hawairish

I'd say removing the dust cap should be the last of the 3 options, if an option at all. I think it's kind of crimped or pinched on, so I don't think it'll just snap back on...you might need to dent it back on. If you don't need to service the caliper, I'd probably just unbolt the bracket and leave the caliper intact...but juggling the pads can be a little bit of a pain sometimes so undoing the exposed bolt, rotating the caliper, and pulling the pads seems to be an middle option.

Very old post, but I'll play along. The circled part is just a dust cap. I've rebuilt two sets of these in fairly recent memory for my disc swap projects and I don't recall ever removing it. If I remember correctly, there's a small-head bolt inside that holds the slide pin sleeve and gets tightened into the bracket. It's just suction that makes it feel difficult to remove. The caliper can pivot on it. Once the caliper is pulled off the pin, the bolt head is exposed.

Killed a few minutes in the garage tonight, and fortunately I think the radiator conversation is moot now. I like the idea of e-fans, but I went into it knowing it was just going to add complexity and cost. The lack of good options makes it tough to pursue further. The original plan was to just move the radiator over to the passenger side about 1/2" and keep everything otherwise stock. At the time, it was hard to tell if that would actually work. That's why getting those engine supports and chassis rail brace in was a big milestone, so I could get confirmation. Looks like I only need to move it 3/8" so I was very close, and things are still pretty tight, but it looks doable. Fan blades clear the shroud, which is probably the most important part. Took a torch to the shroud to make some clearance. In hindsight, I probably should've just used the heat gun or boiling water. Looks like $h!t, and the plastic melted through a little, but I really just needed to get quick fitment confirmation. I may just cut an opening, or rivet in an ABS patch, but this going to work. I have some points where plastic will rub on metal, but I can trim that or live with it. Regardless of the path I was going to take here, the radiator was going to be replaced. It's actually nice to not have to put something else in. The truck will already be a Frankenstein by the time the project's done. I'm having to closely track where all the parts come from...Land Rover, GM, Jeep, Toyota, and even other Nissans. In this case, I only wish there was some sort of radiator upgrade for the R50, but staying stock saves a few bucks and moving the mounts shouldn't be too difficult.

Yep, I spent a while browsing through Summit and Jegs. Their filters are somewhat useful, but that’s how I came across the CTS-V option, was looking for OE replacements and there were some options. Also found this odd site, size.name, that just a bunch of radiator specs and limited filters. Found a couple with useful sizes, except they were pretty much all for international vehicles or still used mechanical fans. One for a Terrano would have worked well, slightly narrower than R50. VG33 equipped trucks are similarly sized, but the outlet on the passenger side when I need it on the drivers side. The good news is that I did a little research on the “expansion tank” setup, and the CTS-V option may actually be viable now. Amazon has universal tanks and there’s should be enough space to mount above the steering box. The overflow I could actually spill into the OE reservoir, and I think I’d just need to tee-in a return line somewhere…and I think I’d have just the spot by the thermostat. Now it’s just a matter of pricing this out…RA wants $40 for a replacement fan wiring harness, and I’d need two of them. That’s not happening.

I hope so! Haven't heard the sound of an engine hitting concrete, so that's a plus. I still have the support bar in place just in case. The filler neck is pretty novel, never seen something like that before. Unfortunately, that particular style wouldn't work here because the hose itself is only about 2" longer than the piece I'd need, and the hose steps up, which means the cap wouldn't be the high point (I think that matters?). But, great suggestion, I do appreciate! But yeah, the radiator search has just been strangely difficult to even be in the ballpark. Even the CTS-V isn't a perfect option...right width, inlet/outlet placement and size is spot on, but it's also about 3" shorter that stock, though thicker. However...I'd like to think if it can cool a 6.0L 400hp car, it stands a good chance against the VQ. I just don't like the pressurized bottle, and I definitely don't like that this particular radiator was only ever used in exactly one car that only existed 4 years. Custom radiators are grossly out of the question due to cost, but even then, I can't even find anything that would work. It's nuts. Worst case, I keep what's stock and maybe see about having a custom shroud made for the mechanical fan. Not sure yet.

