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Bought a 521 you're probably all familiar with...


fredges

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BTW, I live just north of Seattle, about a half mile from the new Dick's Drive-in, if anyone wants to meet up. Also, just a mile north of there, they put in a MOD Pizza, and it's fantastic. Great meeting spot for car people! Big parking lot, and $2 PBR in bottles!! (Oh the pizza's great too, I guess.) ;D

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A rear axle to swap in would be one from a L-16/521  Way more common than a roadster diff.  But if you are turning close to 4K, at 60 it probably has been done.

Here is the deal with going to a lower numerically ("faster") lower engine rpm at 60 rear axle.  The acceleration of the truck will suffer.  you would need a fan blowing backwards to get away from your own exhaust.

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Beautiful truck! Congrats!   So it should be an L521 instead of a PL521.  The L denotes Left hand drive, the P denotes the L-series motor.  Doesn't sound like you're worried about how fast you get anywhere in it, so you'd be fine with the 3.80 rear gears from a wagon.  I had them on my E1(1200cc) in the NL320.  It originally had 4.89 in it and I couldn't get across the cross walk without shifting to second.  With the wagon gears, I could get through the intersection and even get up to 80 on the freeway.  Didn't stay there, but I could run 60 and stay with traffic. 

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Beautiful 521!! 

Need a flasher knob and a choke knob (anyone? Bueller? Bueller?)

 

I think I might have a spare flasher knob.  I will try to remember to check when I get home and let you know if I do.

 

Edit:  I took a quick look and didn't find one.  I am certain that I have one though, so I will keep my eyes peeled and hit you up if I find it :)

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Beautiful truck! Congrats!   So it should be an L521 instead of a PL521.  The L denotes Left hand drive, the P denotes the L-series motor.  Doesn't sound like you're worried about how fast you get anywhere in it, so you'd be fine with the 3.80 rear gears from a wagon.  I had them on my E1(1200cc) in the NL320.  It originally had 4.89 in it and I couldn't get across the cross walk without shifting to second.  With the wagon gears, I could get through the intersection and even get up to 80 on the freeway.  Didn't stay there, but I could run 60 and stay with traffic. 

Thanks! Might like to do that swap. I don't like pushing her hard just to go 60.

 

Beautiful 521!! 

I think I might have a spare flasher knob.  I will try to remember to check when I get home and let you know if I do.

 

Edit:  I took a quick look and didn't find one.  I am certain that I have one though, so I will keep my eyes peeled and hit you up if I find it :)

That'd be great, thanks! Maybe I can trade you some vinyl decals or something?

 

The interior ain't broke don't fix it!  Beautiful truck.

Yeah, it'd be foolish of me to take it out, it's very well done! And thanks!

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Fixed my fuel filler hose. Now my garage doesn't smell like it's going to essplode. WifeUnit is very happy she isn't getting gas fumes in her fridge in the garage. :) 

r2WDWIA.jpg

Damn hose cost $20 for 12"!! At least I have some extra left over I can share with someone else...might buy me some karma with it! :D

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Save the extra hose for your next 521.  You have the disease now!  LOL

 

 

Theres no cure

Great, did I just pick up a Datsun, or an STD?? :D (or are they about the same??) 

 

Things I gotta fix:

 

Wiper washer squirter

Blower fan high speed isn't working

Put some tunes in it, without modifying anything

Gotta make sure the fuel  and temp gauges are working right/accurate

IGN light on dash is completely out. Test bulb & circuit first... then cry

Needs a fuse box cover... might just scan one and print it on a 3D printer at a makerspace... emboss the lettering at time of printing, maybe?

Fix that weird, "sometimes" CLUNK on the front right when braking.

 

And, is this truck supposed to have driving lights on the front, or are they only turn signals?

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That'd be great, thanks! Maybe I can trade you some vinyl decals or something?

Unfortunately I don't have any access to doing decals, but I'm sure that something will work itself out if I happen to come across one :)

 

And, is this truck supposed to have driving lights on the front, or are they only turn signals?

If you are referring to the lights that are on the side of the front fenders, they are just running lights..... but should be turn signals!

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Is that an Oregon plate on one end and a Washington one on the other?

 

 

Anyhow, a few things:

 

Parking Lights:  the front turn signals are parking lights, but '69s may be like the '68-earlier 520 in which the front parking lights do NOT come on with the headlights, only when the parking lights are selected.  70+ 521s do light up whenever the parking lights or the main headlights are on.  It was a change in the Federal lighting standards (they changed standards rapidly from 68-71)

 

Heater fan- I suspect it IS working on "High".  Usually the low speeds are the ones that go out, as they have a resistor that burnt out, usually around the first oil change if the low speed got used with any regularity.  "High" is relative- it's not a very efficient fan, and the fan ducts are likely collapsed.   The fan switch on mine worked "High" on the first indent, and low on the second, backwards of what you'd expect.

