New Truck - '71 521

[datzenmike]

Shoe travel = pedal travel. Adjust ALL shoes so they are just rubbing the drums. Stab the pedal several times to self center the sliding adjusters and check again and adjust again if needed. On the rears loosen off the emergency brake cable adjustment and tighten it back up only when finished. Properly adjusted will often remove a soft pedal feeling.

[Slow Loris]

2 hours ago, andyZ00m said:

On my truck, both front wheels have the wheel on the front,

 

Yeah mine too I think you’re good. But if the rears aren’t adjusted you’ve got nothin. I think opposed to the manual guidance, with new shoes I back off like 7 clicks from so-tight-the-wheel-is-difficult-to-spin-with-one-arm and that’s pretty good braking performance. Make sure your adjuster is greasy enough in the slot to slide a little when you push on it before adjusting the star wheel, then it will center itself. 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Slow Loris

[andyZ00m]

I get it. The adjuster housing moves automatically after you open the hole to adjust the adjustment wheel. In all the manuals there was no mention of this. Just assumed...

 

Thanks for the advice. I think the adjuster housing does need more grease as its not moving easily enough to self adjust.

 

Friday I will properly bleed the lines and then attempt adjustment again.

 

Thanks dudes!

[mainer311]

Just install disc brakes and avoid all of this. It’s the single biggest upgrade on these trucks for both drivability and safety.

[datzenmike]

The adjuster is free to slide in that slot, but it's tight and mustn't be loose and rattly. When adjusting the shoes out to contact the drum, one shoe is almost certain to contact first and give the impression that they are adjusted so pressing the brake pedal will force the adjuster to slide sideways and center itself. Then adjust some more and center it again. This in the end, will bring both shoes close to the drum surface.

 

Do you have a picture of your shoes installed? Some shoe sets have the lining clocked around differently on them. Two pair with one each per side called a leading and trailing shoe. It's easy to miss and put two leading on one side and the trailing on the other or simply reverse the leading and trailing shoes. These lining off sets take advantage of vehicle motion to help pull the shoes into contact with the drum providing extra free braking for the effort. Having them reversed the truck will stop better reversing. If wrong on one side the brakes will pull slightly to the other

 

If the shoes lining positions are absolutely identical this won't matter.

 

These are the shoes for my 710 and if you look the linings are differently placed and if these were installed they would stop better if the wheel were traveling to the right.

[andyZ00m]

6 hours ago, datzenmike said:

The adjuster is free to slide in that slot, but it's tight and mustn't be loose and rattly. When adjusting the shoes out to contact the drum, one shoe is almost certain to contact first and give the impression that they are adjusted so pressing the brake pedal will force the adjuster to slide sideways and center itself. Then adjust some more and center it again. This in the end, will bring both shoes close to the drum surface.

 

Do you have a picture of your shoes installed? Some shoe sets have the lining clocked around differently on them. Two pair with one each per side called a leading and trailing shoe. It's easy to miss and put two leading on one side and the trailing on the other or simply reverse the leading and trailing shoes. These lining off sets take advantage of vehicle motion to help pull the shoes into contact with the drum providing extra free braking for the effort. Having them reversed the truck will stop better reversing. If wrong on one side the brakes will pull slightly to the other

 

If the shoes lining positions are absolutely identical this won't matter.

 

These are the shoes for my 710 and if you look the linings are differently placed and if these were installed they would stop better if the wheel were traveling to the right.

 

The is a picture of the configuration of the front right brake. I didnt take a photo of the new one installed but this is what I pulled off the car. So the front of the car and the cylinder pin would be to the right.

[datzenmike]

I believe that's correct. Some shoes are all the same.

[andyZ00m]

She looks good with the top off too!! Doing new valve cover gasket and a clean up job. Old cork gasket was pretty stuck on there. Did a scrape and clean. Put the valve cover on my work bench which is incredibly flat and the cover is so flat is created a slight suction when trying to pull off the table. Good shit! I was planning to put some high grit adhesive sandpaper on a piece of plywood to lap this thing is it was warped but its in great shape.

 

Cam looks good and the wear patterns look ok but Im not versed in the nuances of the L16.

 

Realizing I should probably delete this smog garbage when I do the new carb. The stock carb is working well and easily tunable so I think I'll keep it this way for as long as its going. Keep the PCV valve and get rid of the smog stuff seems fairly straightforward though.

 

Damnit I've had a couple beers and I want to drive this fucker! Haha. Happy T day!

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by andyZ00m

[NC85ST]

I thought, in California, you had to have all of the smog equipment or is that only till the vehicle reaches a certain age?

[andyZ00m]

11 minutes ago, NC85ST said:

I thought, in California, you had to have all of the smog equipment or is that only till the vehicle reaches a certain age?

