Need recommendation Datsun/Nissan Diesel Mechanic in SoCal

[ventureforth]

Subject kind of says it all. Anyone have a diesel mechanic in Southern California that they trust and would recommend?

Thanks,

Trip

[TheDieseliminator]

Trip, I would have to say that Philip here on the board would probably be the best Datsun/Nissan diesel mechanic for the 720 pickups. Given he is the moderator of this message forum and lives in southern California, I'd consider giving him a visit with any problems/issues you may have. I know I would, but I live in Pennsylvania (haha). I consider him very informative and knowledgeable on everything SD2x oriented and he's proven it over at the 720 pickup owner's group. Philip, what do you think? Just thought I would refer you as you may be close to Trip.

Salvy

[philip]

Subject kind of says it all. Anyone have a diesel mechanic in Southern California that they trust and would recommend?

Thanks,

Trip

Trip ... what is it that you need to have done, specifically? I'm not in the diesel repair business but I can make a shop recommendation if your question is engine related and you are not inclined to perform the work yourself for any reason.

Welcome to the forum

[ventureforth]

Thanks to both of you for the reply.


Philip,
What I'm specifically looking to do is swap a diesel into a 510...if it's even plausible...and then convert it to SVO/WVO using an Elsbett system (most likely). Both of these are things that I am not inclined nor set up to do.

Any recommendations and guidance would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Trip

[philip]

Thanks to both of you for the reply.


Philip,
What I'm specifically looking to do is swap a diesel into a 510...if it's even plausible...and then convert it to SVO/WVO using an Elsbett system (most likely). Both of these are things that I am not inclined nor set up to do.

Any recommendations and guidance would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Trip

Whew! A Datsun 510 sedan. Those little cars are a cult car (collectable) in their own right.

ONE thing straight away; you will NEED to be an involved mechanic and diesel diagnostician ... to say nothing of acquiring a chemist's understanding of such a complex alternative fuel science project. As 'they' say, this will not be a "transparent" conversion.

Next, whatever diesel engine you choose, consider the overall weight increase, especially in such a small, light weight car. Springs, ball joints, frame ... all will be adversely affected by a substantial engine weight increase (ie, 100+ lbs more than the original gasoline engine). My guess is the 510 is a unitized body construction (no frame or at best, only a sub frame under the engine).

[ventureforth]

Actually, the project car I'm thinking of is a 510 Wagon. I don't know how much difference that makes as far as some of the things you mentioned.

As far as the engine, some people have mentioned that there was a LD20 diesel variant that may or may not have ever been available in the States, officially, but that can be found with enough searching. I don't have any specs on it, at the moment. There was mention of it on these forums, actually. Here: http://nissandiesel.dyndns.org/viewtopi ... hlight=510

Of course, there are other light diesels out there that were available here. Toyota, VW, and a few others. However, my hope is that I can use a Nissan diesel for this project. I'd like to keep it in the family, you know?

Of course, I understand this isn't a basic project and might not even make sense. Might be better off just going with a VW (Rabbit, Quantum, etc.) or a Peugeot or a Toyota or even a Maxima wagon, all of which come diesel-ready. I guess I'm just fond of the 510s and think it would make a great project if not too ridiculous and expensive.

Were there any shops that you could recommend I speak to about all of this?

Thanks, again, for all of your help.

[philip]

SNIP
As far as the engine, some people have mentioned that there was a LD20 diesel variant that may or may not have ever been available in the States, officially, but that can be found with enough searching. SNIP

Of course, there are other light diesels out there that were available here. Toyota, VW, and a few others. However, my hope is that I can use a Nissan diesel for this project. I'd like to keep it in the family, you know? SNIP

Were there any shops that you could recommend I speak to about all of this?

I have driven past numerous 'used import engine', 'used Japanese engine', 'imported Japanese engine' shops from Los Angeles to San Bernardino. These are shops with inventory and people knowledgable in what bolts up to what (transmission/engine) and in which years. No names off the top of my head... sorry.

Having said that, there is LABOR to get someone to do all the cutting, welding, and fitting involved in one of these "repower" projects. It's not unusual for a shop to charge $75 per hour.

[asavage]

I could see $3-10k plus in this really easily, having someone else do the work. If you can afford that, you can also afford a turn-key diesel too. Not to dissuade, but personally I couldn't even *think* about having someone repower one of my cars.

