poor-mans-720 Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Well I have been looking around for Datsun 720 wheelers, and well there just aren't any... Well I plan on categorizing my build. Either to inspire some to build em, or just for me to have a record. What I started out with was a $300 82 Datsun 720. Not running. Well after some tinkering in the owners drive way, I drove it home. Change out the clutch and have the trans built. It pops outta 5th like no other. I am also going to attempt the $50 paint job. Rustoleum, charcoal grey. Gotta take my time on this one. but, seeing it is always raining or freezing up here in Wa i do not know how it will turn out. all else fails, i am going to retry it in the summer. have plans to lock the rear. A built Z22 SAS, and at least 35" tires. Other than that, just keep it ticking on the miles. I am over 300k on all stock. This is day one photo... Uploaded with ImageShack.us 1 Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 These are some more recent photos... trimmed the front fenders for bigger tires, running 31"x10.5x15 right now, plan on moving up to 33"s pretty soon this is when i sherd the snap ring right off the end of my front axle. Shop quoted me at $300 to fix, i did it for $1 stainless cotter pin and a pack of smokes for my local machinist. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 this is some wheeling photos 1 Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 got a great deal at the local junkyard. over on 128th street.... got all the emblems for the datsun, glovebox, alternator, blower motor, thermostat, tail gate hinges (two sets), shift boot not torn, and a whole bunch of other things for $35 Quote Link to comment
Skulptr Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 finally another wa person. why did you trim your wheel wells? im running 33x10.5 with no changes and your not the only 720 wheeler unfortunately i havent gotten out much, and didnt get many pictures when i did. only had my 720 since july. 1 Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 I know right?? there aren't many of them out there... haha... I want to go up in tire size, but there is no way that something bigger than a 31 was gonna fit in there very well the 31's have already hit when I was wheeling. Do you have your torsion bars turned up?? Quote Link to comment
Skulptr Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 yeah my bars are maxed right now, but im going to reindex them and have uca ball joint spacers machined. i also added a leaf in the rear. sitting pretty level, no tire rubbing, even under flex. and i offroad with my atv in the back too lol. right now, if i rember correctly, the frame is 21" from the ground, but i could be wrong. been a while since i last measured Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 im gonna have to check... That's crazy, mine has rubbed in some extreme wheeling situations... Yea, you got the bars. I am running stock location. That's a bit of lift, that I don't have. Plus I think it's gonna look better with the fenders trimmed, when I build my bumper... ya gotta let me know how the spacer works out. Im curious about that... I'll check the frame clearance, that might need to be what I gotta do. How is the ride with the bars indexed? Quote Link to comment
Skulptr Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 I haven't indexed them yet, just run up the adjustments til it was level, pretty much max out. The ride is stiff but I don't feel much of a difference between before and after adjusting. The spring in the rear on the other hand made it alot stiffer, but I needed that cause my springs are shot and were resting against the over load spring what kind of bumpers you gonna build? I've got the material for both of mine, just not the time and patience right now. Plus I'm gonna replace the tail gate with a tire carrier/jerry can gate, since my spare doesn't fit well anywhere in the bed, and its too pretty to go underneath Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 yea, i haven't actually read any bad things on the torsion bars, so i think i might crawl under there and take care of it. Well i have been messing around with ideals, and photoshop. This is what i have. The back will be similar in shape, without the stinger bar. And I also have a idea, to make a pipe tailgate with a tire carrier and gas can holder. just have to wait till i get a pipe bender. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 Well today, I bough a thermostat and gasket. Didn't get to put it in, tomorrow... Also tightened up the torsion bars, rotated my tires, straightened my steering brackets, removed my front diff and CV joints. I sheared all the bolts minus one. On one of my axle shaft snap in hubs. So I pulled my diff out to get all the broken studs out and see about locking it. gonna tear into it in the morning. truck rides a bit better with out that 300 lbs of four wheel drive gear. lol... Also pulled off both of my tension rods, and beat them with a sledge back straight. Any one know where i can get new ones? maybe stronger ones?? this is my straight tension bar Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2011 does anybody have an idea what that little sensor hanging by my front diff would go to? I am gonna start looking through haynes, but that sucks... Well it was just hanging there. not hooked to anything. is a little metal probe doo-dad, with a rubber hose running up into the engine bay, didnt have time to chase it down, seeing that it gets dark here at 3... sucks. Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 torqued up the torsion bars, and pulled the front diff, gonna clean up the snap in axle hubs and see about locking it. hate that two wheel drive crap. gonna have me a three wheel!!! :) Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 what should the oil pressure gauge read?? when idle'n Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 went to the junkyard, Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 Todays junk yard find... $50... yep yep... be jealous... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Quote Link to comment
