Charlie69's 66 520 Build

[Pacific coast Datsun]

I like how your 520 will also have 620 & 720 parts :D

[corner worker]

i love the posts.....info ftw

[Charlie69]

I cut the transmission tunnel out today, and my brother is trimming and bending the firewall should have it back next weekend and get it installed. After the firewall is installed then he will make the 2 pieces to do the tunnel. The tunnel & firewall are made from 16 gauge plate, much thicker than the original 22 gauge the original fire wall & tunnel. The tunnel will be flat on top instead of dipping down like the original tunnel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cab is bolted down without the 2” blocks so this will be the height of the cab off of the frame. It is sitting on all new OEM NOS bushings. These bushings are not the original 520 bushings and are ¼” thicker than the originals, but they are Nissan bushings (isolators).

[wayno]

:cool:Looking good! wayno

[burrito213]

charlie...nice work!

 

hope the heat in AZ isnt slowing the progress on the build... cant wait to see whats next ;)

[wayno]

Hi there Charlie, you cut the vin plate mounting sheet metal surface out for firewall installation welding ease? For spot welding in that area? To remanufacture the water outlet for that area? wayno

[Charlie69]

Hi Wayno,

 

I cut it out to make it easier to fit the new cowl drain and for better access for welding in the new firewall section. My brother made the final bends & cuts in the firewall. I have it rough fitted and need to do the finish fit. I am hoping that he will come by tomorrow and help lay out the pattern for the 2 tunnel pieces. All of the replacement steel is 16 gauge. I am hoping to have the firewall & tunnel done in the next couple of weeks. Then I will take the cab off and prep & paint the bottom of the cab & the engine compartment.

 

In Washington, Oregon & California this might be an issue cutting out the metal where the VIN screws to but down here MVD does not see that many old Datsuns and with mine being a 1966 I will never have to have it inspected.

 

My frame numbers match & the VIN plate will be screw back on the new metal. It will look like a factory install when I am done.

[mklotz70]

Sorry I missed your question Charlie....yes...I had to ream the kingpin bushings. The reamer was the very first item I bought off of ebay :) I don't get to keep up on this thread post by post, but I try to make a point to check it out as often as I can :) I'm really liking the way you're moving the firewall back instead of just cramming the L series in there like I've seen on other rigs.

[Charlie69]

Hi Mike, Brake brackets are looking good, very pleased with mine. Would it be possible to inform me of what reamer I need to buy for reaming the king pins.

 

I have managed to get the cab down on the frame where I want it. I could not just cram it in because I could not pull the valve cover and if I would have just taken a hammer to the firewall I probably would have crushed the cowl drain and caused other problems. Also if I do a job no matter what it is I try my best to do it to the best of my abillities. Mind you I am no metal worker. If you or any one else have any ideas or suggestions I would definitely benefit from them.

 

I will be taking some pictures and adding more posts in the next few days.

 

One thing I have noticed on the 620's is Datsun moved the main support (stationary) crossmember to the rear & mounted the torsion bar adjusters in it and then made a removable transmission support crossmember instead of on the 520 which these are switched & you end up having to notch the stationary crosmember to install a different transmission (longer in my case). When I get the cab off I will take pictures and right up the transmount mod. I got the idea from Mike Klotz's Mend transmission mount write up.

[Pacific coast Datsun]

I want your truck @ next years BBQ Charlie so get busy :D

[mklotz70]

I just tried to get on my manuals online and the connection here is way too slow :( Since I still don't have this macbook setup, I don't have access to any of my hard drive copies of them. I'm sure I'll end up loving the mac, but right now, it's just a really expensive roadblock that's keeping me from doing what I want to do with a laptop! :( At the rate I'm going, I'll be lucky to have it figured out by the time my class is over. We'll see. Sorry I don't have better info for you. The size of the kingpins is in the factory manual....I don't know it off hand. You can get an adjustable ream from places like Enco.....I've got a better place to get one, but again....that info is on the desktop or on one of the three external HD's I brought, but don't have hooked up.

[Charlie69]

Doing my best Mark to get r done! Mike I think once you learn the MAC you will like it for what you are doing with a computer. Back in the early 90' when I went to college I learned both PC (IBM Clone) & Mac. Mac's are great for anything graphical.

 

Here is what I did today on my truck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comparing old cowl drain to new cow drain. Much lager than the old one. But remember I live in the desert.

 

 

Another shot of the old cowl drain. I plan on going back with a simimlar but larger system.

 

By the way I have the valve cover on during all work. Tomorrow I am going to pull the motor and trans loose from the mounts & move it forward as far as I can get get more room to work on the cowl drain area.

 

It sure has been a long time getting here.

