My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

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waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#166

Post by waynosworld »

I have been thinking I need a laser temp gun but have not got around to it, they are not that expensive and can be bought at Home Depot, just have not made the effort.
I also thought maybe the thermostat is stuck and cannot open all the way, but removing it before I actually know the temp is way hot is not a good idea, sometimes them bolts/nuts don't come off without breaking, don't fix it if it's not broke.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
Carimbo
Posts: 467
Joined: 18 years ago

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#167

Post by Carimbo »

waynosworld wrote:I have been thinking I need a laser temp gun but have not got around to it, they are not that expensive and can be bought at Home Depot, just have not made the effort.
Currently on sale $20 at Harbor Freight.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#168

Post by waynosworld »

OK, so I bought an infrared thermometer and I tested it on my truck 10 minutes after I shut it down and it showed almost 177 on the top of the radiator tank, the turbocharger exhaust side showed 216.
So where does one point it, do I take the radiator cap off and point it at the water?
Should I point it at the thermostat housing, top, bottom?
I really have never done this before, I tried it on my pool water and it was within 3 degrees of the thermometer in the pool.
I am wondering how one gets an accurate water temp from the outside.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#169

Post by waynosworld »

I did a bunch of stuff the 521KC diesel today, the stuff that you collect parts for but never seem to get around to installing them.
I put all the switches in position on the dash even though they do not function, and I put a good radio delete plate in.
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I also installed my 521 clock, and a few weeks ago I installed a parcel tray.
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I had the window washer plunger in position for years, but I installed the Kangaroo bag and piped it to the newly installed squirter.
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I then installed the diesel pre-filter(strainer).
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I gave it a bath and now am ready for the Blue Lake meet/show tomorrow, the last big Datsun show for all Datsuns this year in the Portland area.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#170

Post by waynosworld »

I drove to Blue Lake and back without a hiccup, it drives great!
I am considering removing the posi/LSD in it, when I go around sharp corners it vibrates because the inside tire is burning out when under load(when giving it the pedal), if I coast around the corner I have no issues, and it rained Sunday on the way over to Blue Lake, the back end got out of control going around the corners several times when I gave it pedal from the roads being oily, it was way nicer without the LSD.
I am on the hunt for a set of H190 3.30 gears.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#171

Post by waynosworld »

I picked up some wood today with this truck, I didn't think there was this much wood there, but the guy kept dragging big limbs over to where I was till I told him to stop, my axle was a half inch from the frame when I got out of there, I took the wrong truck.
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This is what I hauled home yesterday.
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I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
plenzen
Posts: 891
Joined: 16 years ago
Location: Cochrane Alberta Canada

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#172

Post by plenzen »

Retired Pauly
Problem with being retired is that you never get a day off.
1987 D21-J SD25 KC
KJLGD21FN
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#173

Post by waynosworld »

That would be cool to have one, but I don't have the room for it, besides splitting the wood keeps me warm.
Firewood keeps you warm several different ways, I get warm cutting it up, I get warm loading and unloading it, I get warm stacking it, I get warm splitting it, and I also get warm burning it.
When I am offered good fir firewood for free I go get it while the getting is good, this stuff is already seasoned(ready to burn), I feel warm already.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
handcannon
Posts: 58
Joined: 8 years ago

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#174

Post by handcannon »

I agree with what Wayno says. However, for me, heating with firewood is necessary. We live just beyond where natural gas is available, electricity and oil are both too expensive. Also, wood heat is far better than anything else anyway.

I would love to have a set up like that Bobcat cutter/splitter, but money for one definitely isn't available. I currently have oak and Locust to get home. Haven't seen the locust yet, but the majority of the oak will be small trees and limb wood, perfect for burning without having to split.

Don
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#175

Post by waynosworld »

I have ceiling heat, at least I used to, it is very expensive to heat a house that way.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#176

Post by waynosworld »

I took the 521 turbodiesel on a short trip to Carson WA and back today(golfing), it didn't get really hot on the trip there(low 60s) nor on the trip back(mid/high 80s), but I was not going 75mph either, I was driving right around 60/65mph following the traffic in front of me as it was mostly on a 2 lane hiway in the Columbia River Gorge and I didn't pass but one car in a passing zone(hill with 2 lanes going up) and I believe he wanted to let me by as when we hit that hill he slowed way down, and I was not tailgating.
When I pulled in the driveway I popped the hood, the gauge was as high as I had seen and the highest temp I could find with the infrared thermometer was 187.something, the gauge was showing just short of 2/3rds the way up, it's been showing more in the recent past, but it was even hotter than today, and I was pushing 75mph.
I am going to just let this go for now, it should start getting cooler over the next month, and I have other things to work on, it runs and drives great except for the coolant temps and the vibration when starting out because of the LSD, I may change that out in the near future, but I am holding out for 3.30 gears instead of putting in the 3.50 gears I took out when I installed the 3.50 geared LSD/posi.
I can say this without a doubt, I will never daily drive another Datsun/Nissan 720 diesel without a turbocharger again, it's like a different vehicle with the turbocharger, I still don't know what mileage I am getting, but I have the mileage wrote down when I filled it the last time, I will know my mixed freeway/city mileage when I fill it up the next time, I have gone 254 miles on this tank and I still have plenty of fuel left.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
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asavage
Site Admin
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Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
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Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#177

Post by asavage »

