PDCCD

I'm sorry, could someone who speaks canadian translate this for me lol?

I know, just bustin yah. I totally agree, there must be some company pumping these out for some un-related intent. I doubt Marcel was making them. Hopefully your right, someone will see them and go, oh those, no you dingbats, those are thingamajigs for bulldozers...

Oooh, look who's getting "Xplorx4" on us LOL. Dean would be proud...

Closest i've come so far: http://www.nexterra.org/forum/viewtopic.ph...cf014312a1b62d4 Most seem to lead back to a black panther/outback product...

I just don't get it. He's obviously got the equipment and talent. what's the problem? Is it shipping? I imagine the costs are prohibitive and cutting into his profit margin, but my god, charge more. He's the only viable option, we'll pay or go without. He seems to have other markets he's dabbled in as well, so he's got a good name and a niche that needs filling. Run with it runnerman!!

Lol. lost kid. no joke. Sooooo, where do you get your replacements? Is your Marcel connection supplying your fix?

Anyone know where Marcell got the "rock washers" he started shipping with his skids? After last weekends trip it appears i've lost two of the smaller ones. I've got spares of the others, but not of the small ones, and after i extract the two bolts, i'd like to re install with Rock washers if i can find them. Here's some mud porn from the trip to help stimulate your brains... or whatever LOL.

Just to clarify, i'm not ripping on the Black Panther skid. Marcell's made a great product as far as i'm concerned, it could just use a little improvement. And no one else cared to put any serious effort into it.

x2 If you've got the knowledge, money and are motivated to be unique, SAS is amazing. But realistically, you can get so much more done for so much less so many other ways. I can't help marveling at some suzuki samurai's in my local club. Tons of aftermarket support, endless options, supremely capable in the terrain i live in, and cheap. I could build 3 for what i've got in mine already. But for me, i'm already fish hooked. I'm trying to figure out a subrame drop now. I think that will help give me the clearance i want to do what i need to do. But if i knew what i know now...

When i last talked to him, he had just finished the divorce favorably for him, and all lights were green for him to get going again, but it just never happened Thanks Pezzy, that would be great if you could ask him his idea to fix it. Maybe i could implement it. Pete

Hmm. Interesting. My plate hit from the day i installed it. Drove me nuts. My solution was to install a small piece of EPDM rubber, about 1/4 it think, at the point of impact (between tcase and plate). I then took a spare rock washer and placed it on the bottom of the "S" bracket, between the bracket and the plate, sandwiching the plate between two rockwashers, and spacing the plate down the thickness of the rockwasher. That helped. I looked at it briefly for a redesign, but it's a super tough spot. I didn't see a way without welding a support bracket, or bolting one from the floor, not an ideal solution either. No place for another cross bar (i've bent that too) because of the fuel tank. Too bad Marcel is out, his stuff is great, and no one else is providing anything as nice. I believe that my added tab will help substantially. I also made the new tabs out of stainless, so they won't tear out. Only problem is, if i hit anything else hard, it'll probably trash my cross member.

Well, i thought i'd ask if anyone else has torn one off? I was wheeling a couple of weeks ago (same weekend i sucked in a power valve screw), and tore off the third skid, the one all the way back that covers the transfer case. I was traversing a little cliff about 2.5-3 foot high, and the line was pretty close to strait on, so i was sorta high sided on the wall. I think that's where it happened. Someone else in our club found it after the run, thankfully. Anyway, the plate is pretty large, and i noticed when i installed it, that it was pretty daintily mounted with only 3 bolts. Two in the very thin tabs coming off the cross member, and one on that odd s shaped bracket you bolt to the gas tank skid mounting hole. It seems the plate just tore lose of the two front tabs (tore them open) and then somehow tore off the bolt from the factory tank armor. So i took it into work and ground off the factory tabs, re-welded some nice beefy 3/16 tabs all around, and even added another in the middle of the cross member for added help. Then i bent straight the carnage at the gas tank bolt hole, re-threaded it, and put it all back together. I came out surprisingly well it think. Should take a bit more beating that the original design. So i thought i'd share my carnage, and see if anyone had the problem, and how they fixed it. Here's some eye candy. This is where it happened belive. I was actually lucky the plate didn't dig in and tear open the gas tank.

