135 replies to this topic

[rinigado]

I just brought this 71 521 home this weekend. Mostly drivable, other than a couple items to fix. It sits too much high for ratsun types, so after I sort out some drivability issues, I'll get into moar lows and other stuff.

 

 

there's a bit of rot in front corners of each door, and around the driver's side roof pillar, but mostly surface rust.

 

 

Not too keen on the diy white stripes, so I'll mess around with some easy off to see if I can get back down to the factory paint.

 

Floors are solid with just some surface rust to clean up

 

 

It had a nicely un-bent hood, hopefully I can keep it that way! Also still has insulation stuck to the hood, although it's a bit ratty.

 

 

original numbers matching l16 in there. Other than overheating, it runs great! Second up on the todo list is a couple of new hoses, and a thermostat. The rad is apparently newly rebuilt. I'll try the thermostat change and see if that solves it.

 

The original kangaroo bag is there, but I didn't see if it'll hold water yet

 

 

No bumper was installed, but I got a set of thai repro bumperettes still in a box (I need to make some brackets for those), and also got this stout chrome step bumper. Not sure if I'll keep that or sell it yet. It's kinda handy to have a tow hitch once in a while. Most of the bigger bumpers I've seen for these is the big diamond plate ones that kinda wrap around the corners of the bed. I haven't seen this kind before.

 

 

Not diggin the carpeted dash cap.

 

 

the brakes started binding, and the rear wheels were feeling too hot when stopped. So pulled off the rear wheels and drums to see what was going on.

 

 

looked about right, until I moved the shoes a bit by hand and the return spring on the driver's side fell on the ground. Seems it lost its curl on one end, somewhere along the way.

 

 

There was also a bad cylinder there, and the adjusters were stuck rock solid, even with a soak of pb blaster. The drivers drum also had some nasty grooves worn into it. And this thing fell out along with a small washer. Not sure where it belongs!

 

 

It's almost as cheap to buy new drums as it is to turn the old ones, so new rear drums and all the other bits and springs I need for the rear wheels are on the way from rock auto.

 

It was pretty quikly apparent that the rear view mirror also had to go, considering it rattled around constantly, and I could barely see out the back window due to it's placement so close to the roof. That's a suction cup screwed into the original mirror location.

 

 

I would have considered an oem mirror, but they're stupidly expensive to find, so a wink mirror it is! It'll get properly JDM-style sticker bombed later. A few small holes drilled for new screws and I can see all the cars now.

 

 

Someone in the truck's past fastened the side mirrors so high up and so close to the vent windows that I can't open them. I'm thinking about fender mount as an alternative to door mount.

 

 

Brakes are the next task once the parts show up. Then I'll need to find some lowering blocks and new u bolts and lose some height.

[banzai510(hainz)]

partsgeek and I think rockauto have those brake springs

 

 

Love the truck with rust and all

[Draker]

Truck looks good!

[izzo]

Man that's a pretty clean truck really.  Could be a lot worse. 

 

Be sure and get an alignment any time you lower/raise a rig, just in case you didn't already know.  They won't be able to do much for camber/caster, but the toe at least needs to be set.  how's the tie rods and such?  King pins?

[DanielC]

Nice truck. 

 

Engine, transmission, and differential carrier bolts are metric.  The body of the truck and hydraulic parts are SAE.  (American, measured in inches.

 

Go about 2/3 down this page, down load the 521 body and chassis manual.

http://www.davidcmur...dat/620tech.htm

Go farther down, on the same page, down load the L-16, L-18 engine manual.

 

Lowering it reduces load carrying, and makes it ride rougher, but it is your choice.  I like my 521 trucks stock height, but I often haul hay, and bring home wood pellets for heating, a ton at a time.

 

The floor look good BONUS!

 

Flush the cooling system. Remove the radiator, and thermostat.  Put the rad hoses back on the engine.  Remove the drain plug from the block, just above the starter.  Put a garden hose in the lower radiator hose, fill the block.  Blow compressed air into the drain plug hole by the starter, watch a lot of crud come out.  Let the block fill again, repeat with air.  Repeat until water comes out clear.  Flush clean water back and forth through the heater.   If you are lucky, the heat valve on the heater turns a 1/4 turn easily.  If not try flushing the heater some more, top heater out let in with water, bottom heater outlet out.  Flush the radiator while it is out of the truck.   Do not go cheap on the thermostat.  Spending a few extra dollars on a good quality thermostat way better than cracking an aluminium head because of overheating.  Refill with good antifreeze, 50/50 mix.  I get name brand antifreeze at Walmart, buy a bottle of 50/50 premix, and a gallon of full strength.  Walk a few aisles over in Walmart, buy a gallon of distilled water.   Put the premix antifreeze in the truck, and use the empty premix bottle to mix the distilled water, and full strength antifreeze to 50/50.  That will fill the cooling system, and leave you with about one gallon extra premixed antifreeze for topping off.  make sure the thermostat has a small hole in it, to allow air to escape the engine block.  Refill the cooling system with the front of the truck uphill.

 

Replacing the heater hoses will be slightly tricky.  The engine connection is 14 MM (9/16), and the heater is 1/2 (13MM)  You can get an adapter to mate 9/16 and 1/2 hoses at an auto parts store.  Radiator hoses are going to be tricky, last I heard they are NLA from Nissan.  (No Longer Available).

 

The carpet is probably there for a reason.  Be prepared for a severely cracked dash cover if you remove it.  Your truck has aftermarket air conditioning stuff on the bottom of the dash.  Does the engine have the air conditioning compressor and condenser?

