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'78 200sx - sweet car found in Utah, still needs fix


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I scored this '78 Datsun 200sx for my buddy and roommate Zur, it had been sitting ignored for a couple years at a mexican auto repair shop downtown. The owner had liked it because he had an old 210, but never got around to doing anything with this 200sx. With a new battery and new throttle cable installed w/ makeshift bracket/vice grip plyers on the carb side of cable, I was able to drive car home. Steering was horendous! That ended up being a bad rag joint before the steering gear box, fixed that. Replaced both balljoints & 4 tie-rod ends. Actually the passenger's side inner tie rod-end I ordered many parts and none of them were ever correct, that one on the car uses reverse-threads to thread onto the shaft.. I ened up re-installing that old one. Cleaned and re-greased front wheel bearings, new front brake pads.

Re-built the carbuerator. Car runs better, but still not right idling/down low. Usually won't run below 2-3K rpm's, but above that it gets gas and will continue to run on its own fuel. Seems to get better once warmed up there. Lots/all vacuum hoses are loose now, I need to get everything set up correctly. All I've been able to find are these poor quality diagrams here:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairguides/Nissan-Datsun-200SX-510-610-710-810-Maxima-1973-1984-Repair-Guide/Vacuum-Diagrams/Vacuum-Diagrams/_/P-0900c15280082e42

 

Anybody help, another owner with properly set up car on stock equiptment? I still need to do all carb vacuum/emissions/charcoal canister hose routing.

 

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Yes, previously someone did crazy things with the rear leaf spring shackles to raise the rear end up a bit, and it has a ricer muffler. Even more bizarre, it has non-OEM traction bars installed on the leaf springs like some old V8 muscle car!

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I kinda wonder how many cars that is... seems odd that ONE inner fenderwell is blue and the rest is red.  Plus I think I see signs of yellow paint too.

ya probably lol

I think you were mistaken where you thought you saw yellow, yellow sticky tape that need cleaned off on left rear quarter panel?

Car was originally red, obviously it got a blue inner-fender area at some point..

clear title

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you see in my first pic, that broken driver's side rearview mirror?

I'm fixing it with fiberglass-reinforced-bondo, then i'll just need to find a mirror of approximate size to glue on there.

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first applications, no sanding yet just shaved some areas with a knife when they were soft

 

I'm not sure if power mirrors would ever work again, but I do have a dual power mirror switch that looks like a factory option or something, switch assembly bolted under the dash to the left of the steering wheel.

Probably a rare '78 Datsun part worth something if we list it on eBay..

(not probably, I guess I'm asking, is that a rare factory Datsun mirror switch assembly?)

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So, I got carb routing kind of hooked up/plugged up/guessed. Definitely runs a lot better, I think this car will be drivable as-is on the current carb for my buddy!

I'm still not sure on some routing, I NEED SOME BETTER DIAGRAMS!!

Anyone?

 

Kind of unsure on the charcoal canister purge hose.. & the hose that attaches AHEAD of the distributor vacuum advance hose and everything that T's off there.. Not sure on two larger diameter hoses that come from steel hard-lines that are routed from top of charcoal canister to underneath behind canister- maybe those go right into air cleaner box? What is the main unported small vacuum connection for that is underneath the middle of the air cleaner box?

Boost controlled decell device vacuum control valve??

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If you go to eBay and search for "1978 Datsun 200SX factory service manual" (be sure to get a Service, not Owner's Manual) or variations on that phrase, you will find several for $20 or less including postage. That should have all the hose and wiring diagrams you need. If you are in a hurry, it may be worth paying a few bucks extra for Priority Mail. I got rid of nearly all the smog stuff on my SX years ago, and don't have any memory of how anything was hooked up.

