geordie4x4

Yep 88 and Phil, what you said is also correct for the Terrano. I have just had a look at the steering box on my 1992 Terrano and on a 1994 model. The sector shaft spline at the big end of pitman arm on the 1994 is visibly bigger (as Phil said) at about 31.5mm measured just above the pitman arm while the 1992 has a shaft of only 28.5mm. So I will have to swap the steering box and modify the bigger pitman as well. It's never simple is it, but at least I have found out before unbolting it all. Thanks Geordie

Thanks Gary, I have regularly changed the main fuel filter on my Terrano over the last 200,000km but never knew there was another on the pump end. I will have a look if I can get at it easily. It is bloody hard to get under the inlet manifold and at the fuel pump on mine. Anybody know if it is the same on the 1992 Terrano? Cheers Geordie

Cheers Phill and 88, I will check the dimensions of the shafts before I change the box and pitman over. The only problem I can see with the upgrade is that I have already had the 1992 pitman arm braced and modified for an L&P style needle bearing drag-link. OOPS. Might have more mods to do. I am also searching for bigger tie rod ends that have at least as much travel and the correct bend angle. I have found out the hard way that most of the aftermarket tie-rid ends that I can get in Australia bottom out on the max ball joint travel just as the suspension reaches full drop. They bend real easy. Jeep KJ tie rods have the same taper angle but slightly bigger than 1994 Pathy, so only need to reem out slightly on the drag link and knuckle (and make up a new adjuster rod to fit the thread). However, KJ Jeep tie rod ends do not have the bend for the ball joint to be slightly angled "Bugger". G

So do you know if the tapered spline on the Pitman arm to the steering box shaft is the same between models? 1992 to 1994 with the bigger taper on tie-rods. I have just modified my steering with my own version of the L&P type system but now all the drag-link and tierods are firm, I can feel that the box is very loose. Tried tightening it to the limit but no good. I have a newer 94 model steering box available but not sure if it will fit my newly braced pitman. Geordie

Gday other Ozies Im in Perth, that is when I am not out on a boat, diving or beating the Terrano around the bush. Geordie

So do you guys use lower viscosity oil for your colder conditions? I gather the 70W90 oil has a wider range rating for lower and higher temp. Shiiiittt 14 degres F that is -10 C about what my car fridge runs at. Wouldn't need a beer fridge just a warmer to stop them bloody freezing. I spent 3 hours SCUBA diving for work today and got a bit chilly, the water was about 22C (17F). Sorry to make you jealous. It was too hot in the driveway when I got home to change my engine oil, I might have do it at 6:00am before work when it is a nice temp. Do any of you know if there is a specific auto trans fluid for hot conditions. Cheers Geordie

Thanks RedPath88, The 33s look great but far to tempting for the copps over here to bust me, even those 31s look like they stick out of the guard quite a bit. I have 31 10.5 15s on 7" rims and they fit well (legal) but do not look quite so tough. I will soon have a new (rebuilt) off-road camper trailer to take over the weighbridge and I expect the total weight of Terrano, gear and loaded trailer will be over 3000kg. That will make the old girl work hard up those steep hills (the Terrano I mean not the wife). G

Yep I got it all the way over in Ausie land

I have used Castrol LSD (LSX 90) oil in my rear LSD since I bought it at 32.000km (recommended by my Nissan dealer) it has now done 210,000km and no noise at all from the diff. I do not get the same temperatures here as you. Today was a bit cool 28C (82F) yesterday nice and warm 41C (106F). G

I drove my Pathy (1992 WD21 Terrano TD27 turbo diesel auto) over the weigh-bridge a while ago. Loaded with recovery gear, light weight camping gear, fridge, food, fuel, dual batteries, 40 l water, my 10 year old son and me, it weighed in at 2160 Kg. We Ausie’s have come out of the bush and gone metric so I will convert that from metric to footric for you: 4762 lb or 2.38 Tons. Sounds better as Metric Tons 2.16 T. Slick, Funny but those just don't quite look like 31"s to me (in your photo). I wish I could get away with tyres like that but the boys in blue over here are a bit difficult unless you have flares to cover them and an engineers permit. G