My thoughts go out to his family. I just posted this link at my local clubs website. I've been seeing too many scary practices employed at a few of our recent meets. This is a great post at pirate and everyone can use it as a primer or refresher: http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/index.html Be safe. Don't mistake past luck for skill. Pete

I agree with that. I've met more than a few union pipe welders from KY, and those boys were good! Lots of shutdown and power plant experience. I thought i heard too that the union that's responsible for the Alaskan pipeline was from that neck of the woods, but that was second hand info, never did verify it.

Actually, the private welding school i went to started oxy acetylene welding first. Nice slow, cheap way to learn puddle control, heat input, travel speed. I'm with you on the safety thing though. Maybe that's why they started us there first, get the healthy fear thing going, get the good safety habits in our head first. And as a fun debate i've been in often at work, i would vote Stick welding as the most physically/mentally demanding. You can do it in any weather/and position/any location (which adds to the challenge), you've got the smoke, the splatter, arc blow,and heavy safety gear (leathers). You can also weld in much more confined spaces stick welding. Allot of my co-workers have argued tig is the hardest, but I feel that tig is only hard because of the quality standards typically required if your using that process, and the characteristics of the materials you can weld. Not specifically the process itself. I mean, i've tig welded in a t-shirt. Usually the environment is controlled, it dosn't matter what position your in, it runs the same, It's quiet, no splatter, very minimal smoke. Arc blow typically isn't a factor. You've got to be really screwing up to have undercut. It's got great penetration and a small HAZ, oh, and no slag. Eh, I think stick welding takes the prize for the hardest to do quality welds with. Sorry, i'm a welding geek

Alright, I'm done with the excavation. I removed all the coils and plugs, as well as the lower intake. Only had trouble with one bolt really, the rest was strait forward and relatively easy. I wasn't able to locate any remnants of the screw that i know of. Lots of carbon and stuff that looked like, i don't know, brownish dirt. All the plugs looked fine, no bent electrodes. Did a compression test, they all seemed to get up around 150+ psi. Didn't have access to a leak down tester unfortunately. I put a piece of vac hose attached to my vacuum trying to suck the screw out. I also tried a small powerful magnet. Nothing. I even bought a Rigid bore scope at the Home depot, but it was too big to fit down the plug hole, so that was no help. Used the starter to move the pistons in their cycle hoping to dislodge it. Nothing. So i bought new iridium plugs, cleaned the coolant sensor and PCV valve, and began putting it back together. It took a little while because i brought it home from the dealer dis-assembled, so it was like a big puzzle where the hoses and bolts went, but with a little logic application, it appears i figured it out ( i hope lol). I installed the "screw kit" from nissan which was the 12 screws with little washers that the original screws didn't have. Of course i added red loctite. Fired it up, and nothing. No tick. There's a faint one, but i think that's always been there. The loud ticking i took it in for is gone. Now all that's left is for me to hope it's in the cat and not lodged in the piston or head, waiting to rattle loose and bend a valve. Soooo, it appears i may have dodged an expensive engine swap somehow. I'm not sure what else to say, except if your reading this, and you've procrastinated like i did, please for your sake, don't take my luck as typical, and get out there and check your power valve screws! THIS IS NOT DIFFICULT. Simple tools will suffice. You should be able to save the original gaskets. All you need is some time and red loctite. You may want to spend the $12 for the new screws from the dealer, but honestly, i'm not sure what the little washer they added is gonna help with, it's a flat washer, not a loc washer. Thank you to everyone who offered their help and support in this thread, and the others that added to the power valve screw thread.

