TXPower

I bought a crank adapter from Mr.510 from his eBay store about 2 months ago. I have it put up for now as I'm still getting all my stuff together for my VG33 swap. Between Mr.510's VG34 build thread and NissanNuts web page and questions answered by other members here you can get it all together. I'll be keeping my factory 93 oil pan, pickup tube and accessories as much as possible and will use the oil pump and filter mount from an Xterra because it relocates the oil filter and gives it a little forward angle to make oil changes a little easier. Having said all that, I'm in design phase but will post updates and what I learn along the way as I make progress in my swap thread in Members Rides section. TXPower

Solid work! TXPower

Looks great! Is the CC one whole piece from where it surrounds the shifter all the way to the back of the storage compartment? I want to do this with my 93 SE when I do the interior stuff. TXPower

I was wondering the same thing, what do you do with the front? I figured 4.5" was beyond what a T-bar crank and aftermarket UCA's could do?? Thanks, TXPower

Yeah, ahardb0dy I saw that the beergarage rebuild was 2wd. The FSM shows both 2wd and 4wd models. Exploded view shows the differences which is mainly in the last section of the tranny case, before it mates to the T-case. TXPower

Can anyone recommend a supplier for MT rebuild kits from experience or a trusted source? The guy on the beergarage site mentions 2 but I was just wondering if any of our members had rebuilt their 5spd and could point me to a quality supplier? Thx, TXPower

Slartibartfast, that's what I was looking at too, the beergarage rebuild. I'm actually considering doing mind myself. I have most of the tools he used. I may have to make a few custom fab adjustments on pullers like that dude did and I think I'll go buy a 12 ton or bigger press. But yeah, I'm probably gonna rebuild mine. I'm not in a hurry, so I can take my time. Besides, the same tranny or a later model one from an R50 or other Nissan with 100k plus goes for a minimum 500 bucks round here. With like a 60 day warranty at most. I've got my dad for help and advice too, he used to rebuild Muncie and Saginaws back in the day. TXPower

Think I may have answered my own question looking thru my FSM but please confirm....... It looks like the FS5W71C was coupled with the KA24E, so earlier Pathy's? And my 1993 has the FS5R30A coupled with the VG30e, right? TXPower

Trying to figure out if my 1993 SE Model has the FS5W71C or FS5R30A Manual Transmission. Is there a badge on the tranny, something in the VIN or a way thru visual inspection to tell? Thanks, TXPower

The adjusting nut and lock nut on mine were at about the halfway point (maybe a little less than half, closer to the x- member) of the bolt from the top of the cross member to the tip. And from memory, I believe the rear anchors on both sides were inside the cross member or un-exposed for the most part like several folks have recommended. Oh and this is all predicated on looking from behind the cross member toward the front of the truck (as far as the rear anchor clocking), right? My rig wasn't sagging too much before I started working on it but I do plan on some aftermarket UCA's, cranked T-bars and JGC coils for a lift. That is unless I decide to not be cheap and buy a full boat suspension lift. Thx, TXPower

Ahardb0dy, so it doesn't matter what position the t-bars themselves are clocked, it's just matters where the rear anchors are clocked? Also the clock positions you mention, from ths FSM 4 and 8 o'clock that looking from behind the cross member toward the front of the truck, right? Thx, TXPower

Old thread I know but question. I took the t-bar, cross member and t-bars out of the front and rear anchors when I removed it all to get my tranny out. I marked them but.........the white-out I used got knocked off, so I'm not 100 percent sure where to clock everything when I go back together. Can anyone tell me a good place to start, that is, first, where should I clock the rear anchors inside the cross member? The front anchors are stationary so I guess next I need to know where do I clock or spline the t-bars themselves inside the rear anchors to make sure they are the same? Can I just pick an arbitrary spot, the same spot, on the Left and Right t-bar and insert into the rear anchors in as close to the same spot as possible on both sides. Or is there a certain mark and spot I should look for to use for clocking these and getting them back in correctly? Help needed, TXPower

Good info and write-up. Thanks MY1PATH, TXPower

MY1PATH, thanks dude, very informative. I won't be modding quite as much as you, I want to get some more power and performance but without pushing the outer edges of this things capacities. I'm leaning toward a 3.3 from a villager for obvious non-interference reasons and could see me supercharging it somewhere down the road. Maybe milling the head .050 but I want dependable power not to work on it 6 days a week and drive it 1 like I used to do with the SBC's I used to hot rod as a teenager. I'll be picking your brain more in the future. Thanks man, TXPower

