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Wroth

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Everything posted by Wroth

  1. Well, first off I'm using a custom machined adapter instead of the harmonic balancer, very similar to the ones that Mr.510 was providing. The thing is that I had the same adapter on the original crankshaft in that engine and it was running for two weeks until it threw a rod cap and bent that shaft too much to be turned. All the parts are the same as then except for one rod, the shaft, and the bearing. I finally thought of taking the timing cover off and verified that the crankshaft was a good eighth of an inch short of the washer seat on the pulley adapter. I had the adapter shaved so it wouldn't bind and it's turning over now but the starter sounds like it's dragging and my flexplate might still be interfering with the casing a bit. I emailed the company i got the crankshaft from since it was a reman job and as far as I can tell it's short 1/16th of an inch on each end (which i have never heard of) and they want me to send them a photo of both shafts side by side so they can "identify the original" despite the fact that they confirmed that there's only one size on the 33 cranks, unlike the 30s which had three or four. I really don't want to pull the engine back out of my truck AGAIN, but if I have to i guess I have to. I figure I'll just pull the pulley adapter off for now, try to get the starter working properly (i just recently realized that I don't actually need the accessories to see if it'll start...) and then move on to getting the pulleys on. If I can't get the starter to work right then I'm going to assume that the problem is either the flexplate or the crankshaft and pull the motor back out and check those. I keep looking at Craigslist and I need to stop that. I found a 91 2 wheel for $500 and it said that it just needed head gaskets, so I started thinking about how it would only take a couple hours tops to get new gaskets in, and how I have both heads off my old 3.0 in a box in storage and then I realized that if I had $500 in my pocket I could have my truck towed to the engine rebuild shop nearby and give him 400 down to figure out what's going on. Plus I took those heads apart to get the camshafts for the 3.3 and i didn't properly store the lifters and who knows where the rocker arm bolts are. like my truck in particular and until it's completely destroyed I'd much rather fix it than replace it. I really appreciate the continual community support. i probably wouldn't have been able to replace the cracked head way back when i first got my truck if I hadn't found this forum. I definitely wouldn't have thought to put a 3.3L in the pathfinder if people here hadn't already done it and documented it fairly well (it sounded a bit easier than it was, but that's life). I'm looking forward to being able to tell you that I got it running again and finally feeling like I deserve a 'built not bought' sticker.
  2. Problem after problem after problem. I wound up grinding the casing back on the starter and it's not rubbing anymore. I tried putting washers in to space the starter out a bit but it sounded (to me, but what do I know) like it wasn't engaging properly so I took them back out. I then put my crankshaft pulley adapter on and tightened it down and it's like pressed against the timing belt cover. I realized that I had left out the washer that goes over the timing gear for a belt guide so I spent two hours looking for it. Finally found it and got it installed and tightened the pulley back down and it's still rubbing. So now I'm trying to find another of the timing belt guide washer things to double stack them and try to get the clearance. I can't find a listing for them for a 3.3L, i can barely find one for a Nissan at all. I found a few for Hondas, one for a 300zx, and one for a Nissan engine I've never heard of (ca18 or something?). Not one of these has the dimensions listed and I can't tell if they'll fit. So, does anyone know the part number for the timing belt guide? Would it be a bad idea to get a washer that fits just to space the pulley out? And since I didn't have this problem when I first installed the 3.3L and I had to replace the crankshaft does that mean that something is wrong with the engine or the crankshaft? I don't get it and this is massively frustrating. EDIT: oops, I just put the pulley on without the timing chain cover on a whim and it's not turning when it's tight. It almost seems like it's being pressed into the front of the oil pump somehow. Guess I'm taking stuff back off and looking for even more random pieces.
  3. I hope so too. I'm returning the starter for another today and trying to find a replacement for the lower intake manifold that I broke last week trying to install the fuel rails. I read somewhere that they're pretty much compatible between the two engines so long as they look the same so I'm hoping a 3.3L xterra intake will fit under my 3.0L upper intake. I used the starter and bracket for the 3.0 because I think i remember reading that it's supposed to match the bell housing, not the motor, but it totally worked with the old starter. I'm mentally kicking myself a bit over that, you suggested bearings and I didn't want to believe it so I bought a new starter and that's the one I'm having trouble with now. And I forgot to write down anywhere which lower intake and oil filter mount i used and I don't remember what I did with the other intake. At one point I had two but now I can only find the other upper intake and that won't fit with my accessory setup for reasons i also forgot. Note to self: document everything because i already know that my memory sucks, and try not to take over a year on an engine swap and rebuild. Also work on paragraphs...