Hit a major milestone today: the engine supports are supporting the engine. They're not done-done, but their function of supporting the engine is done. Still need to make a panhard bracket for the LH side and such. I'd been working on the chassis rail brace the other week, and got that all mounted and welded on... That was going to be the end of it, but then I had an afterthought about adding another mounting provision to really try to beef that area up, since the PHB mount will be directly under the rear leg of the subframe cradle bolt. Ended up like this... Didn't get any pics of the supports after taking these, but was just jamming today. Right now the axle and everything is back under the truck and lined up for the next round of work, which includes the transmission crossmember with radius arm mounts. At some point, I spent some time looking for an OE radiator that had electric fans from some other car model that was similarly sized. I can't believe how difficult that search has been. Original plan was to just move the radiator over maybe 1/2", but it would also require heavy modification to the fan shroud to clear the steering gear box. The best option I have is from a Cadillac CTS-V from nearly 20 years ago, but it uses a remote pressurized reservoir instead of a tradition reservoir and radiator cap, which means system changes I don't want to do. Need to keep researching that, because I'm getting to the point where I can start putting the engine back together.

I hit a mental roadblock for the last several weeks trying to figure out how I was going to support the engine. This is one of those moments where it would've been awesome doing a swap on a framed trucked because the support likely would've remained 100% intact. Instead, removing the subframe and trying to replicate the OE positions ends up being a massive pain. There are just way too many constraints. The left and right side mounts positions on the subframe aren't in symmetrical positions, and they're angled, and with the way the motor is slung up, it's impossible to know where the original position was to feel comfortable enough piecing something together while underneath. I had spent some time early in the project mapping all the distances and angles off the subframe, but even after CADing their positions, it was still difficult figuring out how to place them on the truck. Passenger chassis rail has too many parts around it to comfortably weld onto, and driver side, while wide open, has other design constraints I need to work around (like placement of the upper panhard mount). And then on top of everything, just trying to keep things serviceable (like having the mount supports detachable to make replacing the motor mounts easier in the future, as opposed to fixed mounts on the chassis and trying to lift the engine 2"+ higher). So, last Wednesday I had the day off and was staring at things again and just decided to chop up the subframe to see if I could use the arms off it, since it'd effectively retain all the OE positioning. It seemed promising, and spent the weekend trying to make it work. Basic plan (for now) was to lop off the front subframe mount and build a new plate to attach to the arm. It also needed to incorporate the mount for a bumpstop (cheapies from GM applications). The RH arm is basically done, but I wrapped the weekend by fitting it to the truck and haven't gotten more pics of it yet. LH arm below, just to give an idea of the starting point. I started on the RH side because it had less constraints. New front mount in place and welded up. Need to add a gusset in there above the bumpstop. The little piece of metal between the arm and chassis rail is a disc with a tube sleeve welded on. It'll get welded to the rail, and also in the wheel well so that I can put a bolt through it and tighten it against the rail for additional support. I may add one more sleeve and bolt towards the rear, not sure yet. Right now I've left the rear subframe mount alone, but am planning to replace with plate steel and add provisions for a crossmember (basically restoring a missing link). It'll also add more support to the arms for the motor. One major advantage of this approach will be on the driver's side. The flat underside will give me real estate for the panhard mount. Since the driver's side chassis rail will get a lot more plating for the steering box, it should make for a pretty solid mounting option.

Funny part is I didn't even think about strapping it up, just the habit of pulling it for misc. projects. So yeah, in that case, strapping it up somehow ought to work, too.

Don’t disconnect the rear driveshaft for towing. Fluid will come out of the t-case. Could dolly the rear wheels and remove the front driveshaft and tow in reverse if in a pinch. A/C: 2nd the evaporator, or something on the cooling unit in general.

The Nissan FSMs are the best technical resources on our trucks, and are freely available at NICO. Ring gear is probably toast and toothless if the driveshaft spins and nothing else.

If your driveshaft spins and the CVs don't, then something's wrong with your ring and/or pinion. Maybe sheared the teeth off the pinion. Might be able to open the fill plug hole and peek through. Otherwise drop the diff and replace with one from a D21 or WD21. Also, no need to start a new thread about the same issue. Your original thread in General was fine.

Yeah, as Slart mentioned, this is bad. Recall any noise? Can also lift a wheel and try turning the CV flange coming off the diff, or turning the driveshaft. Something else should turn.

Procedure seems right from what I see in the service manual. Got a 2nd fob? Battery installed in the correct direction? Are the metal tabs for the "+" side still intact and do they contact the circuit board? Any visible damage on the circuit board?

And here's what they look like with a bed resting on them when the in-tank fuel temp sensor is throwing codes and emission tests are due soon...

