New World Datsuns...

G'day Wayno.
Sounds like you're getting closer to the intermittent spark problem.
Process of elimination, you will get there.

I see the heater hose hooked up, looks a little kinked in the pics?
Have you finished work on the heater?

Sure I've seen NOS dist. caps on eBay recently. May have been here in Australia..
Will let you know if I find them again.

Yes it is kinked, but only temporary, I needed to put something there to hold the water in the engine, I need look over the heater box to see if it has a good core, then I will pipe it correctly if good, but everything has to work before I will install it, core with no leaks, fan has to work.
I am hoping the cap was the issue with the hard starting of this engine, seems like every other day I have to fight it to get it started.
I need to find caps, rotors, and wires for an early 62/63 E1 engine, I tried a 64 cap, it doesn't fit, f it was a LHD I would just make a matchbox distributor like mike made for my NL320, but the column is in the way on this RHD vehicle, I have to use the weird caps that the wires come out the side.
That primer lever on this truck is awesome, I could hardly believe how fast it pulled the fuel from the tank.
I might start on the front brakes in the next couple days, it's getting drop arms with disc brakes from the 84 720, but I am keeping all the original parts in case I ever want to put it back to stock, it has nothing up front right now.
I am not sure if all the brake parts are in the boxes I got with this truck, I have found several sets of brake shoes though.

Both my 320's have plug leads that come out the side..
Maybe that's because they are both obviously, RHD and the column is in the way.

I just assumed all 320 caps were wired the same. (same as fuel pump primer)
Just found a few caps for sale with the side wiring on eBay.
They are not quite the same as the ones I have fitted.
Can send links if needed.

SS320 wrote:Both my 320's have plug leads that come out the side..
Maybe that's because they are both obviously, RHD and the column is in the way.

I just assumed all 320 caps were wired the same. (same as fuel pump primer)
Just found a few caps for sale with the side wiring on eBay.
They are not quite the same as the ones I have fitted.
Can send links if needed.

I have one of these caps, it doesn't fit, please send me to the links your talking about, thankyou.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Datsun-22162 ... d3c&_uhb=1

I couldn't remember the code for the caps but did remember they looked like the Morris caps.
So I looked up Morris distributor caps on eBay.
The part code is LU-420.

Here is a link, there are quite a few on eBay.
These look just like the ones I have fitted to both my 320's, but unsure of exact size.
Maybe you could contact one of the sellers and ask for dimensions.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Standard-LU- ... 1e87e0d0c2

SS320 wrote:I couldn't remember the code for the caps but did remember they looked like the Morris caps.
So I looked up Morris distributor caps on eBay.
The part code is LU-420.

Here is a link, there are quite a few on eBay.
These look just like the ones I have fitted to both my 320's, but unsure of exact size.
Maybe you could contact one of the sellers and ask for dimensions.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Standard-LU- ... 1e87e0d0c2

I will go to the European car parts store tomorrow with that ruined cap I have and see if they have something, thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

You know I'm like a 320 parts bloodhound!

Happy to help another Datsun diehard.
Hope you can get one that fits.

That fuel pump is the bees knees!!!

I know someone that is supposed to have a few sets of tune up kits for these early engines(cap/rotor/points/condenser), but they are sick and moved a few times and cannot find the parts now, I am hoping they can find them and ship them to me, but I have been trying for a while now with no results so far.
I will take the dist. and cap/rotor to the parts store for the European cars tomorrow, see if they have anything with that part number.
I scraped the one off with a flat screwdriver, that seemed to help a lot, the coil wire quit arcing to the cap, and the engine runs again, but the true test will be tomorrow, it's never started without an issue 3 days in a row.
I still am amazed that the fuel pump has that primer lever, and that it worked so well, it was only about 10 pumps and I already had fuel in the filter, but it was a new part, hard to say how long it has been sitting though, but it has worked good so far.
Thankyou again Shane

I worked on the 521KC a little today, every time I stepped on the brake my left indicator light would come on, and when I had the lights on, the left turn signal would not work correctly, I think that the front turn signal/park light ground on the bulb was bad, I took it out, cleaned up the bulb base, put it back in and it seemed to make it better, also on my way over to eagle adams to pick up some shirts I ordered, I had a fuel line crack and start puking fuel, so I cut it off and reconnected it, but it was stretched tight, so I replaced that line with a longer one.
After getting that rig sorted out, I pulled the right front suspension off and replaced it with the set of drop arms Mike K. made for me, then I put the new kingpin spindle assembly on that Mike K. rebuilt for me, it was kinda a pain to put together the lower bushing, I used big O-rings for seals, and getting it centered was a bitch, all I have left to do is put the steering arm on it, and reattach the tierod assembly, then put Mikes disc brake kit on it, I will likely do the other side tomorrow and then order the disc brake parts(rotor/calipers) for it tomorrow also, then I can do the back brakes/leafs and maybe 1 or 2 inch blocks, I will likely figure the blocks out after I put it back on the ground.

This is how far I got today on the right front suspension.

The O-rings I used as seals.

I finished the frontend drop arm modification today, it's all installed, and the hubs are mounted also, just waiting for some info about the disc brake kit, I get confused sometimes about stuff, so I stop to ask before continuing.


So I am waiting for a reply to find out which rotors/calipers I am going to buy, as these are waiting to be installed.

I ordered the brake parts for the front today, should be in tomorrow, but have a job tomorrow, so I might get to putting it together Wednesday, just going to be lazy today I think, save my energy for tomorrow.
I start it everyday now without issues.

Picked these up today, hope everything goes smoothly on installation.

Very nice!

I forgot I have this also, bought it for the 520 project, but the carb was in the way, not going to have that issue on the RHD, the battery is in the way on this one.

Right On!
New parts showing up always puts a smile on my face, just like a kid on Christmas morning

Just had a small setback, they sold me 4X4 rotors instead of 2wd rotors, so I have to wait for the correct rotors now.
They said they will be in this afternoon.

OK, so I got the call that the rotors were in, so I went and picked them up after I finished putting the new rear brake cylinders in that came with the truck, and putting the e-brake cables on I had in my parts box, as the old ones were shot, so I now have an emergency brake that works, and the rear brakes are ready to be piped.
I used an old 320 axle I had out back for parts and reference on where everything was supposed to go.
Then I got to work on the front brakes, I did not entirely understand how to put it together, but I think I figured most of it out, I will ask Mike a couple questions later, so here they are ready to be piped.






I guess that piping the brakes and installing a master brake cylinder and bleeding everything is all I have left to do before it will actually move under it's own power, the wiring is not done, but it will still start, move, and stop once it is piped and bled.
I also found the throttle cable and installed it.
I also received 3 tune up kits from Tana today, I have 3 new distributor caps, rotors, and points and condensers, I also bought two sets of wires, and two new fuel pump diaphragms for the fuel pump to rebuild the old one, and another just in case.

Smells like victory!

Just found this build. Read it from beginning to current, and ran out of reps to give on my way This is great! I love what you're doing here, Wayno. Every bit of it. I'm stoked that you're just about ready to move it under it's own power; hard work pays off. Keep up the good work!

I agree with Adam; that fuel pump primer is the shiz!