69 521 w/L18?

[Drfixit]

I had another thread where I was complaining of carb problems. I downloaded the factory manual I found here and began comparing photos of carbs and engines with what is in my truck. I found L18 stamped into the passenger side of the block so figure it probably isnt a J13? I wonder if the carb is the correct one for the engine? Heres a couple photos of the engine and carb. Since I bought points plugs etc for a J13 are they wrong now? What parts in common do the J13 and L18 have? When I order parts what year of L18 do I have....how do i find out? Does it matter what it came out of car vrs truck?

Thanks again,

 

Mark

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Edited November 23, 2008 by Drfixit

[datzenmike]

I had another thread where I was complaining of carb problems. I downloaded the factory manual I found here and began comparing photos of carbs and engines with what is in my truck. I found L18 stamped into the passenger side of the block so figure it probably isnt a J13? I wonder if the carb is the correct one for the engine? Heres a couple photos of the engine and carb. Since I bought points plugs etc for a J13 are they wrong now? What parts in common do the J13 and L18 have? When I order parts what year of L18 do I have....how do i find out? Does it matter what it came out of car vrs truck?

Thanks again,

 

It's not a J series engine for sure. Parts don't interchange either, sorry. The L18 was never in the 521 so it has been transplanted from a newer truck possibly. L18s were used in:

 

'73 610 car

'74 620 truck

'74 710 car

 

For most all tune up and engine parts all L18s are the more or less same. Generally a J engine is used on the older 521s and if so, mounting an L series motor would require welding in new mounts which is a lot of work. Look on the metal tag on the fire wall by the hood support it lists the motor installed I'm willing to bet it says it has an L16 motor.

 

In fact I think this truck Is likely a '70 model. The tag on the driver's door is actually a build date and could very easily been made in '69. Also back then, it was the practice to register the vehicle year as the year it was bought which again could have been late '69 but it's still a '70 model. Pretty sure '70s were the first year for L16 motors. When the motor failed it would be easy to swap a newer L18 into it.

 

By '72 electric chokes were in use and I'm pretty sure the L18 would have had them. I see that that carb has a manual choke so it's likely from an older L16.

 

 

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Edited November 23, 2008 by datzenmike

[Drfixit]

Ok I'm going to go take down some numbers. There definately is J18 stamped into the block but I'll check everything. This might be good news as it sure was hard to find parts for a J13. I found a receipt for a motor dated 4 years ago in the glove box but it gave no particulars on the engine at all. I thought it was a bologna receipt due to lack of information but maybe someone put in a new motor??????

[Jason]

That's no J series motor in the picture there. That is an L series of some sort. There will be a little raised area on the passenger side above the rear spark plug hole, clean that off and it will say "L16" or "L18". The 16 is of course a 1600cc and the 18 is for the 1800cc. On the head there will be a raised number above spark plug #2 and for the L18 motor it will probably say "A87".

[Drfixit]

That's no J series motor in the picture there. That is an L series of some sort. There will be a little raised area on the passenger side above the rear spark plug hole, clean that off and it will say "L16" or "L18". The 16 is of course a 1600cc and the 18 is for the 1800cc. On the head there will be a raised number above spark plug #2 and for the L18 motor it will probably say "A87".

 

You are right. By the dipstick it has L18 154643

On the head it has A87

 

No plate or sticker on the door to help with date of manufacture

Plate in the engine compartment reads as follows:

Datsun L521

Engine# J751278

Car# L521-061986

 

I dont care if its a different engine which I believe it certainly is though I am no expert. I just need to be sure I buy parts for the right engine.

 

Here are a couple pics of the mounts. Did the best I could doesnt look factory to me but then again what does a certified structual steel welder know LOL

 

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[Jason]

Well, that sure solves that, I'd much rather have an L18 than a J13. I think the "J" at the beginning of the engine number code shows that the original was a "J" series engine though. Mike's given the cars that I know of that came with the L18, I suspect the stuff you've purchased already won't work. Exchange them for something that will work with the L series motors, L16, 18 or 20 should work. Check the distributor and see if you've a single or dual point setup first though. Easy upgrade would be an electronic ignition out of the later 620 truck, A510 etc... I hate points!

[Drfixit]

When was the L18 motor made....74-79? It looks like I will have a few more options with the L18 Thanks a bunch for all your help

[Jason]

The L18 would be from North American market cars and trucks from Datsun in 1973-1975. See Mike's post above for the cars and truck it came in.

[DanielC]

Your truck is almost 40 years old. I doubt if there are many 35 to 40 year old Datsuns around that are totally stock.

