Datsun 120Y | Getting it to run right!

[@arafjan7488]

My old 120y over 33 years ago it's Engine was so quiet when idling it was so beautiful.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

In winter I found I had to place a thin plywood sheet in front of the radiator...with a hole cut in it to expose only 1/3 of the radiator to the direct flow of cold air....in order to keep the temperature needle in the middle position on the guage. The little engine cruised extremely economically and efficiently so there was little waste heat... and the fully unscreened radiator overcooled the coolant... even with a higher-than-normal opening temp thermostat installed.

[@SeasideGarage]

Good tips! thanks!

[@simonsackett]

Watching this was like a flashback to my Ford apprenticeship! Points dwell angle, idle and mixture adjustment, checking the timing with a strobe, cleaning carbs, even de-coking cylinder heads sometimes. I remember the frustration of trying to set the dwell on Fiestas, when the distributor was hidden away behind the engine.

[@darrenwilson8042]

I love this car because of its unusual ( in the UK ) colour. My Dad had one and when I borrowed it the way it drove and its equipment levels ( for ageing mid 70's cars ) was way better than my then current Triumph Toledo.

[@DeanofMachines]

I think this little Datsun appreciates the love. They are definitely neat little cars.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

When you look at the cooling system...replace the small hose that goes from the back of the head to the heater. It flexes as the motor moves under accleration/deceleration...and it's old. When it blows it takes out the water pump before you realise it....if not also warping the head.

[@mr.volkswagen7296]

Hi I have had a 120Y Coupe in my younger days. I put a 1400 ccm engine in. It run great with this engine .

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

These had a problem with the thin metal of the valve covers distorting when people tried to torque down the bolts holding the cover to the head. This was a problem with the cork valve cover gasket as the cork would compress over time, then leaks would start, then the bolts would be torqued down and distort the flange where the valve cover met the cork seal. I got round the problem by taking the valve cover off and flattening back the flange to OEM standard. Then I stuck two cork gaskets together with gasket sealant and sealed the inside of both with the same sealant. I then sealed the bottom of the bottom gasket to the head...basically permanently. This then worked as a coffer dam, keeping the oil in even when running the engine after setting the valve clearances. The height of two gasmkets also meant that the bolts holding the valvve cover only needed to be slightly nipped up instead of being cranked down hard. There may be a thick modern rubber composite valve cover gasket now...I did the mod 45 years ago!

[@SeasideGarage]

That could be the issue on this one!

[@puntomk1uk64]

This little Datsun is getting better and better!

[@MrTwisted1977]

Back in the 80s this datsun and other models like it for example the 100a and the voilet were hated they were a bread and butter car cheap to run however times have changed and even over here their very sought after.exellent video content keep up the good work!

[@SeasideGarage]

Thank you! They where much better then they had any rights to be!

[@charliecoco2115]

Love that car and it's simplicity.

[@barryphillips7327]

Yes unlike modern rubbish where you can not even see the engine let alone work on it, you fix newer cars without spanners or screwdrivers using a laptop instead. Thanks BUT NO thanks modern 💩💩💩💩

[@markpirateuk]

Sounds sweet, these were an excellent engine, I cannot believe how clean your car is, most rotted away alarmingly quickly here in the UK!

[@lyndonwestwood8514]

ONE OF BEST CAR'S I HAVE OWN'D HAPPY NEW YEAR.

[@eggy1962]

From my one drive of a 120y i am sure your going to enjoy just how light and precise they feel,the steering and gear change is so nice……well compared to the vauxhall chevettes and morris marinas that i was learning in.

[@marcinbujok7388]

Love how great the engine sounds! Such a nice car! Great progress Seppo!

[@androo4519]

Coming along nicely. If I lived in Denmark I'd be wanting to buy it from you! The engine sounds really sweet. Looking forward to seeing what you achieve in 2023.

[@SeasideGarage]

It is! its going to be a great little car.... but pretty hard to get parts for!

[@bjarnesrensen7408]

Det er altid en fornøjelse at se dig arbejde på de gamle køretøjer. 😊 Og tillykke med de 7.000. 👋👋👋

[@SeasideGarage]

Tak Bjarne!

[@mcdk72]

Godt nytår og held og lykke med kanalen.

[@metalman4141]

The engines a peach 👍

[@stefanobio7045]

Hi Seppo, Have you completed a compression test on the engine yet? Another interesting video thank you for posting. I wish you and all your family a good, healthy, and prosperous new year. Best regards, Stefano (UK).

[@SeasideGarage]

Not yet! but it will come!

[@stefanobio7045]

@@SeasideGarage Hi Seppo.... Im looking forward to your forthcoming videos, your videos are always interesting and well presented, thank you for posting. Take care and keep warm, Best regards, Stefano.

