Carb to fuel injection? And clutch

[Roberta79]

Hello,
I'll start by asking you to please excuse my inexperience in mechanical happenings, and the questions which result!

My name is Travis and I am the owner of a vehicle that has been involved in this forum throughout the years. My '79 Patrol, named Roberta, was owned by a Dane named Anders, and before him it was owned by some Aussies - possibly, long time members of this forum will know who I am talking about and the vehicle's history. It has been driven from Colombia down to Argentina and back to Colombia, which is when I bought it (in Colombia).

When I purchased Roberta six years ago she was in rough shape. I've been restoring her since. The motor runs great and she looks good.

That said, I consistently have trouble with the carburetor. I've taken it to every mechanic in town, and after they work on it, the carb will run good for a few days and then go back to its sputtering self. I'm at my wits' end with it.

I am wondering if a conversion to fuel injection is possible? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

Also, the clutch goes out all the time.

Any suggestions you have are very welcomed. Thank you very much in advance for your time and input!

Best,
Travis

[RiverPatrol]

Welcome to 60Patrol! I definitely remember this Patrol and it's adventures, here is the blog post Anders kept during his adventure: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3074. Unfortunately many of the pictures seem to be missing, I'll see if I can fix that.

I'm pretty sure the carb and clutch were consistent issues with that Patrol, you can read through he thread and see for yourself. If anyone has done a fuel injection conversion it would likely be someone in Colombia. Some folks here have kicked the idea around but it never came to actually happen that I recall. Has the carb been replaced yet or has everyone just tried to fix the existing one?

What exactly happens when the clutch 'goes out', and what has to be done to correct it?

[Roberta79]

Thank you so much for sharing the blog by Anders! He is a great writer. Too bad the pics are missing, as I've enjoyed seeing the ones that are still viewable!

Note to self...don't buy another vehicle sight-unseen! lol. Anders's wonderful stories reconfirm a lot of what I have discovered since I bought her... that this Patrol had variety of parts from other vehicles and unfamiliar mechanics working with it. When I bought the Patrol (named by Anders, or maybe prior owners, as "Roberta"), ironically my plan was to drive it down to Argentina. When I finally saw the vehicle with my own eyes, I knew I was in for more extensive repairs than what I had expected.

I spent the next six weeks fixing Roberta in the hood of Medellin while learning to speak Spanish. It was an unforgettable experience. When I finally got on the road, Roberta broke down three hours south. But, she got me to my planned destination. I limped her into an amazing little town that had been recommended to me by a local in Medellin. And thanks to the next 10 days of getting her fixed up, I checked out some properties, and purchased a ranch ("finca"). And that is where Roberta has been ever since; she is happy here as a my primary vehicle at the finca. I am grateful to her, as she has brought me many beautiful experiences.

Here in Colombia, where the Patrols are plentiful, I've done my best to get Roberta fixed up. The engine is running great, and I changed out the 3-speed transmission to one that was recommended to me by the locals who have Patrols, among countless other repairs.

The carb has not been replaced since I have owned it. Would you suggest I do that, and if so what make/model should I search for?

As for the clutch (or at least what I believe is a clutch problem)... When it starts to have problems, when the clutch is depressed it begins to make a repeating, high-pitched sound. As the problem quickly progresses, the clutch doesn't seem to engage/catch. Then, it quickly gets more and more difficult to get in and out of gear. I've been told to pump the clutch several times before trying to change the gear, but that obviously doesn't fix the problem, and only prolongs the challenges.

The mechanics in my small town work on these vehicles all the time, so they understand them and the "fixes" are usually fast and cheap. That said, they favor putting band-aids on problems to minimize costs and prolong the life of things. I am more interested in addressing the underlying problems so that I have a more reliable, well-functioning vehicle. I don't mind replacing parts with new parts, when appropriate.

Any suggestions you have are welcome! Thanks again for your time. It's so cool that this vehicle has a history on this forum. I would post some pics but I'm having difficulty with that

All my best,
Travis

[RiverPatrol]

Ok, now the dust is clearing a little and I see - you are the Travis from AZ that Anders had the final repairs done for and sold to. Disappointing that Roberta wasn't able to take you on your South American adventure but I can't say it's a surprise, and probably for the best.

