Datsunman

I'm 36 this coming November but I'm still fooling aroubnd with cars like I've always done. Still finding new things to do every year -Ed

One more thing I just though to add... tools for removing rust. My favoured tools are.. 4.5" Angle grinder - this is for hardcore heavy rust only really as you can do a fair bit of damage with a grinder. Used a thick solid disc for heavy rust and flexible fibre sanding pads for lighter stuff and smoothing out welds etc. You can also use a wire cup brush with a grinder and they are pretty effective too. Crud Thug - this is an air powered wire wheel made by Snap-On. It's very effective for removing sealer, old underseal and general crud but no much good for actual heavy rust apart from when the wheel is new. Great for cleaning up prior to welding. Strip & Clean discs - these are like a kind of foam/fibre disc coated in a very abrasive material and are made by 3M. They are very effective at removing just about anything from steel including rust, paint and sealer but they won't damage the metal itself at all. They do wear quite fast and are not cheap but have to be one of the best piece3s of equipment out there. They are used in a power or air drill. Wire wheels - most wire wheels loose the efficiency quite quickly as they wear but they are still useful tools for getting rid of rust. I don't tend to use the larger diameter wheels anymore but I still use small cup brushes for getting into corners etc. Chemicals - there's dozens of assorted rust treatments out there but I tend to favour the ones that actually dissolve rust rather than convert it. the downside is they take a lot longer to do the job. I use brick cleaner for a DIY store to soak away rust on smaller items suck as bolts, brackets and small components. brick cleaner is hydrochloric acid and it will dissolve rust completely but be warned...leave the items in to long and they will disslove too! -Ed

The carrier on my Terrano was really stiff when I got it so I hit it with some WD40 and worked back and forth until it loosened up. Knowing WD40 this will on be a temporary fix though. My carrier is away being blasted and powder coated but when it's back I plan to lubricate it better. I'm thinking of heating up a pan of grease or thick oil until it's at a nice low viscosity then dunking the hing end of the carrier into it. Hopefully it'll penetrate right into the joint. I'll let you all know if it works -Ed

Here the roads are heavily salted during the winter so rust is inherent in most cars and as I own old Datsuns as a rule I've had more than my fair share of it. I have developed a few techniques to deal with it. First and foremost is protection against it happening in the first place. I treat the underside of my cars with either a 50/50 mix of Waxolyl and underseal or some stuff called Astrolan (PX28) which is used by the military. Both PX28 and Waxolyl are similiar substances, a wax with rust inhibitors in it. Waxoyl is more "liquid" than PX28 but neither will ever dry out and go hard. PX is nicer because is is firm and dry to the touch once applied. I heat it until is extremely hot before applying as it's then very watery and will soak into seams and also into any rust that is present. I have coated the entire underside of my Terrano in it including the suspension and inside the chassis. On the underside alone I used two gallons of the stuff. I have also done inside the door bottoms, sills and inside the rear quarters around the wheel arches as well as up under the front wings behind the arch liners. Every enclosed space and area likely to rust has been coated in it. It's a really horrible, nasty job to do but well worth it in the long run. You could also use a similar substance made by Dinitrol or Tetrosyl. I used PX the most as it's military spec and more robust than any other substance I've seen. I will use it in preference to paint as water seems to be unable to penetrate between it and the surface and it self heals to a degree when the coating is damaged as it always remains soft. When it comes to repairing rust the golden rule is chop out all the rot! There's no point in welding plates over the rust as it will return very quickly. Cut back any damaged metal until you reach good solid steel. It's no harder to weld in a big piece than it is to weld in a small one so don't skimp on the cutting. I often use cardboard to make templates to help cut out replacement panels and sections. These can be made before the bad metal is removed. I also try to rebuild sections in the way they came from the factory, copying the original stucture, unless the original design is likely to cause future corrosion problems. Rust treat areas inside and out after repairs too. I have yet to try any POR15 products as they are not widely available here, but a company called Frost supply it so I will be trying it on the old Datsun pickup I am currently restoring. -Ed

Normally a throw out bearing is only noisy when the clutch pedal is pressed. Although I'm a total noob to WD21's, I'd wager it's the same problem as most 80's Nissans suffer..noisy input shaft bearing. I've known some to be very noisy in the past but never known one to fail so I don't think it's something worth worrying about. -Ed

Hi, I'm new here I've just imported a 2.7TD Terrano R3M from Japan. Mine is shiney black There's not many here in the UK and although I've owned a lot of Nissans, this is my first experience of the WD21. I got to say it's a fantastic truck, even better than I expected! I was lucky too as the one I got is in great shape with only 62,000km on it. I'll post some pics (soon as I find my camera!) -Ed