Harbinger

I concur, from what I've seen of rebuilding CV's and replacing boots, it is far easier to just replace the axle.

This might be silly, but have you checked over the general condition of the truck? Checked for loose ball joints, leaks, changed all the fluids (including diffs and t-case), tuned it up etc? Mods are awesome but in my personal experience modding leads to replacing factory parts along the way.

Well I have made some more progress! A few days ago I ran to the local pull a part. Grabbed the following off a 1987 2wd V6 D21. A brake pedal Clutch pedal Clutch master cylinder Slave cylinder Upper clutch hydraulic lines Slave cylinder to lower block hard line connecting block from lower hard line to rubber line Misc bolts/nuts/relays That rubber/metal insulating bit that covers the lower part of the steering column. All for less than 25 bucks! I've now got the pedals installed along with the steering column. Also have the clutch cylinders installed and the top clutch hydro line. I've rewired my battery cable and the light trigger wires so the truck starts again. With that i pulled the line coming from my tranny cooler and had a buddy start the truck. Happy to say that the filter/cooler aren't blocked when they are plumbed correctly! Drained the tranny and the t case next. I had to take her off the jack stands and push her into the street. Landlord is having new gravel dropped off for my driveway tomorrow. Not looking forward to shoveling that. Oddly enough, after all the banging/heating and what not that I did to the last tbar, it pulled out with one hand after I dropped the truck to the ground! Progress is progress!

I got some time to try again yesterday. The right side bar dropped out after some more hammering and some love from my heat gun. Spent another hour hammering, heating, and pb blasting the left hand side, and it is still in that torque arm. The dust boot was really thrashed on that side. Hoping more of the beat, heat and treat will get it out. I have a jack under the LCA on the drivers side too, and while it seems to have taken some strain off the bar it still doesn't want to budge. Hoping to beat on it some more today!

I hear that. The one thing I miss from my 87 two door is the working dash. So may try and do a custome gauge cluster with the standard oil pressure, coolant temp, voltmeter, tach, speedo, odo, fuel etc. Then might save the gauge pod for more not so standard items.

Fixed that for ya! I'm curious to see how these projects turn out for you guys. I have a hard enough time applying a sticker without air bubbles. I just had a shop do mine.

I tried that yesterday, but perhaps soaking overnight in PB blaster will change things. If I can cure this hangover ill go back out and give it another go.

I am aware they are splined. Rubber mallets, pulling, hosing them down with PB blaster, etc hasn't removed them from the front mounts. They came out of the rear mounts fairly easily... Checking the FSM they have you remove the torque arm with the bar, thus why I'm fighting with those bolts on the LCA. Could care less about maintaining their position, although I did mark both sides of each bar. Will probably be replacing the t bars with new stiffer units when I reassemble.

What can I say, I do like holes! Most of them anyway, now that I've ordered a pillar gauge pod, and decided to convert to a 5 speed, I'm kinda regretting drilling that 2"ish hold in the lower dash panel for the transmission temp gauge. The very same gauge I need to rip out now... Thanks dowser, I've been doing so much searching that I thought I would condense things here. I'm a professional photographer (at least when I'm not spouting that I'm a student or an unemployed layabout!) by trade so it made sense to post some things here. All photos are hosted by image shack, so hopefully the links will last... Made some progress today on the t-bars. I'm currently stuck trying to remove them from the LCA's. All the adjusters, the C clips etc have been removed. I've loosened all 3 bolts that connect them to the torque arms, but the largest of 3 bolts is proving difficult. The 19mm bolt is just spinning, and I can't for the life of me get a wrench, or socket into the LCA to stop it from spinning. I also pulled the bolts for the t-bar xmember, but the x-member is still stuck to the frame. I left everything soaking in PB blaster before packing up my tools. My main point of reference for tackling the t-bars was this thread: http://www.nissanpat...r-torsion-bars/ The part that isn't included in that thread is actually removing the bars. Through my searching I found a few people commenting they had to loosen the 3 bolts holding the t-bar to the LCA to remove them. Which is where I'm left for the day. I will try to get back out to the truck tomorrow, and post some pictures.

Beautiful work! You sir are indeed a god among men. Here I am being baffled by a transmission swap, let alone doing custom fab work!

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago. Certainly not the same cause though! (Filter was plumbed backward). I was able to limp home around 35-40mph when mine blew. This was with my hazards on in a 75.... I only had about 20 miles to cover and I felt very relieved when she got me home. Once there I didn't trust it running to the store, let alone 200 more miles...