You're in the best location for Patrol repairs, that's for certain. If the carb has not been replaced I would recommend doing that before considering a fuel injection conversion. As for what carb to look for I cannot recommend since I don't know what is available there. We have some members here from Colombia that are very knowledgable in doing correct repairs as opposed to band aid fixes - rrodriguezsal is in Bogota, if he's not out on an oil rig he's good about responding. Also caterpillarman is in Bogota, he visits here infrequently. There are others in Colombia but the only contact I have for them is through Facebook (FB is good for connecting people with like interests around the world if nothing else), they have a very active community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nissanpatrolcolombia. Hector Romero, Gustavo Acosta are a couple that come to mind. There is also Daniel Hernandez on there, I think he's actually in Venezuela but incredibly knowledgable.

The clutch problem sounds mechanical, maybe even the transmission. No amount of pumping the pedal will help. Not easy to diagnose online especially knowing the history of this Patrol. You said the transmission was replaced, might be related or might not.

Get a hold of some of the guys mentioned above, they will gladly help you out or at least point you in the right direction.

Check Ander's post again soon, I'm working on the pictures issue. Seem to be a performance problem loading them but they are still there.

[Esteban]

Welcome to 60Patrol!

Incredible adventures behind yours, and very glad you have it in the "finca". It will feel at home there.

The carb has not been replaced since I have owned it. Would you suggest I do that, and if so what make/model should I search for?

As for the clutch (or at least what I believe is a clutch problem)... When it starts to have problems, when the clutch is depressed it begins to make a repeating, high-pitched sound. As the problem quickly progresses, the clutch doesn't seem to engage/catch. Then, it quickly gets more and more difficult to get in and out of gear. I've been told to pump the clutch several times before trying to change the gear, but that obviously doesn't fix the problem, and only prolongs the challenges.

Regarding the carburetor, this one I have installed on mine, and has been in service for 20 years without a glitch:
Carter type YFA 1 barrel. The one in the following link is an aftermarket version of the Carter. A couple of members have installed it. You'll need to modify the air cleaner housing.

https://www.amazon.com/Partol-Carbureto ... B0761NB88J

Some comments here: https://www.60patrol.com/forum/viewtopi ... 26&p=41519

The clutch problem, since yours is a hydraulic type, is most probably the slave cylinder (the one located at the transmission) You'll probably be able to buy a new one there. It doesn't make sense to rebuild it.

[RiverPatrol]

The clutch problem, since yours is a hydraulic type, is most probably the slave cylinder (the one located at the transmission) You'll probably be able to buy a new one there. It doesn't make sense to rebuild it.

Esteban - would the slave cylinder cause the 'high pitched sound' he describes though? That was what made me think it was mechanical rather than hydraulic.

[Esteban]

The clutch problem, since yours is a hydraulic type, is most probably the slave cylinder (the one located at the transmission) You'll probably be able to buy a new one there. It doesn't make sense to rebuild it.

Esteban - would the slave cylinder cause the 'high pitched sound' he describes though? That was what made me think it was mechanical rather than hydraulic.

Totally forgot about the noise!

The high pitch noise could be the clutch bearing. Difficult to be more assertive without more troubleshooting.

The pilot bushing inside the crankshaft (Oilite Bush-Crankshaft Rear End) where the input shaft of the transmission goes, sometimes binds to the shaft and start making a high pitch sound. Once you release the pedal, the input shaft and the crankshaft rotate in unison, so the noise no longer happens. I've had this in the past, but not in a constant way. Only on a first start of the day, or after sitting for too long.

[Flaggoni]

My foggy memory of the Anders adventure includes a time when they repeatedly had clutch/transmission noise/vibration issues, and bearing failures. I believe the pilot bushing was missing in the crankshaft. As Esteban suggests, it may now be too tight. The actual clutch may be working to disengage, but the input shaft of the transmission continues to be rotated by the tight bushing. A worn, noisy throw-out bearing, on the other hand, should not prevent normal shifting even though it shrieks or rumbles whenever the pedal is depressed.
On the carb issue, I suspect rust/crud repeated contamination. The carb works OK following a cleaning, then it re-clogs. Some carbs, such as Rochester, have a hidden screen in the fuel inlet fitting.
Mild Bill