Trip, if you are interested in the LD20IIT, a fellow with the handle of "mrzxmiles" that has posted in another place, that he has put an LD20IIT into a 4x4. Don't blame me if that URL doesn't work, MSN can't keep their URLs straight for two months at a time. I think he lives in the San Diego area. Right now, he's driving it through South America, I think, so don't expect lightning email response, but he's a resource you may be able to tap.

Let's talk transmissions. AFAICT, the SD2x never was supplied with an AT, in the US or anywhere else, though "anywhere else" encompasses a lot of unknown territory. For automotive use, you can only bolt it up to one manual transmission, and that's the one that came behind it in the 720 PU, and it's the FS5W71. It should fit just fine in the 510 Wagon. Some fabrication wil be required of course. With enough money, you can have a bellhousing adapter machined to mate the SD block to anything you want, but add $1500-plus for that.

If you want to use the SD2x and want an AT, there's a loophole. The SD2x didn't come with an AT, but its big brother the SD33(T) did, from 1976-80 in a couple of International Harvester vehicles, primarily the Scout (but also the Traveller and Terra models, I believe). This transmission is a Chrysler 727 (or maybe a 904, I don't know) three-speed with no overdrive and no lockup torque converter, so it's going to be a pig, but it is the only AT option that is a bolt-up to the SD block AFAIK.

Now, if you can find an LD20, you have a lot more choices available. Any trans that will bolt up the L-series engine should work behind the LD20, and at least three automatic trans' as well (Jatco 3N71B, L3N71B, L4N71B).

The 510 was available with a Borg Warner Type 35 AT (I had a '71 Wagon with one, and I loved it), but that is a much smaller trans than the Jatco units. Tunnel mods are probably necessary to get one of them to fit.

However, you may be able to bolt the LD20 up to the BW 35. No OD and no lockup again, but also no tunnel mods and no rear crossmember fabrication (and no custom speedo cable, no mod to the parking brake system, etc.).

Anyway, some thoughts off the top of my head, FWIW.

[ventureforth]

Thanks to all for your continued feedback on all of this. I will check out the links and contact people you have mentioned. It does seem like the more prudent thing to do for now is to go with a turn-key diesel of some sort for this initial experient. If time and money allow in the future, I'm sure there will still be 510s around and engines to fill them. Still, I will continue my research just for the fun of it. A day isn't wasted if you learn something new.

Cheers,

Trip

[philip]

SNIP It does seem like the more prudent thing to do for now is to go with a turn-key diesel of some sort for this initial experient. SNIP

Oh one other little matter. I may get some flack from better informed readers but the jist is accurate enough. Your "turn-key" candidate for any of these alternative fuel experiments really needs to have an "inline" injection pump. The electronic super high pressure "rail" type injection and to a lesser degree, engines equipped with a "rotary" injection pump do not tolerate straight veggie fuels as well.

[asavage]

The Elsbett kit has been put on a few thousand VW engines with the VE IP, so that's being done. I don't like WVO/SVO for any diesel, but though the inline IPs seem to be able to pump tar (MB, SD22), the distributor IPs are also being used for non-transesterified oils. I would not, under any circumstances, recommend doing SVO/WVO on a rig that uses a Stanadyne DB series IP.

Maybe an Isuzu I-Mark? Or a Peugeot? Trip, take a look at this list.

[philip]

SNIP I would not, under any circumstances, recommend doing SVO/WVO on a rig that uses a Stanadyne DB series IP. SNIP

The new generation DB injection pumps are of the rotary design.

[asavage]

The new generation DB injection pumps are of the rotary design.

So was the old generation, used on (GM 5.7/6.2/6.5l, Ford/IH 6.9/7.3l non-powerstroke).

[philip]

Actually, the project car I'm thinking of is a 510 Wagon. I don't know how much difference that makes as far as some of the things you mentioned. SNIP

Were there any shops that you could recommend I speak to about all of this?

For used imported Japanese engine/trans, you might check with these folks. They are one of many such companies around the southland.

[neilm]

Actually, the project car I'm thinking of is a 510 Wagon. I don't know how much difference that makes as far as some of the things you mentioned.

Of course, there are other light diesels out there that were available here. Toyota, VW, and a few others. However, my hope is that I can use a Nissan diesel for this project. I'd like to keep it in the family, you know?

Thanks, again, for all of your help.

There were a couple of companies adapting VW diesels to Suzuki Samurais. Acme (no joke) I think, was one, in Oregon

Neil