transmission, a dogleg shift knob, and he got some bushings, and washers, and bushed and shimmed the lever on the Dogleg. Then I went to Ace hardware, and got the brass bushings and brass washers mentioned in the post above, and put a second shift lever, with the modified bushing and washers in the 720 five speed I got earlier, on a work bench. Finally, I put a brass bushing and brass washers in the five speed transmission in Dragon. That is the truck in the pictures in the posts above, about removing shift lever slop. Quote Link to comment
FiremarshalBill49 Posted June 29, 2018 Report Share Posted June 29, 2018 Thanks for the photo explanation! It's perfect for what I need to do. My shift lever is straight with no bend at all. Is this a 521 design feature? Since my truck was manufactured in March of 72' I'm wondering if they were still using leftover 521 parts on the early 620s? Quote Link to comment
DanielC Posted June 29, 2018 Report Share Posted June 29, 2018 521 body parts are measured in imperial measurements. (inches) 620 body parts are measured in Metric. However, the engine, transmission and differential carrier are Metric on a 521. My thought is Nissan was planning on changing the truck model from 521 to 620 in 1973, but 521 sales were way higher than expected, and Nissan simply ran out of 521 body parts earlier than expected. There is also a lot of interchangeability in Datsun parts. You can bolt any L series transmission to any L engine. I put a Z-car five speed in a 521 in the late 1970's. There is also a very good possibility on 45 year old auto and trucks previous owners have changed stuff. Quote Link to comment
Stoffregen Motorsports Posted June 29, 2018 Report Share Posted June 29, 2018 There is also a very good possibility on 45 year old auto and trucks previous owners have changed stuff. This is probably the most important thing to understand about any vintage car or truck. Never assume a part is original unless you know for sure. BTW - I love your "how-to" Daniel. Thanks for taking the time. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 30, 2018 Report Share Posted June 30, 2018 The long doglegs came here on import engines. Pretty sure the JDM 610SSS had them and the ones in Australia. On a side note our 610 uses a long F4W63 four speed unlike the 521, early 620, 510, 710 and the HL510 which were all short. They were also sent to Europe on 810 with the L18SSS dual SU engines. Anyone remember Phatdave? These are the same as the 200sx doglegs just longer (31.5") 1 Quote Link to comment
Charlie69 Posted June 30, 2018 Report Share Posted June 30, 2018 Phatdave is in the Northern US Minnesota I believe. Quote Link to comment
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