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mws
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Posts posted by mws
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DAMM YOU! Not only do I hear about it on at least a weekly basis at work, and from my wife, now on this board????
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Wisdom comes from mistakes"
"That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger"
"F@%*, that hurt"
"Hey, watch this!"
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Just wanted to bring this thread to everyone's attention in case anyone missed it:
http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=7466
From the follow up posts added, it appears this is a pretty common problem. I would love it if I end up being the only one with a pathy that actually ignited... It is far more difficult to repair the damage than to prevent it.
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TING!
Really? It's that easy?
A rear tire carrier is back on my list of things to do! Better do it quick... once others find out about this being so easy, the demand for the few decent racks in jy's will soar...
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No purple yet... but if you asked real nice...
http://www.cycletires.com/products.htm
Oh, and you'd have to get them to tool up truck tire molds as well.
And as for the original pinkmobile.... Definitely NOT my cup of tea, but I do respect that they came up with a concept and took it all the way.
But still glad they don't live in my neighborhood. Seeing that more than once a year or so could be brutal.
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I suspect you're looking at one of the two "smaller" grinds for offroading? Or are you planning to turn it into a high RPM screamer?
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Yes, regrinding an existing cam has been a lower dollar and highly effective approach for years. It works great as long as you're not wanting to add much duration or change lobe centers by more than a couple/few degrees.
You also have the benefit of using known good and seasoned cams! No fears of hidden manufacturing flaws...
The only time I get leary is with surface hardened cams - like those used with roller lifters. With those, you need to make sure you select a very good shop that will harden the new surface properly.
How much gain you get depends on how much you alter it, and how well the new grind complements your intake, exhaust, ports, combustion chamber design, and ignition timing. Unfortunately, I don't personally know how well these engines will respond. But I suspect very well based on how well the same basic components work in the ZX!
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Yeah, when I need to carry a full size spare (serious offroading), I put the roof rack and spare on the roof.
And then wince as I watch the gas gauge plummet...
When I'm not going off road, I carry the baby spare in the back. It'll get me to the nearest repair shop and doesn't present any windage.
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Summit doesn't stock the Thorleys themselves, they are drop shipped direct from Thorley. So your lead time depends on how much inventory Thorley has or has access to.
You've found Summit difficult to deal with? What was your bad experience with Summit?
(I've probably had 50 orders with them over the last few years, and all were very good experiences)
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More info on the solenoid:
Also goes by the White Rodgers part number 586-902
Sometimes referred to as "DC power contactor"
As of today:
In stock at Mouser Electronics for $41.36
Or Allied Electronics for $44.15
Robot guys use these a lot. The key think to look for is "586" in part number, as this defines the mechanism, and then a "-105111-x" or "-902" suffix. This denotes a 12 volt coil. There are a bunch of other 586 contactors out there with coils that operate on something other than 12V. For instance, the 586-906 is the same thing, but it requires 36 V to actuate. No good for us!
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And for those who already have the parts and smarts to design/build their own system, here's a lead on where to get the solenoid:
http://aevcenter.com/cart/product.php?id=1442
I'm sure there are cheaper sources and will continue searching.
It appears the solenoid they use is a White Rodgers 586 solenoid with 12V coil. Actual rating is 200 amps continuous, 600 amps inrush. Very common in golf carts.
Specific part number: 586-105111
spec sheet:
http://www.white-rodgers.com/pdfs/sell_sheets/R-4005web.pdf
note: It draws about 1 amp to actuate.
From what I've seen so far, $100 from Summit for the Painless kit is a fair deal. You get the solenoid, switch, wires, and most importantly of all for the novice, instructions and support!
And I just went back to the Redarc link - their 200 amp system also appears to use the WR 586!
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Thanks for the tip on the Painless system. I just looked it up and see they offer the 40102 system which is rated to 250 amps. I'm considering it for Frankenvan... Much more convenient than manually switching.
Then just for giggles, I looked up the current draw from a Warn XD9000 winch.
Gulp. At full power, it can draw 460 amps! That's some serious current, boys and girls! That's about the same as powering 100 (yes, 100!) 55 watt off road lights... This is at FULL output. The current draw depends on how hard it is working. The 460 amps is when it is about to stall out. During normal use, it will be less than that, but it is wise to design for worst case scenario to avoid inopportune failures. Or fires.
So.... let's be careful out there. Research your winch's demands before leaping.
