eon's SR620

[eon]

Hey Everybody! Been a lurker for a few years but since ive gone full bore into this build i thought ide start a build thread. So i bought this '78 620 about about a year and half ago since i needed a pickup to do...well... pickup things and i have a thing for datsuns, im sure everyone here can understand lol. From the start the 620 was what you can say interesting. It was purchased from Oregon if i remember correctly and from the moment it arrived its been....umm...fun. As soon as we got the truck off the rig the throttle cable broke and like any sensible person i pulled out my zip ties and jerry rigged the cable to reach through the window so that i could accelerate by hand and get it home (the rig couldn't get into my urban neighborhood so i had him drop it off at my office about 20 mins away). I gotta say its ratty as hell but a really fun car to drive around! Heres some mandatory pics 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So about a week later im doing the old "aimlessly scour craigslist for things you dont need" thing and i come across this bad boy for a price i could not resist

 

 

and these 

 

 

unfortunately life got in the way and they got put into storage but i continued to make great use of the truck

 

 

 

oh if you havent already noticed i did manage to put on a set of 15x10 wheels and some fender mirrors

 

 

This leads me to current day, about a month ago i was driving the truck on the highway and all of a sudden the engine seized and oil just blew out beneath me and it just so happen the a few days later  covid-19 started hitting the NY/NJ area hard so i was sent to work from home and subsequently furloughed. So i have A LOT of time on my hands now and i decided that what better time than now to put in all the parts that have been in storage!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did find out where all the oil came from. It seems my crank got scared of the dark and decided it wanted a window! (tennis ball for scale)

 

 

Doing a little rust repair 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and that leaves us at this afternoon. there will be more to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[eon]

Question for all you turbo guys ive seen a couple of pics but im wondering what size and where are you mounting your intercoolers?

[5t341tH]

i've mounted mine in the front below the bumper. had to cut away the valence

[eon]

46 minutes ago, 5t341tH said:

i've mounted mine in the front below the bumper. had to cut away the valence

I’ve seen a couple of those do you have a pic and dimensions? Thanks!

[5t341tH]

it was a cheap intercooler i got off craigslist. i can measure

[eon]

35 minutes ago, 5t341tH said:

it was a cheap intercooler i got off craigslist. i can measure

Awesome thanks!

[Eric]

How is it legal to drive around with wheels/tyres like that sticking out of the body 😄

Gotta love America!

[eon]

Update! Finished flipping the center link using the TJ tapers, while i was at it i bought a new center link and upgraded to the 720 adjustable tie rods.

 

 

Then i finished cleaning, priming and painting the engine bay satin black (SEM HR010)

 

 

 

 

And finally after several hours of frustration i got the engine in.

 

 

lifter the rear to compensate a bit for the crazy angle the engine needed to get in 

 

 

FINALLY!

 

[Jersey]

Looking good!

[JoelC]

What tapers did you use for center link? I’ve been searching, but haven’t found a thread just yet...

[banzai510(hainz)]

I would roll the stock wheels with small white wall

[eon]

18 minutes ago, JoelC said:

What tapers did you use for center link? I’ve been searching, but haven’t found a thread just yet...

I that thread there is a link to the TJ inserts

[eon]

Ok so i have a question,  im starting to hook everything back up and i was wondering about the charcoal canister. I keep on reading a ton of contradicting opinions on whether it can be deleted but most of them deal with the original motor. What is the usual consensus when swapping in a SR or really any modern motor. I know the same topic appears in the SR forums and they seem to delete it. 

[Lockleaf]

You anyways CAN delete the charcoal canister.  The only advantage is clutter reduction in the engine bay.  It doesn't hamper any performance and keeps raw evaporated gasoline from going in to the atmosphere.  And you can get later model versions to put by the gas tank so there is still no engine bay clutter.

[DanielC]

I would try to keep the charcoal cannister.   Evaporative emission controls do not affect power, and can increase your gas mileage.  Another benefit of controlling evaporative emissions, they do not get in the cab of the truck.

 

[5t341tH]

What’s your fuel system gonna be? I used an internal retrofit pump. Fuel in and return. I don’t see where the charcoal would even go. Sorry I haven’t measured my intercooler yet. Forgot about it

Edited May 2, 2020 by 5t341tH

[eon]

8 minutes ago, 5t341tH said:

What’s your fuel system gonna be? I used an internal retrofit pump. Fuel in and return. I don’t see where the charcoal would even go. Sorry I haven’t measured my intercooler yet. Forgot about it

no worries I ended up buying a civic kit that came with a bunch of tubing for really cheap off eBay and it fits perfectly. Yeah I’m using a universal in tank retrofit I haven’t checked the tank yet but from the looks of the fsm it’s another exit in the tank.

[eon]

Small update, bolted up the intercooler and  mocked up the new aluminum radiator. I think i can get (with some bit of cutting) the original hoses to meet up just have to shorten the SR water neck to confirm.

 

[BrothersGarage]

Lookin great!

[Rat-a-tat-Dat]

Very nice start to your build. Keep truckin'