Rat-a-tat-Dat's '79 720 rebirthing of 'Helios'

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Was all excited about purchasing these rims off of a guy in a nearby town. Made arrangements to meet up with him and when I pulled up to his house he says that someone had broken into his backyard shed and stole them along with other stuff.

Thucking Fieves! Spoiled both our days.

15x8's w/27mm offset

Would've lit Helios.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Moving it forward I started the next stage of changing the look to the front bumper. 

Scoured the shinny surface and gave it a dull optical density using an 120 grit orbital flap and a hard bristle wire wheel. An abundant amount of persuasion and elbow grease left the surface consistently irregular. The adhesion of the first etching primer stuck like glue, a light sanding with 180 paper and another two coats of rust proof primer. 

End results so far.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Oops, should have rotated the pic before posting.

Anyway, received some essentials in the mail today. A Canadian company out of Quebec named 'Club Plug(.ca) Inc' has good deals on ignition components and free shipping over $35 Cdn. across Canada. Scored these items for under $45, delivered. About one business week delivery time.

 

 

Purchased plug wires mostly for the colour but also up graded them to a newer style ( who knows how long the older set had been on the engine ). Changing the spark plugs couldn't hurt either.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Newly acquired HT wire set installed and in place.

Repaired some minor leaks - new v/c gasket ( old one hardened and oozed e/oil ), set valves ( a wee bit out ) and noticed master brake cylinder leaking from the centre bottom screw, between the reservoirs ( rag catching the drips ). Never a dull moment!

 

They justify the visual aspect and enhance a rather dull engine, don't you think?

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Continuation of front bumpers progress. 

Decided to go with a glossy black colour, SAG!

Two coats, light sanding in between.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Here's an anomalous situation, imagine this very simple and straight forward encounter.

 

 

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Convert original logic, by transposing the subject and predicate of ( a proposition ) according to certain rules to form a new proposition by reference. Hereby electing to express difference by interpretation.

Such as...

 

 

and so forth...

 

 

and so on...

 

 

Ordered the lower ball joint replacement for all those observant individuals.

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Quick question on 1980 720 LCA ball joints. Is there a definite location between left and right sides, meaning during installation, if they were reversed ( right on left and left on right side ), could there be any adverse effects?

I've noticed the part numbers can be different. Does this indicate a different geometry, dependant on which side they're on?

[datzenmike]

There are definitely L&R ones. There would be no reason for a different geometry on one side. Likely they are mirror images of each other like L&R hands. I would, guess the ball joint may be slightly forward or back from the center line of the LCA.  If for example they were slightly to the rear, reversing sides would make both more forward increasing the caster. I'm guessing here that you could either check the alignment or take them off and switch them. Maybe to be safe remove them and sort this out.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

I took your advise Mike and sorted it out with the supplier of Moog steering components.

 

Apparently the part numbers for my '80 720 have been conglomerated to only one number and it's used for both sides. Part number K9045. They're identical.

 

So neither of the front lower control arm ball joints can get mixed up.🤙

 

Win, win

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Complete front bumper appearance.✅

Complete front lower valance to match front bumper.✅

Complete front grill as per 'stealth conception' of first two checks.✅

Front end axles and brakes also completed.✅

Protective coating on front fender wells.✅

Mount and secure front wheels.✅

Final touches on hardware and accent features.✅

 

Now to assemble completed components onto vehicle.

Pics to follow.

 

 

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Front bumper completed.

 

This glossy finish may change. Thinking more towards a matte or flat look. Any suggestions on this?

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Front lower valance completed.

 

 

An upside-down view with minor imperfections. 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

The completed front grill.

 

 

A slight accent around the headlight openings.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

The before and much later, after pics.   

Here, the bumper had significant issues.

 

The towing brackets had since been removed. Maybe the addition of a couple fog lights?

 

I will be seriously be opting for an engine hood contrast, concidering a carbon vinyl wrap application. This next step will be attached to the spare hood. 

Once done, it'll hopefully complete the 'stealth' appearance of the truck.

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

The rebirth of "Helios" has just turned a preverbal corner, literally! 

 

Enervated myself this morning with the multifarious tasks required to position this carriage securely on flat ground.

