A forum for restorers, collectors, drivers and enthusiasts!
This factory technician training manual covers the finer points of testing, diagnosing, and troubleshooting common Datsun electrical issues for the 1968-1976 model year vehicles.
Bookmark and save it as a reference, or print it out to keep in your shop!
Lies. Betrayal. Murder. Horsepower… A tabloid cover, or the rediscovery and restoration of one of the rarest of Datsuns?
Let’s start off thusly – What’s a Scarab? Well, Datsun enthusiasts know the Scarab as the most potent of the early Z cars, a V8-swapped monster with power to spare.
But historically, what’s the significance of the Scarab, and how does it relate to this story? Well, according to “The Egyptian Book of the Dead,” when a person died, the gods of the underworld would judge them with detailed and intricate questions. Incorrect answers would condemn the deceased to Hell. Unfortunately, illiteracy was commonplace. As such, the priests of the time would read the expected questions (and the requisite answers) to a scarab beetle, which would then be killed, mummified, and placed in the ear of the deceased. When the gods then asked their questions, the ghostly scarab would whisper the correct answer into the ear of the deceased, who could then respond with accuracy and pass along into paradise. So, that’s the significance of the scarab in history.
Relevance? Perhaps the scarab represents something of a “cheat code” for regular car owners to compete with the upper-crust high-performance enthusiasts of their time, much like the scarab beetle allowed those less fortunate to bypass judgment and enter into paradise in ancient Egypt.
OK, enough history lessons – back on topic! Many of you may remember Randy as the crazy genius who traveled cross-country to buy and drive home a barn-find Datsun 510. He already owns a great 240Z and a Roadster… Well, he’s at it again.
Join us as we document Randy’s acquisition, meticulous research, and restoration of this 1975 Scarab 280Z.
We’ll let him tell the rest of the story – Click here for Part 2, and Enjoy!
Also, during the series, Randy will be providing some commentary and answering questions here: Datsun Scarab Restoration
For early Z aficionados, the Z432 has to be at the top of every collector’s wish list. While the more pedestrian S30 cars were equipped with the L24 engine and a set of SU carburetors, the Z432 was powered by the same dual-cam, inline six-cylinder 24-valve S20 as the venerable Skyline GT-R (Hakosuka). 7000 rpm was right in its wheelhouse, and the magnesium wheels, 5-speed, and factory LSD made the Z432 a formidable opponent on track or touge.
Of course, the ‘432’ references the S20’s 4 valves, 3 carburetors and 2 cams, and the rarity of the Z432 is reflected in recent sales of well over six figures.
From the DatsunForum archive of classic Japanese literature, this technical illustration was included in Motor Fan magazine in 1969 as a fold-out enclosure. How many of these were tacked up in bedrooms and garages all over Japan in 1969?
You can keep that Toyota 2000GT – Here at Datsun Ranch, we’d certainly rather have the Z432 to play with! Rather than squirrel these scans away, here it is, in high-res for your viewing pleasure. We hope you enjoy it.
[Super-high-res versions are available here: Datsun Fairlady Z432 1 and Datsun Fairlady Z432 2 ]
Here’s a great reference piece from the DatsunForum archives – This went to press in May 1967, and documents the soon-to-be-available Datsun 1600 four-door and two-door sedans destined for the export market. Note: At the time, the 510 designation was not being used, and note the SSS nomenclature (which didn’t make the US market).
Enjoy!
The DatsunForum literature collection library is extensive and varied, much like the history of the Datsun vehicles it chronicles. From time to time, we’ll bring you high-quality scans of these brochures for your enjoyment.
Here’s a great one for the first Datsun pickups that rolled onto our shores – and an awesome resource for anyone doing a restoration!
Contributed by Ted Heaton
Is your 320 water temp gauge off scale and reading too high or low?
It is adjustable.
I am doing some gauge maintenance and here are some pictures of the gauges. The little hole on the outside edge of the back of the temp gauge has a tiny star wheel that can be turned to raise or lower the needle reading on the gauge scale.
The wheel can be turned with the gauge in the dash with the right pick tool. Not as easy in reality as theory due to the wheel being stuck in place after 50 + years of age, but if you have the gauge out of the truck you possibly can free up the wheel.
When removing the gauge pod try to keep the gasket whole. Apply mild heat at the star wheel area and lube can be sprayed inside gauge pod from the needle opening. The gauge pod does not open easily but it can be separated at the copper folded tab rivets.
If you can free up the wheel reinstall the gauge and make the adjustment while the truck is running so you can set the needle where you want it to read at idle temp. OR, you can test it with the temperature probe, a thermometer, and a pan of water on your stove for additional accuracy.
The gauges in the 60’s Datsun vehicles were dated. The pictures show the build date in the European day-month-year format (DD-MM-Y). Note the speedo shown has 68 date (8) indicating it was a post production replacement part.
For all you 510 aficionados out there, here’s something you may have never seen – an original factory color brochure from Datsun for the French market. Note the subtle differences in the European-market car… and how about the poor quality photography, especially of the engine bay?
