Slartibartfast

Do you feel/hear the belt jumping? Unless there's debris between the belt and the crank sprocket, I doubt it's actually slipping. I've turned a VG over on a stand with the belt barely tensioned at all, without issue. And if it was loose enough to slip, I doubt it would be polite enough to only slip a single tooth at a time. Are you looking at the paint marks on the belt? Those marks are for inital setup only, and they are not meant to line up again afterwards. I don't remember offhand how many teeth are on the belt, but I suspect it would have to go around quite a few times before the paint marks lined up with the sprocket dimples again. The important measurement is the tooth count between the cam and crank dimples. If you're at 40 between cam dimples, 43 between the driver's cam and the crank, and you turn the crankshaft two full revolutions, and you're still at 40 and 43, then you're golden.

Hmm. Sounds like they "improved" something since I bought them, though that was long enough ago that I don't remember for sure what mine looked like. How thick are those gaskets, at the rubber rings? I have a set of VG33 intake gaskets in my pile, I can measure those and compare. I don't suppose you've got the original gaskets still kicking around? Unless the surfaces are damaged, which it doesn't look like they are, or the bolts were loose, I doubt torquing the piss out of them is gonna help. Did you bolt down the intake using the torque sequence in the service manual? Maybe it was sitting a little cockeyed.

Yeah, if that bolt don't fit, you got the wrong shi... gaskets. I pulled up Rockauto's listing for a '92. Sure enough, they have no idea that there are different gaskets for the two engines, because they've got a bunch of the same parts listed for VG30 and VG33 applications. The Ajusa and Victor Reinz gaskets aren't built the same as either of the factory gasket types, so I'm not sure which one they're meant to fit. The Mahle/Clevite MS16365A are clearly stamped-steel VG33 gaskets, not what you want. The gaskets that look correct to me are the FEL-PRO MS922704, MAHLE / CLEVITE MS15362W, and APEX AMS5170. I believe I used the Fel-Pro set on mine.

What were they trying to do, carb swap it? Gotta love PO hacks. This video (or a listing for a used pump assembly) might help you figure out what it was supposed to look like.

I think you may have the wrong gaskets. VG30 intake gaskets have the rubber rings around the ports. VG33 gaskets are thin stamped steel. (The VG33 intake is slightly wider for some reason.) Aftermarket may be built a little different, but they should be the same thickness as the ones you originally removed. I made the same mistake on mine once, because Rockauto listed the wrong parts and I didn't know any better, and I got hellacious vacuum leaks, probably because the intake got lower but the EGR tube didn't get shorter, so it was holding the plenum up at an angle. Did the bolt that holds the middle of the upper timing cover to the lower intake not line up properly? That was my first indication that I had the wrong parts. Well, that and the EGR tube not wanting to line up.

Sounds like you've got the ATX14A transfer. Complicated little blighter, but I'm told they're nice on patchy surfaces. FWIW, the motor only shifts high/low. 2/4 has a clutch pack, which is how the auto mode works. I had a poke around on Nissanpartsdeal and found four different listings for a shift motor for that gearbox. 29010-0W421 (which, weirdly, is listed for the TX10A part-time transfer case, which has to be a typo, because that's a manual box, and as such it doesn't have a shift motor), 29010-0W422, 29010-2W510 , or 29010-2W51A (also listed as fitting the part-time box). That last one is listed as replacing the other three, so I'm assuming they're all functionally identical, and the differences between them were minor revisions or different suppliers or something along those lines. The '05 R51 service manual calls its equivalent transfer case ATX14B. I assume this is a variant of your ATX14A. The shift motor sure does look similar. The PNs I found are 29010-7S111, and its replacement, 29010-7S11A. Given the similar part numbers and function, I assume these just more revisions of the earlier shift motor. None of the earlier part numbers list either of these as a replacement, but that just means they weren't intended to interchange, not that they definitely don't. Naturally they don't tell you what they revised. It may be something that doesn't matter, as it apparently doesn't with the first four PNs. Or it might be something that does matter, like the bolt pattern, or the connector, or the range switch, or the shape of the output. If you can't get the right part, I would compare the TF sections of the R50 and R51 service manuals to see if there's anything obviously different. If the motor's wired the same way around, same test specs, same linkage attached to it, then maybe it's worth taking a chance on--if you can't track down the part that's listed for your application. Worth noting, I was not able to spec a 2000 R50 with an ATX14A and a VG33 on NPD, so it's possible you've got some regional variant that we didn't get here. Or maybe that's what the messed-up listings for -0W421 and -2W51A were supposed to say? In any case, I'm looking at a US dealer's parts lookup, and assuming they apply to your Australian truck. Again, probably a good idea to confirm the part numbers by VIN and/or with a local source, on the off chance Nissan did something dumb. Good luck! Let us know how it goes if you try the R51 part. Might help the next guy.

Looks like the part you're after is 310361W600, fits '97-'99. Discontinued, but there's one on eBay. This thread doesn't mention programming, hopefully it's too early for that crap. There's some info at the end of that thread, looks like a fault in the trans wiring or a solenoid can throw the same code. But yeah, makes sense the computer's roached if the alt hit it hard enough to pop the MOV!

Guess that would've been too simple. I've heard you can bend lines with a spring and heat, haven't had a chance to try it myself yet. Might be worth a shot if the line is cracked. Good luck with the lower, hopefully the failure is obvious when you find it.