 

Once that was accomplished, a prompt walk-around revealed several minacious items and therefore had my immediate attention.

 

Satisfied and feeling a little giddy, not from standing up too quickly but from exuberance towards driving this chariot once again! 

 

Not to sound platitudinous, but I am ecstatic with the results.

 

Here's how it went down...

A quick burst of energy from the properly feed horses under the hood transcended me to the full length of our driveway, which left upon my face a grin from ear to ear. A fast check for traffic and I disappeared down the backstretch of our neighbourhood street, but this time Helios really came alive, first gear managed to ruffle the pavement and spit several loosely attached pieces of gravel through the air into some unknown trajectory. A somewhat semi-professional stroke of the gear shift, and for the second time, an audible squawk burped from the rear tires. Now nearing the end of the block, an intersection was speeding rapidly in my direction. Not being too familiar with the mechanical synchrony of Helios' braking values ( it's been over a year since driving him ), it never occurred to me during my time of ebullience to check the operation of his pedals disposed functionality. Needless to say, a hasty attempt was preformed to bring the perpetual momentum of the vehicle and myself to rest without skidding across the intersection into the oncoming soggy ditch.

My life didn't flash before my eyes, nor had I soiled my undergarment, instead I safely halted to a rolling creep and continued on through a half circle until we aligned with the direction from where I came. Satisfied and amused, I lead Helios to his stable for the nights shade and a then gave him a respectful grin. Perhaps a longer endeavour is forthcoming...

 

Can't wait! 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Final steps in prepping Helios for this days adventure.

 

Set up front end alignment, now near perfect.

Noticed right hand side suspension drooping a little. Measured both sides and needed to equally adjust both torsion rods for a matching ride height.

Double checked braking performance. No issues, yet.

Lighting checks indicated right signals not working. Correct problem, it's all good!

Forgot to hook up speedometer. Removed dash enough to allow proper connection and secured.

Made an effort to torque all wheel lugs. Don't want one of these to come loose. 

Tire pressures were A-Ok!

Grabbed wallet, phone and vehicle doc's, time to hit the road.

 

Wheeled out onto the main road and everything was sounding quite well.

Pulled onto the hwy and then gave him a gulp of gas. Yup, that giddy-up is definitely there. In no time flat I was at 100km/h in just 3rd gear. Normally it would have taken all five and plenty more asphalt.

 

After heading out for a few minutes, I realized I hadn't thought about the petrol level. And there it was, the ominous needle lying face down to the left, slightly above the E mark. Pulled a U-turn and headed into town to refresh Helios' dried up bladder.

 

A slightly adventurous trek, nothing out of the ordinary. Basically enjoying the ride for the first time in over a year. Has it really been that long?

Pit stop was quick, $20 at today's prices almost seems unimaginable. Another good reason to drive a Datsun I guess. Right?

 

The pleasure cruise lasted for one fun hour and when I returned, the engine idle had dropped to a stumbling shudder and a loud ticking noise was now present.

A quick inspection under the hood revealed two fold. One, the throttle linkage managed to slip a little on the cantilever to one of the carbs. Easy fix. Two, the noise was emitting from inside the valve cover. 

 

Back into the stall he went. Off came the v/c, and another visual of the valve train. It appeared to me that the valves needed another adjustment.

Now at 'normal' operating temperature, they were set to OEM specifications under primo conditions. Started up the steed once again to hear nothing but a happy song.

 

Backed the chariot out to find yet another trail of disappointment. A pool of oily something or other nearest to the front left side sat on the ground. Crawled underneath to report the steering gear box lower seal is now bypassing. 

 

Is this an easy fix? Is removing the steer box necessary to repair/rebuild the unit? What type of oil is best?

 

Still, overall, a gr8 day.

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

The stance isn't too bad. Mind you the rear tires are over sized. Front 215/65R/15 vs. 225/75R/15's.

 

Decent shape for a 1980.

 

A new set of rims will look much better.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Mulling over the groundfx and it's onerously depressing.

 

The fatties on the rear are a decent fit but uniformly inconsistent with the whole truck.

 

Decided to spruce up the Pathfinder rims, which involves having four similar wheels. I found another set of rims but these are presently available and virtually here.

 

Fronts...

 

Rears...

 

 

On the ground and rolling...