  4. Yeah, i think it's the starter. I don't have any good measurement tools so I was eyeballing it with a tape measure but the clearance was uniform within a sixteenth of an inch all the way around. I roughly determined that the starter sticks into the bell housing about 1/16th too much. Since the starter is a reman job from autozone (and since i bought the warranty) in inclined to believe that the dimensions of the starter are off, possibly from remachining the mating surface, and that a brand new one will work fine. It's interesting that for the past year I've been thinking it was a problem with my work and lack of experience and the whole time it was either the starter or the flexplate and apparently was completely unrelated to the cheap spray lube i used before i knew that assembly lube existed. It's too bad that i turned in my old starter for the core charge, i could otherwise slap that baby in and if it cleared then i would know that the problem isn't the flexplate. Oh well, I now know definitely the it's one or the other.
  5. It very well could be the flexplate. There were a couple moments when I was putting in the engine around the front differential when I felt like it was binding or something. I guess I need to check the clearance between the flexplate and the bell housing dust cover all the way around. I was hoping to not have to take the engine out again but you do what you must. On the plus side I feel like I am getting really good at doing this stuff.
  6. AARGH! I pulled out the front differential, pulled the oil pan, partially loosened ALL the bearing bolts and took off the timing belt. Everything spun freely so I started putting things back. I set the time and went through several revolutions so I figured it was ok and started putting things back. I put on the fuel rails (only took that off because I expected to have to remove the heads), the starter, the distributor, and the imitation Mr.510 pulley adapter without checking and now it's stuck again. I guess I narrowed down the possible issue but this is massively frustrating. I swear those two little coolant lines on the very back of the engine (from the weird octopus thing bolted to the bottom of the upper intake to the back of the block that T from the heater core lines are the most irritating part of working on the top end besides lining up the EGR tube with Pacesetter headers when most of the stuff on my 33 is from the 30. Complaints aside, I realized that if you have the differential and the oil pan off it's really easy to get to the torque converter bolts. If i ever pull the motor out again in putting it back in without the oil pan. Going through the starter slot is a pain, especially when your dad is right there talking about inspection plates on mopars. I typed that several days ago and evidently forgot to hit post. Anyways, earlier i pulled off the starter, the distributor, and the pulley adapter and it spun freely again. I put the distributor back, it spun, and then I put the starter back and it was like dragging on the flexplate. Granted I lost one of the bolts so I have an old head bolt with two inches of washers on the bottom, but it shouldn't be interfering with the flexplate. I bought the starter new last year and it's only been engaged a couple of times but I have a warranty on it so I'll probably go have it tested. I'm starting to think I'll need some sort of shim to keep it out far enough to clear but still engage the bendix when I need to start the truck. If anyone has any ideas, advice, or previous experience with this issue I'd like to hear it. Thanks for everything guys, I never would have made it this far without support from the community.
  7. Man I love this site. Thanks for the quick responses, guys. It turned over fine while I was installing the torque converter, a little stiff but it turned. I had worried about the bearings and the cylinders but I figured it was fine since it turned. It still turned after the torque converter install. I probably should have stopped by the truck every couple of days and turned it more, but oh well. I haven't tried using anything for starting fluid, ether or otherwise but it's been so long since I assembled the engine i suppose it could have dried up anyway. I never heard of assembly lube until a few weeks ago. If I remember correctly, I had the heads on, timing belt on and set, and basically fully assembled except for the starter, distributor, accessories, and various electrical plugs. I pulled the starter back out and removed the accessory belts but haven't got to the distributor yet. I guess I panic a bit easily with this sort of thing. I've never had a vehicle i liked enough to work on myself before and this is my first time doing anything on this level. My truck has been down over a year now and I had expected originally to only take a month or two. Life is crazy and plans nearly useless.
