Slartibartfast

Mr. 510 got Gabriel 49218 air shocks for a Chevy pickup to fit his, but only in the back. Sounds like he tried the same with the fronts, but they hit the UCAs. I doubt those coilover shocks are any smaller. Maybe aftermarket UCAs would have more clearance? I do get tempted now and then to do the rear air shocks on mine. My rear springs are sagged pretty bad, and the air shocks don't cost that much more than a set of springs. And the shocks can do tricks! Here's Gabriel's explanation of their mount codes.

87 and 87a are both switched, but they're switched opposite of each other. 87 is turned on by the coil. 87a is turned off by the coil. If you do better with pictures (I know I do), try this. As drawn, the coil is not energized (headlight switch off, in your case). Spring tension is holding common (30) against normally closed (87a), and away from normally open (87). When the coil is energized, its magnetic field pulls on the armature, which pushes that middle contact up, holding common (30) against normally open (87) and away from normally closed (87a). If it's still clear as mud, maybe this guy can explain better than I can. TL;DR, your relays have a feature that is not useful in this application. Ignore 87a and treat them like four-pin relays. While we're on the topic of relay harnesses, make sure yours is connected to the battery through a decent fuse. Mine's connected to an aux fusebox I added on for that and a few other circuits, but when I first set it up, I didn't know better, and I used something like this crap. Water got in, the weak little contacts corroded, the corroded contacts got hot under normal load, the plastic melted, and then my headlights quit working mid-corner in the dark on a rural highway. I replaced that garbage with a rubber fuse holder (this style, though I think I bought mine locally). Much better connections, takes the same fuses as the rest of the truck, never let me down, highly recommended. I only swapped that for the aux fusebox because I had three or four of those things bouncing around, and that bothered me.

Ah, that's too bad. It's amazing how that smell sticks to things.

There is power to 87a, but it works opposite to 87. If there's power to the coil, 30 and 87 connect. If there's no power to the coil, 30 and 87a connect. This is wasted in most circuits (which is why many relays only have four pins), but it can be useful in some applications. If you had halos or markers or something that you wanted on only when the headlights weren't, you'd wire those to 87a.

I wish making a VG34 was that simple! There is a fair bit of machine work required to put Q45 pistons in a VG33. 0.0008" clearance from the wrist pin to the piston is definitely out of spec. A VG33 should not have clearance there at all. The writeup I linked above claims the VG33 has full-float wrist pins, but the '97 and '01 R50 and '02 and '04 WD22 service manuals disagree. The spec is listed as 0-0.0002" interference. Looks like you have to get the piston hot to get the pin to drop in. The pin is constrained by two snap rings, so they're not counting on that interference to retain it, but clearly they're not intended to float. The '95 WD21 VG30 specs 0.0003-0.0005 clearance between the pin and the piston, and the '96 Z32 VG30DETT specs -0.0002 to 0" interference, which is an odd way to say 0-0.0002" clearance. So wrist-pin-to-piston clearance is spec'd in some VGs, but not that much. That said, I'm a service manual nerd, not an engine builder. Hopefully someone who knows more about engine internals can chime in. In the meantime I would reach out to the manufacturer and ask them why their spec is looser than Nissan's. Maybe it has to do with their manufacturing tolerances. Or maybe they were tired of people sending back busted pistons with stuck pins after trying to hammer them in cold.

That'll do it! 87A is normally closed (opens when the coil is powered), 87 is normally open (closes when the coil is powered).

Thanks! Gotta get around to finishing that one.

At least you got it in the end! That must've been a grand old PITA to keep having to go through them. The service manual agrees with your coworker. It says to use brake fluid on the pistons, rubber grease on the piston seals, dust seals, and slide pins, and something called poly butyl cuprysil (or, failing that, a silicone-based grease) on the pad retainers. The ABS does have an "other" code (5), for which the first bit of troubleshooting is "overhaul both rear brakes." I have no idea how it would figure this out, given how limited that system is, but clearly it has tricks that I am not wise to! Weirdly mine did not throw that code when my rear brake circuit had air in it.