 

The clunk when braking is usually badly adjusted shoes, but it could also be a missing/broken spring, or the shoes are on backwards.  There's one right way to install the shoes and a half dozen wrong ways, and it's not obvious which is right.  It doesn't help that the "right" way sort of looks wrong (if the leading/trailing shoes look symmetrical when installed, it's wrong)

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Unfortunately I don't have any access to doing decals, but I'm sure that something will work itself out if I happen to come across one :)

 

If you are referring to the lights that are on the side of the front fenders, they are just running lights..... but should be turn signals!

Sorry, I meant I do vinyl stickers and would trade for dash knobs. (here's some of my work)

 

And the round things on my fenders are only reflectors. No wiring or holes behind them for light sockets. ?

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Is that an Oregon plate on one end and a Washington one on the other?

 

 

Anyhow, a few things:

 

Parking Lights:  the front turn signals are parking lights, but '69s may be like the '68-earlier 520 in which the front parking lights do NOT come on with the headlights, only when the parking lights are selected.  70+ 521s do light up whenever the parking lights or the main headlights are on.  It was a change in the Federal lighting standards (they changed standards rapidly from 68-71)

 

Heater fan- I suspect it IS working on "High".  Usually the low speeds are the ones that go out, as they have a resistor that burnt out, usually around the first oil change if the low speed got used with any regularity.  "High" is relative- it's not a very efficient fan, and the fan ducts are likely collapsed.   The fan switch on mine worked "High" on the first indent, and low on the second, backwards of what you'd expect.

 

The clunk when braking is usually badly adjusted shoes, but it could also be a missing/broken spring, or the shoes are on backwards.  There's one right way to install the shoes and a half dozen wrong ways, and it's not obvious which is right.  It doesn't help that the "right" way sort of looks wrong (if the leading/trailing shoes look symmetrical when installed, it's wrong)

I will check the lights! Good to know!

 

Heater fan... I'd prefer to amke it work as it should, but i wonder if I can just wire it to work at the same speed in both positions? I keep accidentally putting it in the wrong spot and get no air and I fog up before I realize it.

 

I need to go over the brakes anyway, so this would be a good time to check shoe fitment. I'll look around this site for a photo of properly-placed shoes. 

Thanks!!

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The heater fan switch on the dashboard has no effect on where the air goes.  It simply controls fan speed.

 

Air comes into an air  box, above the heater, up under the dashboard.  The lever on the right, below the dashboard, controls a flap door, that allows that air to go into the heater, or not.  There is a second flap door that open the air box directly into the cab.  This is a vent function.  These two flap doors are independent of each other.

 

There is a flap door on the bottom of the heater.  If this door is closed, or moved up to the bottom of the heaterbox, any air going through the heater core is sent up to the defrost vents.  You can close the flap door on the air box, that allows air into the heater, and it does not matter if the flap door on the bottom of the heater is up or down, no air will flow into the heater.

 

If you park your 521 outside, in the rain, there will be moisture in the entire heater system.  If you put the system in defog mode, any moisture on the heater core will be blown up on the cold windshield.  Run the heater in "room" mode, until the heater gets warm, then you can change to defog mode.  Opening the small wing windows, when you are moving will also help draw air out of the cab, and it will be easier for the heater to blow warm air on the windshield to defog it.

 

Most more modern cars have air conditioning on them.  The air conditioning runs in defrost, and defog mode, because the air gors throught the air conditioning evaporator first, and is cooled, and moisture is drawn out of the air, then it is routed to the heater, and then to the defrost vents of the car.  The air conditioning dries the air, so the defog works much better on a modern car.

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Put in the yellow lights tonight...
AfU8YpJ.jpg

and got the rims blasted:
QbKgmXb.jpg

Heres the stamp on the rims that blasting uncovered:
9Y5z55Q.jpg

Also, Can't figure out how to pull out the cig lighter...??

 

*Edit: TOPY 11-76 41/2Jx143.8t d  is what is stamped on the rims... are these OE? **Correction: 4 rims are stamped "TOPY 11-76 41/2Jx143.5t d", 1 is atamped TOPY 11-76 41/2Jx143.8t d. 

 

**Edit: FYI - Those chrome wheels are going up for sale once I pull the rubber off... I'll post an ad in classifieds once they're available.

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Sorry, I meant I do vinyl stickers and would trade for dash knobs. (here's some of my work)

 

And the round things on my fenders are only reflectors. No wiring or holes behind them for light sockets. ?

I see, I totally read it incorrectly regarding the vinyl.  Nice looking work  :)

 

Yeah, I was spacing the fact that you have the earlier version and those didn't have the actual lights, but just the reflectors.... oops!

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