 

Downloading the factory service manual will help you a lot with the brakes.  You have to bleed the brakes manually, and while the brake pedal is held down hold the bleeder valve open until the fluid flow stops, and then close it, and then let the brake pedal up again.   521 wheel cylinders have only one port, you have to allow time for the brake shoe springs to collapse wheel cylinders to push air out of the cylinders to the bleeder valve. Three pumps, refill the master cylinder.

 

The stock mirror mount is a 1/2 inch ball.  A little bit of time in a junk yard will find you a mirror from another car or truck that will mount on it., but it looks like you have solved the mirror problem.  Mounting mirrors farther forward reduces the field of view in that mirror.

 

Once you get the truck running, it will seem like the engine is really running high RPM on the freeway.   This is normal.  4,000 RPM at 60 MPH is OK.  the engine has a yellow zone at about 6,500 RPM, red line at 7,000.   The engine has a torque peak at 3,600 RPM, about 55 MPH, and this gives you decent acceleration at freeway speeds to accelerate if needed.

[wayno]

I would where a mask when dealing with that hood fabric, could be asbestos, but I don't know that for sure.

That carpeted dash is likely hiding something you will like even less than the carpet, leave it there till you find a 520 dash top or have a plan, research it before removing carpet.

Most likely the brake adjusters can be taken apart and cleaned, then put back together and function fine, the end without the adjuster is the small end, use a screw driver to remove it, then fill the hole with some PB blaster and let it sit for a while, then put the adjuster in a vise, and using a punch tap the other side out thru the hole, I believe I have only ruined one ever trying to get it out, then soak the adjuster itself and unscrew it out of the sleeve you just knocked out of the adjuster housing, also 720 brake adjusters are the same.

This thing looks like shit, but I got it apart.

 

 

 

Sometimes it takes a while to get them apart, they kinda get seized, but I just stick them in the vice sideways, stick a punch in the hole and start hitting it with a hammer.

[DanielC]

PB blaster and almost any other aerosol penetrate works OK, but I have found the best penetrating oil is a 50/50 mix of ATF, and Acetone.  Used ATF is OK, no need to buy new ATF.

[HOGIE]

nice truck man, does the AC work?

[racerx]

nice truck.., I'd drive t the way it is!

[rinigado]

AC isn't blowing cold right now, but all the parts are present and accounted for. Someone posted a cool rebuild article somewhere that'll come in handy once I get to that. It's cool enough here lately that I'll put that off for a little while.

 

I see rad hoses listed at rockauto, are they not original diameter? Good to know about heater hoses..didn't check those yet. The installed rad hoses are crap though, with the top one half collapsed, so they gotta go.

 

I'm sure the carpet is the ONLY thing holding the dash cap together. It feels like a bag of broken potato chips under there. So that'll either become a nice 520 cap, or I'll strip whatever mess is under the carpet and re-cover it in vinyl of some sort.

 

another thing I forgot to ask is whether any other vehicle has compatible adjuster retaining clips? having a hard time finding those, and the adjuster on one wheel is missing them.

[flatcat19]

Great truck!

[rinigado]

Man that's a pretty clean truck really. Could be a lot worse.

Be sure and get an alignment any time you lower/raise a rig, just in case you didn't already know. They won't be able to do much for camber/caster, but the toe at least needs to be set. how's the tie rods and such? King pins?

Didn't get much into the front end yet. Steering wanders. Once I get the back wheels in better shape next weekend, I'll start looking under the front.

[rinigado]

And speaking of under-hood insulation, would you keep it or toss it? It's kind of a mess as is.

[d.p]

Toss that shit!

[izzo]

For those stuck bolts/nuts and whatever else. Pick yourself up some Kroil.  It is better than anything else.  Have tried multiple products, too.  Source: Alignment/brake technician for a few years....  Trust me lol. I live on the coast where people drive their rigs on the beach.  

[mrbigtanker]

Nice truck . Please don't mount those mirrors like that. That looks like shit. Get proper ones or redo the door mirrors to clear.

But over all really nice truck. 15" wheels you can go bout 3" depending on offset. Your lower shock/unbolt plates will hit the tires.

[rinigado]

Nice truck . Please don't mount those mirrors like that. That looks like shit. Get proper ones or redo the door mirrors to clear.

But over all really nice truck. 15" wheels you can go bout 3" depending on offset. Your lower shock/unbolt plates will hit the tires.

Haha yeah, those are not the mirrors I'll use.I wanted to see the view from there looking for a proper pair with a little bend so that they mount up top and lean out just a bit.

[bananahamuck]

Don't know about quality but you can get what i think are brand new adjusters out of Mexico now ,, on Ebay
 
Clickity clickity
 
http://www.ebay.com/...9kAAOSwOtdYTJ6E
 



Probably take a little bit of filing or emery cloth machining to fit perfect but hey

[rinigado]

Don't know about quality but you can get what i think are brand new adjusters out of Mexico now ,, on Ebay
 
Clickity clickity
 
http://www.ebay.com/...9kAAOSwOtdYTJ6E
 

 

 

The rear adjusters are also in stock at rock auto. I have a pair on the way currently. Front adjusters might be another story; I haven't bothered trying to find those yet. The ebay set you linked to is cheaper by a couple of bucks though.

 

The part I am missing is set of retaining clips that slip on the back of an adjuster. One side had them, one side they were missing.

[Datsunthug]

Part numbers: 41213-04100
41215-08000
Got them at the local Nissan dealer. Not sure which number goes to what part. Nice truck!!!