Adamzan, rebuild or replace is yet TBD. I read that dudes thread on beer garage I think it was where he chronicles his tranny rebuild. I have the FSM and have some pretty decent mechanical skills but wow, that looks like a lot of moving parts and I just don't know if I'm up to rebuilding myself. So then the question is pay someone to do it? My hope is to find a decent used 5spd with or without the t-case, price depending obviously. If the price between paying for a rebuild which requires just synchros and maybe some bearings and purchasing a decent used 5spd are close and a rebuild comes with a better warranty, probably a rebuild. Unless someone legitimately can say rebuilding my tranny is a job that really is manageable and wants to encourage me and answer tons of PM's and phone calls while I'm doing it that is......... From advice on here I'm fairly certain I had decided to look for a donor 3.3 from the non-interference strain placed in the Mercury Villager, unfortunately, that plan rules out buying a 3.3 already attached to a 5spd tranny, like say from a late model Pathy or Frontier or Xterra. Still open to ideas. From the advice so far, I think my t-case is fine and serviceable. Thanks, TXPower

Alkorahil, thanks for your advice, I do appreciate it. Yeah, I know I can find a "better shape" Pathy but not for what I have in this thing. Meaning, I paid 500 for it in 08, if I sink say, 3500 bucks into it with a vg33e swap, salvaged or rebuilt tranny and put a poor mans lift, wheels and a few of the other common upgrades folks do with these WD21's, I think I accomplish what I'm looking for at a reasonable price. As Nefarious said, "if you like a project....", I do. Oh, and I'm up near McKinney. Nefarious and Kingman, my tranny has mucho grind in first 3 gears and reverse and likely needs bearings. Tranny now was a must, if I'm gonna rebuild this motor or do a swap, having a cashed tranny behind it afterward is no bueno. But for future reference, should I have to pull the motor again (man I hope not), I will try y'all's way. Any chance when I go back in I could get motor and tranny/t case all together stabbed back in via my engine hoist? Probably not but???? Thanks as usual, TXPower

As I lay under my rig yesterday I got to thinking how some of what I've done or will be doing may be a little easier if I had pulled the front differential out. Seems there'd be more maneuverability with it out of the way. It looked pretty straight forward to take out but I'm not sure. Anyone have opinions on this? Thanks, TXPower

Slartibartfast, thanks, yeah I read that guys chain thread. The PO had ATF in it, much to my surprise until I read some threads on here about that being an option. The T-case was probably the only thing that wasn't greasy and grimey or leaking underneath my rig. When I unbolt it from the tranny I will give a better visual inspection and check for bearing howl and unacceptable play. If those aren't present, I'll assume its all good. Thanks, TXPower

Pulled my T-case today from my 93 SE. It's hooked up to a 5sp tranny. The tranny was grinding shifting all the way thru third gear and reverse so I know it needs synchros and possibly bearings. Question, what can I do to inspect and check my T-case to see if it needs any service or rebuild? Oh, I did search. Thanks, TXPower

Got the tranny/transfer case out today................. did it by myself...................... I'm beat. Whoever the engineer was that decided to put bolts holding the tranny to the engine block from both directions, especially the one below the starter...........I'm not impressed. Will pull the engine next weekend hopefully. TXPower

Got the exhaust off today, that was fun...................... Got both shifters undone, the T case shifter, it sucked to get out too.............. Tomorrow I'll unbolt the tranny from the engine, take out the cross members, strap the tranny/transfer case to my jack and hope for the best. When I get this engine/tranny out, I'm gonna put this rig on my trailer and take it to the car wash and spend about $50 bucks in quarters on engine degreaser and high pressure soap. Caked with oil and grease from an old oil leak. I figure I'll get the engine compartment, undercarriage, and all the front end and suspension stuff cleaned up while the engine bay is empty. Maybe paint or Linex some stuff. TXPower

Excellent answer, very clear and concise. Can you explain the VG33+ designation? You running stock VG33e pistons? Sorry, I'm still learning. What I'm looking for is exactly what you described in terms of power, torque, mpg, fun driving etc. Thanks, TXPower

Can anyone give me an idea of the difference in power I would see if I use my VG30E cams instead of Euro Cams in the VG33E heads I'm getting? perhaps more importantly, Is the power delivered using the euro cams, enough to justify buying them from 4x4parts instead of using the cams out of my VG30E heads? Thanks, TXpower

Well, slower progress than I had hoped for but, ah, oh well. I got the torsion bars out and everything else soaking in PB Blast. Will resume tomorrow. Spending that much time underneath you get a good chance to look at things. Underbody, frame, suspension components, cross members, everything looks good. Zero rust. gv280z, yeah, my eyes and contacts are gunked sufficiently. Its been many years since I've done this stuff. Almost therapeutic, I've missed it. But, I can tell I'm 40 something.......... Anybody else got any advice for tomorrow as far as order of operations, tricks, tips? TXPower

Hit everything I can see that may hold, motor, tranny, exhaust or tbars with PB Blast. Bought to pull tranny first. TXPower