 

Cool looking SX! I like the grill being the same color as the body. I even like the spoiler, sort of. I recall somewhere seeing an SX sales brochure showing the available options. One was the remote mirror adjustment. I think two versions were offered - one for just the driver's side, and another with two toggles for both sides. My SX doesn't have the remote option, but years ago at P&S I spent way too much time removing a single remote mirror and control, thinking I'd put it in my car. Which I haven't got around to doing yet. I need to look at it again, but I think it uses a cable from the toggle to the mirror.

 

Another SX option was a chrome luggage rack that mounts on the trunk lid. I had a chance to get one at P&S, but didn't really want it on my car, so it went to the crusher. I've never seen another one on an SX or in a picture of an SX. It might have been the rarest SX option.

 

Len

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!! I refuse to buy a $20 copied digital repair manual for ANY vehicle on eBay, thats some bullsh*t right there.

nobody have a copy to e-mail or link?

I'll take and post some more pictures soon, keep asking if I haven't figured this out...

 

That's cool on the door mirrors stuff, ya my switch has the two toggles for left and right, and it seems to be 100% electric. You can see switches in the picture of interior, my 3rd picture originally..

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The manuals I'm talking about are real live factory books, not copies. There are at least four different ones on eBay right now. One for $14.99 with free shipping - 130589916267. They have waaay more info than a Chilton or Haynes book.

 

I thought I had the SX option brochure link bookmarked, but can't find it. I may have seen it as an eBay item that I was too cheap to buy.

 

I'll have to go look at the remote mirror I bought and see how it works. I'd forgotten I even had it.

 

Len

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You are right on the mirrors being electric. I went and looked at the one I grabbed at P&S and there are wires everywhere. I don't know where I got the cable control idea. It makes me wonder if mirrors on any make car were cable controlled. Could be something I imagined. Lots of interesting things show up inside my head sometimes.

 

The panel for my mirror is a double panel with only a toggle for the LH mirror. The RH hole has a plastic blanking plate in it. I believe the passenger side mirror, remote control or manual adjust, was an option. I've seen several SXs with only a driver side mirror.

 

Len

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spent more hours out in the cold,

I got the steering rag joint (i already did once) swapped around so wheel is right side up now,

and I had to heli-coil thread repair three bolts around the hub of steering wheel but now the wheel is properly bolted down 100%.

It used to be red, faded to pink, Grant GT signature series wheel. We'll get a new steering wheel cover around it at least, and I found we can get a new horn button for just $10 so that will work again.

 

I found a small machine screw missing on the carb, on something that attatches to the shaft of the automatic choke, maybe when I install that it will have a better time starting on its own with a cold engine!

 

Saw initial results front camber etc is a little off but what can you expect.. toe is the only adjustment, but getting the alignment for that at least is going to be better.. now steering wheel is right side up I'll get that done so steering-wheel can be straight with driving-wheels straight.

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god damnit

Zur is driving this car on the road now.

He got stuck last night had to leave the car couldn't get it to start hot, I drove three times this morning trying to save him.

 

Just needs the weber 32/36 carb, I've about completely given up on this stock carb for the reasons of hot-starting and smoothness revving up from idle, etc.

Weber should fix those issues, and car won't crank now hopefully he just needs a charged battery and new terminals also..

 

this morning I was seeing engine continue to smoke a little more than I had seen in the past (besides initial start-up smoke that clears up), I hope engine internals stay ok or improve slightly with driving.

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Can you tell me, what is supposed to connect to the vacuum advance line for distributor?

A vacuum source, from the intake manifold?? Or aircleaner box?

 

I have a diagram here I got from the Nissan parts desk of this old '78 routing, and stock the line comes off the front of the engine (from T at distributor vacuum advance), and goes down to connect in an area around the charcoal canister?

 

With weber carb and most emissions stuff removed, what should I do with remaining lines- charcoal canister? Just vent the gas-tank-vent line to open atmosphere with a little filter?

 

I tried to set the ignition timing, but I couldn't find any mark scribed on the crankshaft pulley! So right now that's a complete guess. Is the mark a small painted line, or a small notch in the metal somewhere around the pulley?

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