[@chrissmith7655]

Hi great stuff. Was that a Danish sailors Marlin Spike you used to plug the fuel line , hahaha? Many thanks from England.

[@SeasideGarage]

Haha! Just a screwdriver!

[@harryharker9564]

Sounds great

[@twocvbloke]

Certainly sounds good after the tuneup, hopefully it passes its test when the time comes... :D

[@pritambissonauth2181]

Idle as low as 700RPM if recall from the user manual. Depending, if you had AC it would be 800 RPM

[@oxulucozcan4923]

happy engine. thanks for the content Seppo question: where do you get the necessary information about the car? it's an old car, I wouldnt be surprised if it did not have a workshop manual of sorts

[@frglee]

There's certainly a Haynes manual for it - old ones can be found for a few pounds on ebay. I remember a Lucas car mechanic asking me back in the 90s if I had the Haynes manual (I did) for my 1985 Skoda 120L as he had no idea of the order of the gasket bolts and torque settings or something. Whilst not a workshop manual, they can be pretty useful things.

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Interested to see a compression test and the valve clearances. You did the vac advance capsule didn't you?

[@SeasideGarage]

Vac capsule tested... Compression test and valve clearance is coming!

[@holgerlutz705]

Dear Seppo (I hope I got your name right, otherwise: undskyld😉) I am currently working on a Reliant Robin and fitting a proper fuel filter is one of the many issues. The one you used on the Datsun looks pretty decent. Is it a Datsun specific item or an aftermarket part? Then you use an electronic device for revolutions and dwell angle. Do you have a link for that one, it looks pretty handy 😁. Aaand a last one for my curiosity: Would it be going too far to ask you whereabouts in DK you are located? I have spent most of my childhood and youth holidays on the North Sea Coast near Esbjerg and Ringkøbing and still Love going there🥰 Keep up the good Work! Holger from Germany, near Hamburg

[@SeasideGarage]

Hi Holger! I am from Fynen. :) Its a datsun filter but easy to get! I think you can find them on autodoc actually. I cannot remember where I got the DVOM from but if you google Automotive DVOM you will find something similar. :) Thanks for your message!

[@holgerlutz705]

@@SeasideGarage Det er godt😉😁

[@grayfool]

The Japanese really know how to make good engines. Tough as old boots.

[@MrTwisted1977]

Yes but they made engines copied off Austin under licence

[@grayfool]

@@MrTwisted1977 They did it right though. Shame about the bodied they put around them.

[@MrTwisted1977]

@@grayfool to be fair the bodies weren't any worse than all the other motors back then in the 70s morris marina Ford cortina austin mini to name a few but your correct although they copied austin their engineering standards were far superior.

[@grayfool]

@@MrTwisted1977 Probably true. I've had plenty of rusty Minis, well, all of them really.

[@metalman4141]

It looks very dark when you make your videos what time of the day do you film ?

[@SeasideGarage]

Its winter... :) the sun is down at 4 pm :) Late afternoon and evening normally.

[@metalman4141]

@@SeasideGarage oh I see , really enjoying the Datsun and the Princess videos please keep them coming 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@steveosshenanigans]

I think that,……that fuel filter has been a fuel filter to long 😮

[@SantanaJohnson-pv4oq]

Im sure your supposed to time it from spark plug 1

[@steveosshenanigans]

Is it my ears or is the exhaust blowing

[@SeasideGarage]

Yea I think so.. Could also be the way they sound, but it sounds a bit blowy... :)

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

@@SeasideGarage Look at he exhaust manifold under the carburettor. You will find a coiled spring there attached to a shaft which goes into the exhaust manifold. This is a thermostatic "flapper"plate.... when the engine is cold the plate is away from the bottom of the inside of the top of the exhaust manifold right under the carb. This allows near instant heat to the hotspot and good vapourisation of the fuel...less stumbling, smoother quicker idle. As the engine heats up...the spring unwinds and the flapper plate moves up to cover the hot spot...so when the engine is at temperature the vapourisation hotspot is not too hot. However, over time the shaft going into the manifold wears a bigger hole into the cast iron....and thus it leaks exhaust gas. Or the other thing that happens is the shaft rusts solid with the manifold and the plate is always in one position or the other. You may have luck unsticking it so it moves freely....but the enlarged leaking hole...I never found any solution to this other than a new manifold....

[@SeasideGarage]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq thanks! I will check it out... :) your comments are golden! :D

[@peterriggall8409]

I guess you know that the Datsun engine was a take off of the BMC A series except the Japs made it perform better and was more economical. The steel on these cars seems quite thin. Maybe to save weight and make it more economical.

[@SeasideGarage]

I think that was the goal... Light and cheap to make... :)

[@MrTwisted1977]

I knew that but not many people do