jj big shoe

You mean you're going to run your fog lights with a cruise switch? It'll work, sure. You just have to determine which terminals to use. I'd wire them up with a relay (of course you would, JJ) and use the switch to control the relay. You'll get stronger light from them. The longer the wire is, the more voltage you'll lose. If you wire them from the battery to an underhood relay the wire would be much shorter than from the battery to a switch then to the lights. Check out the12volt.com If you haven't already. Among other things, they explain how relays work and why they are such a good idea in these applications.

A/C clutch = air conditioning compressor clutch. The pulley mounted on the A/C compressor is constantly spinning when the engine is running, just like the power steering pump and the alternator. When its off, the pulley simply freewheels and does not engage the A/C compressor. When you turn the A/C switch on in the truck, it engages the A/C clutch which couples the pulley to the compressor shaft and runs the A/C compressor. You want the fan to come on with the A/C to force air thru the A/C condensor (which is mounted to the engine radiator) which will cool it more efficiently and make your A/C system work better.

Yeah, the kit should have a relay. Prolly a black cube SPDT one. Depending on the amperage of the fan you might want that relay to power a tougher, larger rated one like in the schematic. Think of the 12v current flow as water and wires like plumbing pipes. Ok, starting at the in-cab switch. It's wired to a 12v source that turns on and off with the key. That 12v runs to the t'stat. The t'stat is simply a switch controlled by heat. If the t'stat is open (contacts are apart), no current flows past it. Once the radiator reaches whatever temp you set, the t'stat will close (contacts are touching) and the 12v will continue to the 1st relay. A relay is basically a switch that is activated by a low amp current and is used to power a higher amp device. When 12v is applied to post 85, it flows thru a coil inside the relay and out to post 86 (ground). This current flow energizes the magnetic coil inside the relay which closes the contacts between posts 30 and 87. 30 is wired to a constant 12v source (battery). Now you have 12v coming out of 87, going thru a 25a fuse and powering the big 80a relay, which internally operates the same way the smaller relay does. (you could eliminate the small relay and hook the big one up in its place, but I bought a fan kit that had a small relay with all the wires attached already so I did it this way). Now the 12v flows thru the large relay to ground which energizes the relay's coil and sends power from the battery to the fan. Oh, and the A/C wire is there to bypass the power control from the t'stat. Splice into the on/off power lead of the A/C clutch and run it to 85 on the 1st relay. That way the fan will come on whenever the A/C comes on regardless of what the t'stat reads.

The one that will turn the fan on with the A/C?On my 87 there's two wires for the A/C clutch, one black and one black/pink. I spliced into the solid black one. When the A/C clutch energizes, the 12v kicks the fan circuit on. Or are you talking about how to keep your RMPs from dropping when you switch the A/C on at idle? That's a screw adjustment on the passenger side of the throttle body. PM me and I'll send you the "how to". That's the smaller SPDT (single pole, double throw) relay that controls the larger 80a relay. I numbered the posts to identify wiring connections. You could do away with a "wiring kit" and piece this together if it would be less expensive or you've got some of the materials lying around like from some old fog lights or whatever. Check out the12volt.com. They've got gobs of info on auto electrics. Mostly geared for custom audio, but there's some basic tutorials that are really worth a look if you want to figure out how to wire something up. I heared that, too. That's partly why I did that first. It might apply mostly to the Taurus fan swap since it's supposed to pull a bunch of amps at start-up, but upgrading to a higher output alt. is a good idea for any additional electrics (fog lights, amps, winch, etc.).

Where would be behind the radiator. The kit should have instructions, but basically run power from the battery to the fan with a relay in the middle then attach the temp sensor to that relay. This is how I ran a Taurus fan in mine. Since the Taurus fan is rumored to pull a bunch of amps at startup, I wired it so the temp sensor relay controls a big 80a relay which powers the fan. I also installed an in-cab switch that can shut the whole thing off if I go in deep water, a diode that won't allow the fan to drain power as it freewheels and a lead that turns the fan on with the A/C. Search around for e-fan or fan wiring. I swear I ran through this in depth before somewhere.