So, in conclusion, the problem with loss of power was due to the paper pre-filter?
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#178

Post by waynosworld »

asavage wrote:So, in conclusion, the problem with loss of power was due to the paper pre-filter?
Yes, keeping in mind that it was the nice expensive paper pre-filter that was the issue, the cheap ones worked fine.
This all happened a certain way that made me think I had another issue other than a pre-filter issue, my cheap pre-filter had plugged up on one of my first turbocharger test drives, I changed it on the side of the road replacing it with a smaller cheap filter, this filter didn't last very long(3 tanks as I recall), the last tank being the trip to Hood River OR, the first or second tank being the one to Olympia WA and back, I barely made it home on that 3rd tank and then decided to put a nice filter like the one I had in my first 1982 Datsun 720 diesel with an SD22 engine as the Canby show/meet was the next weekend, so I changed it out and made it nice looking and much easier to access, then the next Saturday I believe I headed out for Canby and made it around 10 miles before having more power loss issues, I turned around and barely made it back home and then changed out the main fuel filter then headed back out again, this time I only made it 5 miles, I changed out the new pre-filter for another new pre-filter on the side of the freeway and then made it to Canby, on the way home I had more power loss issues and the rest is all written down on what I did trying to fix the issue which was the nice expensive paper type pre-filter the whole time.
I now have a strainer type pre-filter, it doesn't likely clean the fuel like the cheap filters, but that is what the main filter is for, I am just trying to filter the fuel before it went thru the lift pump/fuel pump as a friend of mine had issues with that pump getting crap in it and then having to buy a new one because he damaged it pulling it apart to rebuild it.
When I pulled that fuel pump/lift pump lower banjo fitting off the second time and seen that strainer in it was clean compared to the one on my old extra fuel/lift pump, I knew the pre-filter was doing its job, to bad I broke the new one re-installing it, cleaning that strainer would be a real pain on the side of the road.
It runs great now, the only thing I don't like is how hot the coolant temps were getting while trying to figure out the power loss issue, during the power loss issue was when it got real hot around here and it has stayed hot since, yesterday it didn't get that hot, but as I said, I wasn't trying to do 75mph either, have had it get hot in the past but it was when I have been floored or near to floored for extended periods of time trying to do 75/80mph, mostly when going up a grade/hill, recently it was getting up near them temps on level ground when it was hot out(above 90 degrees) and I was trying to do 75/80mph on the freeway.
As I mentioned before, I also found more power during this process, the vent line I have piped to boost now has a "Tee" in it going to a valve in the cab, if I have that valve closed it's like there is no tee in the line, it has lots of power compared to how it was without the turbocharger, but if I open the valve enough or just pull the valve off the hose the truck noticeably has more power, but in certain circumstances with the valve removed or open to far when I am going thru the gears or trying to hold a steady speed the engine starts to surge, if I close the valve a little more(less leak) or pinch the line with my fingers the surging goes away, it has plenty of power with no tee in that vent line, but that power is there to be had, I believe that having that controlled leak in that line lets the injection pump run a little richer, but I have tried running the engine with that line vented to the air and the engine surges real bad like it is running away, that vent line has to be a controlled leak or no leak at all, the 720 turbodiesel has no such tee and has a shitload of torque/power, but that pump has been turned up/messed with and runs richer, at least that is what LarryR told me when I asked him, he is who I bought that diesel engine from, he has a few threads on here about the engine and what he tried after turbocharging it, but I could not drive it the way he had it, it ran way to hot(the EGTs), I would have smoked it, see my 720 thread about that story, it seems that my thing in life is to buy others failures and work on them till they work properly.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#179

Post by waynosworld »

OK, so I filled it up this evening, I drove 257 miles on this tank and used just under 9.3 gallons, that is just over 27.6mpg, keep in mind that only 120 miles was on a 2 lane state freeway going up and down hills in the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side, the rest was city driving, also most likely 99 percent of you guys on here would call me lead footed, very few people pass me normally, I am the one passing people, but if they want to do 90mph and clear the way ahead that is fine with me.
I don't think this is bad for me, I would still like to get a freeway only driving fuel mileage figure, but I don't do a lot of long trips anymore, so it might be a while.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
waynosworld
Posts: 571
Joined: 11 years ago
Location: Vancouver Washington USA

Re: My 1969 Datsun 521 kingcab

#180

Post by waynosworld »

I worked on the box bed today for a little while, I pressure washed it out, then I scraped on it with a scraper for a while, then I blew it out with air, then I covered anything with rust with POR15 which was basically the whole bed floor and spots on the bed sides, if the weather holds I will likely paint it with Rust-oleum flat black(oil based), I have a small paint gun and a regulator.
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I then painted it with Rust-oleum flat black(oil based) like I mentioned above, I did it with a brush and roller, I might apply another coat tomorrow, but it looks decent the way it is also.
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I am sure happy that I turbocharged this truck, it's a pleasure to drive now.
Except for the coolant issue I have no concerns, I may sometime this winter if it continues to run warm pull the radiator out, put it on it's front face and treat it with CLR overnight then rinse it out and see if that helps, otherwise I will need to find a larger radiator.
I sent out 4 exhaust manifolds to be made into turbo exhaust manifolds, he is going to make one first and if everything is good he will do the other 3.
I know the voices are not real,
but they have some really good ideas.
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