General topic, maybe off-topic, but still PF love! I've been hoarding LE wheels (9 of them so far) for a while and finally got around to slapping a set of them on my 98 Frontier. Had a shop in town strip them down, repair all scrapes and curb rashes, then powder coat them in "wet charcoal with satin finish". The results came out great so I thought I'd share the journey. Started out with 17x7 4Runner wheels shown below. Tires were old (Fall 2016, installed early 2017) with only 4,100 miles and tons of tread left, but showing their age. I started a new job at the beginning of April which has me commuting again, so it was time to change them. TownDawg helped me visualize (a la Photoshop) what the LEs would look like on it... And with a little bit more drop (only 1" in the pic above)... Truck's been undergoing a slow restoration for a while (body, paint, and glass done 2022, new tint and interior around the corner) so the plan was to get a set repaired and put new tires on them. All the ones I had have varying issues, but fortunately no major ones. As much as I like the factory silver on the T4Rs and the LEs (both similar color as the original wheels), the color has always been out of place in my opinion. And for what it was going to cost to refinish each wheel (5 of them), it was actually more expensive to go with a factory finish than a powder coat ($275/ea vs $225/ea). So, bought 5 new tires and took my 5 crustiest wheels to the shop to scope color options. Was looking specifically for something that keyed off of the inset of the grille. Found a pretty good match... The results... I also stripped down a set of center caps so they could be paint matched...not too bad! Cut new adhesive for the emblems as best as I could... Installed... Just the right amount of stick-out, no spacers... Kinda gray, kinda charcoal, kinda black...depends on the light I suppose. But they came out great! New lugs and lock nuts seal the deal. LEs are 17x8 and the 235/55R17 tire is supposed to be about 27.2" diameter, but according to GPS speed it's much closer to a 26" (stock size). 27.4" tires should have offset the H233B w/ 3.9 gears (stock 3.7) according to my calculator, but I still needed to use the 18-tooth speedo pinion gear (stock 17) I had previously installed. Speedo's spot on now.

Oh, and I only replaced the parts that were broken. I think I re-tapped a few threads also, just in case.

Interesting. I never looked closely enough, but that seems like it. That's what my cats looked like. I intended to replace them, but the kit I bought was total @!*% and effectively non-returnable. Lost a few hundred bucks in the process and just slapped my OEMs back on. Maybe one day when I'm not sour about the purchase I'll try replacing them again.

Progress has been very slow. Kids' sports in full swing and I started a new job at the beginning of April. New focus had been getting my Frontier back into commuter mode. I'm dropping off a set of LE wheels for refinishing and powder coating in the morning, and new rubber by the end of the week. It should look fantastic...it better be for what I'll be paying. Since last update, I built a new bracket and re-slung the engine. I didn't like that I could only use one bolt on it due to space limitations, but it creates a cantilever that holds fine. The intermediate piece is bar stock from the WJ steering shaft after I cut it down. View from the bottom... Engine hasn't fallen to the floor yet, so it must be good enough. I also mulled considerably on the radius arm brackets. Wanted to get caster adjustment since the optimal angle varies depending on who you ask. OE caster is 3°±0.75°, but the straight axle community says 4°-8°. So, I'm targeting 5°, and the caster adjustment I did gives me ±2° range. The final brackets... My craptastic welding. Old Blue in the background to distract you. And finally, actual results... Finding the right caster (or really, camber bolts turned 90°) was a pain. The front FJ bushings use 16mm bolts, and the only 16mm caster/camber bolts I could find were the lobe style we use for camber adjustment on our struts, but they were all just a little too short. Anything else I could find that used a cam washer was 14mm and too long, except ones for a late-80's to early-00's GMC/Chevy trucks and vans which were a good length but still 14mm bolts. I ended up using 14mm ID x 16mm OD sleeve bushings to fill the void. Took some effort to get the slotting sorted to make the adjustment work, but they work great. Other hardware being used is OE Toyota. I did not do a very good job of maintaining spacing on the brackets for the bushings. I had scrap bushings from a prior job to swapping out bushings on FJ arms, and used them as spacers, but the welding still tightened up on them. I was able to coax them to width without angling them out, except for the lower panhard mount. Just needed to grind down the sleeve for a few seconds and it's good to go, though.

My reason for asking about any special features on your LE headlights is because there could also be a control module in place. Long time ago a buddy had an Infiniti J30 where the headlights kept flickering or turning off random; would work fine for a while, then not work. I spent hours tracing the issue and eventually took a real hard look at a headlight control module under the hood. Took it all apart and found a couple solder joints on the back of the control board had hairline cracks. Resoldered it, problem solved. I know there were some premium headlight options, I'm just not sure what they were aside from leveling options. I haven't scoured the FSM to see what options there were. In your case, you still may want to just swap bulbs and wait it out to see if the problem travelled.