bananahamuck Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 i like the new bigger images better keep them coming.. Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 yea, I finally just figured out how to do it with photobucket. gonna redo the previous ones... Lol Quote Link to comment
Jacobszabo Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 HEY MAN its good to see a fellow 720 wheeler! I dont know if you ever figured out what that sensor was in front of your front diff but it sounds to me like its the breather tube for the front diff. cant wait to see where you get with this good luck and happy wheeling! 1 Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Thanks man. :) I think that is what it was. I pulled the front diff out to weld it up and seen this little rubber cap atop of it. seemed that is where it mighta gone. I dont know if i am going to put it back, been working with out it. This is what i did today: New push bar on the front, lower valence installed, new door hinges, closes like a cadillac now... Uploaded with ImageShack.us 1 Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 got my box yesterday!!! Rockauto presents... Clutch, slave and master cylinder... Yay... Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Okay, well let me start this post off with a little ranting, I took my 82 to a local garage shop here in Puyallup, Swamp things. Well they quoted me, 300 for the clutch change out, I was like cool. So they get to working on it, call me the next day and say its going to be more. 500 in just labor... and that was just taking it apart, not even reassembly. I told them, they were out there damn mind, and put my truck back together. Well i get my truck back, they broke my center diff 4 wheel drive light, they left bolts finger tight, they didn't put my starter back in correctly... and the list goes on... well yesterday i was pulling the Trans, and there were three bolts holding it in... 3!!! outta SIX... and two of them were the starter bolts. WTF??? If I coulda walked there, i woulda just to beat these incompetent effing ppl... AGHH!! Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Geez-us!!! pulling a clutch in a 720 4x4 is insane. Didn't take pics of everything i did, due to the numbers. If I had to take a pic of everything, there woulda been a hundred or so... Well the Trans wasn't as heavy as i thought it was going to be, so there wasn't anything hard about this. Just the number of things that have to be removed... here is a list of all the things, that had to be removed. front diff, center diff, front cross memeber, the one behind that, and the rear trans mount, front drive line, and about just everything else under there... I know there was more, but i am too psyched to get out there and put my new one on, that i am forgetting. Its too cold, so i am letting the ice melt first. here are pics. The clutch was TOAST... no flywheel damage, thank god. I was about 50 miles from rivets into flywheel... this is what i was working with, no jackstands... lol but it worked out, as i didn't have to stretch to reach everything, and i am on the smaller side, so i fit comfortably Uploaded with ImageShack.us Center diff is out, cause i couldnt get the tail piece off the back of the trans. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Trans out. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Old pressure plate Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Old clutch Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us This is what happened to my flywheel due to the starter being installed by that shop incorrectly Uploaded with ImageShack.us Flywheel, clean, smooth, and no damage, hooray!!! Uploaded with ImageShack.us Today, all of it goes back in, the opposite way in came out. Quick run to Home Depot for new grade 8 bolts for everything first. And lock washer, seeing that the shop decided it was alright, not to tighten anything down. 80% of my bolts under there were finger tight. And the other 20% didn't have nuts on them. I am furious with this shop!!! Quote Link to comment
ronnny Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Just make surethat you tell everyone about your experience at the shop and how they did. They will more than lose out with all the loss of business. Best of luck on getting it back together. Quote Link to comment
poor-mans-720 Posted December 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 yea, for sure. I cant believe that I drove my truck after something like that. My trans coulda just dropped out from underneath me and destroyed everything. Its insane that they could still be in business after something like this. I cant imagine they will be very long, hopefully not. Quote Link to comment
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