Datsun 510, Pick-Up 1973 Service Manual – Factory Specs

Description

Got a Datsun 510 or Pick-Up from the late sixties or early seventies? You’ve already learned that guessing head bolt torque on an L-series engine gets expensive fast. I’ve torqued enough of them to know. This is the factory service manual from 1973, 252 pages of what Datsun actually told their dealership techs. Not a third-party rewrite that says ‘tighten securely’ without a number. You get the real thing here at AutoRepairManuals.

Engine and Ignition Tune-Up: What the Manual Covers

Chapter Four is where you’ll spend most of your time if you’re chasing a misfire or rough idle. It walks you through battery load testing, spark plug gap specs, distributor disassembly, and ignition timing with a timing light. The dwell angle setting procedure in Chapter Five gives you the exact degrees for your distributor. No guesswork. You also get the compression test sequence and valve clearance adjustment with feeler gauge sizes. If you pull the head, the service data tables at the end of Chapter Six list every bolt torque for the cylinder head, main bearings, and connecting rods.

Does This Manual Cover the Fuel System and Emissions?

Yes, and it does it better than any aftermarket reprint I’ve seen. Chapter Seven breaks down the air cleaner, fuel strainer, fuel pump, carburetor, and fuel tank. The carburetor section includes float level adjustments and idle mixture screw settings. Chapter Ten covers the emission control system – exhaust, crankcase, air injection, engine modifications, and evaporative control. If you’re dealing with a Pick-Up that has the smog pump still hooked up, you need the factory routing diagrams. The manual shows the exact hose and check valve layout. Don’t trust a generic drawing.

7 Systems You Can Diagnose with This Manual

Flipping through the table of contents, you get procedures for: (1) Engine and ignition tune-up, (2) Lubrication system including oil pump specs, (3) Complete engine overhaul – Chapter Six alone covers cylinder block, crankshaft, pistons, rings, camshaft, valve mechanism, and reassembly steps, (4) Fuel system with carburetor rebuild, (5) Cooling system – water pump, fan clutch, thermostat, radiator, (6) Engine electrical – starter, alternator, voltage regulator, distributor, and ignition coil tests, (7) Emission control – both exhaust and evaporative systems. That’s the mechanical side. The manual also has chapters on clutch, transmission, driveline, rear axle, front suspension, steering, brakes, and body electrical with wiring diagrams.

Get the Right Torque Data Before You Touch a Bolt

I cannot stress this enough. The service data tables in Chapter Five and Chapter Six give you torque values in foot-pounds. The oil pump mounting bolts, the main bearing cap bolts, the connecting rod nuts – they’re all listed. If you use a generic spec from an online forum, you risk stripping threads in the aluminum block or under-torquing and losing a rod cap. This manual also includes wear limits for cylinder bore, piston ring end gap, and crankshaft journal clearance. You need those numbers for a rebuild that lasts. Pair this with the DATSUN Workshop Manual 1972 – Section: Conversion Tables if you need metric-to-imperial conversions, but the main spec is right here.

Original OEM Print vs Aftermarket Reprints

The manual you’re looking at is a scan of the original Clymer Publications print from 1973. Clymer used the factory Datsun source material, not a rewritten hack job. The difference shows in the wiring diagrams – the aftermarket copies often blur the wire colors or omit the connector pin numbers. Compare to Datsun 510 Workshop Manual from a different source and you’ll see the detail drop. This one has crisp diagrams for the headlight circuit, ignition switch, and heater blower. You also get the factory troubleshooting charts for the charging system, starter, and ignition system in Chapter Three. That’s worth the price of the access alone. For broader context on automotive service documentation standards, check the Automotive Industry Overview. But for your Datsun, stick with the source.

Does this manual include wiring diagrams?

Yes. Chapter Fifteen covers the body electrical system with wiring diagrams for the headlamps, windshield wipers, heater, and instrument panel. The diagrams show wire colors and connector locations.

What years does this manual cover?

This 1973 printing covers the Datsun 510 and Pick-Up models from 1968 through 1972. The content matches the factory service information for those model years. There are minor differences in emission equipment between early and late models, and the manual includes notes for both. If you have a 1973 model-year vehicle, you may need additional supplements – check the Datsun 510 1969-1973 Workshop Manual for extended coverage. The manual also includes a second printing update from September 1972 and a third from April 1973, so it has the latest service bulletins from that era. For general industry background, see the Automotive Industry Overview.

You’ve got a classic Datsun that deserves proper care. Don’t rely on a forum post or a condensed aftermarket booklet. This manual gives you the factory sequence, the correct torques, and the diagnostic steps that Datsun engineers wrote. Access the Factory Manual from AutoRepairManuals and get it on your tablet or print it for the shop bench. That’s the difference between a repair that holds up and one that comes back.