  8. Well, it's been quite a while since I've updated. I had to get a new (reman) crankshaft and do a partial rebuild. I put the camshafts from the 3.0 in while I was at it. I replaced the broken rod and the cap thanks to some help from a friend and checked out all the valves, lifters, springs, rings, etc. I don't have a micrometer so I was unable to check the bearings that came with the crankshaft, but when I installed it and the pistons it rotated easily by hand (large wrench, actually). I reassembled and installed the engine, indexed and torqued the TC, and replaced all the accessories etc. Obviously it turned over by hand when I installed the torque converter, but then I had to leave it for a few weeks between working on it. Anyways, it's now seized. Won't turn a single degree in either direction there's about 50 ft-lbs on the crank bolt and it just tightens and loosens. I had put a small amount of marvel mystery oil in the cylinders so I pulled the plugs. I had trouble aligning the starter so I pulled it to eliminate the possibility that it was binding. I pulled the accessory belts so they wouldn't drag. It still won't budge. I'm kinda freaking out here trying to figure out how it could have bound. I guess I need to pull the oil pan and check out the bearings and maybe take the heads back off (another round of head gaskets, yay) but that's such a pain (front diff, centerlink, stabilizer, skid plates, etc) that I'm looking for any other suggestions to check before I go that far. Dropping the front differential is really hard by yourself without the proper type of jack. I had to set it on a furniture dolly, jack the front of the truck up, position the differential, lower the truck onto it, bolt it in, and then jack the truck back up to get the dolly out, all with a high lift jack. So, any ideas? Need any more information? Am I kidding myself thinking i can do this at all?
  9. Sorry, I took the day off yesterday since it was raining the whole time and caught up with my sleep. I know practically nothing about the pistons and cylinders, all I know is that the engine is apparently from a 2000-2004 frontier. I'm pretty sure I don't need the whole rod, just that cap and maybe the bolts and nuts. I just can't find anyone selling just the cap. I'm definitely replacing the oil pickup tube. Mine didn't have a hole in it but it's seriously pinched and I'm concerned about the flow rate, being so restricted. I'm hoping to not have to take out the piston, or the valves or springs or any of that since I'd then have to go find a spring compressor IINM. I'm still hoping to be able to just slap another cap on that rod, install all new bearings and check torque, put it all back together with a new oil filter, and go back roading. All these mud covered jeeps rolling around out here and my truck is down...
  10. Oh, OK. I got worried for a minute. Looking back, maybe I should have not included a photo of the old engine, it's almost too horrible to look at. That block and crankshaft were both totally ruined. I could have left the engine in since I pulled the front diff, the torsion bars, the crossmember under the front of the diff, and the front of the lower control arms. The only reason I pulled the engine was because I had been thinking it was the flexplate. Now that it's out though, I can put on the correct thermostat housing and do a few other things I'd forgotten when I first put everything together. Like gasket sealer between the dust cover and the bell housing... Being rushed on car repairs sucks. I actually grabbed the bolt through the rod that the cap came off of and pulled the piston back down so I don't think it stuffed into the valve, but I'm taking the head off anyway so I can make sure. I've strapped the engine down to a furniture dolly i beefed up months ago for the engine and in a while I'm going to start taking off the stuff over the driver side head. So far my parts list is: the one rod, all the bearings, oil pan seals, head gasket, and loctite and that black RTV gasket stuff. So far it's looking less expensive than the torque converter and flexplate i originally thought I'd have to replace, but only because I'm not going to put in all new rods. Though now I'm wishing I could afford a set of the forged steel ones... Thanks again to everyone who has chimed in on this, and everyone else too. If not for this forum I don't think I would be prepared to do all this and I'd be stuck with paying a mechanic probably $3000 for everything I've already done to it.
  11. Sorry, the time frame is confusing. Did you say that before or after you saw the picture? I figured it would be toast but, bearing in mind that I am not a mechanic or experienced with crankshafts, it looks okay to me...
  12. I think the journal is fine... and the rod looks OK too, except for the double stuffed spun bearing stamped together and stuck to it. And I think the ECU would have caught the problem and at least thrown a code if not for thisIt turns out that a rat chewed off my knock sensor! Bastard. He chewed up a bunch of my security switch wires too and I had thought his ravaging had been limited to the interior. Oh well, i'm going to get something to set the engine on soon so I can dig into the top end and check the valve. I think it's ok, but I need to know. Guys, I think I got extremely lucky that it didn't let go when the engine was running. So far the most damage I've found is to the oil pick up tube. Man, it's gotten easier to post pictures lately. I'll have to put up some good ones once I get it running again and get the roof rack installed.
