72 521 distributor

[Aqualung]

I recently purchased a new cap and rotor for my truck through rock auto and the cap I received was too small and didn’t fit.  I’m assuming my distributor is not original to my 72 521,  anyway to tell what parts will fit properly?

[Aqualung]

Just now, Aqualung said:

I recently purchased a new cap and rotor for my truck through rock auto and the cap I received was too small and didn’t fit.  I’m assuming my distributor is not original to my 72 521,  anyway to tell what parts will fit?

[iceman510]

Usually a part number on the side of the housing.

 

Are you sure you received the part number ordered, and is it in fact the correct one in the box are other possibilities.

 

What's that symbol on the top of the rotor?

 

[Aqualung]

5 minutes ago, iceman510 said:

Usually a part number on the side of the housing.

 

Are you sure you received the part number ordered, and is it in fact the correct one in the box are other possibilities.

 

What's that symbol on the top of the rotor?

 

I double checked the part number it’s the one I ordered and listed as the correct cap for my truck.  The rotor in The picture is the original one and I’m not sure what the symbol is.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Most likely its a L20 size cap and rotor

 

L16 is a dual point dist with 2 condensors on outside

a L 20 will be a single point(condensor inside cap or electronic

[datzenmike]

Look on the outside of the aluminum distributor case. Many have the 10 digit number stamped there. It begins 22100-????? Get the last 5 digits I can find the year and application. May also say D4K or D4F something.

 

L20B distributors had a larger cap and rotor than the earlier L16/18. Order a cap and rotor for anything with an L20B such as the '78-'79 620. The Nissan part number is 22162-U6001.

[Aqualung]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Look on the outside of the aluminum distributor case. Many have the 10 digit number stamped there. It begins 22100-????? Get the last 5 digits I can find the year and application. May also say D4K or D4F something.

 

L20B distributors had a larger cap and rotor than the earlier L16/18. Order a cap and rotor for anything with an L20B such as the '78-'79 620. The Nissan part number is 22162-U6001.

https://imgur.com/a/dRdmfCp  I tried looking but couldn’t find much.

[datzenmike]

 

22100-R5610 am I reading correctly? Well 22100 is for all distributors but the R5610 this is not a valid Nissan part number for North America.

 

 

[Aqualung]

4 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

 

22100-R5610 am I reading correctly? Well 22100 is for all distributors but the R5610 this is not a valid Nissan part number for North America.

 

 

Well I remember the previous owner claiming the l16 that’s in it was a “crate motor” and the rotor and vacuum advance housing are stamped with what appears to be a Mitsubishi emblem? https://imgur.com/a/Djw9eio

[Crashtd420]

12 minutes ago, Aqualung said:

Well I remember the previous owner claiming the l16 that’s in it was a “crate motor” and the rotor and vacuum advance housing are stamped with what appears to be a Mitsubishi emblem? https://imgur.com/a/Djw9eio

You should be able to verify that claim.... the engine plate should be on your fire wall....

Compare the engine number to the one on the side of the block.... 

 

Have a look here for some info, might apply, claims Mitsubishi was used as a secondary part source after Hitachi....

 

http://www.datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Mitsubishi_T4T_Distributor&style=m

 

It mentions the L16 at the bottom...

 

[Aqualung]

49 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said:

You should be able to verify that claim.... the engine plate should be on your fire wall....

Compare the engine number to the one on the side of the block.... 

 

Have a look here for some info, might apply, claims Mitsubishi was used as a secondary part source after Hitachi....

 

http://www.datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Mitsubishi_T4T_Distributor&style=m

 

It mentions the L16 at the bottom...

 

After some research it looks like it’s just a Mitsubishi brand case and all the internals are from a 620 single point.  I have a pertronix igniter on the way and was concerned it wasn’t going to match up.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I was hoping you have a photo of inside the dist.

Its most likely a Mitshibishi dist.  I cant remeber if a Pertrnix fits in there. I think.

 

just wanted to see if it had the ring boss above the point lobe otherwise you might have to machine this off otherwise the magnet ring in the Pertronix kit will not go over the boss onto the point lobe

[Aqualung]

52 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

I was hoping you have a photo of inside the dist.

Its most likely a Mitshibishi dist.  I cant remeber if a Pertrnix fits in there. I think.

 

just wanted to see if it had the ring boss above the point lobe otherwise you might have to machine this off otherwise the magnet ring in the Pertronix kit will not go over the boss onto the point lobe

Here’s what the inside of my dizzy looks like w/o the rotor on.  From my bit of research I think the pertronix will drop right in. 

[banzai510(hainz)]

Yep looks fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

just use your stock coil and ballast resisitor  just wire the +side of Pertronix Red wire to the + side side of ballast.

[Aqualung]

9 minutes ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

Yep looks fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

just use your stock coil and ballast resisitor  just wire the +side of Pertronix Red wire to the + side side of ballast.

That’s what I planned on doing,  I measured the voltage output on my stock coil and it reads ok.  The original coil in the truck is 50 years old now and does get pretty hot so I did purchase a new 3 ohm coil also as a back up because it was on sale.

[datzenmike]

8 hours ago, Crashtd420 said:

You should be able to verify that claim.... the engine plate should be on your fire wall....

Compare the engine number to the one on the side of the block.... 

