Any tips for starting 620 after sitting for 7 years?

[JohnnyBlaze]

I’ve been working on my newly acquired 1978 620. I’ve replaced most of the old vacuum and fuel hoses under the hood. Drained old oil, coolant, and fuel as much as I could. It all looked pretty good. Installed new cap, rotor, plugs, wires, battery cables, battery, belts, valve cover gasket, radiator hoses(found out radiator leaks toward the top fins..new one ordered), and valve cover gasket...I think that’s everything.

 

I’m going to put new fuel in tank and want to try to start it for the first time. This is my first carbureted vehicle and I’m looking for any tips before I attempt to hook the battery up and crank it over. 

 

Thanks

[sebpv]

have you attempted to turn it over by hand with a breaker bar on the crankshaft wheel? from experience I would have just drained the fuel tank and start fresh. New spark plugs maybe after it fired up.

Edited October 19, 2018 by sebpv

[Draker]

Small squirt of oil down each piston will help free up those rings a bit and lube the cylinders.

 

Otherwise, pump the gas pedal two or three times, choke it if available. Then turn it over and see what happens. Might just fire right up!

[JohnnyBlaze]

13 minutes ago, sebpv said:

have you attempted to turn it over by hand with a breaker bar on the crankshaft wheel? from experience I would have just drained the fuel tank and start fresh. New spark plugs maybe after it fired up.

I did turn it over with a ratchet. It was free.

[JohnnyBlaze]

2 minutes ago, Draker said:

Small squirt of oil down each piston will help free up those rings a bit and lube the cylinders.

 

Otherwise, pump the gas pedal two or three times, choke it if available. Then turn it over and see what happens. Might just fire right up!

I did put some oil down the spark plug holes a week or two ago just to let it soak in for a while.

[banzai510(hainz)]

pour maybe a small amount of gas in the carb. or if possible see if the car has gas to the carb. and see if gas squirts in the carb by pushing the pedal a few times. I dont knowif 78 is electric fuel pump but be nice to know gas is up there..

 

If me I would open the valve cover and pour oil on rockerarms.

 

make sure you have spark at end of coil wire.

[JohnnyBlaze]

34 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

pour maybe a small amount of gas in the carb. or if possible see if the car has gas to the carb. and see if gas squirts in the carb by pushing the pedal a few times. I dont knowif 78 is electric fuel pump but be nice to know gas is up there..

 

If me I would open the valve cover and pour oil on rockerarms.

 

make sure you have spark at end of coil wire.

I did open valve cover and pour oil on everything a week or two ago. I just sprayed some started fluid and it starts, but quickly dies. Pressing the gas pedal isn’t bringing fuel to the carb. Doesn’t seem to be getting fuel to the engine at all.. No fuel in the fuel filter I replaced and carb is dry. Maybe the fuel pump is bad. I’m not sure how to “prime” it or figure out how to tell if it’s working.

[Crashtd420]

16 minutes ago, JohnnyBlaze said:

I did open valve cover and pour oil on everything a week or two ago. I just sprayed some started fluid and it starts, but quickly dies. Pressing the gas pedal isn’t bringing fuel to the carb. Doesn’t seem to be getting fuel to the engine at all.. No fuel in the fuel filter I replaced and carb is dry. Maybe the fuel pump is bad. I’m not sure how to “prime” it or figure out how to tell if it’s working.

Get a second person to turn the key while you work the carb under the hood... Try keeping it running off the starter fluid or even try to fill the float bowl first manually..... might just need to keep it running long enough to get things moving....

Is it the manual pump on the side of the head ? 

 

[JohnnyBlaze]

3 hours ago, Crashtd420 said:

Get a second person to turn the key while you work the carb under the hood... Try keeping it running off the starter fluid or even try to fill the float bowl first manually..... might just need to keep it running long enough to get things moving....

Is it the manual pump on the side of the head ? 

 

Yes, I don’t have a/c, so the fuel pump must be the manual one of the ride side of head. I have a couple repair manuals and it shows how to take it apart, but looking at it briefly I don’t see how to take it apart. I plan to look at it tomorrow in the light. I think my fusable link by the battery that looked terrible gave out because I lost all power and it won’t crank and I have no lights or anything. I guess I’ll be making a new one of those tomorrow too. 

[datzenmike]

This is gasoline!!!! Never underestimate how dangerous it is. One cup properly mixed with air and burned has the energy of 14 sticks of dynamite. Do the following outside and use you head!!!

 

 

 Get a gas can and hose and connect to the fuel pump inlet.  Keep the battery charged and just crank it while watching the fuel level in the carb fill. If it does fill go to 2/

 

1/ If it doesn't fill up, take the hose off the outlet of the pump and direct it into a suitable container and crank the engine. Fuel should gush out in spurts. If not, the pump isn't working. If gas gushes out, the carb isn't letting the gas in. The inlet needle valve may just be stuck. Tap the carb around the fuel inley to free it. If not you will have to remove the inlet fixture that holds the needle valve.

 

 

2/ It might even start. If it does connect up the old line to the tank and then fire it up and rev it a bit. It should run for a while on a full carburetor, enough to suck fuel from the tank. If this fails maybe the fuel line is plugged?.

[JohnnyBlaze]

Thanks Mike, I will try this tomorrow. 

[JohnnyBlaze]

Well nothing is helping get fuel to the carb. I tried to get gas to go through the fuel pump and nothing. Connected fuel line from bottle to metal fuel line past pump and nothing. Connected fuel line from bottle to carb and nothing. I’m not sure what to do. I guess I can blow compressed air through all of those fuel line and see if there is a clog that comes out. Otherwise I don’t know. 

