Hi guys. I have a question. I have a small Datsun 1200 pickup. When I turn it on for the first time it shakes and acts as if it's gonna shut off when I accelerate it. After it has warm up it runs with not enough power. When I get to my destination and turn it off and turn it back on it wont start right away. I have to crank it two or three times. Could it the mixuture? How do I know I have the right fuel mixture?

You don't have a blown head gasket maybe?

Does it blow any smoke?

Can you hear your carby leaking air? (Whistling not from the airfilter)

Could be timing. Or poitns too. Check all those out...

Are you dealing with an early / mid 60's pickup, or a B120 ute from 1970 & on?

Ute's & pickups are quite diferent body styles as the pickup bed is detachable from the chassis. By definition, a ute has a one piece body.
Chris

No airleaks. No smoke. I'll check the rest.
It's a 1981 with the bed attached.
Thanks.

It's a ute.
Chris

Hey Lobster thank you. I got power now.
I changed the points. They were burned out. I also changed the condenser and since I had some extra bucks I changed the coil with the resistor. It was all the same untill I changed the points. I just got home from work and let me tell you: I was flying.
Before all this I messed around with the gasoline mixture. I hope I got it right by luck. I was told that I might be using too much gasoline if I got the wrong combination and that I wont be able to tell untill I see the neddle go to empty faster than usual. That makes sense. Now, how do I fix this if that happens? Can you or any of you tell me the safest procedure?
I want to learn how to adjust the mixture to get the proper mixture and use less gasoline than needed.
Thanks again.

Turn it each way..It'll speed up one way, and slow down the other.

I always just set it somewhere in between. Sometimes a part turn towards the faster/leaner side of mixture. I'm sure the service manual has a better description of this process.

Chris.

Dattodude is right, but remember that this screw adjusts the IDLE mixture only. All main metering is handled by a fixed size jet, so you cant mess up the fuel consumption too much as this represents only a small part of total fuel flow.

Heres the best process. If possible, set the points using a dwell angle meter. These things are usually switchable to tach mode too so this will be usefull later. If i remember rightly, the spec was from 49 degrees to 55 degrees, but check with a reliable reference first. Set the points to as near the low end of the range as possible. As the points wear, they will return a reading that gets progressively higher, so you dont want to start at the wrong end of the range.
Having done that, adjust the engine idle SPEED to the speed that is specified for timing setting by using the IDLE SPEED adjusting screw. This is sometimes a diferent speed than the service idle setting. Dont wory about the mixture, we'l get to that soon. Using a timing light, after first disconecting the tube from the dissy vacuum can & pluging it with a small phillips screwdriver,[the tube, not the can] set the timing. When you adjust it, the engine speed might change, so re adjust it & check again before locking it down, then check once more in case you moved it when tightning the bolt. This is often done more safely with the fan belt off, so don't take all day doing it or you might get overheating problems.
So far so good? Good, now refit the vac hose & fan belt.

NOW we can do the mixture. Adjust the idle speed to the correct service idle setting. Next, turn the idle MIXTURE screw a small amount in either direction. Does the engine speed up? Then slow it back to specs with the idle SPEED screw. Does it slow down? Oops, wrong way, go back, slowly. Does it go rump rump rump? It's too far out, so screw it back in a little. Keep this up untill you have the engine running at it's correct speed, & that turning the screw either way only slows it down. Get familiar with this procedure as engines with points need this attention regularly.

Now be aware that the rubbing block on the points will wear quite quickly at first & it will be a good idea to retest & adjust if necessary at about 1000miles [1600k] & again at about 5,000 miles [8,000k] Replacement at 10,000 miles [16,000k] will ensure the kind of reliability that diesel trains have. As the points wear, the timing is also retarded. This is gradual & usually small, but as the wear starts to get out of hand, it results in a lower idle speed & other problems. Old NRMA servicemen will tell you that the most common cause of roadside breakdowns, by a HUGE margin was points failure caused by people too lazy, or dumb, to either tune their car, or to get it serviced & tuned on a REGULAR basis. Usually an adjustment was all that was required to restore engine operation.

For maximum money saving, invest in a suitable timing light, & a dwell / tach meter. Good used ones are just as good as new ones, but much more "cost effective"
Happy motoring
Chris
P.S. Try to get a Gregories [or similar] workshop manual too, & while you are at it, have a look at the plugs. These things are still relatively cheap & NGK BP6ES seem to be the best for A series Datsuns.

this is great info dodgeman!

Razor, thanks for the comment, but at the risk of bringing down a truckload of vitriole on my head,.....i just gotta say it,....IT"S ALL IN THE WORKSHOP MANUAL.
These old Gregories manuals are cheap & even at full price for a new one, you only need to save yourself one screw-up & it's paid for itself. This problem is described in the "Engine Fault Diagnosis" page [From page 25 in my book] & the how to do it all
is on page 169, for points & timing, with pictures, & the carb adjustments on page 41. They do a better job of it than i can do, by trying to describe it in a post.

I actually collect these books, on our models only, as there were a number of diferent editions.
BONUS They cover Datsun 1000's as well in the same book, or ay least the versions that i have.

I hope the info helped, but the best advice i can give to all who are just starting out is to, well.... you know,....G.T.B.
Chris