Zeyemurgy

Of course.

Checking Craigslist now...

Okay. My guess is the 200,000+ miles. Anyone recommend a machine shop in the greater Salem, OR area? So, assuming it is just the head gasket, what else (gaskets, etc.) will need replaced if I do it Datzenmike's way - leaving the manifolds attached?

Okay everyone, looks like I'm gonna be trying to make a go of it myself. Mechanics said, "... $1,800 to $2,000." I'll take Dawa's advice and start a new thread once I get it home. Thanks everyone.

Yeah, the '77. I know it's a relatively easy project but time is at a premium for a while and I'm gonna be commuting from Salem to Wilsonville, 32 miles, by bus until it's done. Also, I don't have a garage to work in and have HOAs about automotive work on the driveway. I'd love to do it myself, but that's not in the cards this time. Thanks for the encouragement, though.

... to have a mechanic replace an L20b head gasket?

Thanks everyone, I'll baby it home and find a throw-away Geo Metro until I can fix it.

Okay, I've searched and read, and I'm pretty sure I need to replace the head gasket... '77 620 5-speed A/C X07,800 miles (I think the 'X' is a 2) Runs fine (new carb couple months ago and fixed major vacuum leak last weekend) 64 mile round trip daily commute Checked coolant and oil this morning (habit) - oil low but in 'okay' zone and coolant fine (oil level didn't drop until fixed vacuum leak, used to loose about a quart of coolant a month until added something from a bottle that had copper in it a couple months ago) Today Ran up the freeway at ~70/3500 rpm, 9~10" vacuum - no problems. Smooth accelleration, passing power, etc. ~27 minutes. Got of the freeway and down to the exit intersection light, bunch of white smoke - thought it was the old Chevy van next to me. Moved forward, smoke moved with me. D'Oh! Now everyone around me is bathed in a huge cloud of white smoke. Light turns, accellerate, big cloud initially but smoke lessened as ran. Decellerated for next light/turn, more smoke on decel/accel but again lessened as ran. Pulled into NAPA, huge cloud of white smoke at idle. Bought Lucas oil stabilizer (thinking low oil issue). Started up, huge cloud, lessened as ran down the road to work. Pulled in, huge cloud on decel/idle. Still idles/accels/runs fine though. Searched forums - must be head gasket. Will check coolant and oil conditions on morning break. What I'm seeking from you all now is if you think I can 'safely' make it 32 miles back home. I can take non-freeway roads if necessary. Thanks. Check the fluids: Coolant - down about an inch, appearance normal, lots of the copper 'sealer' collected on the radiator cap gasket, overflow tank less than half full. Oil - level and appearance seem unchanged from this morning.

Found what I needed and everything is back together. I'll post pics and a brief guide to the '73~'77 (don't know if they changed when the king pins went away...) 620 tension rods and bushings.

FYI... Okay, the pic that started this thread has nothing to do with the '77 620 tension rods, been under the truck all evening and these big-a** things don't have any home that they'll fit into. Bushings in kit - ~2" dia. Bushings from Nissan - ~1" dia. And those sleeves in the kit don't even come close to fitting through the tension rod mounting bracket holes and they are much bigger than the tension rod itself. Anyway, the bag of bushings I got from Nissan seem to be the right thing. Should get it all back together tomorrow after work. Thanks everyone.

Thanks Guys, got 'em. A box of 10. That'll leave me some for the '73.

Any idea where I might find a set in rubber?

Thanks for the quick replies. Much appreciated. I had just read that link a few minutes ago and that's what got me thinkning '510 kit' or 'one-side 620 kit'. Clarification: LCA - lower control arm? The LCA-end bushings completely fell out of the driver side about a month ago, right after I had both strut rods/spacers/bushings/etc replaced. Scrambled to find T-rod bushings and came across this kit. So, if I'm understanding, I could use this kit for the radiator end of the T-rods and I sould find a kit that looks/measures/etc the same but is of another material for the LCA end? What material and any idea where, and how quickly, I could get that? Thanks again.

Hey Guys, I purchased this as it was listed as a 'Tension Rod Bushing Kit' for my '77 620 2WD KC, but it doesn't seem to be correct/complete, to me. Thoughts? I'm not sure if it is incorrect or just the kit for one side, or maybe it's actually a 510 kit? I don't know. Help! Thanks, in advance.

Thanks to the guys who offered, but I was able to find two at Pick-n-Pull on Saturday. I am still looking for a pair of tension control rods, though, or advise as to which chemical is guaranteed to loosen rusty nuts - both '75's at P-n-P have good tension rods but the nuts won't budge.