  13. I'm starting to think that the bolts were working loose when the bearing spun and started squealing (good call, by the way) and then after i shut it off the rod came completely off and started to interfere with the crankshaft while I was turning it by hand. And when the cap was loose it was beating the crap out of the oil pickup tube, causing the clattering. If I got extremely lucky, I didn't damage the valve pushing the piston up into it... But I won't know that until I get the head off and check it out. Yes I am definitely taking the head off, if only to check for damage to the valve. Fortunately I've done a head before. An endoscope is an excellent idea, I'll have to check around to see if I can get my hands on one. Honestly I'm a bit irritated about the fact that the engine essentially crapped out after two weeks of running. It's no longer covered by the warranty (90 day and startup), so I get to fix it out of pocket. Woo hoo. I've informed the ebay seller that I purchased the engine from that there was an issue, but I don't expect them to do anything about it. Mostly I'm blown away by the eerie similarity to the way the last motor went. It threw a rod through the oil pan and when I took that oil pan off I found two shattered rods. This time is much less disastrous. It's a bit strange that i didn't find any metal in the oil pan, but I'm hoping it's a good sign. I have to figure a way to mount the engine so I can start into it (a stand would be ideal but I'm not sure if I know anyone with one and I hesitate to go buy one since I hope not to need it again for several years), and I'll keep posting what I find as i find it. Oh yeah, and I'm in Arkansas. Near Hot Springs if that means anything to anyone.
  14. Found the problem. I finally got the engine out and it still wouldn't turn. I took off the oil pan and found these. Looks like the cap off the #2 connector rod came loose while I was driving. It struck the oil pick up tube and damaged it, bent the cap, and appears to have not damaged anything else. I think I can just push the piston back down and reconnect everything with a new cap... Means I have to find an engine stand though, i can't work on the top and bottom at the same time as is.
  15. If I remember correctly, it ran mostly fine for at least two weeks, and I probably drove it at least fifteen miles a day during that time. I say mostly fine because I had an exhaust leak and a couple of pinched vacuum lines i hadn't gotten to yet. I hope it's not similar to the issue you had (sorry to hear about that by the way, i wouldn't wish car problems on anyone short of Hitler). The first time it started making that sound it was after driving about twelve miles, so it could have been when it hit operating temperature. But after that first time it was doing it even before it warmed up. Good idea to check for metal shavings in the oil, I'll check that next time I get to work on the truck. I always check for that when I check the oil level, but it's more likely to show up in the sump before it shows on the dipstick. Random thought: I wonder if I could magnetize the dipstick? Hmm... Thank you for your concern for me, it means a lot that basically random strangers who just happen to also have nissans actually care about me and my personal problems (as most ford owners around here would put it). Funny story, right after the truck went down again this guy told me that i should buy a new Ford ranger. I told him that aside from the fact that my three kids wouldn't fit in a Ford ranger comfortably, I didn't like the idea of having a CVT that's rubber band driven or having computer controlled brakes and steering. I don't like newer vehicles. I figure my cutoff is about 2000-2004, if it's newer than that i don't even want to drive it (no offense to anyone with a newer vehicle, if you like it great but you're not likely to convince me...).
  16. So I finally got a chance to work on the truck. I pulled out the starter and confirmed that the engine will not rotate freely. In fact, I was way off on my rotation estimate before, i could only rotate it far enough to check two torque converter bolts. This means that i can't properly unhook the torque converter from the flexplate this time either. It also means that the starter isn't the problem. The two torque converter bolts i could check were fine. Guess I'm pulling the engine again. I figured this time it would be easier to pull the front differential out to get the room to pull the torque converter out of the bell housing. What I didn't figure on is the fact that I haven't done this before and the bolts are TIGHT. I had to get a jack under the ratchet handle to break loose the two mount bolts on the crossmember between the front wheels. Now the front differential is completely loose, but the crossmember under the rear of it won't drop because it's hung up between the two torsion bars. I'm not sure how to spread them apart the inch or two i need to clear them, but I haven't removed the motor mounts or lifted it to get wiggle room to get the differential out of the way. The FSM says to remove the tranny to get the engine out but that's a massive pain in the neck unless maybe if you have a lift for the vehicle and a special transmission jack. Based on my experience last time, the main issue with pulling the engine is that the oil pan has that deep sump behind the differential. It blocks the engine from being pulled forward until you lift it up about six inches. I figured if I dropped the differential i could pull the engine forward until the torque converter cleared and then lift. Anyway, this is all very frustrating but I love my truck so I'm doing it. Plus I can't afford to have someone else do it or to get a new vehicle. If I could get a new vehicle, it would probably be another pathy. And I'm learning a lot about this truck along the way. I'll post more progress when I get any, but it's supposed to be raining again tomorrow and I'm not crazy enough to go lay in a puddle to fix it anymore. Still appreciate the prior input, guys, and any forthcoming as well. Wish me luck? May be a little late for that...