I just registered the truck and they don’t require a smog cert prior to 1976. 🤷‍♂️

I’m saving all the original parts from this thing (even if they are trashed)

[thisismatt]

1 hour ago, NC85ST said:

I thought, in California, you had to have all of the smog equipment or is that only till the vehicle reaches a certain age?

For some time it was pre-'66, then it was a rolling 30 year exemption, then it got changed/locked to '75 and older being exempt and it has been that way since 2004/2005ish.

[datzenmike]

3 hours ago, NC85ST said:

I thought, in California, you had to have all of the smog equipment or is that only till the vehicle reaches a certain age?

 

You are not legally allowed to remove, tamper or alter the original emissions equipment for any year or state. However if '75 or older very unlikely anyone will see it anyway. If you remove put in storage.

[andyZ00m]

Alright, big progress today:

 

Replaced valve cover with new gasket. Seems to sit nicely. We will see if it leaks when I can start it again.

 

 

New fuel filter and fuel lines. I dont think the fuel pump is actually leaking. Will see over the next couple weeks if the oil level is increasing. Going to use a bottle of the tank/carb cleaner stuff my next door neighbor is making me use.

 

 

I found an original Hitachi alternator reman from a guy here in the US who does only alternators and this is a 50 amp from a 78 510 (as someone said earlier with AC). It BARELY fit around the radiator hose but I got it in. Needed a 2" longer belt to accommodate the larger size. Its internally regulated so I did the molex connector and replaced the body ground wire.

 

 

New plugs and wires as im going to do the new dizzy and take out the emissions junk. I have the new dizzy, new HEI, new NGK coil and all the wires. Just want to do that and the emissions removal at the same time. My goal is to go get a Christmas tree in this thing on Sunday...

 

 

Speaking of, I know I need to cap the holes in the intake manifold but the one part Im not sure about is the air hose going to the bottom of the carb.

 

 

Buddies are coming to do brakes with me tomorrow with the bleeder kit.

Edited November 25, 2023 by andyZ00m

[datzenmike]

Take the air pump out and pull the pipes out of the exhaust manifold. Put these in the holes...

 

[andyZ00m]

1 minute ago, datzenmike said:

Take the air pump out and pull the pipes out of the exhaust manifold. Put these in the holes...

 

Yep. There are 6 holes in total. Probably want to replace these hoses too. These seem old af… haha

 

Thanks Mike, I’ve seen you answer this question like 1000 times so I appreciate it. 

[andyZ00m]

Engine runs great but, some things...

 

So new alternator works but when the RPM gets higher than idle the voltage goes up to 15VDC like it should but lights start to pulse. They are nice and bright!

 

Flasher unit blinking faster, etc. My battery is up to 13V after running like it is for a couple minutes...

 

I used this wiring. Any ideas? This unit has internal regulation (or is supposed to), and I have it jumpered correctly (Yellow to white, white/black to white/red).

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by andyZ00m

[andyZ00m]

This alternator has the plug labeled S/L instead of F/N... maybe the t plug is backwards on this guy. I’m reading is stands for “Sense and Light” but don’t know if that’s accurate or what the F/N stand for. 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by andyZ00m

[datzenmike]

F/N is likely the earlier non regulated alternators. S/Ls are internally regulated starting on all '78 Nissans.

[andyZ00m]

32 minutes ago, datzenmike said:

F/N is likely the earlier non regulated alternators. S/Ls are internally regulated starting on all '78 Nissans.

 

Yeah, it is internally regulated. Seems like I have things connected correctly but the lights pulsing and the battery charging more than expected is making me think something is funky.

[thisismatt]

You did the regulator plug incorrectly.  

[thisismatt]

White w/red strip goes to white w/black stripe.  White goes to yellow.

[andyZ00m]

3 minutes ago, thisismatt said:

White w/red strip goes to white w/black stripe.  White goes to yellow.

 

Yeah in the first picture I had it wired incorrectly youre right. There was no charge from the alternator. I rewired it correctly and now the situation is as explained above.

 

[thisismatt]

[thisismatt]

Ok, well, that shouldn't have hurt anything.  S/L would be wired the same way unless it was messed up internally in the alt.  With the engine off, key on, does your IGN light illuminate?

[andyZ00m]

52 minutes ago, thisismatt said:

Ok, well, that shouldn't have hurt anything.  S/L would be wired the same way unless it was messed up internally in the alt.  With the engine off, key on, does your IGN light illuminate?

 

IGN light and OIL light illuminate with key on. Alternator dude said maybe loose belt which is why the light are pulsing but the belt is on there nicely.

Edited November 25, 2023 by andyZ00m