1975 620 Longbed "Shelley"

[Jskinny]

9 hours ago, banzai510(hainz) said:

stock wheels look better

I do like the stock wheels too, just wish they were spaced a bit farther out. I might end up getting a new set of tires if I can convince myself of the cost, would be cool to  switch out wheels every now and then.

[banzai510(hainz)]

I just never liked Turbine wheels. I think they should be at the recycler myself

[EDM620]

On 7/23/2024 at 6:39 PM, Jskinny said:

Got a photo of the center caps? If theyre black

No they are chromed plastic

[Jskinny]

On 7/24/2024 at 8:50 PM, EDM620 said:

No they are chromed plastic

I'll keep them in mind. I'll have to see how the wheels look once theyre mounted  with the tires. I'm not normally a chome guy but for small details like that they might be fine.

[Jskinny]

My brake fluid drained out so I think I only am running with the rear drums.. Need to bleed everything and figure out where it leaked. 

 

Also ordered a new carpet kit which should be here in a few weeks.

[datzenmike]

The way the master is made the front circuit is at the rear so if the back reservoir is dry then yes the fronts are leaking. Use caution the rears are not good for stopping with. Weight shifts to the front and they lock up. Not good on curves or roads with cross fall, the back will come around.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

On 7/24/2024 at 6:04 AM, banzai510(hainz) said:

I just never liked Turbine wheels. I think they should be at the recycler myself

I'm with Hainz. I like steelies with hubcaps. Get some 15" Toyota 4x4 wheels and stick your stock hubcaps on them.

[Jskinny]

On 8/7/2024 at 3:16 PM, datzenmike said:

The way the master is made the front circuit is at the rear so if the back reservoir is dry then yes the fronts are leaking. Use caution the rears are not good for stopping with. Weight shifts to the front and they lock up. Not good on curves or roads with cross fall, the back will come around.

Yeah I haven't driven it much since then.

 

Can I get away with just bleeding the fronts, or should I do all 4? 

[Jskinny]

So we tried bleeding the brakes, drove it to see if they were any better and no luck. Then I thought maybe it's the shoe adjusters but that didn't seem to have much effect. The passenger side front adjuster is seized so I couldn't do anything with that. 

I thought maybe there's a clog in the line somewhere but at some points there was a good amount of fluid coming through when we were bleeding them. 

Not sure what else to try.

@]2eDeYeyou mentioned someone in your last vid, is he in the area?

Kinda just need to get with someone who knows what they're doing, I got a lot to learn.

 

[datzenmike]

The shoes have to be adjusted up close to the drums. If not a lot of pedal travel is used to move them and they feel mushy. Take the adjuster off and heat with torch and spray WD-40 twist with vice-grips. It's just basically a stuck bolt from rusty threads. You can do this.

[]2eDeYe]

8 hours ago, Jskinny said:

So we tried bleeding the brakes, drove it to see if they were any better and no luck. Then I thought maybe it's the shoe adjusters but that didn't seem to have much effect. The passenger side front adjuster is seized so I couldn't do anything with that. 

I thought maybe there's a clog in the line somewhere but at some points there was a good amount of fluid coming through when we were bleeding them. 

Not sure what else to try.

@]2eDeYeyou mentioned someone in your last vid, is he in the area?

Kinda just need to get with someone who knows what they're doing, I got a lot to learn.

 

That was Carlos I mentioned, he is in CA. 

Mike is correct get the adjusters apart and you should be able to adjust them correctly. 

[]2eDeYe]

Did you find the leak?

[datzenmike]

Take note how the adjuster is clipped to the backing plate when removing it. There are several interlocking clips.

 

I've done this with my '78 rears and the B-210 I had which were similar. Clamp in vice and heat and twist with vice grips. Careful not to break the adjuster teeth. Use WD-40 or similar to shock/cool them repeatedly. Get them to wiggle back and forth. Once loose and cleaned coat with an anti-seize compound. Don't ever use a petroleum based oil or grease on any brake components.

 

Raise and spin the tire by hand while adjusting till they rub. Apply the brakes several times to center the adjuster which slide in a slot in the backing plate and repeat the adjustment till no change. Do all four corners. Loosen the emergency brake before doing the rears. All the slack in all the wheel cylinders add up to a large amount of pedal travel. You might want to adjust every 6 months for best braking performance. Don't forget to set the emergency brake for three clicks. I like more like 5-6 clicks, seems like the leverage is easier as the lever extends.

 

When bleeding don't forget the NLSV (Nissan Load Sensing Valve) on the inside of the passenger side frame rail.

[Jskinny]

I adjusted the drivers side star nut/adjuster probably between 10 and 15 clicks outward (if you're looking at the backing plate from the engine side the star nut would be rotating down) and it didnt seem to have an effect. Brake pedal would be fully depressed and I could still easily turn the drum. Maybe they are just way off? I'm just wondering why all of a sudden they're that far out if that is indeed the case. 

 

1 hour ago, ]2eDeYe said:

Did you find the leak?

I filled up the reservoir back when I noticed it was empty and the level stayed the same until yesterday. Didn't see any leaks from the master cylinder or from the wheel cylinders, so I don't know where the leak is (or was, is that a thing where maybe something is in the lines and it plugs the leak again?). 

