Mechanic in the Vancouver/Portland Area needed

[Whalefish]

So I've got an '84 720 4x4 that's been accumulating dust in the barn for the last 3 months, waiting for me to finally find time to work on it.  I'm running a small farm and working another full time job and have been completely devoid of free time to work on it.  I keep telling myself I'll put aside a weekend to work on it, but I'm coming to realize that won't happen until the winter.  I bought it knowing well that I would need to learn how to work on it, but as of now I haven't accumulated all the tools I need. I'm tired of feeling guilty about not dealing with it and would be willing to pay someone to fix it (or at least as much as I can afford). 

 

I know there is a pretty large Datsun scene in the Vancouver and Portland area, does anyone know of a reliable mechanic shop or home mechanic that is familiar with these older trucks and would have time to work on one?

 

Here is a list of what I think is wrong with it/symptoms in order what I think is the right priority of getting fixed:

 

1: Rattling/tapping sound coming from timing chain/head area...mechanic thought it was the timing chain and recommended a timing kit.  The previous owner supposedly had the timing chain done when he replaced the head last year.  There is a crack that was patched with JD weld towards the bottom of the timing case.  I honestly don't know if it needs a timing kit, but it would be great to get a second opinion.

 

2: Might have overheated the engine?  Was driving on the freeway at 65mph when the engine started to sputter, pulled off the road and the engine compartment seemed pretty hot.  Pulled the filter off and looked into the carb and there was a little steam coming out.  The engine continued to sputter at idle but didn't die, sputtering would stop at higher rpms.  No obvious water in the oil.  The temp gauge never climbed above normal range.  I was able to drive it the 30 miles home without any trouble, but now I'm worried.  I haven't driven it except short distances since this happened about 3 months ago, and haven't felt the sputter on those trips.

 

3: Burns oil.  Smokey after starting engine cold, especially in winter.  Smoke is greyish white, doesn't smell sweet.  Stops smoking after 5 minutes or shortly after running it down the road.  I seem to be adding about a quart a month.

 

4. Front end/suspension issues.  Front left CV axle needs replacing, as does the right outer tie rod and pitman arm.  Needs new right lower ball joint, and front upper and lower control arm bushings. (According to a mechanic that inspected it).  The truck pulls pretty hard to the right when braking, probably because of these issues.

 

5.  Stock Carb issues.  The idle when cold is around 2500-3000 rpm which is expected, but for some reason does not reliably return to 900 rpm after it's warmed up.  Often it will continue to idle between 1500 and 2000 rpm.  I've adjusted the idle screw but this doesn't seem to help.  The butterfly valve in the carb will sometimes be partially closed even when warm.

 

I would be super grateful if anyone could steer me in the right direction.  I love this little truck, and it was running great for a while.  I'm not trying to get it to show quality or anything, but somewhere between reliable and safe.  I'm hoping this winter I can slowly learn to work on this truck and acquire the tools I need.

 

Thanks!

[Whalefish]

Bump.

[84720FourWheel]

Take your valve cover off and look down at the timing chain. Check for slack, PO may have failed to install the tensioner properly.

 

Oil smoke is generally blue-ish. May just be steam in the exhaust. Does it dissipate quickly or hang around?   

 

I would have all the front end replaced. Upper and lower ball joints, bushings, tie rods, idler and pitman arms. I would get the brakes checked. You can buy CV shafts on rockauto. Be sure to get an alignment. 

 

Replace the carb with  a Weber 32/36 DGEV. Or a reman Hitachi. If money is an issue, try lubing the throttle cable and check to make sure the fast idle cam is dropping out of the way. My old carb would do that. I had to get out, pop the hood, and wiggle the linkage until the fast idle cam dropped out. 

[Justin Berni]

DJ's automotive does a lot of Datsuns, it's in vancouver. I've never had to take my truck there, but I've talked to a guy there and he seemed cool, and definately knew what he was talking about, so try there.