I didn't either at first. When I installed a battery in the rear of my truck and installed my. Aux lights, thants where I brought the cables through the firewall. Had no idea at the time that id be converting to a 5 spd!

Que? The wiring I'm currently "re-wiring" was all aux stuff ran through the hole where the clutch master cylinder installs. I will jumper the transmission lock when the new tranny is in lol. How do you mean "through the panel"? I know where that one I pictured comes out, but I figured with enough wire wrap and e-tape you can insulate about anything. I am open to other suggestions though. So far I don't have any of the MT parts. I'm waiting on my student loan refund to find a suitable donor truck to strip down.

I like the way you think.

I'm sure most of you know that my Autotragic transmission died on me a few weeks ago. Details are here: http://www.nissanpat...how-boned-am-i/ I've decided to swap in a 5 speed. I'm referencing a few threads that are helping me out a lot. I'm putting them here just to aid searching in the future. I abused the hell out of the search button before starting this, and have gone through quite a few engine/transmission removal threads too that I won't mention here. http://www.nissanpat.../page__hl__swap http://www.nissan4wh...25218489/page/1 So it begins: Yesterday I started at the top of the truck. I removed the center console, several dash pieces, the AT shifter, and the shift-lock cable. Today I was able to remove the steering column. I hadn't been able to remove it because the slip joint near the firewall was corroded. I unbolted the bracket (2 bolts) that held the end of the secondary steering column to the steering column and was able to pull it out. Once the column was pulled I removed the AT specific brake lever. I'll need to source a shorter one to go with a clutch pedal/bracket. Once the top was done (well for the moment) I moved under the truck. I removed the front and rear drive lines (or propeller shafts per the FSM). I then disconnected the AT shift cable from the transmission. I'm fighting with the electrical connections, these factory plugs can be difficult to disconnect! I hosed down some cross member/t-bar/exhaust bolts with PB blaster. Then packed up my tools and started drinking beer. Side note, can anyone tell me what this plug was meant to have? It sits just up and to the right of the gas pedal. I had to remove my battery cable that runs to the rear of the truck, and all the relay wires for my aux lights since I ran them through the Clutch Master cylinder plug before! If it isn't anything I'm going to need in the next few weeks, I'd like to rewire my cab->firewall transition there.

I finally got the steering column and AT brake lever out today! Also pulled the drive lines and disconnected the AT shift cables. Hosed down the rest with PB blaster and packed up for the night. Tomorrow, I hope to remove the t-bars and part of the exhaust.

Pulled out the center console and the lower drivers dash pieces. Removed the AT shifter, shift lock cable, and unbolted all the bolts on the brake pedal and steering column. Also removed the wiring I had ran through the plug where the future Clutch Master cylinder is going to go. Will reroute the power and light wires later after I'm sure of where everything is going to go. I'm currently stuck removing the steering column. I have all the bolts removed that I could find, and all the wire harness plugs disconnected (and double checked against the FSM), but it doesn't want to pull out. Thinking it's corroded @ the slip joint in the engine bay. Soaked it down with PB blaster and gave it a few raps with a mallet, but no dice. I'll try again tomorrow on that steering column, but now, it is time for a shower, then a motorcycle ride for dinner and beer.

Interesting that you bring up LIPO and brushless motors. My recumbent trike uses both those things!

That's a big part of the plan that I want too. Enough solar and wind power to charge a battery array that will in turn power the essentials while funneling power back into the grid. I'm just too broke right now, and renting my current house. Will find my career path as a welder/machinist and live my dream!

I want to upgrade the ignition on my my truck too. However I'm stuck waiting for a new transmission now. Probably going to convert my rig to a stick shift. I really haven't gotten the chance to try out the Geolanders or the Soft 8's yet. They were on for all of 80 miles before the transmission filter I plumbed fried it. The plumbing has been fixed but am waiting on the new tranny to be installed. You win some and you lose some! I also conur, B is ahead of the exploration/shiat hits the fan vehicle for sure! Hell, I'm still dreaming of installing a 2" body lift!

Today I bought some new jack stands. Got them home and jacked up all four corners of the truck. Going to go back out and do another premptive pb blaster run. Tomorrow, I begin the transmission pull.

Screw the naysayers. We like irrelevant upgrades here!

Today I crawled underneath the truck and hosed down tranny x-member, exhaust and drive shaft bolts with PB blaster. Not sure when I'll be attacking those head on, but a little PB never hurt before.