My name's Nick, and I'm a fairly new member. I bought a 1972 521 pick up truck in August of last year to be my first car, that was in my name. I took it out for a few test drives, checked the compression, and banged around looking for rust. I had no idea what I was doing or getting into but this small, goofy looking truck with four round headlights really appealed to me. At the time I had my eye on a few trucks; a mid nineties ford F-150, a sixties ford pick-up, and this truck simply listed on craigslist as a Datsun truck. The other two were much cheaper and in nicer condition, but I couldn't keep my mind off the little black truck. So I bought it. It was listed for twelve hundred but my Dad and I talked to him down to nine-fifty. Excited I drove the truck home that day with-out any change in titles or tachometer. The closer I got to home the more things stopped working. To make a long story short: by that night the whole thing broke down in the middle of a busy intersection in the rain, a cop had to push me off the road, the whole time I was petrified that he'd ask for a title and proof of insurance because at that point I had none. After many futile attempts to tune up my truck and make it reliable I eventually parked it and managed to buy a 2000 Mazda Protege off of a friend who lived twenty four hours away in Texas.

More story to tell... Plus details on tear down of 521 to Chassis. Haven't gotten to the rebuild yet.

Here's the engine from a while ago.

Here's the truck from a while ago.

Here's no engine

Andd once you strip the body off of that you gett...

Be careful, when detaching the Cab from the Chassis make sure to completely and carefully dismantle the steering box. This involves removing the two bolts underneath the column, underneath the dash. Loosening the lock nut and the adjusting screw on top off the steering box. Undoing the four bolts that hold the cover of the steering box. Then you have to turn the wheels ( by the wheels not the steering wheel ) to either the left or right. ( I would suggest the right ). Then you can jiggle the cover off because it slides out of a receiver connected to the gear in the box. Then you need to push from the arm at the bottom of the box straight up. Undo the three bolts that connects the column to the box and you should be able to CAREFULLY jiggle the steering column right out from the steering wheel. There are two bearings one in the column and one in the box, at the end of the column. Once again be careful when installing that everything is in the right position as not to mangle any irreplaceable bearings!!! Here's a picture of the steering box taken out.

Here's the receiving end of the screw located on the top cover of steering box.

Wow, keep it up NJ. You've just been bitten by the olddatsunpickuplovers bug. I'm afraid the bite is terminal and you'll always love them. You've got a solid piece to work with and should be able to find most of the parts you need at the local parts store. Thanks for giving members the heads up on the steering box. I can't wait to see more progress. Ken

Yeah...me too. I want to know about your progress!!

Keep up posted bro.:dude:

Sorry about the delay it's been a bit cold this winter in Colorado, plus I've been having plenty of fun with two other daily drivers. Some lady, in an older camery, decided turn left across traffic when there was NO room to and she got smashed by a '68 Mustang, and then her and the mustang flew into my Daily Driver Mazda. Her insurance took forever, so I've been preoccupied with that but that's all sorted away now. Also my Dad's VW cooling system exploded while I was driving it so there for I'm responsible. A water pipe which carries coolant from the water pump and the block to the opposite side where the outlet/inlets and thermostat are broke apart (known as a crack pipe in the VeeDub community for it's resemblance and its fault) and to replace it I had to completely dismantle the front of the car. I would much rather change a thermostat or a water hose in a DaTsUn. And just yesterday the weather was beautiful so I was going to work on the Datsun, but then I get a call from my saying the VW acting up, so I take a look at it and the tach and engine were throttling up and down between 1500rpm-3200 rpm. I went and talked to some guys from advanced and VW they said it could be Mass Air Flow sensor and or throttle position sensor and or MAP sensor, and or vacuum lines, and or O2 sensor. So I spent yesterday taking apart the intake system, cleaning sensors and connectors, finding vacuum leaks, changing filters, and reading codes, and it seems that there was no and/or to the suggested problems but just and, and, and, and then some. But I've got that sorted out so today I have nothing planned after school so I would work on my Datsun except wait no it's going to snow this after noon:)

The picture is of a VW VR6 cut-away that was at the Denver Auto Show a week or so ago.

A couple days ago I did get a chance to work on my Datsun and I've been cleaning the cylinder head. And I've got it shiny shiny shiny, I'll post pictures as soon as I get a camera working. I need to find away to clean out the ports, maybe a die grinder. I'm planning on ordering a complete engine gasket set, piston rings, rod bearings, main bearings, and a timing chain kit. That totals about $260 from rock auto with shipping, then I can take it all to my school where we can assemble. I know it's not a proper rebuild, because nothings being machined, but it should just bring the truck up to bar. I am considering, however, getting the head 'decked' in case of warpage, and to boost compression a little, the at the place says I should post a forum asking how much other people have decked their heads and how it's worked out, and what they recommend, so please enlighten me. Also the cylinder head and the block will go through a high temp parts cleaner to dissolve all the old oil and corrosion, and to get rid of all the saw dust and metal particles that have probably made its way into my L16.

I've got the cab on four jack stands and I've cut out the massive rust from the floor, but am not sure how to go about replacing the metal since the rust goes right into the lower door frame, and the rocker panels. I saw on a website, JCWhitney I think, replacement, weld-in rocker panels for the 620, but nothing for the 521. I don't think I'll go with this option because of uncertainty and price, but I was considering buying the 620 rocker panels and 'making' them fit mine.

I have run off now I'll post pictures and update later.

Thanks for the interest!

~Nick

Looking forward to more pics as you progress

Another option for the next time you have to pull the steering...

Remove the seat, steering wheel, blinker switch and housing.  Take out the screws holding the firewall gasket.  Disconnect the pitman arm from the linkage.  Unbolt the box from the frame and lift it up over the radiator support.  That's why the seat has to come out.  There is a hole on the bottom side of the outer tube about 1/3rd up from the box.  You may want to cover that with tape.  When the box is lifted over the support, the fluid will run down the inside of the outer tube.

Anyway....it allows you to pull the steering assebly without having to mess with the worm gear.  As long as you have it all out, now would be a good time to shorten it

Yeah I've got it figured out now lol I didn't have to worry about seats or turn signal housing because the whole cab is gutted to the bare bones, in order to weld in new floor. New problem that caused me to separate the column fromt he box was the lack a of a big enough socket to take off the arm of the column, and no ball joint separator. It was also late and I was doing this behind me house and there was snow in the forecast plus my stuck up neighbors don't like the 'eye sore' left in the ally. The biggest lesson is not to rush things, too late now, I'll know next time, not to say I wont rush something and mess something up again:)

You say I should shorten the column? Why's that?

Thanks

~Nick

You could leave the pitman arm on.

A trick to getting the ball joints apart without a pickle fork, which kills the rubber everytime.......

Loosen up the nut so that you have a good 1/8" of threads showing, but leave it on to protect the threads.  Then, take a hammer and smack the side of the arm that has the tapered hole in it.  A couple of good, sharp whacks should pop the ball joint loose.  It compresses the taper and pushes it out.  The nut keeps it from flying out and of course....keeps the threads safe!  I've NEVER used a pickle fork and I've never found a ball joint I couldn't pop this way.