 

I'm going to see if I can get a bottle torch and pull the seized adjuster off to get it re lubed. I have a blue antisieze grease compound I used to put on the hub and non-beaking surfaces, I assume that can be used? I also have lithium grease but not sure if that would be good for this.

 

55 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

 

When bleeding don't forget the NLSV (Nissan Load Sensing Valve) on the inside of the passenger side frame rail.

I've seen some talk on this before, haven't specifically looked for it on my truck but I definitely could have missed it. Would this affect things if I adjust all 4 wheels? Or would it compensate to always make sure the fronts lock just before the rears?

[Jskinny]

1 hour ago, ]2eDeYe said:

That was Carlos I mentioned, he is in CA. 

Mike is correct get the adjusters apart and you should be able to adjust them correctly. 

Ah got it. I'd like to find a good shop up here that at least works on older vehicles, but ideally is familiar with Datsuns. Just in case I get stuck on something someone who can properly diagnose. 

[]2eDeYe]

5 minutes ago, Jskinny said:

I adjusted the drivers side star nut/adjuster probably between 10 and 15 clicks outward (if you're looking at the backing plate from the engine side the star nut would be rotating down) and it didnt seem to have an effect. Brake pedal would be fully depressed and I could still easily turn the drum. Maybe they are just way off? I'm just wondering why all of a sudden they're that far out if that is indeed the case. 

The brakes should lightly drag on the drum when adjusted correctly.
 

I filled up the reservoir back when I noticed it was empty and the level stayed the same until yesterday. Didn't see any leaks from the master cylinder or from the wheel cylinders, so I don't know where the leak is (or was, is that a thing where maybe something is in the lines and it plugs the leak again?). 

Possible, but usually a leak is a leak. Rusted lines and cylinder seals are usually the culprit. 
 

I'm going to see if I can get a bottle torch and pull the seized adjuster off to get it re lubed. I have a blue antisieze grease compound I used to put on the hub and non-beaking surfaces, I assume that can be used? I also have lithium grease but not sure if that would be good for this.

Anything is better than nothing.

 

I've seen some talk on this before, haven't specifically looked for it on my truck but I definitely could have missed it. Would this affect things if I adjust all 4 wheels? Or would it compensate to always make sure the fronts lock just before the rears?

It is on the passenger side frame rail just under the floor there. 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

How old are the brake hoses? They have been known to swell inside closing off the inner cavity of the hose. They are almost impossible to diagnose, because bleeding produces flow, yet they are a restriction in the system.

[Jskinny]

11 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

How old are the brake hoses? They have been known to swell inside closing off the inner cavity of the hose. They are almost impossible to diagnose, because bleeding produces flow, yet they are a restriction in the system.

Interesting... I'd say hoses are new though, less than 2 years old. 

[Jskinny]

Do I need to bleed the nlsv? Or just be aware of it when bleeding stuff?

[]2eDeYe]

If there is air in the system is is a good idea to bleed it. 

[datzenmike]

34 minutes ago, Jskinny said:

Do I need to bleed the nlsv? Or just be aware of it when bleeding stuff?

 

 Uhhh I just checked and it was the '76 and up 620s that had the load sensor, but check anyway. Many think if built in '76 it's a '76 but the new '77 year models are built starting in August '76.

[Jskinny]

Huh yeah I'll have to check. I feel like 75 was a weird year, first year for emissions stuff, but kingpins and no disc brakes etc until 78 I believe?

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

If the brake system was open, you need to bleed all corners. If it has a LSV, then yes. They can really mess things up.

 

I actually prefer to delete them in favor of a manually adjusting prop valve, like one from Wilwood.

 

Basic brake bleeding checklist -

1 - master is adjusted at pedal

2 - drums/shoes are adjusted

3 - all lines are free of junk (blow out if necessary)(this is for a vehicle that has sat inoperable for a long time)

4 - all bleeders are free and clear of debris

 

 

Once all this is checked off, I'll fill the system with fluid and open the bleeders and let it sit for a few minutes and watch for drips. (I attach clear hoses and let them drip into old coffee cans which I wire up to the frame). Once fluid is moving, I will close them and pump the pedal, really slowly a few times, just to get fluid cycling in the master. Then I start the bleeding process. If not much is happening, I may bleed the master by cracking a fitting, and then resume the bleeding.

 

I stay away from pressure bleeders. They only really work to get the system filled with fluid and aren't that great at getting the air out. Unless...you bleed from the bottom up.

 

If I still can't get a good feel, I'll pull the park brake on a click or two and try again.

[datzenmike]

2 hours ago, Jskinny said:

Huh yeah I'll have to check. I feel like 75 was a weird year, first year for emissions stuff, but kingpins and no disc brakes etc until 78 I believe?

 

They all had PCVs starting in '62. All 620s had air pumps and a form of gas tank vapor recovery. Earlier '74s had ERG, Boost Controlled Deceleration Device BCDD and Air Temp Control ATC so there was a lot going on prior to '75 as far as trying to mitigate emissions.

[Jskinny]

Pulled the adjuster off, hit it with a torch a few times, and was able to unscrew it and put some anti seize stuff inside. Just have to figure out how to put it back on the back plate - the drum springs are annoying to put back.... or maybe I just have to do it the right way and pull the shoes off.