Limp mode kicking in during a hard turn makes me suspect a wiring issue. I would check that the battery is secured properly, and that the cables, terminals, fuse links, and engine grounds are clean and tight. If you find something loose/suspicious, clean it up, clear the codes, drive it, and see if the issue (and the codes) come back. I don't know that the computer would throw random codes if it lost power briefly while driving, but I don't know that it wouldn't, and it's easy enough to rule that out. If/when the codes return, use the troubleshooting section for each code in the EF&EC section of the service manual to chase them down. Which manual are you using? You have the wrong code table for '87. I don't know why, but the code table changed somewhere between '87 and '89. The code table from the '87 manual is as follows. 11 Crank angle sensor circuit 12 Air flow meter circuit 13 Cylinder head temp sensor 21 Ignition signal missing in primary coil 33 Oxygen sensor circuit 42 Throttle sensor circuit 43 Injector circuit 44 No malfunction in above circuits So you've got the temp sensor, the TPS, and the injector circuit code. The service manual has troubleshooting info for all three. I do not know of a PDF of the '87 manual, but I have an '89 manual up on Dropbox (which I found somewhere, naturally I can't remember where, or I'd send you there instead). '89 had the same throttle body injection, but the later code table, and likely various other small differences here and there. I have a paper copy of the '87, so if something isn't matching up, let me know, and I'll take some pictures of the relevant sections.

The mouse nest may have something to do with the MAF code. Mine came with a rat's nest in the air box (same as yours, the blighter ate both the air filter and that little pad whatsit), and a MAF code. The nest had been sucked up against the screen on the MAF. I suspect the code was due to the computer not believing how little air the MAF was reporting getting past the rat's nest, but I cleaned the MAF while I was in there just in case it had a bit of rat's nest stuck to it. (Use a cleaner that doesn't leave a residue, and be very careful not to damage the filaments.) I cleaned it up, cleared the code, and have not seen that code since. These also commonly have issues with the connector for the MAF sensor. Mine acted up for years (surging/stalling at idle when warm, and a little stumble just off idle) until I replaced the connector. It never coded for that, annoyingly. The injector leak code means it can't get the mixture to lean out. This may or may not be due to an injector issue. Check the condition of the spark plugs. Look for one that's much darker than the rest, or wet with fuel. If they all look about the same, I would address the MAF issue, clear the codes, and see if the stumbling persists and/or the injector leak code returns. If it comes back, something else (possibly the coolant temp sensor) could be throwing the mixture rich. The knock sensor code is likely unrelated. Mine ran normally when it had that code. The code is for a problem with the sensor (mine had drifted out of spec) or the wiring (mice love nesting under intake manifolds). AFAIK it does not throw the code for actual knocking or pinging--it just quietly retards the timing.

Yeah, it's tough to justify when you know the rest of it's tired. I gave up on my '95 due to frame rot.

People have swapped VG33s into turbo 300ZXs. Find their build threads, copy their homework. Should be easier for you given the engine's already in the truck, so you don't have to mess with the pan and whatnot. Not sure what options are available for tuning the R50 ECU or how best to get it running off a standalone. I don't think I've seen a turbo 3.3 R50. 2milehi turbo'd a VG30 WD21 (and sold it to snowboard419). There was a guy on here who turbo'd a 3.5 R50, but IIRC his transmission was not happy about it. There's also a guy on the Farcebook page (not sure if he's on here?) who's got some crazy super turbo system going on, on an Xterra if I remember right.

Assuming it's like the harness I made for mine (one relay for low beams, one for high beams), then, yeah, that shouldn't be possible. Even if one relay was stuck closed, or wired to normally closed on the relay, that would be two lights on, unless you've also got one bad headlight bulb (or a faulty plug, or a broken wire). First thing I'd check is the splice where you shortened the harness. Make sure you didn't cross something up. Second, you swapped out the relays. Are the new relays the same pinout as the old ones? Did it work normally before the relay mod? Did you test the harness before modifying that? If in doubt, try to draw out a wiring diagram of the relay harness. Make sure it makes sense on paper, then check that it's wired the same way in the truck.

First two pictures look like the trans cooler lines are leaking. Might just be split at the ends. Should be easy enough to replace with bulk hose. Not entirely sure what's leaked on the rack, though again I'd check the lines and connections first. If it's too oily to tell where it's coming from, clean it as well as you can, drive it for a bit, and see what gets dirty first.

Failing at startup is probably the best case scenario for not bending a valve. You might've gotten lucky. Don't know that I'd bet a grand on that, though. Before throwing a belt on it, I would stick a borescope down the plug holes and see if you can find any obvious valve marks on the pistons. I did that on a VW once, told us real quick that the engine wasn't worth messing with. (That one let go at highway speed.) If you don't see valve marks on the pistons, throw a belt at it (+1 for doing it yourself!) and see if it hits on all six.

