1970 Datsun 521(A frank'n truck)

[wayno]

So, several years ago I bought this for $200/$300, I cannot remember which price I payed, back then I planned to drop the cab onto a 720 frame, or use it for kingcab parts, well it's going to be a driver, this is what I towed home.


The tear down.


This is how it has been stored for a severl years now.



So I bought this running wrecked truck recently, and I decided I needed to start getting these stored vehicles out of storage and running.

I moved the wrecked one in the garage and started the tear down.


All gone

[wayno]

So I dropped the 521 cab onto the frame.

I removed the 521 wiring harness, and installed the 1985 720 harness this morning, it took a while to put this gasser harness in the truck(engine compartment only, will do the cab tomorrow), way more shit than a diesel harness.
Since it is going on a disc brake frame, I also made a power brake setup.


The pedestal and clutch master in position, I did it a little different this time, I kept the clutch master separate from the brake master pedestal.

The passenger side.


The steering column shaft down there.

[wayno]

Since this engine has a weber on it, I am wondering if the ECU is even being used anymore?
Am I able to delete this canister?

[DRIVEN]

Probably no need for the ECM. If you can conceal the canister, I'd keep it. Helps smelly Datsuns be a little less smelly.

[Ni10]

^^ agree with Driven. On the 78/79 620's the canisters are located on the driver side attached to the radiator support, should be room on the 521 to mount it there also.

and thanks for starting a project thread. Maybe it will help others to get motivated to post their projects.

reminder: Ni10 needs to get on his project's.

[izzo]

Jeez man. That escalated quickly. That 521 looks super straight.

You should be able to get away without using the ECU. There are a lot of naps motors being used in rigs without it. From what I understood it was used for some of the sensors the 720s had, along with the feedback from the carb etc. But this is running a weber anyways.

[wayno]

It happened fast after I received the titles to both of them, then I went at it as I have some time at the moment.

Jeez man. That escalated quickly. That 521 looks super straight.

You should be able to get away without using the ECU. There are a lot of naps motors being used in rigs without it. From what I understood it was used for some of the sensors the 720s had, along with the feedback from the carb etc. But this is running a weber anyways.

[wayno]

This morning I started on the interior wiring harness, this is where I started, wiring on the floor boards.


So I mounted the fuse block, and worked towards the passenger side.


I also set up the throttle cable.

And the gas pedal, I used the 720 pedal, but I used the 521 mount bracket, I also mounted the 720 e-brake lever, and connected everything, I now have an e-brake.

I went to the auto parts store, bought a brake line for the driverside, all I have left is to bleed the brakes.
I put a 521 radiator in it, and the lower napZ hose worked fine, I trimmed it a little for a better fit, the battery tray gets in the way.

I also found this hose in my hose box/container in the shed, with a little trimming, it works great.

I saved that canister, I would have deleted it, but it has so many hoses, so I drilled the spot welds out of the original holder, then mounted the actual canister mount on the back of the headlight sheet metal, it turned out great, all I have to do now is pipe that one hose to the vent line going back to the tank.

Tomorrow I plan to bleed the brakes, pipe everything I need to that is left, connect all the grounds in the wiring harness, mount the shifter plate and then the shift lever, and I believe I might be able to start it, we will see if that happens.
I also need to either get a new carrier bearing rubber piece, or fab something up to keep it from moving around when I decide to move it.

[K_trip]

Looking Good

[izzo]

I have always yanked all the emissions shit off the 720s, every single one. I haven't had any issues with smelly in the cab from it. on anything else I have. Maybe cuz the 720s still all had decent carpet, rubber etc. my 1980 720 stank like a bitch. no carpet, no rubber no nothing. holes in the firewall. It really wasn't bad, but not great. I suspect if you treat this thing to decent padding, carpet, block off the unused holes etc it'd be fine.

[MicroMachinery]

Wow! Sweet project. This thing running yet?

[wayno]

IT'S ALIVE!!!

I just got threw starting and running it up till it was warm, it seems to run good, but I had an issue, it was not charging, so I kept looking for wires I might have forgot to hook up/plug in, but I couldn't find any, so I kept looking at that plug that was supposed to be connected to the stock carb and trying to figure out if I connected the auto choke to the wrong wire in that plug.