 

Have a look here for some info, might apply, claims Mitsubishi was used as a secondary part source after Hitachi....

 

http://www.datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Mitsubishi_T4T_Distributor&style=m

 

It mentions the L16 at the bottom...

 

 

The A series use the same distributor but it has a drive gear on the bottom to be turned by the cam. They can be easily enough converted to use in an L series. I did check the 1200, B-210 and the 210 and they all start with H no R.

[banzai510(hainz)]

if ccoil hot even with the ballast resistor then I guess get a new one.

 

Just remember I belive you have to remove the ballast resisitor now since you got a 3 ohm coil. it has to match correctly

 

 

Edited September 16, 2022 by banzai510(hainz)

[Beer Snob]

Hey guys, I also have a similar problem sourcing cap/rotor etc. for the dizzy out of a J15 motor I have in a 320. I'm aware that this is most likely a forklift motor in North America and have sourced some parts that way with some success. I have no idea if this is the dizzy that came with the J motor originally or not. It all ran perfectly when I pulled everything apart (and of course tossed out the old cap not thinking someday it would give me fits to find). It's a Mitsubishi made T3T series ( T3T13483  C8 )  followed by the 22100  B5012. I've found info on many of the T3T dizzy but nothing regarding the B5012. Am I spinning my wheels here? Should I just swap in another dizzy? Whano, I know you have or had a J15 and have also done dizzy mods for the E1 and so on.....Any info OR opinions are welcome! I've also got some questions regarding wiring the alternator to properly convert the 320 to internally regulated neg ground systems but will try to find the proper existing thread. Thanks guys

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Lucas 25D or 45D distributors were nearly identical to the early Datsun distributors, but a forklift engine may use a newer style distributor.

 

Have you tried any of the equipment parts suppliers?

https://www.leavittmachinery.com/parts/by-brand/aftermarket-parts/nissan-forklift-parts

[Beer Snob]

I've contacted several forklift parts suppliers and have found a lot of parts but none for that dizzy. I did find a web site that had a PDF of what looks like an original service manual for J series motors, and it calls out for the dizzy to be Hitachi D413-84. I noticed talk in this thread about Mitsubishi being a secondary use part. Also, I believe Mike said something about a D4**-** part number which would match up to the number provided by the service manual better. So off to search through the spare dizzy box in the shed. This won't be the first mystery Datsun dizzy I've encountered!! Hopefully I'll be able to source the proper one easier, or cross reference another that will work or can be modified to work....Again, anyone with a J series motor shout a part number on your dizzy if you have time and I'll continue to try and learn as much as I can. Thanks all!!

[datzenmike]

Not a J series.

 

 

This is an L series. You were either given the wrong part (maybe from earlier J13?) or that distributor takes the larger on from the latter L20B. Just order a cap for any L20B like '77 S10 200sx.

[Aqualung]

10 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Not a J series.

 

 

This is an L series. You were either given the wrong part (maybe from earlier J13?) or that distributor takes the larger on from the latter L20B. Just order a cap for any L20B like '77 S10 200sx.

I did end up ordering a cap and rotor for a 77 620 and it fit and worked just fine.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

16 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Not a J series.

 

 

This is an L series. You were either given the wrong part (maybe from earlier J13?) or that distributor takes the larger on from the latter L20B. Just order a cap for any L20B like '77 S10 200sx.

That was my point about it maybe being a newer distributor. Like Ford flathead V8s, when an engine is adopted for use in machinery, that tends to happen years after the engine was first used for on the road use. And newer accessories, like carbs, distributors, alternators, etc are often used.

 

My own forklift has a 1200cc Mitsubishi motor, which was installed in road cars in the late 70s and early 80s, but the distributor on it is a much newer model.

[Beer Snob]

So I'm trying to stay on one thread hear but I did see another discussing swapping out drive gears and running L series dizzy's on the E1/J series motors. So I got all excited, got out my box of dizzy's and started tinkering. It appeared the housing length/diameter and so on was the same on the dizzy I harvested out of an A motor and also on the matchbox L series dizzy's. HOWEVER to my dismay when I punched out the roll pin and began removing the drive gear from the A motor dizzy, and the Coupler on the L series dizzy, I was surprised to find the roll pin diameter on the mystery dizzy that was in my J15 to me larger!?! It also appears to have a shaft that protrudes about 3/16 of an inch farther past the drive mechanism. I assume the longer shaft length would act in a similar way that a pilot bearing does on a trans. shaft. This makes sense to me in that L series basically uses a coupler to drive off the oil pump, and A series a gear to drive off (don't know really camshaft?) but the E/J series although also connects to the oil pump as well uses a keyed type of drive. (Still working on pics, sorry).  Anyway, if I can't figure out any info on the existing dizzy I'll give up and buy something else, as even if the shorter shaft wasn't an issue the fact that roll pin in the drive gear is bigger, I'd have to drill out the L series pin hole and now this seems to be going down a rabbit hole. I'm to point where I'm not in desperate need of help as info in many posts here give me a road forward, but do enjoy problem solving, as well as the knowledge gained in these adventures. Anyone want to weight in? 🤔

[Beer Snob]

Almost forgot, Datzenmike mentioned the L16 dizzy ran a smaller cap so I'm going to look into could it be that is all I need for my mystery dizzy?? Fingers crossed✌️