Here’s a great resource for those of you working on a correct restoration, or if you’re like me, just love to know what was offered for the 510 in 1972. We’ll be rolling out some more of these from our collection in the near future – Enjoy!
[Click images for full-sized versions]
By Andy Sola (Ozzie)
So, do you have an old Datsun?
It’s likely that it has an analog dash clock made by Jeco (Japan). It’s also likely that your Jeco clock has stopped working. It seems to be a common problem with these older clocks, but there might be hope of saving it rather than trying to track down an expensive working replacement!
Things you will need to perform a successful resurrection of your Jeco:
– Screwdrivers
– Multimeter or test light
– WD40 or PB Blaster
All these photos are of the Jeco clock from my 1st-gen Celica, so may differ slightly in design and mounting location compared to yours, but the steps needed to get the clock running again should be similar.
Here we have the clock, as mounted in the center console.
To remove this particular style, the adjustment knob (bottom right of picture) will need to come off before the clock can be removed from the console.
There are 2 screws holding the clock in place on the back. Undo these first so you can manipulate the clock out further into a position where you can grab the adjustment shaft (to prevent it from turning) while undoing the small screw that holds the adjustment knob in place.
Once you have the clock removed, you will be able to unplug it from the loom.
With the clock now unplugged, we will test the plug on the loom with our multimeter/test light to see if we are still getting power to the clock.
One wire will be the earth / ground (in my case, the singular horizontal pin across the top).
The other 2 pins (vertical) are a constant 12 volt supply to run the clock, and a switchable power source for the light.
With the ignition and lights off, You should be able to get a reading (or get the test light to come on) if the fuse is ok.
In this case, we are getting a reading of 12.69 volts. This is good, as we know that the wiring is still ok, and it is definitely a problem with the clock. If you aren’t getting a reading, then check your fuses and wiring for any issues before continuing.
If the light is also not working in your clock, move the probe to the other vertical pin.
At this stage, it should read zero (or your test light should not be illuminated). Turn your parking lights on, and hopefully you will now have a reading on the multimeter.
In this case, another successful test for the wiring. This indicates that bulb in my particular clock has blown.
Now we move on to pulling the clock apart. There are 3 screws holding the 2 metal halves of the casing together (yours may have more or less)
Undo these, and separate the case. Don’t worry about cogs and springs flying everywhere when pulling these apart, as this is only a protective case and isn’t responsible for holding any of the inner workings in place. Once it’s apart, it should look something like this
Now we move outside, and grab our WD40 or PB blaster. (make sure it has a nozzle, to get to the hard to reach places).
Now we simply SOAK the internals (don’t be shy), down below where the spring weight for the second hand is.
And also the drive gears closer to the underside of the face.
Spray the adjuster gears too.
And then use the adjuster shaft to turn the hands, as if setting the correct time. This will work the lubricant into all the gear faces and teeth, and help clean out the 40+ years of dust and gunk. Be careful when doing this as the casing isn’t there to support the shaft and you may be able to move it away from the other meshing gears.
Tip the clock up so that the excess fluid can run out, and test the spring weight movement by applying light pressure to the second hand to drive it around the clock (in the correct/clockwise direction).
If it appears to be moving quite freely, then place the clock on a paper towel or rag at an angle so that any leftover excess fluid can run out of the clock body. Leaving it for 30 minutes should be enough.
If it’s still not moving freely, spray the clock again and leave it to soak for a while. Hopefully the internals will be freed up enough that the motor can drive the gears again, and your clock will be alive once more.
Reassemble the clock case and plug the clock in to test it out before reassembling your dash/console!
You know the names… Peter Brock. John Morton. Frank Monise. John McComb.
How about Sylvia Wilkinson? In 1970, she was a young writer with a few published novels – but she had a real passion for competitive racing. Her next book, The Stainless Steel Carrot: An Auto Racing Odyssey, incorporated that passion. The book follows a young racer named John Morton as he campaigned the Brock Racing Enterprises Datsun 510 in the 1971 and 1972 SCCA Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge.
As you know, Morton won both championships, cementing his place (and those of the 510 and its BRE livery) in motorsports history. While Morton’s career continued, the book has been out of print since 1973, and original copies have become collector’s items.
Despite years of requests from fans of the book, it took friends and family (including John) ten years to convince Sylvia to bring the Stainless Steel Carrot back into print, with new material. Their secret weapon? They turned it into a charity project to benefit animals, with royalties from the book sales going to animal and environmental groups – and Sylvia finally agreed.
We’re proud to announce that The Stainless Steel Carrot has been republished with additional material, but a limited number of books have been printed – approximately 300 remain. Once these are gone, they’re gone. Forever. For this reason, we here at DatsunForum.com have agreed to help promote the book.
So, if you’re down with helping animals, preserving some cool Datsun history, and reading an awesome story about Mr. Morton’s heroic efforts against all odds in the 510, get a copy for yourself!
No question, The Stainless Steel Carrot is 365 pages of Datsun racing history that belongs in the libraries of racing fans and Datsun enthusiasts everywhere.
Grab your copy at http://johnmortonracing.net/
