Datsun 521 Electrical help

[Jacobs601]

 

 

With my timing marks lined up, the button will go to these two positions.

[datzenmike]

Then rotor is broken or not pushed on and locked in place.

 

 

 

 

 

. I've got a small backfire through my carb that I can't get rid of.

 

Firing order 1342 counter clockwise.

 

Check valve clearance. Tight intake valve. Or one exhaust rocker fell off

[Jacobs601]

 

 

Here's where I got it set now

[Jacobs601]

And here she is outside of my shop

 

[Jacobs601]

Ah ha. COUNTER Clockwise being the key word here. It works fine now. You da man mike.

[datzenmike]

Ha ha  it happens.

[uberkevin]

Been there..

Glad you got if fixed man. Good work.

[Charlie69]

Congrats.  Learning can be hard.

[Jacobs601]

Anyone chime in please. Is my 521 a 5 speed or a 4 speed. Besides the obvious, how else could you tell. Right now I feel 4 good gears. But that will only take me to around 60 mph at a comfortable rpm. But I can't seem to find fifth. Maybe there is not one. I don't know. What do y'all think?

[greenthumb]

If there is a fifth gear, someone would have changed the trans. Certainly didn't come with one. If you can't 'find' it, I doubt it's there

[banzai510(hainz)]

521s are geared LOW. 60 is buzzy a moderate rpm already. if you can clock it to 70 maybe 85 for a seconds then your fine.

 

a 4 speed has the reverse down to the right.

[Jacobs601]

10-4, rodger that.

[DanielC]

This is not your grandfathers Oldsmobile. 

The L-16 521 was introduced at a unique period of time.  Datsun had been having increasing success with the growth of pickup sales, from the 320, to the 520, and then the early 521-J13 combo.  After the time that the 521-J13 was made, the freeway speed limit was federally lowered to 55 MPH.  By putting the L-16 engine, with a 4.375 rear axle ratio, 55 to 60 MPH became an "ideal" speed for the truck, because 55 MPH puts the engine RPM about 3,600, where the torque peak of the engine is.

 

The L-16 engine likes lots of RPM.  3,600 or 4,000 RPM sounds like a lot, and it is, for a V-8 engine.  The L-16 is happy there.  I consider 6500 RPM a "yellow" zone for a L-16, with a red line at 7,000.

 

You should not put a load on a L-16 engine below 2,000 RPM.  The secondary on a stock Hitachi opens around 2,500 to 3,000.  You use third gear on 25 MPH residential zones.

 

Get a tachometer, and get used to the RPM range the engine likes to be ran at.

 

By the way, when an engine is running at it's torque peak, that is theoretically where the best gas mileage is, because the engine is moving air with the most efficiency.

[Jacobs601]

Ok, cool. I did not know that it could maintain such a high rpm. And I guess I was a little scared of reving it too high. Very useful info. Thanks guys.

[Jacobs601]

And as an added bonus, that gives a good reason to install a new tach. Sweet!!!

[banzai510(hainz)]

I would get a Pertronix Ignition conversion or a Nissain EI distributor as points really do suck esp at 6K rpm.(just wear out)

[Jacobs601]

Heres me, my wife April and my daughter Kirsten out for a joy ride in my newly running 521. So much fun.

[Jacobs601]

[Charlie69]

Great Picture!  Congrats on getting it running.

[Jacobs601]

Ok, so after the family trip, I decided to make one more trip by myself. I get almost home and my throttle sticks wide open. A little scary but I used my ignition kill and crank my way back. When I get it back in my shop I found this.

This is where this spring should hold the throttle closed but somehow I guess the spring wore a hole through the hole in the linkage and came off. Guess I'll rig something up to hold it in there.

[wayno]

Can you just drill a hole beside it?

Do you have another parts carb that you can take that piece off of?

Ok, so after the family trip, I decided to make one more trip by myself. I get almost home and my throttle sticks wide open. A little scary but I used my ignition kill and crank my way back. When I get it back in my shop I found this.

This is where this spring should hold the throttle closed but somehow I guess the spring wore a hole through the hole in the linkage and came off. Guess I'll rig something up to hold it in there.

[DanielC]

Take the bracket the spring hooks on to, and put a small weld bead on the worn out part.  Do it carefully, and you will not even need to redrill the hole.

[Jacobs601]

I decided to drill a new hole. And like Ole Willie says, "On the Road Again"

 

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

[DanielC]

Drilling a new hole works too.  Check the upper spring holder for that spring also.

[Jacobs601]

Hello everyone. Got a question. Ok, so my truck is running fine. But I can't seem to get my battery to charging. I've got a new battery and I've rebuilt the alternator. I do have 3 wild wire not connected close to the alternator. With the ignition turned on a yellowish white wire reading 1.56v, a larger black wire reading 130mv and a black yellow wire reading 12.73v. The yellow one doesn't have an end on it, the large black has a round terminal(like it should go to the alternator) and the black yellow has a female blade terminal(like it should go to the starter solonoid). I have ran a new starter wire from my push button switch to the starter. I believe the problem would lie in one of these three wires, but I can't figure out where to put them. Could I just put a jumper from the alternator to somewhere to make the battery charge? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.