I do a lot of travel out in the West Australian Goldfields and any mud I find is realy salty so I clean it off realy carefuly. I made myself an underbody sprayer out of a length of 3/16th ally tube and a ball valve and snap on hose fitting. The end is flattened into a sharp, flat fan spray and bent up to spray up under. Cheap and effective. Also have a thin hose with multiple spray head to feed down inside the chassis rails. I had the door inside trim pannels off the other day and was amazed to see how much mud I could scoop out of the bottom of each door. Most of this would have been good Ausie outback red dust filling every pannel of my truck and turned to mud when it got wet. No rust in 14 years of beach salt and mud. Geordie

Spencyg, The auto box on the V6 I think is the same or stronger than the Terrano TD27 box so you may be ahead with your original one. The auto is very good on the diesel offroad as it allows you to keep it in the right rev range to keep the turbo boost up and the power at peak. Power mods: Exhaust of 2 to 2.5" is good any bigger and it starts to only gain high end power but loose power and torque at the low end of the rev range. If you can modify the turbo dump pipe to flow more freely or replace it with a 3" pipe from the back of the turbo to the exhaust. Turbo boost: this is an indirect injection diesel with a pre-combustion chamber don't go too high with the boost or the life of the engine could be reduced by detonation in the pre-combustion chamber. I have seen several TD27 running at about 12psi and that is adequate. I heard of one guy who runs over 20psi. but I would not trust that sort of boost on a hot day or towing a heavy load. Also if you run high boost and more fuel you get lower economy. Intercooler has made more improvement than any other mod I have done. Fuel economy: sorry I am not in MPG anymore here in Australia. I can get about 9.5L per 100km (on road) to 10.5L/100km (on hard dirt tracks) towing a light camper trailer IF I keep it down to between 80 to 90km/hour. I think that is about 30MPG at the best and driving gently. On road with foot to the floor 110 to 120 km/h and fully loaded vehicle with camper trailer I use about 13L /100km on a cool day and flat road and up to 16 or 17L/100km on a hot day 35 to 45 C, hilly terrain with the motor working hard and aircon on full. I have 31 x 10.5 R15 Cooper ST tyres and they do reduce the economy from the standard 30 x 9 R 15 HT tyres. I would be realy interested to see photos of your front suspension drop brackets when you do them. Have a look at the L&P steering that 88 has on his Pathfinder. Cheers Geordie

Hi Spencyg, I am a TD27T owner in West Australia and have done extensive bush touring in my 1992 Terrano (WD21 Pathfinder ). Its interesting to hear that you are going back the other way from the V6 to the diesel. Good on you for taking a leap of faith. I have found my TD27T motor to be extremely reliable over the 8 years and 220, 000km that I have had it. It is not as powerful as the V6 but plenty good enough to get through some pretty tough country and towing a camper trailer. I have covered almost all of Australia except for the furthers north, this will be my next trip. The only comments that I would add: I have added an intercooler, snorkel, K&N air filter and larger exhaust to boost power and torque a little. Also an extra thermo fan on the radiator and one on the intercooler for hot Australian conditions. It loves cold days. If you can get hold of a newer ZD30 turbo motor it is far more powerful and better economy but may be quite a bit heavier. The auto gearbox is less reliable than the manual. I have rebuilt mine after 85,000km and it has hung in there for a further 135,000 km so I suppose that is OK. I don't think the first owner exer changed the Auto trans fluid. I have added an oil cooler to the trans for hot work towing a trailer. Suspension for travelling may not need to be as extreme in the lift as for rock-hopping. Check out some of the threads on suspension and in particular on steering problems from lifting too high. I have only a 2.5" lift but the steering tends to wear tie-rods out. Have fun on your trip. Geordie Maybee you can then bring it over to Australia for a tour.

The disc brake rear hub will come apart without an axle puller. Just need to unbolt the backing plate and bearing retainer then the axle will pull out with the bearing. I just did this today on a Terrano 1994 disc rear. Can take some photos of rear axle disc assembly if needed. The drum assembly I do not know about and as SW says it might need an axle puller.

I have a right hand drive Terrano in Australia and yes there are also plenty of rhd Pathfinders over here too. The steering, brakes etc are prety much a mirror image of the left hand drive. You would need to change the steering box, idler arm and even the drag link as it is different from one side to the other. You could import a front half cut vehicle from Japan with a low milage motor and complete front.