Finding the right set of gaskets for my 1975 Datsun 620 truck

Hi, I am fixing the carburetor on my Datsun 620 and I have been doing some research. First of all, I found out that my carburetor (original type, Hitachi) is not for a 1975 Datsun, Its either for the 1972, 73, or 74, but Im not sure yet. My carburetor has busted threads all around, so I can either re-thread them or buy a new one. I might try doing both.

So far I am looking at an item on ebay and they say that this particular carburetor (DCH340 carburetor) fits many different vehicles and it is a stock carburetor. I am assuming that if I get a carburetor from any of these vehicles I will be able to swap it into my truck and have it running.
Here is the list:

Notes

Year

Make

Model

Trim

Engine

	1986	Nissan	720	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	2.0L 1952CC l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1985	Nissan	720	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	2.0L 1952CC l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1984	Nissan	720	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	2.0L 1952CC l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1983	Nissan	720	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	2.0L 1952CC l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1982	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1981	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1980	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1980	Nissan	720	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	2.0L 1952CC l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1979	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1979	Nissan	620	All	All
	1978	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1978	Nissan	620	All	All
	1977	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1977	Nissan	620	All	All
	1976	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1976	Nissan	620	All	All
	1975	Chevrolet	LUV	Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-Door	1.8L 111Cu. In. l4 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirated
	1975	Nissan	620	All	All
	1974	Nissan	620 Pickup	All	All
	1973	Nissan	620 Pickup	All	All

Notes

Year

Make

Model

Trim

Engine

1972

Nissan

620 Pickup

All

All

Also, I do not want to spend $300 for a Weber or a high performance engine right now. My current engine is in unknown conditions (it runs but it does need gaskets so far) and I've heard you get poor fuel economy with those expensive carbs. So I can't be running a high performance carb with a low performance engine. I might just blow it up.

These picture are from my carburetor. If anybody recognizes what kind of carb do I have please let me know. I am unfamiliar with carbs.

Disassembled Carburetor, main parts

Carburetor Side view, Hitachi Logo

These are the gaskets that I was trying to replace the one at the left is the new one that came with the kit for the 1975 Datsun 620 and the one at the right is the one I pulled out of my carb. Which carburetor kit should I get?

Gasket 88

I think I made up my mind already and I want to buy the Hitachi DCH340 carburetor. I still don't know what carburetor I have but I think it looks like the DCH340.

*UPDATE 08/13/2013: I went to the wrecking yard today and got the same carburetor that came with my 1975 Datsun 620 from a 1973 Datsun 620. These so far are exactly the same, and none have a part number I can use to identify them. My best guess is that I am and was running a Hitachi DCH340 Carburetor from a 1973 Datsun 620 truck.*

Here is some more info. After doing some more research on Datsun 620's Carburetors, I found out that there are two carburetor kits that I am interested in.
The main reason why I am able to recognize them is because of the gasket that goes in between the "feet" and the "body" of the carburetor (Gasket 88). You can see it in the image where two gaskets appear.

These are the Carburetor gasket kits that have the gasket compatible with the one shown on the right:

1972 Datsun 620
Uses 96-274 Carburetor kit from Autozone
Compatible with Carburetor DAF326, DAH328

1973 Datsun 620
Uses 96-275 Carburetor kit from Autozone
Compatible with Carburetor DCH340

1974 Datsun 620
Uses 96-275 Carburetor kit from Autozone
Compatible with Carburetor DCH340

I have also concluded that the DCH340 style or type of carburetor appears in the Datsun 620 from 1973 to 1978, but these have different carburetor kits, which means that their base, trunk, or head vary. Many parts stay the same but since there are variations you will not be able to rebuild a 1978 carb from a 1973 kit.

Note that I purchased Carburetor kit 96-282B from Autozone and got the wrong gasket (88) for the one shown in the image. Any carburetor kit for a 1975 or newer 620 will not work for me. So I will buy one for an older truck since I think I have an older carburetor. Right now I am leaning towards the 1973 and 1974 since they use the DCH340 carburetor. I am also currently looking for one.

