Datsun 521 Electrical help

[Jacobs601]

Hey guys, on the driver side of my l16 there's a vent coming out of the block with a hose piped up to the intake. Would it hurt anything to remove the hose, plug the intake and put a little breather on the pipe coming out of the block?

[banzai510(hainz)]

WHY?????? thats why it there PCV valve. kkeps the stink down

[DanielC]

Some emission systems are a good thing to have, for your car or truck.   Some are not.  Two good ones are the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) system and the Evaporative emission system.   EGR, (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and timing changes away from optimum are not as good.   Datsuns also use a air injection pump into the exhaust on some models.

 

PCV, and Evaporative emission systems capture gas vapors that would normally just escape without moving your car down the road, and gives the engine a second chance to burn them for useful power.  In addition, the PCV system sucks water, and other gaseous components of a running engine out of the crankcase, and moves then out the exhaust pipe.  This makes your oil stay cleaner, longer, and reduces a sludge build up in the engine.  PCV and Evaporative emissions do not cause any power drain on your engine.  They are both good.

 

In the winter, Datsuns tend to benefit from having a heated intake manifold, and some way to get warm air into the air cleaner, and carburetor.

[Jacobs601]

Cool man, I'll keep it hooked up then. Thanks for the info.

[Jacobs601]

Hey Mike, or someone help me please. Ok so I got my 521, L16 running and driving only to find that I had a blown head gasket after a total engine rebuild. Blown due to a stripped head bolt. It was just sitting there rattling on top the head. So I took it back apart, put a heli coil in the block, replaced the gasket and put the head back on. I thought I had my timing tensioner blocked correctly. But now I can't get the timing sprocket back on the cam. It is like a quarter inch from going back on. But I can't seem to get it. Have I messed up and lost the tensioner or do I need to just pry it on. I wanted to ask your opinion before I tore the front side of this motor off again.

[Jacobs601]

[Jacobs601]

[Jacobs601]

[Jacobs601]

Maybe these photos will help. Thanks.

[DanielC]

You let the chain tensioner slip out.  Most likely, you have to remove the front cam chain cover to get it back together. 

Sorry, most of us have been there.

[Jacobs601]

Ok, thanks man. Here I go again. I think I've had this thing apart like seventeen times. I guess one more time won't hurt. All in good fun. But hey, it's a good experience. Thanks again.

[DanielC]

Sometimes I wish engines were held together with zippers, instead of bolts.

Watch the head gasket, and the oil pan gasket, as you slip the front cover between the oil pan, and head. If you damage the gaskets, you may get an oil leak in the corners of the front cover.

[Jacobs601]

Ok, cool. I think I'm gonna pull the oil pan before I pull the front cover. While I had it apart, I kinda wanted to check out my bottom end again anyway. Thanks.

[datzenmike]

Daniel's got this one. Looks like a hammer handle. Probably didn't go down in far enough. (I hate when this happens)

 

You can see a bump of bright links sticking out down there.

 

 

You can loosen all the head bolts so the head can be lifted at the front for some slack to get the timing chain cover out/in easier. Same with oil pan bolts but just half way down each side. Get the chain on and the cover in place then re torque the head bolts.

[banzai510(hainz)]

buy the blue cam timming tool. Best thing ever made for these. its soft and then you Jam the motherfucker in there and feel is slip past the tensioner. then taske a butt of a hammer handle and push even more. to make sure its down in there

 

I would run a jap made cam sprocket with the 4 holes as I cant see you you can line up the markes if the hole is in the way so you need to Premark the cam or chain

 

possible  you could rotate the cam clockwise to put more slack on right side to raise the cam.

 

however most people don't loosen the lower crank bolt in case the tensioner pops  then its a mofo to loosen as the truck moves

 

https://vimeo.com/19077890

[DanielC]

If you have a long combination wrench, and it fits the crankshaft bolt tightly, you can put the box end of the wrench on the bolt head, put the other end of the wrench on the frame of the truck, remembering the engine will turn clockwise, looking at the front of the engine with the flywheel away from you, and bump the starter. 

That probably will loosen the crankshaft bolt.   Be careful, and think things through.  Do not put the free end of the wrench on the wrong side, where it will swing around, and hit you, or something else.

[wayno]

Wow, I would not hit the starter myself, what if one of the valves is down and the piston hits it, also the chain is still it there and it could destroy something.
If the head is off, maybe you can use a big screwdriver to help the chain tensioner back into position and then jam a better stick in there.

[datzenmike]

Here's what it should look like...

 

 

Here's how the chain block or wedge works...

 

Here's what you are up against....

 

It takes two hands to push that spring back in the hole and hold it there. It won't go back in easily.

[uberkevin]

Boom! Mikes on it!

[Jacobs601]

Ok guys. I tore into it and yep, I sprung the tensioner. Word of advice to anyone that will try this, don't use a hammer handle as a timing chain tool. Go get the real thing. I just spent the whole night tearing my L16 apart and putting it back together because I was too cheap to go buy the correct tool. But anyway, I've got it back together now. Here's a pic of how far I had to tear down

 

[Jacobs601]

And here's where I finished. Too much work for being stupid. I should have just bought the tool

 

 

Ok, I'm tired and going to bed.

[Jacobs601]

By the way Mike, that worked pretty good taking half the oil pan bolts out. Thanks.

[uberkevin]

Everyone's gotta learn somehow.

[Charlie69]

Do not feel bad about this happening.  I have done this several times over the years and I know how to prevent it from happening.

 

Great pictures thank you for sharing.

[Jacobs601]

Ok, test drive today isn't going so well. Before I changed the head gasket, my motor was running fine. Not so good now. I've got a small backfire through my carb that I can't get rid of. Maybe a timing issue. I've adjusted my distributor every way I can think of but still no luck. It seems to idle best when I've got it retarded as far as it will go. Which doesn't make sense to me. It'll idle on but when I give it gas, I get a popping out of the breather. Did I get off a tooth on my timing chain?