Redemption? flatcat's 521

[Laecaon]

Everything on the body of a 521 is SAE. Engine and other things shared with other models are metric. Everything else SAE normally, like lug nuts.

[wayno]

I have a question for you, since you say you have the L16 in it, does the thermostat you have for it have a hole in it for the water to bypass the thermostat?
L16 engines have no bypass hose for the thermostat housing, so the thermostat itself has a hole in it to let the water thru, otherwise the head water will get super hot, yet the water in the thermostat housing itself(outside the head) will be a lot cooler, I have had my LZ23 over heat because I used an L16 thermostat housing, I was trying to clean up the engine bay a little, big mistake, the water temperature was all over the place, it would get really hot, then really cool, finally it overheated while I was going about 40mph near Battleground, I put the L20b thermostat housing back on it with the bypass hose, have not had an issue since.
BTW, I have been running an L16 radiator in my 521 work truck with an LZ23 for a while now, that radiator is big enough to keep that truck/engine cool, even though it's a way bigger engine than the truck was made for.

[flatcat19]

Jacob...the bolts are now 8x1.25. Turning Japanese, one bolt at a time.


Wayno...the stat that they gave me only has a jiggle valve. Should I drill another hole?
I'm gonna compare the t-stat housing from the 620 and the 521 tomorrow. May have to make some upgrades.


The radiator I have appears to be in great shape. Appears. Like I said, we'll see what happens when I get the stat in.
Going to do the clutch master and slave tomorrow too.

Hopefully I'll have the chance to put in a decent test drive tomorrow night/Thursday.

[wayno]

I don't know if the Jiggle valve is enough, maybe that is all the L16 used as a bypass, if so then it should be enough, the reason for the hole is so the hot water in the head can get out of the head to the thermostat to warm it enough to open, the L20b has a bypass hose that lets a lot of water bypass the thermostat, while the L16 had some kind of hole in the thermostat itself.
Seems like I should be asking you the questions, not the other way around, you work on cars for a living, but you likely work on new cars.
Every car I ever drove without a thermostat was an ice chest, and the defroster was useless, I never had one overheat while being driven, but I didn't drive one for long without a thermostat, I like being warm and being able to see out of the windshield when I am driving.

[flatcat19]

New cars, yes.

When I owned this truck before I used to drive it in the winters. And it gets cold here. Always had heat.
I drove the 521 to work last Tuesday. Freezing inside.

In my world, if a car did not have a thermostat the ECM would never read full operating temp causing the car to stay in closed loop/cold running functions i.e. running rich. Probably lots of other things won't work fully. Heater/AC being my first biggest guess.
Also, most newer cars have more than one coolant temp sensor. Some have 2 or more thermostats.

Who knows? Like I said, I've been reading a lot of 50/50 comments all over the web about running a stat.
Most of the threads I have read are all about cars with computers and EFI.

I stumbled into a corvette thread though that was very adamant about overheating/cracking heads.
I'll listen to Corvette owners. They're anal pricks.

:crossed-fingers:

[flatcat19]

I'll be brutally honest also.

I'm actually still really new to all this old car stuff. Been doing new cars too long.

And this 521, again, is my first true hands on learning experience when it comes to the old stuff.
Obviously I've been reading for a long time-but I'm still so newb.

I can answer many questions across the forums-only because I have read it. Not because I have the experience.
General mechanical? Sure. That's how I feed my fat belly. Remembering procedures? Way of the walk.
Holding my own when it's time to get the hands dirty with my Datsun? We'll see.

Funny, we're 3 pages in on this thread and I have shown more work for this 521 then I ever got completed to the 210.
OK. Not so funny. I suck. But I'm trying to make up for it now.

[DRIVEN]

^^^Honest honesty^^^.


I'm going to take this opportunity to give you a concise non-answer on your thermostat dilemma. It all depends on the combination and condition of the parts. Yes, leaving out a thermostat can cause overheating. It can also cause cold-run conditions. On my frankenmutt, I had to relocate my thermostat from the back of the water pump to the rear of the head. I played with different temps and even just ran a fixed orifice in a flat disc. Then I got sidetracked so it hasn't had anything for at least a year. It runs cool enough that I cover 3/4 of the radiator in the fall/winter and it never overheats in the summer. But that's just my situation.
If I had your combo, I'd opt to use a thermostat. The jiggle valve is probably sufficient but an extra drilled 1/8" hole wouldn't hurt a bit.















...and seriously, sell me those hubcaps.

