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NorCal 521


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Hi Guys-

I have a thread in the 521 section but I figured since im getting rolling on this thing Id move things over here. Its a 71 521. Pretty stock and in Decent shape. Floor pans are rusted so Ill replace those but so far everything elase looks good. I drove it for awhile and everything  runs well but I started having brake issues so I decided rather than fix those Id just start on the restoration. The plan is to go pretty darn close to factory, with a few tweaks. I wanna do disc brakes in the front and a 5 speed. Paint wont be a factory color but other than that Im going stock. I had my seat done so I could drive it and I just started stripping it this weekend, Im hoping by next weekend I can have the motor out and the cab off. I need ro replace the bushings (if anyone knows where to get those PLEASE let me know!) and then hit the frame with chassis saver. Body will go in for soda blasting, body and paint soon there after. Any advice is appreciated, Im attaching pics below.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got the cab stripped and off the frame yesterday. No major progress. Gonna try and get the frame stripped next weekend. On another note, does anyone know if its possible to eliminate the "vapor unit" in the bed? And if so do i just plug the ends where the hoses would connect?

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Got the cab stripped and off the frame yesterday. No major progress. Gonna try and get the frame stripped next weekend. On another note, does anyone know if its possible to eliminate the "vapor unit" in the bed? And if so do i just plug the ends where the hoses would connect?

I use that line for my fuel return line, I just bypassed the "vapor unit" and piped it straight into the tank.

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  • 3 months later...

Late with the update but here goes. Frame is back from powder, found bushings that fit. Got the rear end under yesterday with a 3" drop. Tore apart the front end today and ran into some issues. The threads where the connecting rods go on the upper and lower control arms are shot. Im gonna post a classified ad but if anyone sees this and has some please let me know. Anyway.....pics.

 

image-17.jpg

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image-16.jpg

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Wayno....Ill post a photo later if needed, but heres a break down from carpartsmanual.com. The red circles are female threads that are shot, the blue are male threads that are shot, I know I can get replacements of the stuff circled in blue, but the red seems to be a problem. Does that clear anything up?

 

Tanker- I got a "know a guy who knows a guy" deal....sandblast and powder for $150.

 

Screen-Shot-2014-04-28-at-84818-AM.jpg

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OK, you know that the threads in the parts circled red don't look that good new, they are not like normal threads, they are wider and shallower, the parts circled in blue can be bought along with the spindle itself, I actually have a set I bought a long time ago before I found ebay, they can be bought on ebay right now.

Here is a lower spindle assembly.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATSUN-Pick-Up-520-521-620-1965-1977-Spindle-Lower-Arm-Bush-Assy-RH-LH-Pair-/221421287984?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item338dbcba30&vxp=mtr

Here is an upper assembly.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATSUN-Pick-Up-Truck-520-521-620-1965-1977-Spindle-Upper-Arm-Bush-Assy-/371044451486?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5663f9049e&vxp=mtr

Another upper, but same seller.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATSUN-Pickup-Truck-520-521-620-720-1965-1986-Spindle-Upper-Arm-/221066537235?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Model%3A521+Pickup&hash=item337897a913&vxp=mtr

 

Here is a center link.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-1979-555-Datsun-521-620-Pickup-Steering-Center-Link-W-Tie-Rod-Ends-CL0006-/331176747869?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d1bac235d&vxp=mtr

Here is a tierod end.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DATSUN-520-521-620-PICK-UP-SIDE-ROD-ASSEMBLY-LH-JAPAN-NOS-/371051833319?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item566469a7e7&vxp=mtr

Here is another one for the right side I believe.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Datsun-48510-B5000-ITM-40-00521-66-77-PL520-PL521-PL620-R-H-Tie-Rod-Steering-Rod-/351052521798?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51bc5c6146&vxp=mtr

Most of these parts can also be bought at the local auto parts stores around here, not sure about your area.

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Wayno-

I know that they are funky threads, but they just seem a liitle more beat up and flattened than they should be, maybe Im wrong....Ill post a pic below. Its about the middle quality wise, some are slightly better, some are worse. And as far as the spindles, Ive source most of that stuff online, no problem really finding that....just didnt know what to do if I had to replace the links themselves. Heres the pic....let me know what you think. And thanks for taking the time with this.

 

image-19.jpg

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I just pulled one of the new ones apart that I had on my 521 back in the early 2004ish, yours look better than mine, and I was very happy that it wasn't loose anymore, you see mine was moving around a half inch or more it was so loose, I was surprised it had not fallen apart.

I tried getting photos of mine, but could not get the camera to focus that close.

If the bushing doesn't move around in the arm itself and will tighten down tight in the arm, I would call it good, but that is me, these parts are made in such a way that more than one thing would have to fail for it to come apart, it is threaded into the arm, and threaded onto the spindle, the spindle into the bushing is the moving part, the bushing threaded into the arm is not a moving part.

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Cool. I would have had no idea. They looked shot to me. Any thoughts about throwing a small tack weld on just for insurance?

I have no idea about that, I believe that the spindle threading into the bushing is the important connection, it needs to be smooth without any sideways movement of any type, the seating of the bushings into the arms themselves needs to be tight, if you tack them, don't make it to big of a tack, as one day you will likely need to pull them apart for kingpins or some other reason, and getting them out can become an issue.

You need to keep in mind that the bushings are being held in two different ways, threading the bushing into the arm is one way, and having them thread onto the spindles when installing the bushing in the arm is the other way that they are held together.

As I said, if the bushing threads into the arm tight without the spindle installed, I would call it good, but if the bushing spins in the arm hole and will not tighten, then you are going to need new arms, or maybe to get by, you could weld them onto the arms after installed, but they are scrap from that day forward after they wear out.

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I guess i should have been clearer earlier....im rebuilding the whole front end. New spindles, new kingpins the whole 9 yards. Im hoping this will be the last time i need to deal with any of this. My thought was throw a small tack on there just for insurance and if its ever needed to be gotten to again, just grind it off. Im pretty new at this and im not questioning anything youve said, just trying to understand and learn.

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In my opinion if the bushings tighten down tight in the arms, i would call it good, don't over complicate things.

It takes a fairly big wrench, so if they are tight, they are tight, fact is the bottom is kinda complicated to put together, you have to get the pin centered and in alignment for the holding pin to be inserted, then the bushings are turned in from the sides, and the rubber gaskets need to be put in before the alignment pin also, you don't want to melt them getting them hot, I used O rings on my 320, it's hard to get it in so that both O rings have the same pressure on them, and not have a gap on one side.

DSCN2692.JPG

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Got a lot done this weekend. Local parts store had some of what I needed and I just tried to order the rest. The ebay auction for king pins I had been planning to get is gone. Anyone know where I can pick some up? I blasted and painted a ton of parts and got my tail lights looking like new. I'll post pics later. Please hit me up if you've got a line on king pins! Thanks

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