  17. Yeah, it didn't seem like a lot to me either. I did try to clean up the threads on the bolts with a wire brush. I would have used a thread cutter die to be sure but I couldn't find an M10x1.25. The torque wrench that pops like that trips me out, I'm more used to the kind with the needle which gets bent and never reads correctly again after you exceed about forty foot pounds. I used the adjustable slip one though. I actually found a note on the cylinder head bolts in the FSM. It said that sometimes you have to use an angular tightening method for the cylinder head bolts and the connecting rod end bolts. It said that the final torque torque was different using torque was different with this technique, and that the force produced by a torque wrench could be up 2-3X the force of the angular tightening of a similar numerical torque specification. It did not explain what that meant or how the angular tightening method works. I wish I'd known that when I replaced the cylinder head last year... I think I bolted the bell housing before I loosely bolted on the torque converter. If i remember correctly, i didn't even start threading the torque converter bolts through the flexplate until I'd torqued the bell housing to the engine block. I just turned the crankshaft beforehand to get one of the bolt holes in the starter slot, mated the block and bell housing, and then a few days later I went back and lined up the torque converter by reaching in behind the flexplate to turn it until the bolt hole lined up. Then I started a bolt, turned the crankshaft 180°,started the second bolt, turned the crankshaft 90°, start the third, rotate another 180°, start the fourth. Then i tightened them in the same pattern in stages to keep them even and prevent binding. I have no idea if I did that correctly. At that point I had about two weeks to get it running and help my dad move, and I was under a lot of pressure. I had my transmission pulled back and tilted so the oil pan would clear the front differential, but it would have been much easier to take out the differential and leave the transmission mounted in place. The FSM actually says to completely remove the transmission from the vehicle, but you still have to put in the tranny from below and the engine from above. I had my dad telling me that I should pull out the engine and transmission bolted together like he did with his old Belvedere. I kept telling him that my truck was a 4x4 and smaller than a Belvedere and there was too much awesomeness packed in the compact frame to have much elbow room in the engine compartment. Or especially between the oil pan and the differential...
  18. It's 33-43 ft/lbs. I felt like I could have tightened it further, but I was worried about stripping threads or snapping bolts. It was hard to tell since I was using the extensions and swivel, and especially since my dad was pushing the other way on the crankshaft with a wrench to keep it still. I think I put the torque converter in the tranny, spinning it until it seated in three times (apparently how to index a tc in a tranny) then lined up the back of the engine with the bell housing and started the three bell housing bolts i could reach at that point. I tightened those, put in the rest across the top, and then I believe I put in the motor mounts and tranny mount before I put in the torque converter bolts. I wish I'd taken notes and pictures since I started the swap. For one thing I'd be able to tell you exactly what I did in which order, and for another it wouldn't hurt to have another write up for the 3.3L WD21 on here. I feel like there is a distinct lack of information in my FSM regarding the removal and installation of a motor. I couldn't find anything about indexing a torque converter, but on the other hand it doesn't seem to want you to take the tc out of the tranny in the first place. I didn't have this option as my old motor was seized. I guess it's probably all down to my inexperience with this level of repair. But I'm determined to fix my own truck if I possibly can. I'd rather spend what money I can on parts and stuff than to have someone else do the work for me. Plus I'm aiming for rights to put an "I built mine, you bought yours" sticker on the back window. Incidentally, I think my FSM might be incomplete. I picked it up from ebay, it's just one large thick book. I think some of the listings showed pictures of several differently sized books, and the book I have definitely doesn't have an index. Apparently it's the 1993 service manual revised for truck (serial no. 351227 for usa produced and 426001 for Japanese) and Pathfinder. I think i paid about $35 for it and it's been both massively helpful and frequently frustrating.