[flatcat19]

I don't want to repeat what I already typed out-I'm pretty upset right now.


http://community.ratsun.net/topic/66135 ... ?p=1241433

[wayno]

Well I was expecting with the way you worded it to read about a fire, your 521 burning up in the driveway.
These trucks are old, shit happens, I had a 1979 MustangII(the Pintang) that was driven down the hanggliding hill by someone else, I then got a call on the radio about smoke coming out from under the hood, I flew down as fast as I could and landed, then ran to the car and disconnected the battery, the wiring was so brittle in between the back of the head and the firewall it had cracked and started arcing causing a fire, I was lucky the whole car didn't burn up, I had to re-wire the car that night in the dark with wires I could cut out of the existing harness that I didn't need to get it operational again, I was 130 miles from home, and all I had was duct tape and a knife.
For now just take the time and splice in new wires, there cannot be more than 10 of them, and they are color coded, so you will know what belongs to what, just disconnect the battery before doing the work.

[flatcat19]

Well I was expecting with the way you worded it to read about a fire, your 521 burning up in the driveway.
These trucks are old, shit happens, I had a 1979 MustangII(the Pintang) that was driven down the hanggliding hill by someone else, I then got a call on the radio about smoke coming out from under the hood, I flew down as fast as I could and landed, then ran to the car and disconnected the battery, the wiring was so brittle in between the back of the head and the firewall it had cracked and started arcing causing a fire, I was lucky the whole car didn't burn up, I had to re-wire the car that night in the dark with wires I could cut out of the existing harness that I didn't need to get it operational again, I was 130 miles from home, and all I had was duct tape and a knife.
For now just take the time and splice in new wires, there cannot be more than 10 of them, and they are color coded, so you will know what belongs to what, just disconnect the battery before doing the work.

Whatever happened, it happened a long time ago.


I put a WTB ad up here and there for a harness.

Rewirng had crossed my mind. Time is my biggest issue.
We'll see what I can come up with.



How close is the 620 to the 521? Anyone have an idea?
That may be a very possible option.

Tri-Cities first car show of the year is this Saturday. I was really excited to go to it in the 521.



/FML.

[Laecaon]

Eh, I could probably make a quick guide for your to adapt the 620 harness into your truck.

521 headlights are a bit odd. But other than that it should be fairly close...

If you lived closer I would fix your wires.

Also, I havent read any of the large blocks of writing above. Between reading the forum on my phone at work, and the couple of minutes before bed that I read, I tend to skip those.

[flatcat19]

I'm going to compare the 620 and the 521 tomorrow.


Ugh. I really dislike electrical.





Are my hands dirty enough yet?

[flatcat19]

Time for an update...

Ordered some peep mirrors. They have arrived-haven't mounted them.

Denmarkboy sent me a 521 harness. It arrived today-haven't opened the box yet.

Kevin sent me a rear view mirror and turn signal switch.

Had to order a new computer cord. Kids ripped it out of the wall and it split in 2 during the melee.


Arrived at work today to a huge box sitting on my tool box. Note on it saying do not open.
Used car manager found me shortly after I arrived. He said to put the box in my car and to not peak until I got home.
He was having a little bit of an office-cleaning and I was to receive what was in the box.

This box had me curious all day. Get home-open box. BOOM!!!
Contents of said box:
Phoenix Gold XS2300 amp
Rockford Fosgate Punch P300-1 amp
Exile S400.4 amp
Rockford Fosgate Punch PS3 10" sub in truck box
lots of wire; lots of junction blocks

Rad. Now, if only I knew what this shit even was. lulz

[510freak]

Fosgate made some killer amps

[DRIVEN]

The real question is how are you going to make all that fit in a 521 cab?

[510freak]

The real question is how are you going to make all that fit in a 521 cab?

He could make a extra cab like wayno

[DRIVEN]

Datsun owner logic.

[510freak]

Datsun owner logic.

It works

[flatcat19]

I don't want that much stereo. Not at all.

The Phoenix and RF amps are bass amps and the Exile has more going on than I want or need.
I would like to have a small 3 channel and call it done. Aux port to RCA to feed the amp tunes-that's all I need.


Hell. I don't even think the 10" sub will fit in the 521.

[flatcat19]

Thinking about it...

I would like to have a set of 5 1/4"s or 4x6"s in the kick panels and a couple of 8" or a shallow 10" behind/under the seat.

All hidden. Discreet. Radio delete plate in the dash; AUX port, hell-bluetooth, nicely tucked away.


Where is Jacob and his nerdiness when you need him?