Yeah, I would agree. That's why I suggested the quick check before yanking everything apart. Not to 2nd guess your diagnostic skills 4xKory, but are you positive you hear valves knocking around? It could be something as simple as a loose spark plug wire. If you're engine is running on 5 cylinders it'll definately loose power and shake/knock. A vacuum leak will do oddball things, too. I'd take a real close look at some of the more basic things that don't involve anything but a decent set of eyeballs and a Chilton manual first. After that, do a tune-up (plugs, wires, cap + rotor, etc.) and see where that gets you. And I'd do it before changing the timing belt. If the problem wasn't fixed by the belt change you'll freak out that you did something wrong.

Don't forget to check that you're on the compression stroke when finding TDC. Put your thumb over the spark plug hole and when you feel air pushing your thumb off as you turn the crank, that's the compression stroke.

Before you tear into everything, you might want to try a quick check. -Pull your #1 spark plug out. -Rotate the crank by hand until the #1 piston is at top dead center (TDC). To check for TDC, Put your thumb over the spark plug hole and turn the crank clockwise (CW). When you feel air pushing your thumb off the hole, you're on the compression stroke and the piston is traveling up. Now carefully place a straw or a pencil (nothing that would scratch the piston) into the spark plug hole and use it to measure when the piston is at its highest point (TDC). Do not drop your measuring device into the cylinder. If you do, you'll either have to remove the cylinder head or turn the truck upside down and shake it until it falls out the plug hole. -Once you've determined TDC, remove your distributor cap and see where the rotor (the piece in the middle that spins) is pointing. It should be pointing pretty much directly at the contact that corresponds to the #1 plug wire. If its way off, check that you did everything correctly. If its a little off, your belt might have jumped a tooth. This isn't a thorough check. It won't tell you if everything is OK with your belt timing, but it should show you quick if something is wrong.

Yeah, you'll romp on it more often.

Yeah, it's still a 3.0. I didn't mess with the bottom end, just futzed with the heads. I think I need to open up the intake manifold a bit to match the port job on the heads, though. I'm thinking I'll get more umph at higher RPMs since currently the intake air is going thru the smaller manifold ports and slowing down as it flows into the larger ports on the head. Then again, I know less about volumetric efficiency than I do about women so who knows. That's why I need to source an inexpensive (free) TBI intake to port out and try sometime. As for the cams, I got the 262/.420" since it was closest to the JW S1 numbers that Schneider offered at the time. I haven't noticed any real lag or spike througout the RPM range, seems pretty flat.

Schneider Racing Cams has a few different regrinds for the VG30. I installed a set in mine during my engine swap. I couldn't tell you the performance gains though since most of what I feel might be due to the newer engine.

A pic of the damage would help, but maybe you could fiberglass the holes up. Cut up some thin cardboard from a 12 pack, cover it with aluminum foil and tape it to the inside of the hole. Then 'glass over the holes and skim it with Bondo. And if the repair isn't too far up, tape off a line from the front wheels back to the tail lights and hit it with bedliner spray. That stuff will cover up some pretty ugly body repairs, believe me.

In my experience bad wheel bearings usually sound more like you're running on snow or mud tires, kind of a constant whirring sound. Its a reach, but have you looked at your compression/strut rods? Those are the short shafts that run from the bottom of the lower control arm to the frame. They have bushings and a sleeve that wear out. Like I said its a long shot, but if they're worn they could be rubbing on the frame during braking.

Wow, 80 years apart and they both have the same soundtrack.

Just remembered a similar problem I had. My '87 stalled a couple times when turning left, then totally died once after turning thru an intersection. Ends up the battery mount had broken and allowed the battery to shift enough to pull on the fusible link connection which temporarily cut power to half the electrical system. Once the battery slid back in place or laid flat again or whatever, the truck would fire right back up. Try wiggling the connectors on the positive battery terminal while idling and see if your engine shuts off. Don't lean on the fender or anything while you do it. You might get a shock if the wires are frayed.