  19. Oh, good question. I didn't even think about that. When I bought the engine it didn't have a starter on it, so I put my old one back in at first. I remember the VG33 had a weird starter bracket on it so I pulled the starter bracket off the 30, cleaned it up and painted it red, and put it on the 33. The starter seemed to fit fine and I didn't have to use shims, but now I wonder how far out the paint spaced it. It started beautifully the first time I tried it even though I had some harness plugs for the idle and egr switched around accidentally. When it first started doing this i got a Duralast Gold starter for the 3.0 because the old one had been working until that point and I think the one i looked up for the frontier i think my engine came from was more expensive. What I should have done is check the flexplate and tc bolts when I put the new starter in a couple days ago. I didn't really know what i was doing when I first started my engine swap. I couldn't turn the old engine so I couldn't have taken the torque converter off the flexplate anyway, but I didn't know I needed to. Then when I went to put the engine back in i didn't know to index the torque converter into the transmission. I had my dad telling me that it was the other way around and I had to put it on the flexplate but not tighten the bolts. So for a while I was trying to stick the engine in with the torque converter on it until I realized that it couldn't possibly be the right way to do it and that nissans are not like mopars at all. I may have damaged something back then. Then one of the times when I was pulling the engine in or out of the truck one of my straps broke and the rear of the engine dropped about eight inches and may have struck the flexplate on the torque converter. Not to mention how difficult it was to use the torque wrench with two feet of extensions and a swivel from the front of the engine to torque the torque converter, or that i kept losing count trying to get an even tightening pattern. And i forgot to install the lower dust cover bolts into the bell housing. . But most of that happened before I drove it around for a few weeks. The most recent problem was the sticking ignition switch which was keeping the bendix in the old starter engaged way too long when i forgot to turn it back manually. I checked out the bendix on the old starter and it didn't look too bad but I thought i could see the wear. Now I'm thinking something in the bell housing worked loose. I think I figured out what torque converter and flexplate I might need, and now I want a heavy duty rebuild kit and stage 2 valve body for the tranny, but if I'm being honest with myself I can't afford that right now. But in my head I've already spent a lot of theoretical money on level 10 bulletproof stuff and an Oregon high stall torque converter. Funny how when I first picked up the WD21 I thought there weren't many options for upgrading the little truck...
  20. Nothing new to tell you, guys. It's been raining here and I've been busy and I've only just now arranged for a tow. I'm looking up torque converters and flex plates now, and I'm beginning to think that I may need a torque converter made for the 3.3... I really appreciate the input, you're basically giving me a list of what I need to look for that I couldn't find in my FSM. Now if only it would stop raining. I'll let you know when I find out if it's a loose bolt, bent flex plate, mangled torque converter, or something even worse, then hopefully we can figure out why it happened so that hopefully others can avoid it. I'm still hoping for a quick fix, but in the interest of gathering information, is it better to choose a torque converter based on the engine, or the transmission? Or should I just figure out a year model which had the vg33e and the RE4R01A? Will the torque converter out of an Xterra that had a 5-speed auto work with my 4-speed? Is there anyone who makes heavy duty or racing quality torque converters or flywheels for these? I guess it might be a good time to put in a new(ish?) tranny, but I really don't want to. I'm hoping not to have to take the transmission out at all, and I'd almost rather not have to take the engine back out either, if it turns out to be a loose bolt or something, but I suppose I have to check the flywheel and torque converter now. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I still don't know if the engine will free up as soon as I pull the starter back out. I do hope that if I damaged the brand new starter it'll be covered by the limited warranty. I'm waiting for the tow truck now. I'll try to keep up with this thread as I get time to work on the truck. I can hardly wait to see what I did wrong that caused this, myself, and warn people about it. I'm almost tempted to try to get a recording of the sound it's making, but I really don't want to try to start it again until I check everything and the engine turns freely. Edit: I just realized that flywheels are fot manual transmissions and flexplates are for automatic transmissions and they're not synonymous. So...my mistake, I meant flexplate the whole time.