Well I gave up on that, and started at the beginning, I started with the fusible links, and I checked for power on all 5 of them, well it turned out that one didn't have power, and it didn't have power because I plugged in the fusible link plug in upside down, so that wire wasn't getting power.
I guess it's always something to do with fusible links on these trucks, what hilarious is that main plug can actually be put on upside down.
Here is the offending plug.

What is this plug supposed to go to?

Would it be better to put the stock carb back on so that the ECU is operational again?
Does the weber have more power than the stock carb?
Here is the engine bay as of now.

[wayno]

I edited the previous post, and I asked a couple questions that were not there before, plus I posted photos.

[wayno]

So what I actually did today was bleed the clutch and brake systems after I finished piping them, I connected the rear harness, I plugged in the stock 720 instrument cluster, closed the water system so there were no leaks, connected all the grounds.
I put this in-line fuse in because someone had jury rigged a wire in the fusible link harness.

When I turn on the key, I can feel the electric fuel pump running, not sure I like that.
I think I am going to redo the body mounts, the cab sits to high off the frame.

[izzo]

You will have better luck with that weber. The stock carbs are OK when they work, when they don't they are great door stops. You will have more power with that weber. I was able to get excellent gas mileage in my old ST with weber carb.

[DRIVEN]

Wayno, are you a cyborg or something? I can't believe you made 2 parts trucks into a runner in such short time. Truly amazing.

I have always yanked all the emissions shit off the 720s, every single one. I haven't had any issues with smelly in the cab from it. on anything else I have. Maybe cuz the 720s still all had decent carpet, rubber etc. my 1980 720 stank like a bitch. no carpet, no rubber no nothing. holes in the firewall. It really wasn't bad, but not great. I suspect if you treat this thing to decent padding, carpet, block off the unused holes etc it'd be fine.

I was refering to when you park them inside the garage and later smell gas. Most noticeable with temperature change. That's what the canister's purpose is. All my Datsuns have been smelly that way. I need to add a canister to my wagon before next summer. It'll live under the back next to the tank.

[wayno]

It's not even close to the road yet, it has no dash, interior, instruments, any external lights at all, no box, no carrier bearing, it needs tires also.
I am plugging away at it, I figured it would take a month after I received the titles to get it on the road.
Tomorrow I will work on the heater, I will find a core for it, then pipe it, then I will likely install the dash, and then start on the lights, I will need the lights working to set up the instrument cluster.

[izzo]

Wayno, are you a cyborg or something? I can't believe you made 2 parts trucks into a runner in such short time. Truly amazing.

I have always yanked all the emissions shit off the 720s, every single one. I haven't had any issues with smelly in the cab from it. on anything else I have. Maybe cuz the 720s still all had decent carpet, rubber etc. my 1980 720 stank like a bitch. no carpet, no rubber no nothing. holes in the firewall. It really wasn't bad, but not great. I suspect if you treat this thing to decent padding, carpet, block off the unused holes etc it'd be fine.

I was refering to when you park them inside the garage and later smell gas. Most noticeable with temperature change. That's what the canister's purpose is. All my Datsuns have been smelly that way. I need to add a canister to my wagon before next summer. It'll live under the back next to the tank.

Hmm. I smell gas outside the truck by the tank on my current daily, but I know the hoses need replaced

[MicroMachinery]

What is this plug supposed to go to?

On mine, that looks like the plug that goes to the EI Dizzy matchbox.. but that couldn't be right if yours is running..

[wayno]

What is this plug supposed to go to?

On mine, that looks like the plug that goes to the EI Dizzy matchbox.. but that couldn't be right if yours is running..

It seems to be part of the carb harness on the passenger side, that plug below it with one wire coming out of it going to the auto choke was likely for the stock carb also.
I need to find a 1985 Nissan wiring diagram, I have looked a few times, but have been unable to find a readable one on the internet, I have a diesel one on the wall of my dining room, it's about 4X8 feet big, I can read that one, but it's for a diesel, it has no carb wiring.
I sure am enjoying not working right now, just hanging around here working on the truck when I feel like it, it's going to suck when I have to start working again.