As I think it through, the Painless 40102 should be OK with the XD9000 if it is wired in properly. The winch needs to be wired directly to the primary battery - which is where the alternator needs to be connected. The secondary battery is connected to the primary with the Painless solenoid in line.
So, under a full pull, the winch will pull about 60 amps off the alternator with each battery (assuming the two batteries are well matched) contributing about 200 amps more. So the winch will be drawing only about 200 amps through the solenoid. So it should be OK. But for safety's sake, if you are really in a situation where you need to run near the limits, check the solenoid and wires frequently to avoid overheating.
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Yeah, it's getting harder to adjust by ear on modern cars. On my old Ford, the timing marks didn't match so I tuned by feel. And even if I advanced too far, it would ping. Not far enough, it would run hot. So lots of feedback!
But modern cars with knock sensors and the like make it much harder. I can usually get it to within a degree or three by ear, but that's about as close as I can do. And being off by that much can negatively impact emissions. So I do it by ear as a personal challenge, but then throw the light on it...
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I'm assuming you're talking about an automatic? Two quarts low in a stick would be exceptional...
By the way, auto trannies hold a lot of fluid - like gallons. So while your dipstick may be dry, there is likely still a lot of fluid in it. If it wasn't "slipping" (ie, engine racing more than usual when accelerating), there was enough fluid to keep the torque converter full and the pump pumping, so likely no damage was done. Except the low fluid would lead to less optimal cooling and the risk for longer term damage.
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In re-reading this, it sounded harsher than I meant.... so I am going to edit it. If you read it before I did, please forgive me.
Do keep an eye on it and get to the root problem asap. Transmission damage caused by driving it while low on trans fluid would not be covered under warranty - unless a seal has failed, a line has split, or something similar. Warranties cover damage caused by defects in materials or workmanship, not operator negligence or abuse.
Running it too hard will cause trans fluid to overheat. Not only does this break down the fluid leading to transmission failure, but it can also cause the fluid to expand and "burp" out of the filler or vents. Older Fords, when abused, used to burp oil out the dipstick and all over the exhaust manifold, causing fires. So if you don't find a leak, consider that possibility.
Advice: Pull the dipstick and sniff the fluid. It should smell relatively mild - and quite similar to fresh fluid in the jug.
If it has any kind of a "burnt" smell (like an oven after a cooking whoopsie), you have overheated the oil. You have used the truck in ways beyond what it was intended for. You need to change the fluid ASAP, add some extra coolers to allow it to handle the heat, and keep your fingers crossed the tranny isn't damaged.
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Is it possible to run 2 batterys that basically share the load and act as one large power reservoir? The only problem I could see is overworking the alternator by trying to charge 2 batterys at once, but if you had a high-output alt it wouldn't be a big deal. Not sure if there's any advantage to this setup, but it's something to consider if I'm looking into a winch possibly this summer.
Tyler
Yes, just connect them in parallel using at least 4 AWG wire.
The only down side is that if one was to fail, it may draw down or damage the other.
On the plus side, each battery is less likely to fail as the peak loads are shared and each is discharged less during heavy use. Starting batteries prefer not to be discharged deeply. If you discharge one to more than half of its capacity, it will shorten their life. They are not as durable as deep cycle.
No worries about overworking the alternator. It will only put out what it is capable of putting out.
In most cases, having dual batteries in parallel may actually decrease re-charge time. Huh?
Batteries can only accept a charge so fast - as the chemical reaction of charging can only go so fast. This is very dependent on temperature. In the winter, it may be as low as 10 amps. When electrolyte is very warm, maybe up to 20 or 30 amps. (Side note - that's one reason why batteries are normally under the hood - the engine heat warms them up so they can re-charge faster).
So if you have 2 in parallel and an alternator with enough capacity to run all active systems and charge both at their maximum rate, they will charge in less time as each was only drawn down 1/2 as much (they shared the load).
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Did they come out of a V8 or I6?
It would be nice to have a hard data point to prove the OE I6 springs provide the same lift as V8....
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i use my second battery, which is a deep cycle battery, to power up the fridge for camping. when the fridge isnt in the car the second battery pretty much does nothing.
That's a perfect application for a second "house" battery!
We use ours for camping as well. In our case, I have an additional 2 deep cycles that are used to supplement the 2 already in the trailer. 4 deep cycles can keep us going for several days without firing up the generator. Or a full weekend if we need to use the furnace!