Mine didn't have the washer or mesh washer, and it didn't look like anything had been replaced previously...stock manifold and uppers as far as I could tell. I looked for those items, too. The upper had a lip that seemed to fit well into the manifold opening, and sealed fine when bolted together. Looked on RA and couldn't find suitable replacements, and sure as hell wasn't paying $20/ea x 4 items to replace items that weren't there and didn't seem to present a problem. But, looking at RA now, I see a Fel-Pro mesh washer (p/n 61339) is on closeout for $3.33/ea that I don't recall seeing previously apparently because it only shows up in a search by OE p/n, and not by my application. Fel-Pro 60835 reads like it might be the washer ("Converter; Manifold To Converter") but it has no matching OE p/n and zero specs...it looks too small and of one OE p/n it does list, it returns as a match for the gasket that goes between the upper cat and lower cat/resonator. Looking at a pic of the washer, it's hard to tell if it crushes; looks like it has squared edges. Frankly, I'm not even sure what the mesh accomplishes, but maybe I'll pick some up.

I’d start by swapping the bulbs left <-> right and see if the issue travels. Inspect the wires for any issues. With a multimeter in continuity mode and lights off, you can try probing the low and high signals to see if there’s continuity, suggesting a short somewhere. Then, with test voltage/signal on low and high when on. Just both headlight sockets for consistency. My guess (and lowest hanging fruit) is the bulb, maybe something odd going on internally…wild guess. Does your LE have anything special about its headlights? I thought some had optional adjustment or different bulbs/lenses vs. SE models. Not sure.

I’d advise against impacts unless you ended up needing to just shearing something on purpose. I prefer to feel those out, even stopping to reapply penetrant. For the heat shields, there are a few screws that hold them on, so even if you shear a couple you might be okay. Obviously oil on a heat source is not ideal, but worst case might be a large hose clamp securing the heat shield.

Even with the lower cat+pipes off, the proximity of the manifold/upper joint to the chassis still makes accessing all the nuts (6 per side) difficult. That’s where the extensions are needed, mainly for the ones at the top or towards the chassis. I replaced what I could with what I could on hand. I think in one case that meant replacing a bust stud with a bolt after extracting the stud and re-tapping the hole (holes…pretty sure I re-tapped everything). Can’t confirm if leaks are common. Mine seemed ok, but I did replace the gasket on the drivers side. I absolutely avoided doing anything on the passenger side. The heat shield blocks everything, and just gaining visibility to things seemingly required pulling the steering pump and reservoir, among many other things. Right now with my SAS project still underway, I have those components out and it’s still largely out of sight. I expect the coolant pipe also obstructs things, so that’d have to be drained. I’ll try to get a pic of things tonight since I have things cleared out of the space.

I did everything from the bottom (3.5L). In fact, only way I could really even get up there was with the lower cats off (or resonators on some models). Getting the head shields off the uppers was the tough part…a few 10mm are in very tight spots. Some sheared off due to rust. Penetrant wouldn’t hurt. Once the shields are off, you’ll still need/want socket extensions and wobbles to give yourself leverage below the chassis…working space is still tight. Access to the RH upper O2 sucks. All others are easy (LH upper from the top). I can’t remember if everything was nuts, but I want to say some were bolts. I know I sheared a couple on the drivers side and had to pull the exhaust manifold off to repair. Passenger side is a nightmare…fortunately didn’t have to remove that manifold and didn’t shear any. Also, I basically needed to remove the entire exhaust system to pull the uppers off. There wasn’t enough slack in the hangers to pry things backwards, so I removed everything starting from the rear.

@EricCR Forget OEM. 10x https://belmetric.com/m14x1-5-fine-din-6921-flange-bolt-class-10-9-wrench-18mm/?sku=BFD14X1.5X80YLW @ $3.54/ea 10x https://belmetric.com/din-6927-fine-full-wrench-class-10-top-lock-flange-nut/ @ $1.54/ea Class 10/10.9 hardware, yellow zinc, OEM size and function (prevailing torque lock nut). Only real downside is they are not JIS spec, so they need different size wrenches than you'd normally use on the truck (18mm and 21mm). Buy 10 sets because there's a price break that's less than a buck more (8 @ $49.92 vs 10 @ $50.80 before tax/shipping). Haven't used Belmetric before, but will be soon.