  21. Well, I went to look at it again today. I found out the power steering pump was loose so I tightened all that up and tried it. The squeal was gone, but it was knocking really loudly in park. It seemed to fade a bit when I put it in reverse, but when I put it in neutral it stalled. It did the same thing a couple of times, then it quit turning over at all. When the starter was engaged, it just thumped. I grabbed the huge wrench that fits the crankshaft bolt and crawled under the front. The engine wouldn't turn one way at all (i can't remember if it was clockwise or counter), and when i tried turning it the other way it turned without too much resistance about 320°. Then I thought I heard a clunk from back near the starter and it stopped turning. It'll turn back and forth between, but it wouldn't turn past that point. I didn't put much pressure on it to try to force it though. I guess next step is to get it home and see what's keeping it from turning. I'll probably start by pulling the starter back out and trying to check out the torque converter bolts. Thanks for the quick response and the advice. I'm sorry to hear about your transmission, that's a major bummer. Did you decide to go with the manual, or an Xterra tranny? Or a manual Xterra tranny? Just wondering for worst case scenario purposes.
  22. K, so I put a vg33e in my 1993 4x4 auto recently and I've been fine tuning it for about a couple of weeks. A while back I snapped off my last ignition key in the passenger door lock. I managed to get the busted off keyed portion out of the lock cylinder and stuck it in the ignition cylinder, then used a flathead to start it and turn it off. The ignition cylinder started to stick, so when I turned it to the starter trigger mode it wouldn't spring back to run and it kept the starter engaged until I manually turned it back to the run setting. This put a lot of wear on the starter, and I became very worried about the flywheel. I finally put in a new ignition cylinder, but not an oem one that goes on the steering column, but a generic one for lawnmowers and four wheelers, i guess. It took me a while to get the wires right, but I drove the truck around for a week with this setup and it seemed to work fine, except i couldn't get the tranny control module to perform the diagnostic process and that's currently irrelevant. I was driving it yesterday and it started making this loud squeal or screech. I pulled into a gas station and shut it off, then tried to start it again. It made squealed and I think it shuddered while the starter was engaged... It didn't really sound like a belt squeal so I consulted my dad and we decided it was probably the starter gear not retracting and interfering with the flywheel, producing the clacking and the squealing. I went and bought a duralast gold starter, all new components, and put it in. This was a massive pain with the header on, and the new starter had a bracket for the trigger plug that was in the way, but I'm not here to complain about that. It started right up and sounded fine at first, but when I backed up the slight hill and put it in drive it started clacking and squealing again, just like before. Unfortunately I don't remember if it started when I put it in gear, when I gave it some gas, or at another point. It also seemed to have a distinct lack of power, but it had a power loss problem before this which I've been trying to fix. I think it still has exhaust leaks in the new system i installed. The rattling could be caused by the fact that the passenger side header isn't in the Y-pipe flange at all, but held in place by a plumbing band clamp (i know, I know, I'm getting there...). It had a subdued clack before which I attributed to the loose exhaust connection, but it's worse now. Additional information: *once it started making the noise it continued in neutral and park, only stopping when i killed the motor *the ac was off and i wasn't steering the whole time, so i doubt it's the ac or power steering pump belts or pulleys So I need to get some opinions. Do you guys (and/or girls, I'm not picky about advice) think my torque converter is loose from the flywheel? Or the flywheel is loose from the engine? I didn't change the flywheel on the engine i swapped in, it's the original one from the 3.3. I'm almost completely certain that I indexed the torque converter to the transmission correctly, but it did take me a few tries, so maybe I damaged something then? Or is it probably just a squeaky alternator pulley/belt and the exhaust rattling? I didn't check any belts when I was there, i got freaked out and came home to check my favorite forum and have some chocolate coffee beans... I've been driving it for a few weeks since I first started the new 3.3 (not really new, but about 50,000 miles from a Japanese fleet Frontier) and it hasn't made any crazy squealing sound before. It's been shifting fine, though a bit late occasionally and some odd downshifting, but I figured that was because of the pinched vacuum lincoming off the air intake tube and the exhaust leaks. I was under the impression that if I hadn't properly indexed the torque converter and bolted it to the flex plate the tranny would have self destructed when i first started the swapped engine, or first put it in gear. I even pulled a 6000lb Plymouth Trailduster about three miles on hills two weeks ago and it pulled it like a champ. I've been testing it against more and more difficult tasks and it just kept running better and better, and then this happens. I would really appreciate it if anyone had any idea of what's going on with my truck.
  23. Ok, so never mind all of that. It was the fusible link. More importantly, I started my truck for the first time since the old motor shredded itself like six months ago. It idles high, the timing is slightly off, and I think there's coolant coming from the water pump, but IT'S ALIVE!!! I still have to put on the roof rack, steering dampener, and skid plates, and later on the new brake rotors, master cylinder, and rear cylinders and lines, and the dual electric fans and the freeway blaster horn (very important, that) and a whole lot more. I'll probably never stop working on this truck, but I hope that for a while it's stuff I want to do instead of stuff I have to do, if you know what I mean.