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Lastly, here's the battery switch I use in Frankenvan:
http://www.cgedwards.com/Perko/pko13.html
This is far and away the cheapest option, but has a couple limitations:
- You have to remember to operate the switch to isolate the battery you don't want to discharge.
- It must be rated to handle the peak drain current as well as peak charge current. 250 amp should cover starter just fine, but if you plan to add a winch, check its demands carefully.
- There is a very real chance of damaging the alternator if you switch it to off while the engine is running.
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Here's a not too bad link:
http://www.jerrylabella.com/ship_shape2.htm
He refers to the solenoid as an integrator.
It needs to be rated higher than your peak alternator output - 90 or so amps is plenty for stock, at least 120 amps if you plan to upgrade.
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A word of advice:
99% of the people you talk to say to install a "solid state battery isolator". Even a lot of so-called experts. I advise you to NOT listen to them.
These solid state isolators use large diodes to isolate the batteries from each other when the engine is off. They do this very well. And they do it automatically, reliably, and quite inexpensively. That's why they're so popular. Sounds perfect, eh?
Unfortunately, diodes have an undesirable feature: They drop the voltage by about 0.6 volts as it passes through. Not a big deal most of the time.
But in a battery isolation scheme in a vehicle car, it is. Since your alternator output goes through these diodes, your charging voltage drops by 0.6 volts - which means your charging rate goes down as well. Net result, it takes much longer to recharge. Depending on your alternator output, maybe twice as long to replenish after discharging. Of course, if you have an adjustable output regulator on your alternator (rare), just crank it up by 0.6 volts and everything is dandy.
What happens to that 0.6 volts? Dissipated as heat. That's why solid state isolators have such large heatsinks - to radiate away all that wasted energy.
Instead, use a purpose built continuous duty solenoid like sw recommended (that is the best solution, IMO) or a very large manual switch. Most marine supply shops stock them as they are commonly used in large battery banks on boats. Make sure you get one rated at least 200 amps continuous for safety.
BTW, why do you want to add the extra battery? A lot of people go to the expense of the extra battery when what they really need is more alternator output. The only time you need to add a battery is if you run loads for extended periods with the engine off (stereo or lights), or very heavy loads with the engine at low RPM (winch).
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For those of us in the states who still get really cheap (on a global scale) gasoline:
What king of savings do you get by switching to natural gas?
Just list these four and we can figure it out!
MPG with petrol:
MPG with NG:
Cost per gallon for petrol:
Cost per gallon for NG:
And lastly, any power output differences between the two?
Thanks for increasing our knowledge!
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Can you see coolant circulating in the radiator once the temp gage comes up to normal?
Obviously, take the cap off when it's cold and then leave it off while you start and run it. It may burp a cup or two while it heats - that's normal
There should be very little circulation in the radiator when cold, then as the thermostat opens it should start moving around a bit, and then increase in flow as it gets hotter. As cold as it is where you are, you may have to block off the radiator or remove the fan to get it to warm up.
If it doesnt show any signs of movement, and you're sure the system is properly purged of air, then the water pump rises to the top of the suspect list. Could also be the thermostat, but the heater core should be getting hot even if the thermostat was stuck....
If it is circulating, then you have a blockage in the heater core or piping. Most likely a big air bubble...
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3/16" box and plate? Scribbles on note pad.... Thanks!
Anybody else in the NoCal area want to get together this spring/summer and fab up some bumpers? I've got the tools (and the engineering experience) if you've got the time...
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From what you described, I can theorize three possible causes:
1) The coolant level was so low it the water pump could not circulate it. What little was present in the block eventually overheated. When it flashed to steam, then the temp gauge would read it. But it was obviously way too late.
2) Water pump is no longer functioning properly.
3) The coolant was frozen somewhere and blocking the lines to the heater core and the radiator.
1) seems the most likely. I hope you didn't warp the heads or anything serious...
3+3 w/ 31's
in General Forums
Posted
For anyone else reading this thread:
They are referring to mods to make the transfer case shift lever fully functional after a 3" body lift. Since the lever is mounted to the transfer case, it does not move when the body is lifted.
Sometimes it will still work, but usually the stock pf knob/lever ends up hitting solid things before it can move all the way to 4 lo.
The knob being 3" lower also results in the boot having to be rather distorted.
The TC lever used in Hard Body pu's is longer.