 

[bilzbobaggins]

Those colors remind me of 

 

 

I approve.

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Have been enjoying the mini-truck these last few weeks, fun to drive now with the extra boost in performance.

Although there are a couple of issues which surfaced and just when I think they're remedied I'll experience these symptoms once again.

 

Three fold;

One ~ for some reason the carb linkage set up seizes and the throttle starts to get sticky. Usually happens in the first half hour of normal driving. I believe the heim-joints are the culprits cause I checked. Bad batch? Freed them, spaced them and coated them with graphite spray but this only lasts for a short period of time. 

Two ~ Carburetor idle circuit, after start up, has a tendency to idle very poorly. Need to feather the gas pedal to maintain rpm or engine stalls. Recalibrated and synchronized each carb but it feels like a faulty plug. Swapped out plugs but poor idling hasn't gone away. Next, I'll be looking into a possible clogged idle jet? or what?

Three ~ when braking and coming to a full stop, I hear a loud clunking noise just before the truck stops. I also thought I heard the noise when I took off so now I'm over sensitized and believe I'm hearing things. Any ideas?

 

Thanks Ratsun group

 

 

[EDM620]

1) Go over the carb linkage very carefully, perhaps a slight misalignment where one shaft aligns with a pivot. Overly exciting to have a carb stick at WOT (had that joy on my old CJ5 doing a hill climb!).

2) Did you rebuild the carbs? If they sat for a long time the ports can get plugged up with deposits.

3) Did you overhaul the rear brakes as well?

 

Enjoying your build and the commentary...

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Thanks EDM620 for the feed back.

 

I've done some minor adjustments to the throttle linkage to correct any misalignments, plus tested each heim-joint for pivotal motion and rotation. I'm thinking it has to do with heat transfer between the different metals in the throttle linkage itself. Perhaps my homemade heat shield, under the carbs, is sending too much heat to the outer edges and then thermally heating the heim-joints to the point of over expansion causing the seizing. IDK

The carbs were neglected prior to installation, so you may have a valid point there. Today, all I had done was removed each set of jets and cleaned them out. Only a slight difference was noticeable, so I need to dig deeper.

Rear brakes were checked several years ago (drums), just cleaned them up and reused. No loud clunking noise before, only just recently. I'll inspect the rear brakes to make sure all's ok.

 

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Alas, after every carb jet had been removed, inspected, cleaned and replaced, the task of pinpointing the exact cause of the fuel throttle restriction manifested while routinely setting up the mixture and idle speed screws on the carburetors. Once normal engine operating temperature had plateaued, the inauspicious incident happened again. This time, I was positioned to witness the event unfold. The threshold began like turning on a water tap, the more you turn the valve open, the greater the flow. When this flow ( thermal heat ) reached the carburetors, it had an adverse effect on the butterfly valve in the front carb, forward barrel. Apparently when heated, the b/valve clearance in the carb tunnel becomes minuscule and it starts to bind, holding the throttle plate open and thus higher rpm's result. A quick tap on the accelerator and the carb's seat again on the idle set screws.

A quick fix was to utilize a heavier return spring on the throttle rod shaft which now requires a firmer thrust on the gas pedal to propel Helios. It may be a bit crazy but it works for now.

A complete dismantling and refinement to the one carb is in order.

I OWN A DATSUN, RIGHT?!

 

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

So now that the carb has been removed and dismantled, I'm rethinking the status of said fuel mixing devise. I know that this set up has been mediocre and flailing on the edge of disappointing ( but of course, once you've played with a toy long enough, you get a little bored with it ). A new, revised version is lurking nearby and by messing around with the jet sizes may be all they need to bring back that new toy feel again.

Segway to this question.... Does anyone have or able to share the contents of a manual, specifically written by Weber, called "Tuning Manual by Weber". I understand it has the best source of information on How To set up your carbs. A complete guide with plenty of charts to help identify the different aspects of the Air jets, Emulsion tubes, Main jets, Idle jets, Accelerator jet, Accelerator pump, Bleed valve, Needle valve and Float set up, primarily to name a few.

I've perused this site on several occasions only to come up short so I'm putting out this feeler to help locate this much needed and required document of knowledge.

 

Cheers to you all