*UPDATE 8/13/2013: I just purchased a carburetor kit from Autozone for a 1973 Datsun 620 truck that will fit my two carburetors*

I just noticed too, DCH340 means DatsunCarburetorHitachi340?

This link contains the image for an exploded view on a DCH340 and the image and location of gasket 88.

Removing the Bumper on a 1975 Datsun 620

I was removing the fender from my truck and I got stuck. I had to remove the bumper first before removing the fender. So I looked all around the truck and was not able to find where the bumper was anchored. I ended up finding four bolts, two on the driver and two on the passenger side.

The two missing bolts are the ones that I removed. Here you see the radiator hose going into the radiator. Just look down, they are right there. Remove all four and the bumper comes out. Oh, and don't  forget the bolt attached to the fender on each side. These should be in there but might not be necessary to have.

Look at the bumper on the driver side. It has a small hole, this is where the bolt goes in that attaches to the fenders.

1975 Datsun 620 PCV valve

I have recently installed the pcv valve on my 1975 Datsun 620 truck, and I can say I was a bit confused. I thought the pcv valve (for some reason) was located right on top of the valve cover of my engine (L20B). I tried to remove it and found out it was an empty tube. I was shocked. I did a little bit of research online and found out that this thing is located below the carburator. Please take a look at the picture below. It is pointing to the PCV valve which has a rubber hose attached to it fastened with a clamp. It is hidden.

I removed the hose and exposed the valve. You can see me turning the PCV valve with a wrench here:

I bought it at Autozone, and the part number is PCV1142

My dirty spark plugs

I just wanted to show you guys the dirty spark plugs that I pulled out of my Datsun 620. Please enjoy!

I ended up replacing them with NGK Copper V Power.

Datsun 620 fuel filter problem

So I just got my 1975 Datsun and have put fuel in it twice. The first time I put in $10 from the gas station down the street, turned the truck on, and drove home. The second time I put $20 from the Chevron across town, turn it on, the truck shut off on my way home, turned it back on and struggled to get home driving. I finally made it. I looked under my hood and I have no fuel filter! I won't drive it anymore until this is fixed.

Also, my engine will not stay on unless I keep pressing the gas pedal, so there must be something clogging my carburetor.

This picture is from a forum but shows the location of the fuel filter, right there by the corner of the battery.

Mine has a piece of tube which I don't think does that great of a job (See picture below).

Here is a picture of the fuel system I found online:

This is how my system looks installed:

The filter is attached to the inlet of the mechanical fuel pump as shown. Please do not make the same mistake I did and think the fuel pump was inside the tank. The thing shown here is the mechanical fuel pump. It is mechanical, not electrical.

This is a closer look:

The part number is FF3402DL and I found it at Autozone 

Use hoses that are 1/4 inch in diameter (inner diameter), I accidentally bought 5/16 and was too loose. 1/4 is perfect.

Also look at this previous picture (the one with the filter). Please somebody tell me if you have managed to have the transparent tank more than halfways full. I expected it to be full but I either get 1/4 of the transparent tank or 1/2, but never full. Is this normal?

This is the filter while empty.

Also I learned about a pre-filter system or pre filter. I found one at Autozone but they call it "performance" fuel filter. its just a fuel filter in their performance isle which you can remove the inside filter. When I buy it I'll post it here.

Also, note that I was expecting the fuel pressure to shoot fuel out of the lines when disconnecting them. This did not happen. The mechanical pump sucks fuel from the tank, and does not push it. There is not pressure accumulated in the line where the filter is attached to. Please slap me for that. Just disconect the lines, don't be afraid

By the way, I fixed my problem. Im sure it was the fuel filter, but while I was at it, I ended up replacing the plugs, oil and oil filter, and even adding an additive to the fuel (Mystery Oil). Oh, and I broke my breather hose. I need a new one.

How to change the Breather filter on a 1975 Datsun 620

This post is about how I changed the Breather filter on my Datsun. If you have any questions please let me know. This is also the first thing I've documented on my truck.


I replaced the filter or sponge that captures the oil that leaves the valve cover going into the air filter tray. I bought it at Autozone and had to cut a small piece so it would fit:

 The part number on it is BF1209DL.
Here you can see the old sponge filter full of old oil. Also, you can see the leftover piece of sponge, and the new one installed. The new sponge is more fat, so I had to stuff it in the small compartment gently using my scissors.