I'd check the fuel pump. It's located in the rear cargo area toward the center-right side. There's an access door which may be rusted up, but the fuel pump is directly under it. Pull the access door off and put a screwdriver tip on the top of the pump and press the handle into your ear (sounds stupid, but it works like a redneck stethescope) and listen for anything other than a smooth, constant whirring at idle. If its chugging or spitting, it's roached.

I've never over-bored a block, so I would have no idea. Check around this site and others. I think some folks have replaced their 3.0 engines with the 3.3 and still used their old 3.0 heads since they flow better or since they have a smaller chamber and would increase compression (or it was the other way around, 3.3 heads on the 3.0). Anyway, my advice is to look around at your options since you've decided to tear into the block anyway and get the best bang for your buck.

Schneider Racing will regrind your cams for about $230. I got the 262-h grind (.420" lift/262 deg.) which was the closest to the Jim Wolf S1 cams that Schneider offered at the time. They have a .470"/264 grind now. Be sure to get a new set of springs that match the new cam's profile. I got new springs and lifters, but you could get away with just resurfacing your liftersif you want to save a buck. I also ported and polished the heads. I did all this when I swapped my old 200K+ engine with one that had under 40K on it so to tell you the truth, I don't know how beneficial it all was. The performance gains felt might just be the newer engine. If you're really going to get the block machined and rebuilt, you should look into boring it out to a 3.3 or maybe getting a stroker kit. Those would prolly give you more "umph" than cams and since you're honing cylinders and buying new pistons anyway. And since you're tearing into the block, take a look at other Nissan sites, like nissan4wheelers.com and some 300ZX sites. They might have some more info on how to build VG30 HP from the ground up. Good luck with it and make sure you label EVERYTHING when you tear it down.

I had the same problem after my engine swap. Vac lines can really mess with you sometimes. Does it just need to pass the sniffer or will they pop you for something on the visual? I used to live in VA and my 87 passed fine even with the AIV box totally rusted out on the bottom. It looked OK, but definately wasn't doing what it was supposed to do emissions-wise. I think the bottom of the charcoal canister was messed up, too. Anyway, it passed fine. If you think you could pass w/o an AIV, you could prolly delete the entire system and still sniff OK as long as you're cat works well.

I've used the Permatex copper each time I've had the headers apart and it works great. IIRC, I used it on both sides of the gasket last time. I gobbed a bunch on, cranked the bolts down and wiped off the excess. Messy operation but it sealed up good.

I sealed mine up with a 2" (or 2.25" , I can't remember) clamp designed for semi truck exhaust stacks. Its available at Napa. Instead of a regular U-bolt type clamp, its a stainless steel sleeve that's 3 or 4 inches long and covers the joint on either side about an inch or so. Just crank it down to the stops and it'll conform to the different wall thicknesses and seal it up.

Since you should install new springs and lifters when swapping out your cams, new cams were really cost prohibative for me so I went with reground cams from Schneider Racing. They don't do new for the VG30, but they'll resurface your old ones to a more aggresive grind and it'll only cost you around $200. http://schneidercams.com/

I found the best solution to be a Flowmaster 50 series and a good stereo. I ported my heads, added reground cams, new lifters and springs and mine still chatter like schoolgirls. I soaked the new lifters in oil before installation, too. I even went so far as to resurface my old lifters, soak them in heated oil for a few hours to ensure no air was in them either and swap them out. Still has chatter. Not crazy bad, but a bit much considering the effort I've been through. BTW, my rocker shafts didn't look buggered like in TNZ's pic.

Tell her you'll replace it yourself and take her to dinner with the money you save (that is, if you make it there).

I think you answered your own question.There are alot of JGC springs but it seems the V8 ones were the ticket although some folks have found them under V6 ones. IIRC, they're .56-.57" thick. As far as flex...