 

I think your truck did orginally have a J13 motor in it. I had a 1967 520 that had the ignition coil and ballast resistor mounted on the cowl in the same place as yours. On the L-16 521 trucks, the ignition coil is mounted above the horns on the left front inner fender.

 

A J13 motor has a stamped steel valve cover, usually painted a blue color It is a pushrod motor. The L 16, and L 18 motors are overhead cam motors, with a cast aluminium valve cover. I do not think there is anything in common with the J13, and the L 16, or L18 motors. Take all the J13 stuff you bought back to the store.

It looks like there is an oil filter adapter on the engine. Normally, on an L-series engine in a 521, the filter screws directly on to the side of the motor.

 

You have already found the engine numbers, good job.

 

The carburettor is off a 1971 pickup. In 1971 the Datsun trucks added an evaporative emission valve on the carb. The fuel line closest to the float bowl returns fuel back to the fuel tank when a thermostatic valve opens up inside the casting part between the two fuel lines. The carb does have the pickup cable linkage, and a manual choke. Sometime right before the 620 pickup came out, (1972 1/2) the 521 truck got an electric choke. Your carb has the hookup for the cable choke used before then.

 

There was a lot of JDM motors brought into the USA for a while. For quite some time, you could buy a used motor taken out of a Japanese car, or truck and shipped to the United States, for about half of the cost of the parts to rebuild a L-series motor. Quite often they had a higher compression head, and bigger ports and valves in them also. That might be the case with your motor.

[Drfixit]

I appreciate all the information, you guys know your stuff!!

[ppeters914]

Hard to tell if that mount has been modified from the pic. Is only 1 bolt correct to the mount?

 

[]2eDeYe]

That mount looks modified to me...unless that's a factory weld on the motor side.

 

Prolly a JDM motor. What does the dipstick area look like?

[datzenmike]

I think Doug said it was the 'bulge' on the frame that the mm bolts to, that is different. That is likely an L mount, it's below the rubber part where IT bolts to that is different.

[datsunaholic]

That's not a US-spec L18; the oil filter with the angle adapter is a dead giveaway that it's a JDM L18.

 

The mount is not stock thought it's close. The metal part (bolted to the block) is correct for a 70-72 521, the rubber part looks like it's mounted sideways. The big thing is that to do the swap meant modding the mounts at the frame and required changing the transmission.

 

The key thing that tells me that it was swapped is the fact that the fuel line comes from the driver's side. That only existed on J-series 521s.

 

And the carb you have is for a J-series. The downward-pointing fuel inlet is the clue.

[DanielC]

That is not a J-13 carb. I have a 1971 Datsun pickup I have had since the mid 1970's that has a carb with the pictured fuel line fittings. In the picture with the face of the float bowl facing you, you can see the second capped off fuel line fitting.

This carb also has a vacuum diaphram for the secondary. The J-13 carb had a weighted plate that engine vacuum had to overcome to open the secondary. My first Datsun pickup was a 1967 520, with a J-13 engine.

It is also possible that the carb body is off an older L-16, it is lacking the idle solenoid on the one side of the carb not pictured. It is also missing some switches operated by cams on the on the throttle lever, that were used for emissions controls. If your truck started out with J-13 engine in it, the wiring for these switches would not exist, and whoever put the carb on your truck probably removed the switches, and the idle solenoid.

The carb looks too clean for the rest of the truck. It probably is a recent rebuild.

I did get a JDM L-18 for one of my Datsun trucks. (I have three, trucks, more or less)

When I got the engine, it had a fuel injection intake manifold on it. I was an idiot, and threw it away many years ago, I wish I had it now.

In order to pur the JDM L-18 into the truck I had, I had to drill two holes in the head for water circulation to the carb intake manifold, and I put a L-16 carb and intake manifold on it. That may have been done to your engine.

Edited November 24, 2008 by DanielC

[Drfixit]

When I pulled the carb it didnt look like it really fit the intake. It kind of hung over on the sides a bit and someone had filled the area with silicon. Doesnt really matter to me what engine it has (although a small block chevy would be cool) It just looks like i will have to be real careful for awhile buying parts to be sure I get whats right. Thanks again to all for the abundance of information

[datsunaholic]

Daniel, the '67 J13 used a Nikki carb. The '69 521 J13 used a Hitachi just like the one pictured, without the extra linkages that the 520 had. I have one in my garage still mounted to the J13 engine. The reason the fuel line points down is the fuel pump on a J13 is on the side of the block under the manifolds, but a L-series has the pump on the head, on the opposite side of the engine. At least that's my experience.