my 1967 patina project build

[rdarnell]

and now to save that photo, scale it to size, print it on cardstock and glue it on the underside of my cover.

only took a few minutes to save photo, edit photo contrast and insert into Word document and resize to 3.25 in long and print.... and boom!

[rdarnell]

Wnt to Sam's for a new battery but they didn't have many options due to everyone working from home I guess. I wound up with a 24F, but then I wound up sticking it in my 4runner, so the Patrol now has a slightly used new to it battery.


I added an extra body ground just incase to allow me to test everything and not have a ground fault. I also have corrected the positive ground issue too!

The lights were hesitant to come to life and had to slowly figure out small problems. The taillights finaly came on but no front turnsignals. The headlight switch was working correctly. But the headlights didn't come on either.


The dimmer switch had power coming in but not making it out. I removed it from the floor and was clicking it and the headlights came on high beam. Clicked again and nothing. So I clicked it again several times and now seems to work fine every time. Guess sitting for 20+ years had a bad connection.


Still no parking lights on the front though. Figured I would check the bulbs and see if I was getting current. Twisted around on the bezel a little but they did not want to come off. Stopped to finish something else and when I came back to it they were working.


With the lights working I moved on to the turn signals. Nothing was blinking for either side and no sound from flasher. I pulled the switch and it was getting power. Moved handle to right turn and all leads had current. Moved to left turn and all terminals were dead. I had a spare from the 1963 parts truck and it passed the continuity test for both left and right turn.


I installed the 1963 switch using the nicer looking cover from my truck and all turnsignals now work fine. Touched the two brake switch wires together and brake lights lit up. I had been checking the wipers and neither had power but at the end of the day one showed hot but did not come on. I will have to check back later to see what is the problem with the wipers. It seems odd that things slowly seem to get power and come on like the power is moving through the wires like frozen molasses!

[RiverPatrol]

Good work! With these old electrical systems corrosion builds up on the contacts which will cause resistance. Sometimes the electricity will finally work it’s way through the resistance and things start working. I like to take the connectors apart and clean them up as well as remove the bulbs and clean the contacting surfaces. Sometimes you can have a good bulb but enough corrosion that it won’t work. Many old school mechanics used to put a dab of lithium grease on the back of a bulb before inserting it to stop corrosion from building.

[rdarnell]

Well I found out why the wiper motors would not come on... they were full of tabacco! Well it smells like tabacco at least.


The gear area had some dead ants coated in grease, I guess curiosity kills the ant too!


Got all the "extra" stuff removed and re-lubed the gears and I now have working wiper motors. This probably would not have happened if i did not already have a spare set and a secondary backup plan to use aftermarket CJ3 motors.

[Esteban]

Incredible all that stuff inside. Congratulations on the repair.

[L60Boerne]

Good for you! In reading your post I was afraid you were going to hit the same road block I have encountered with the tiny spring that isn't made anymore. Your are a lucky and skillful Patrollee. Good job.

Patrolling again today around town,
L60Boerne

[rdarnell]

What is the purpose of the spring? Is it for tension or some sort of resistance?

[Esteban]

What is the purpose of the spring? Is it for tension or some sort of resistance?

The spring applies pressure for the carbon brushes to the commutator.

[rdarnell]

Got the wiper motors reinstalled over the weekend. The rubber grommets that go between the wiper and the body were shot so I made six new ones out of 1/8 rubber. Since I changed to negative ground I figured I would also swap the wires to the motor since it looks to be fully isolated... well its not! I got them both wired up... hooked up the battery... turned the key on... put my hand on the exterior end of the motor and switched it on.... nothing. Checked for power... nothing. went out to fuse block and pulled the 5 amp fuse... blown. Replaced it with a 10 amp and tried again... nothing. Fuse blown again! Then the realization that the motor is probably grounded and not isolated like I thought. Did a continuity test and yes the positive lead on the motor grounds to the wiper motor and chassis. Problem solved, wired it back to the way father Nissan provided it and replaced the fuse with a 5amp and SUCCESS! "As god as my witness I thought turkeys could fly!"

Moved on to the lack of working horn and it looked like a good time to address that cracked steering wheel. In my past purchases I have bought a couple extra steering wheels among other pieces. here are some of the pieces I had purchased from a low mileage 1967, I knew I needed the dash and the steering wheel.




The horn would sound if I jumped across the relay but the horn button never made any sound so I figured I had a problem somewhere between the two. I pulled the center cap and marked the column shaft. I had to use a bearing separator and puller to get the steering wheel moving. The splines of the column had a more corrosion that I was expecting to find. I used a pick and cleaned each spline, kind of felt like a dentist removing tartar buildup. I was unsure of how the horn worked so I pushed the wheel on and put the spring back in and the 2 u shaped wires in the holes with the metal plate and then pushed it all down and the horn sounded! Not sure how or what I did but guess I fixed it?? This thing keeps just coming alive everytime I spend some times with it, I hope this Patrol was not owned my George Lebay!



My original center cap cleaned up pretty good, the one that came with the replacement wheel is a little too shiny for my Patrol.

[rdarnell]

I thought I was done with all my wiring but realized I never tested the heater. I removed the interior part with the core and pulled the switch... nothing!. I tested the wires and no power making it to the switch, went back out to the fuse box and have current there, made sure the wire was the same as the one I was thinking with continuity test... all good there. hooked battery up again and not it has power... guess it was frozen in the line somewhere again! Pulled the switch and the blower came to life. Seems to work in all speeds too. I took my lower box apart and the core looked a little off. It appears to have been re-cored, the fins look more like a radiator than a heater core. Took it to the local radiator shop and he said yes it had definitely been redone and that it probably did not heat very well. The left core is out of my 1967 and the other in out of my 1963 parts truck. Both have lots of bluegreen scale on them. He said rebuilding might not work so well. He did some quick googling and came up with a company named Brassworks in CA that might be able to make me a new one. Is there a cheaper option? I might try to find a smaller core that would fit the original box. If not I might have to rework one of my spare boxes to accommodate a larger core.