[I'm BLUE]

Wow :blink: ,,,,,,,, very nice work on this man !!! Sheet metal is not my fortay ---- your mock up looks great so far :cool:

[mklotz70]

That's going to come out soooo sweet!!! Great stuff! Thanks for taking the time to put up all the pics of the progress :)

[Pacific coast Datsun]

^^^^^^^^^^i agree. I love sheet metal fab work.

[Charlie69]

Thank you for all the comments & support.

[Charlie69]

I am looking into the possibility of replacing my 520 transmission mount, torsion bar, & emergency brake cable mounting crossmembers and also replacing torsion bars & mounts.

 

 

I am looking at the 620 & 720 as possible donors. The reason for these changes are easier installation & removal of transmission due to having a removable crossmember. I am running a 620 emergency brake handle assembly & 720 emergency brake cables & rear differential housing & brakes this will enable easier installation & marrying of the different parts.

[wayno]

Hi there Charlie, You might as well just drop the 520 body/shell on a 720 frame, it will be a lot less work. With the 2" body lift it's easy, you just put the 720 e-brake handle in the 520, and your set, the two front body mounts are the same on the 520-21 and the 720, so the front wheels center themselves in the wheel wells. I could send you Oics. of the 2" lift body mount hardware I made for the rest of the mounts. The 720 frame also has all the upgrades. The 1980 frame also has the L block mounts in it already. wayno

[Charlie69]

Thanks for the info Wayno. I just got the body back to stock height. I removed 2" blocks. I have parted 3 1980 720's in the last year & a half, but failed to keep these parts. The reason I am staying with the 520 frame is the numbers match my title. In AZ to keep the 1966 registration I have to have 2 matching numbers. So the one on the frame is crittcle because I upgraded the motor. Any way the more I play with metal the more I like it! who knows someday I might even be fair at bending metal.

 

I got the firewall spot welded in today. My brother has been to busy at work to bend up the tunnel pieces. I am going to be working on mounting all the stuff on the firewall tomorrow. I have to get fresh air from the center cowl air intake and plumb it to the passengers side 720 AC box and still have room for AC/heater vent & defroster ducts.

 

I have a feeling I will be using a BFH tomorrow. :D

[Charlie69]

I received 2 of the 3 tunnel pieces from my brother. He tacked them in and the next morning I went out & started measuring & eyeballing and relized how crooked they were, so I cut them out. I also noticed that the 1980 720 heater box was going to be to high for mounting because the front (firewall) end of the tunnel is 3/4" to high. Any way this pissed my brother off so now it is the hurry up & wait game with him again.

 

Tired of waiting on my brother so I went and mocked up the tunnel pieces. I decided to split the second piece in half because the front was to narrow & the back was to wide. I tack welded the front & middle tunnel pieces together mocked them up in place and realized that I need to do the same with the front piece of the tunnel. So tomorrow I will split the front tunnel piece and fit it to the openning. Once I finish this adjustment I will do the filling in where I need to and this weekend I hope to be able to finish all the welding I can with the cab in place. The next weekend after I will pull the cab off the chassis and finish all the welding & grinding from underneath & the engine compartment. Finish, prime, & paint the inside of the cab & the engine bay.

 

While the cab is off the chassis I plan on cutting out the center (transmission mount) cross member & the remove the torsion bar crossmember from my frame & then fit & weld in the cross members from a 1974 620 frame if all measures up like it looks to.

 

I am contemplating doing coilovers in the front and doing away with the torsion bars all together. If I do coilovers it will be like syclone916 did on his 520.

 

If I do the coilovers it will cost about $250 more than doing the 620 torsion bar swap.

 

Gene (dat521) came over today and between the 2 of us we managed to pull the windshield out without breaking it & without destroying the weatherstripping.

 

I took the windshield from my 1966 520 and laid it on top off a 521 windshield I have. They are the same. I have been told by 3 different people the my 66 windshield would be about 1" narrower side to side than a 521. So this is proof to me they are the same.

[wayno]

The windshield being the same is a relief to me, as my 66 520 windshield is broken, and I have an extra one for a 521.:D I don't remember where I heard they were differant. I wish I could see this build in person, it's just not the same with Oics.:( When you see it in person after it's done, it then becomes clear why it was done that way. But then it's to late to put my 2 cents worth in.:lol: wayno

[Charlie69]

Wayno your 2 cents worth is always appreciated as is everyone elses. I am shooting from the hip on this project. If you see an easier or better way of doing something please let me know.

[Charlie69]

The transmission tunnel is in!!!! Do some grinding & pull the cab to finish the welding & grinding, primer & paint the bottom & in the engine compartment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is getting closer to being done. Yeah!

[Pacific coast Datsun]

Looking good Charlie.. :cool:

[fisch]

Nice update Charlie! Lookin good man!