I wrote this up a while back. I think we have modified the
"what to carry list" at one point, but should get you going...
Cheers,
Tom Walter '67 2000
Austin,TX '68 2000
Datsun Roadster Trouble shooting hints, while out on the road.
By Thomas Walter c) 1995 Last updated January 1995
Basically if the car is in good mechanical shape, and within tune it is
extremely rare to have the car die on you "in the middle of
nowhere". Key is to keep up the periodic maintenance, and take care
of minor things before they become MAJOR things.
For the engine to run, you need fuel, spark, and compression.
Admitted all have to happen at the correct time, but for most road
side repairs we will deal with the more common items.
WHAT TO DO when your Roadster will not restart:
IGNITION:
Pull off the coil wire from the distributor, and hold it about 1/4"
from a grounded piece of metal. Double check the hand brake is set,
transmission in neutral, and have a friend crank the engine over.
You should see a nice fat blue spark jump from the coil wire to
ground.
To make sure the cap and rotor are OK, if the coil wire test passed,
pull the wire off a spark plug, insert a paper clip into the spark plug
boot, and repeat the test (plug).
IF OK, go to FUEL Test:
If no spark is present, then remove the distributor cap and check the
the ignition points and wiring.
A simple "light bulb tester" can confirm there is power at the ignition
coil, and that the points are functional.
Clip the light bulb tester across the ignition coils "+" and ground.
With the ignition on, the bulb should light. (If not, the ignition switch,
or wiring has a problem... you can "hot wire" the car by placing a
jumper wire from the battery "+" terminal and "+" wire on the coil.
Now clip it across the "+ and "-" terminals: When the points close, the
light should come on, when the point are opened the light goes off.
[Check the points, make sure they open and close, and the wiring is
connected.]
It that checks out, the coil is probably at fault. MOST electrical
problems are just dirty & loose connections!
FUEL:
Most common problem on a SU carburetor is stuck needle & seats, if
this happens you'll see fuel flowing out the overflow tubes (1970
models, the tubes go into the air cleaner housing, so fuel may be
dripping out of the air cleaner.). If fuel is coming out the overflow
tubes, then remove the float chamber top (where the fuel goes in) to
gain access the needle & Seat.
By holding the float housing upside down, and blowing through the
fuel inlet, you can check the function of the flow being on or off by
the position on the tab connecting to the needle & seat. Sometimes
just blowing air through it will dislodge any particles. Check to see
the float is actually floating in the remaining fuel (brass style floats)
or the plastic style (later roadsters) are not saturated with fuel.
IF OK, remove a fuel line, and hold it into a can or plastic bottle. Have
a helper crank the engine, you should see steady pulses of fuel come
out. If not, check the fuel filter. If fuel is not getting to the filter,
then it may be a bad pump, or a blockage (rust in the tank is most
likely).
A bad pump may have some dirt lodged in the inlet or exit valves.
(It is fairly rare to see a pump fail. When the diaphragm tears, they
will leak fuel out the bottom vent hole... quite noticeable. Most "bad"
pumps I've fixed by checking the inlet and exit valves for dirt.)
Rust, or other junk, in the tank may be temporarily displaced by
BLOWING back into the fuel line (remove the tank cap, and listen for
the air coming back through the fuel tank). Usually this 'fix' is
temporary, but may allow you to drive home before removing &
cleaning out the fuel tank!
I recommend the utmost care when "blowing" into fuel lines. (not
only can swallowing fuel make you quite sick, it could be deadly). Air
hose is best, but when out "in the middle of no where" difficult to
find!
Also It is always a good idea to have the battery securely mounted.
On one event, one roadster had a loose car battery tip over and
SMASH the distributor cap! Thankfully someone else had a spare cap
to get the 1600 on its way again.
WATER in the FUEL: If the car seems to be sputtering when running
at highway speeds, take a look at your fuel filter. If there is water
in the filter, it will remain there... until you get up to higher
engine speeds and some of it makes it down into the carbs. One reason
it is always a good idea to either store the fuel tank completely
full, or empty with the gas cap off to premote air circulation.
[Thanks to Chris Coker for the tip]
COMMON THINGS TO CARRY:
Spare fan belt (put on a new one, and toss the old one into the
trunk... this insures you have one that fits!)
Carb Floats (once again, I keep my 'old ones' in the trunk)
Ignition and tune up parts (cap & rotor, ignition points, condenser,
and a set of spark plugs).
Wrenches: 10, 12, and 14mm and a small adjustable one.
Screwdrivers: Slot and Phillips
"Test light" (either a commercial 12V one, or a 12Volt bulb with two
leads terminated with alligator clips.
Pocket Knife & Flashlight are always handy!
Length of wire (6' of 14 gauge). & a couple of paper clips.
Spare coolant and quart of oil, and brake fluid.
Duct Tape (if a hose is torn, tape it up with duct tape, and leave the
pressure cap off until you can replace it... take it easy on
a hot day driving!).
For longer trips, upper and lower radiator hoses, and "caps" for the
heater hose fittings
I also carry 6' of 1/4" fuel line hose, and a small 'Universal" electric
fuel pump. I keep meaning to make a wooden box to fit into the "fender"
of the trunk, to store everything in.
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