 

Update: I got it running on its own...I guess blowing the lines out worked. Now it is just idling crazy high...no tach, so not sure rpms. I was turning the one screw on the passenger side of carb under the accelerator pump lever and that made now difference to the idle.?.? Fuel chamber is leaking a little from the bottom part of the seal, so I guess I’ll have to find/order that. Anyone know where to get that?

Edited October 20, 2018 by JohnnyBlaze
Update

[DanielC]

Here, read this thread: 

https://ratsun.net/topic/30606-my-ratsun-datsun-521-now-with-l-20-b/

That thread is how I resurrected a 521, that had not been ran in many years.  The truck is a a reliable daily driver, and I am currently working on removing rust and old primer and paint from inside the bed.

 

You will want to get whatever is in the gas tank out of the tank.  Then clean the tank.  Seven year old gas will just keep causing problems

This is how I did the first few runs of the engine in that truck.  I used this auxiliary gas tank.  The fuel line off the tank goes directly to the carb, bypassing the fuel pump.  That got the engine to start and run.

By holding the tank above the carb, gas flowed by gravity into the carb. 

[JohnnyBlaze]

After running a little while I noticed this new wet spot.  Looks to me like a head gasket ?, what do you think?  I also need to figure out how to get the idle down.  I turn both screws on the passenger side of the carb and it made no difference. 

 

[wayno]

What head casting is that, I think I see a "2" on the far right, is it a 219 head?

[JohnnyBlaze]

44 minutes ago, wayno said:

What head casting is that, I think I see a "2" on the far right, is it a 219 head?

 

I’m not sure. I can look in the morning. Is it stamped on the head toward the front of motor? Why do you ask?

[datzenmike]

 

Might be oil, it's right above the sender where the oil jet in the block is and transfers oil through the head gasket into the head. Use brake cleaner to remove and let dry. Then watch regularly to see where it starts. Maybe check the head bolt torque. On a cold engine turn to 60 ft lbs.

 

Below you can see the 'O' ring (some are copper) where the oil passes through the gasket. It's also very close to the edge of the head and is at 55-60 psi... a lot more than the cooling system

 

 

The '78 through '80 L20Bs used a W58 head. Or should.

 

I can't see a 2 but my eyes are older than yours wayno? Maybe an L16 210 head.

[wayno]

But it is said to be a 78 so maybe it is just dirt and I am seeing something that is not there, that is why I asked.

219 heads are race heads and are very desirable, but they have square exhaust ports and a 78 would have round exhaust ports, the casting mark is on the head just below #1 spark plug just forward of where it says "NISSAN JAPAN"

[JohnnyBlaze]

11 hours ago, datzenmike said:

 

Might be oil, it's right above the sender where the oil jet in the block is and transfers oil through the head gasket into the head. Use brake cleaner to remove and let dry. Then watch regularly to see where it starts. Maybe check the head bolt torque. On a cold engine turn to 60 ft lbs.

 

Below you can see the 'O' ring (some are copper) where the oil passes through the gasket. It's also very close to the edge of the head and is at 55-60 psi... a lot more than the cooling system

 

 

The '78 through '80 L20Bs used a W58 head. Or should.

 

I can't see a 2 but my eyes are older than yours wayno? Maybe an L16 210 head.

Thanks, I will try to torque after cleaning the area. 

 

The head is a W58.

[nl320what]

Definitely run it and let things soak in and expand, worse thing on a motor is letting it sit and all the fuel goes bad and dries out the gaskets and seals in everything.

 

May get luck just run some Marvel through with the gas, helps expand the seals and coats the metal parts, the head gasket may still leak but still can run it and make sure it dont overheat.

[JohnnyBlaze]

1 hour ago, nl320what said:

Definitely run it and let things soak in and expand, worse thing on a motor is letting it sit and all the fuel goes bad and dries out the gaskets and seals in everything.

 

May get luck just run some Marvel through with the gas, helps expand the seals and coats the metal parts, the head gasket may still leak but still can run it and make sure it dont overheat.

I plan to retorque the head studs while it’s cold just to check that. I’ll try the Marvel Mystery Oil. I just don’t like letting it run for too long with the idle so high, so I need to get that figured out. With no tach I’m not sure what it’s at, but my guess is at least 2500rpm by the sound of it. I’m probably going to spray carb cleaner on the outside and inside of carb to see if things loosen up like the fast idle or something else. 

[nl320what]

Could be vacuum leak, bound up accel cable, gunk on the carb butterflies staying open.

 

I would back off all the idle cam adjusters so the throttle should sit fully closed, can safely spray WD40 all over the carb and accel cable and keep working it open/closed to dislodge anything there.

[datzenmike]

Without a tach revs are a guess. 

 

Fast idle is 1,800-2,200 RPMs but it should lower as the choke comes off.

[JohnnyBlaze]

28 minutes ago, nl320what said:

Could be vacuum leak, bound up accel cable, gunk on the carb butterflies staying open.

 

I would back off all the idle cam adjusters so the throttle should sit fully closed, can safely spray WD40 all over the carb and accel cable and keep working it open/closed to dislodge anything there.

Will having the air cleaner off make the idle high since all of the hoses that connect to it are open? Some of those are vacuum lines. I will try to clean and lubricate the cable too. 

[JohnnyBlaze]

Used carb cleaner then  wd40 on some of the moving parts. Still idling very high. Tried turning the auto choke to lean and rich and that made no difference. If I have the air cleaner off and all those hoses unplugged from it will that make the idle run high? Also when turning it off it kept running rough and wouldn’t shut off and back fired a few times. I had to give it gas and I guess flood the carb to get it to shut off, so I’m not sure what to do about that? Any help or ideas on those issues?