I originally made the mistake of calling the metal tube coming out of the valve cover a "PCV valve". Please note that this is incorrect. It is the "Breather Tube". I have read that you can just attach a small filter at the end to fix it if you ever brake it. Please read this on the Ratsun forums:
http://community.ratsun.net/topic/43794-help-with-an-l20b-breather-question/

What do I need to know before painting my car?

Update: 04/230/2016

Do not spend too much time on this. The outcome will be as good as the painter. take your vehicle to a shop and be ready to spend some good money on a paint job.

I spent about $70 on about 12 cans of Lowes Valspar spray paint cans. the paint looks better than the old one, but it is not shiny at all. it took me about 3 weeks to "prep it". I would paint it again if I knew it was going to look better. I only sanded what I thought needed to be roughened for paint, and I only masked everything that I needed to protect from paint. I removed as many parts as I could for paint preparation as well. In my opinion, and considering the limited paint skills that I have, do not put too much time and effort in prepping the vehicle if you are using the same type of paint that I did. It did not come out the way I wanted it to come out and I was disappointed considering the time and effort that it took me to paint it. in the future if I consider to go this route, I wouldn't prep it so much if I would be painting it. the following is what I had written before painting the vehicle.


I am currently dealing with this. I want to paint my Datsun 620 but have a hard time deciding.
First, I don't want to spend a lot of money doing it myself since I don't have the equipment to do it professionally, therefore I want to spray paint it with cans.
Second, the color. I have not decided on the color yet.
Third, the body has not been properly prepared, so I kind of would like to prime the vehicle and drive it like that for a few months and fix the dents little by litte.

I just went to Wal-Mart and found some cool looking paint for a low price. I have no idea how much paint am I going to need. I want to paint it mint green with white or brown. Or mint green with black. Or any combination with those. The guy at walmart told me that this enamel paint would not come off the truck that easily. I dont know.

Here is a useful link so far:
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/pros-and-cons-of-using-enamel-car-paint#b

And kidharris at http://www.instructables.com/id/Paint-Your-Car-With-Rustoleum/
"This is in response to a number of comments scattered throughout these pages. Although I am not a professional painter, do not work in a paint store, and have never painted a car with Rustoleum, I have painted a few cars in my 60 years and have developed a few opinions on the subject. 

It's been my experience that fisheye's are caused by not completely removing all the wax off the old paint job, particularly if there was any silicone-based wax on the old paint. The wax must be removed with a solvent/cleaner/wax remover, sanding will just spread it around. If you know that you are going to be painting the car sometime in the future, stop waxing it and allow the old wax to wear off as much as possible and then there will be less to clean off. 

In addition orange peel is caused by too much humidity in the air, or water in the paint, and can be alleviated to some extent by controlling the drying time using more thinner and/or painting on low humidity days or in a humidity controlled environment. I once (when I was young) painted a van under a awning while it is was pouring rain, you should have seen the finish on that. 

I am not a big fan of clear coats. Most professional auto painters love clear coats because they do not have to be buffed and polished which saves them a lot of time and therefore they make more money. Paint stores love clearcoat because they get to sell more product. It is crucial in using clear coats that you use one that is designed for the paint. Even then most of the really crappy looking paint jobs that you see on the highway where the paint looks all wore out and patchy/chalky/faded on the top of the hood and roof is caused by the clear coat wearing away and the paint underneath not having any wax on it. Sometimes too thick of a clearcoat causes it to act like a magnifying glass and damages the paint underneath and can cause the clearcoat to peel off, especially over dark colors. This, of course, also gives the professional auto painter more work. In addition, clearcoat makes small paint repairs a real pain to do. 

Although clearcoat definitely has its place (some paints will not shine well without it, and it can add depth to special effects) I'm a little tired of people hollering clearcoat, clearcoat, clearcoat like it is the ultimate cure for all painting problems and will make your paint job last forever. It simply is not true. 


Hope this helps some of you who are contemplating painting is your car with what ever paint you use."