The lug that earths your distributor needs closing up with a pair of pliers.

Have you adjusted the choke cabling to ensure that the choke and idle go up in the correct proportion. Sometimes the cable slips and it works the choke but not the idle.
I know that on weber/quadrajet carbys it's common to get air leaks in the throttle butterfly shafts. Is it possible that you're getting air leaks into the carby due to a worn shaft?

Chris

Don't bother buying more parts. Instead, find the problem and fix it, or replace only what's actually bad. With some patience this is likely, and often won't take longer than multiple trips to the parts supplier. Plus you'll know the exact shape of your engine when you're done.

From your description it doesn't sound like an electrical problem. Just double-check the timing and especially the point-gap or dwell.

Then concentrate on finding vaccuum leaks -that's a most common problem - from broken hose ends or leaking diaphragms. Disconnect and plug the hoses that go to the round vaccuum diaphragms temporarily to see if it makes a difference. The diaphragms are on the carb, the dizzy advance and the EGR valve (if your engine is newer). See the Tech section article "Carb adjustment, troubleshooting, rebuild and inspection" for more details about this.

Something could be bad inside the carb. Look at the float glass, make sure the level is right.

Quote:What do you mean by this? If the engine is fully warmed up, the choke should be fully open. Yes, if you close it at that point, then the engine shouldn't idle well. It should work right with the choke open. Only when the engine is cold should the choke be partially closed.

Quote:
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if i touch the choke, it all stuffs up again
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If i adjust the choke when the engine is cold, to start the car, once warmed up, and you push the choke back in again, to close the choke, the car will not idle any more, and becomes eratic in its delivery across the whole rev range, jumping (for example) from 1000 to 400 rpm, and all points in between upon partial throttle. on WOT, it revs cleanly all the way to 6000 rpm (i dont ever go past 6000, mostly only 5000 rpm is my upper limit).
Im thinking of rplacing the carb once more, maybe if i can find a single webber or something. Its really pi*@ing me off now. is HATEa too strong a word for a datsun?

Quote:That's how it's supposed to work:

- Choke closed when engine is cold
- Choke partly open as engine is warming up
- Choke fully open when engine is fully warmed

If the choke doesn't stay open by itself when the engine is warmed up, chances are the spring is worn out, or it's not getting electricity. Check and see if there is voltage to it when the engine is running. For $20 or so you can buy a new choke. You might also be able to fit one the same diameter from a newer carb at the wreckers.

"Hate" doesn't fit a 1200 too well ... but certainly that could be directed to one part ... or to another kind of Datsun.

I think it may be a cable operated manual choke from the way he is talking ddgonzal.

It does certainly sound like a vacuum or air leak somewhere. The most common problem when fitting extractors to a non crossflow type motor is that the inlet manifolds are often not "pulled up" properly against the head. I think someone suggested that before, but it really is worth checking out properly. An air leak like this would be worst on maximum vacumm (idle) and would not show up as much as you use more throttle. The fact that you say that it seems to run better with a bit of choke also backs this up. Keep trying

Yes, I forgot the 1971 came with a manual choke, didn't it? Pushing it in opens the choke, pulling it out closes the choke.

Considering that, what Niscoupe says sounds right. There may be some other problem, but that's where I'd start too ... vacuum leaks. The Tech Section article discusses how to check for a leak at the manifold-head surface.

The tech section article doesn't really tell you how to find air leaks other than visually look for faulty hoses or fittings, what mechanics do is:
1) Find a small LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas, I'm not sure what you'll have) cylinder from a camping stove and fit it with a flexible tube (5/16 fuel hose will do)
2) Start the engine and get it idling, then drift a small amount of gas in the carb opening.
3) If the engine running smoothes out with additional gas you have got an air leak.
4) Now slowly drift gas around the manifold to head surface, carb to manifold, carb etc.
5) If as you do this the engine smoothes out that area is where the leak is.
6) If putting gas into the carb smoothed the running but no air leaks are found then it is probably a jetting or other carb set up problem.

Cheers

Quote:
Thanks, I'll add more info to the article.

The article does list another way, which has the same effect as the LPG method: spray light oil on the manifold joints. This and the visual check are usually sufficient.

Except for the vacuum motors. Here are two ways to check for vacuum leaks in the diaphragms:

1. Use a vacuum-making hand gun.
2. Push on the motor's rod or diaphragm with your finger or a screwdriver. Use another finger on the port to see if the motor will stay open when you release it. If it immediately moves back to normal, it's leaking. With your finger covering the port, the motor should stay fully or partly in position.