  24. Well, I went out and put the hood and front flares and flaps back on, as well as the radiator overflow and the battery. I thought I was pretty much finished putting it back together after the engine swap, but now I have a weird problem. When I put in the key and turn it to accessory none of the dash lights come on except for the odometer backlight and it doesn't show any numbers. I pulled the passenger seat back out to see the ecm, and I found that it would have the red and green light come on constantly with the key on accessory, and when I turned the key off they stayed lit for a few seconds and then faded. I had hooked up a battery to the terminals when the engine was out so I could roll the windows up and down (one day, manual windows...) and it worked fine a few times but then one time it stopped working, same thing as now. No power to windows, no turn signals, no dome lamps, and no hazards. The headlights will come on and switch beams but I put in HID projectors way back. It's triggered by the stock wiring but draws power from the battery through a relay. I looked over the relays and fusible links at the positive terminal and they all looked fine to me? So, do you guys think I screwed up the ecm somehow by trying to roll up the windows without an engine? Or could it be as simple as the fact that I just realized that I didn't put a ground strap on the engine yet? Any idea what the green and red light on the ecm might indicate? Check engine light never came on, and I thought it was on the same circuit as the red light on the ecm. Also my aftermarket stereo isn't getting any power and if I remember correctly I had it powered by the constant live wire from the stock harness split between the constant power line in the stereo (for memory?) and a switch to the switched power line. I can't find my multimeter so I haven't checked voltage on anything yet but all the fuses I can find are fine and the relays seem fine. I need to get a better idea of how to check a relay. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've spent way too long doing a 3.3 swap and I want to drive my pathfinder! I have dreams every night where I drive it around but when I'm awake I can't remember what it feels like to cruise around in my beautiful little truck! Oh, and yesterday I relocated the oil filter into the front bumper (I forgot how packed the engine compartment was until I put everything back into it, and then I couldn't find another place to put it...) and forgot to take a single picture. EDIT: I went back out and looked again, and I found that the fusible link section off the positive terminal with the green and black wires is burned through on the black wire. Trying to find a part number or listing for a new one, and I guess I'll spice a piece of wire in to complete the connection temporarily to see if that fixes the problem.
  25. I bought a wd21 partly for the price (hard to beat $900, even with a few problems) and partly because of the lack of rust and body damage. But mostly I didn't want a newer car or something that's too common. I was actually looking at an even more rare vehicle (daihatsu rocky anyone?) but it didn't work out and I didn't want to have driven to Arizona for nothing. The 2000 Mitsubishi montero sport I had before was crap, IMHO, so I don't like all Japanese cars, but I have become a fan of Nissan since I got a pathy. My dad is a hardcore Mopar man. He always had mid 80s Ramchargers when I was growing up, and now he has a chrysler 300m and a '76 plymouth trailduster (!!!). He never liked foreign cars until I got my pathfinder, but my wd21 has him convinced. He gets frustrated helping me with the 33 swap, since everything is packed in pretty tight, but I explained that in order to get full blown 4x4 in such a small platform they had to make hard decisions like making us take out the front diff to get the oil pan off. I got rear ended a while back and it totally destroyed the new "SUV" that hit me, and I only had a couple dents, a smashed tail light, and a bent tail pipe. The insurance company, in their infinite wisdom, decided to repair that POS because it's "worth more" and totaled my truck because they don't think the whole vehicle is worth the price of a paint job. I told them flat out they could have my Pathfinder over my dead body and they cut me a check for $5000 and said I'd have to retitle it as a "salvage vehicle". They also said that there was "nothing special" about the WD21 and they "aren't collectable". I went off on that lady, though I kept my language clean. I told her that I was a member of a group of collectors (you guys) and if it was nothing special then why did it hold up so well to a fancy new car that weighs like half again as much. Bottom line: I bought it because I could afford it and it had the 4x4 I needed, living in rural Arkansas, and I kept it because it's awesome. If I somehow became rich I'd still keep it. I plan on driving that truck (or another wd21 if anything serious happens to it) for the rest of my life. Plus I like not having a Ford, Chevy, or Jeep which is all people around here seem to buy. My ex had a grand Cherokee and I hated it.
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