It does sound like the trans computer isn't doing much. First thing I'd do is try and pull codes. If it can communicate, it may be able to tell you what's wrong. If the computer isn't responding at all, check its powers and grounds before assuming it's the problem. Also inspect the harness in the area of the wire you bypassed. That wire didn't short itself. Whatever melted or smashed its insulation likely took other wires with it, which could be the problem--and might damage a new computer if you slap one in without checking. The AT section of the service manual (free download from Nicoclub) has troubleshooting/diagrams/etc. Should come in handy. Some of their diagnostics assume you have a Consult scanner, but there's usually another way. The R50 slushbox retained the WD21's blinky-lights OBD, so if you can't get codes via OBDII, give the blinky-lights troubleshooting a go on the off chance. Good luck! Hopefully it comes down to something simple, and the R50 stops making the Range Rover look good.

Sounds like the leaky hose you're looking at is the one from the throttle body to one of the idle air valves. Both have coolant plumbed through them to keep them from icing up. Could be the end of the hose has split. Could be it's not the right hose. Given this started when you had the plenum off, I'm wondering if you've switched a couple of lines, and accidentally plumbed vacuum to coolant, so it's sucking coolant right into the plenum. I don't know if there's an easy way to do that on a VG30, but a friend of mine managed it on an Alfa Romeo once. If you want I can get a picture of the plumbing on mine to compare. The lower intake manifold gasket would be my next guess, though it's odd that it would choose now to let go. Might catch it with a cooling system pressure tester. Pump it up, pull the plenum and plugs, and see which runner or cylinder fills with coolant. I have seen a cylinder with a bad head gasket pass a compression test, but that one was just barely leaking. If yours was leaking enough to make the new-pope-smoke, I would not expect the failure to be sneaky. I've heard of oil in the exhaust smoking for a while after the engine is fixed, but I would expect coolant residue to clear up quicker. I had an old Ford make a hell of a smoke show when I warmed it up, but that wasn't oil or coolant--the muffler was chock full of mouse house. It smelled about how you'd expect, and it didn't clear up until I cut the muffler off.

Is that what's in it now? I think you'd be the third person on here who's tried those and had issues.

Yeah, I'm sure it's frustrating as hell. One of those moments where it would really help if these ECUs could show us live sensor data! Running worse over time is likely just the plugs starting to foul. All six fouling the same suggests it's not an injector issue. The new fuel pressure regulator not helping suggests the excess fuel isn't coming up the vacuum line from a bad reg. So either something is forcing more fuel through the injectors than the computer intends, or the computer's getting bad info that's causing it to inject more fuel than it should. Check that the fuel return line isn't pinched or otherwise blocked. Maybe a mud wasp got in there while you had it torn apart? If you can't blow through the return line, then it doesn't matter if the regulator is working, because the excess fuel can't leave the rail. I would also check that the fuel supply and return are plumbed the right way around, though I don't think it would run at all if you had those crossed up. If the fuel lines are OK, try running it with the coolant temp sensor disconnected. If the computer knows that the temp sensor isn't working, it'll guess the engine temperature based on how long it's been running. If this makes it run better than it did with the sensor hooked up, check the resistance of the sensor, and the wiring between the sensor and the computer. (The service manual's troubleshooting for the temp sensor code should tell you which pins to probe for this.) If that doesn't help, plug the temp sensor back in and try the same with the MAF. Again, if it runs better on guesses than it does on sensor data, check everything in that circuit. I know it stalled when you tried unplugging the MAF while it was running, but that may be different it you start it with no MAF vs if it loses connection while running. Check that it codes for the temp sensor and MAF when they're unhooked. If the computer doesn't notice that a sensor is unplugged, then something ain't right with either the harness (current leakage makes the computer think it's seeing sensor data?) or the computer. I would also disconnect the battery for a bit before/after each test to clear any previous codes and self-learning. I would not expect a blocked exhaust to cause a rich condition.

45 is injector leak. The computer does not have a sensor for this. My understanding is that the computer throws this code if the mixture is rich and it can't do anything about it. Check your spark plugs. If only one spark plug is dark, that suggests an injector leak on that cylinder. If all six are dark, something else is wrong. If the injectors weren't seated right, I'd expect vacuum leaks (lean), not fuel leaks (rich). A bad fuel pressure reg (too much pressure or puking gas up the vac line to the plenum) would make sense. I know you've done the coolant temp and oxygen sensors, but I would double check those, and the condition of their wiring (both the harness and the connectors, including the connectors on the valve cover). I had intermittent trouble with my MAF plug for years, and it looked perfectly fine inside. But if felt loose, and wiggling it tended to clear up the problem for a while. 35 is EGR temp sensor, not coolant. I don't see that sensor listed as important to the fuel injection (or even the operation of the EGR system!), so I doubt it's causing your problem. AFAIK it's just there to complain if it doesn't see heat when the EGR is supposed to be operating. Maybe the exhaust temp is low because of the rich condition, and that's enough to trigger the code? I would focus on the other code for now, see if this one clears up when you get the rich condition sorted out. I once tried that on my '93, and it did not like it. My '95 parts car came with a short MAF extension harness with a separate ground lead, so I swapped it into mine, because why not. I have never heard mine run so poorly. I don't know if it was rich or lean, but whatever it was, it was not happy. It ran fine again with the ground disconnected. I have no idea why, or if this is typical. But if yours ran fine before the rebuild, without that added ground, I would disconnect it before doing further testing, on the off chance it's adding another issue on top of the one you're already chasing.

I had Ocean Colour Scene--North Atlantic Drift in mine for a while, but took it out recently. Not their best album. Haven't replaced it yet. I usually use the iPod in the truck. If the iPod counts, today was Weird Al.

Weird. I wonder what the balancer was for, that had the marks 180 out. Assuming the mark you added is correct, and the timing belt is set up properly (you counted teeth rather than trusting the dimples on the back cover, right?), then I'm not sure why it would be fighting you like that. No primary oxygen sensors isn't helping either! Probably running rich. Hopefully that's just a wiring fault.