I'm not familiar with the chip key setup on the R50s, but I would see if there's an obvious screw or battery compartment on the dongle. Might just need a coin cell battery swapped out.

Looks pretty straight, at least! Bad paint just means you don't have to worry so much about it. I see that missing door handle, those are always fun. The forum isn't really built for hosting pictures. Better to host elsewhere and link them in. No size limit that way. Paste in the link and it auto-embeds. I've got mine on Flickr, but there's probably a better option. Let us know what you come up with for the rack! I've been designing one in my head for a while. Naturally I haven't gotten around to building the thing.

@Lock manual swapped a VQ R50. I have not heard of anyone else pulling it off, so if you want to go that way, that's who you need to talk to.

The same sensor died in mine, started faulting out whenever it got wet. When I saw the price of a new one, I decided I didn't need ABS. Looks like the price has about doubled since then, holy crap.

Well that sucks! You might get away with a little exacto knife action on that adapter plug. Splicing means you've got one less connector to give you problems, though.

Sucks about the surprise baptism, but better for it to happen in the shop than on the road!

I'm honestly not sure when ABS started in these, and whether it was a trim thing or a federal thing. The part numbers for the ABS valve block go back to '90, but it's not in the '90 manual. If yours has it, the valve block is under the truck, on the inside of the passenger's side frame rail, sorta under the passenger's seat area IIRC. Should be an aluminum casting with a bleeder, an electrical plug, and two brake lines going into it. The control computer for mine was under the driver's seat, but IIRC '92 (and earlier?) had it under the stereo. The sensor reads from the pinion flange on the rear axle. If yours doesn't have it, you're not missing much. All it does is release the rear brakes if it sees them lock up. There's no pulse action, no pump, no improved stopping distance. It's just trying to stop the rear end from stepping out and potentially rolling the truck. I guess if road conditions are bad enough to allow the rear brakes to lock, and the driver doesn't know to pump the pedal to regain control, then it's safer to nerf the rears, keep it straight, and take the hit in the crumple zone.

I haven't heard much good about aftermarket distributors, so if they'll sell it separate from the engine, that would be a good thing to have on the shelf. If the fuel tank doesn't smell like something died in it, consider the fuel pump/level sender assembly as well. There's an access plate in the floor above it, so you don't have to drop the tank. Round-dash headlight and wiper stalks will not work on a square-dash column without extensive screwing around. (I looked into this for mine, because I've got two sets of round dash switches in my stash, and decided it would require more butchery than I wanted to get into.) A square-dash cruise control headlight stalk should fit a square-dash non-cruise truck just fine. It'll just have a second plug that doesn't go to anything. It's possible to add intermittent wipers if yours doesn't have them. IIRC the amp is the brown box on top of the wiper motor. There's probably a writeup for the swap on Infamous Nissan that'll tell you what all you need. Are you missing any clips? Fasteners? I grab any hardware I take off, plus whatever is left around loose. The metal clips for the plugs in the engine bay are easy to lose, might as well grab a few of those with the injectors. Might be worth grabbing some spare relays, too. I paid $2 each (about ten years ago!) for a pair of factory blue relays, which have been running my headlights since. Tail lights are surprisingly expensive for these. One of mine has a small crack in it, so I'd be on the lookout for those. And yeah, if you find a front door arm rest that isn't cracked like a dry lake bed, grab that SOB. Make sure you know how the yard operates (and charges!) before you start pulling things apart. Some yards may not want you to break up what they consider an assembly. (Might not want to sell a door handle, if they think they can sell the whole door.) One yard I went to wanted to charge me for a whole steering column, when all I needed was the headlight switch. Hopefully yours is less uptight.

Sure, but generally it's easier if you tell us what's wrong with it!

That's a weird one. Having to start it with carb cleaner makes me think it's not getting much fuel. Do you hear the fuel pump prime when you turn the key? Did you replace the crank sensor (on the back) or the cam sensor (in the distributor)? If it was the cam sensor, you'll need to set the ignition timing. The crank sensor is only there for misfire detection, so that shouldn't be able to make it run weird. Check that no wiring got pinched between the engine and trans when you bolted them back together. Any OBD codes?