I'm sorry, i may be confused. Are we talking about thread inserts or heli-coils? I've used threadcerts in aluminum and steel and agree. They're nice for some applications, but i wouldn't trust them for something critical. But heli coils i still think would work well. Have you tried a google search on helicoils, you may find more specific details. Pete

From Webster: A) work·man·ship Pronunciation: \-ˌship\ Function: noun Date: 1523 1: something effected, made, or produced : work2: the art or skill of a workman; also : the quality imparted to a thing in the process of making <a vase of exquisite workmanship> material Function: noun Date: 1556 1 a (1): the elements, constituents, or substances of which something is composed or can be made (2): matter that has qualities which give it individuality and by which it may be categorized <sticky material> <explosive materials> b (1): something (as data) that may be worked into a more finished form <material for a biography> (2): something used for or made the object of study <material for the next semester> (3): a performer's repertoire <a comedian's material> c: matter 3b d: cloth e: a person potentially suited to some pursuit <varsity material> <leadership material>2 a: apparatus necessary for doing or making something <writing materials> b: matériel C) neg·li·gent Pronunciation: \-jənt\ Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin neglegent-, neglegens, present participle of neglegere Date: 14th century 1 a: marked by or given to neglect especially habitually or culpably b: failing to exercise the care expected of a reasonably prudent person in like circumstances2: marked by a carelessly easy manner — neg·li·gent·ly adverb Multiple choice now. Which would you describe Nissan's continuous denial of a problem with the power valve screws in the Pathfinder? Has this happened before? Yes. Have they been notified/made aware of the problem? Yes, years ago. Have they made any attempt to notify their staff, employees, or customers of the problem? No. Have they made any prudent attempt to eliminate the problem? No. It's occurred in other engines with their products. And they seem to refuse to follow the industry standard of pressing these screws in so they can't back out. Am i mad, i believe justifiably so, yes. Their warranty is designed to cover materials and workmanship. This is neither of those issues. This is purely an attempt to save money by first and foremost refusing to acknowledge the problem. I'm angry with the service manager because of his treating my like i was nuts first and denying he's ever heard of the problem. Then the next day telling me he's only seen one other case. Now he's telling me that yes, it's crazy for this to have happened, it's obviously a factory error. Which is it? Am i angry with nissan usa, yes. The customer service rep was curt and didn't seem to care what i had to say, she just wanted me off the phone as soon as possible. Mileage is irrelevant. This is not a wear item. This is not a problem with workmanship or materials. This has become Negligence. Yes, i'm angry. I've got a Japanese engine with less than 100,000 that needs to be replaced, i feel, because nissan won't support it's customers and let them know it needs to be addressed, and helping them get it done. I understand Morpheus' perspective, his posts are always informative and appreciated. But their putting food on his plate, and taking food off of mine. I'm bringing it home, the tec couldn't find the screw, and suggested if i was capable, to keep trying before putting it back together. So i will. I've got a long weekend, so i'll try to dig it out and put it back together and see if i can save the engine. Pete

Thanks. That increases the odds of damage to the cylinder walls, valves and head. I've started a complaint with the BBB. I'll try the states DA tomorrow, but this is Maine. Now if i still lived in NY, those guys were like consumer pitbulls. I used to love to hear headlines about spitzer, that guy was awesome. He went after anybody and everybody, and won. He made too many enemies though. that's still a guy i'd want in my corner in a fight like this. We'll see what happens. I plan on trying to have the dealer rescue the friggin screw and put it all back together. If he can't I'll have AAA bring it home and try myself. Change the plugs and PCV, replace the intake, and run it till it dies. Either way i'll have to buy a new engine, might as well run this one into the ground while i hunt for another. Problem is, if i go this route, and in the end get Nissan to submit, I won't get anywhere. I'll have done the work myself. If i have the dealer do it right, and then lose the fight, then i'm out a ton of money to the dealer. Not sure how i should progress yet. Pete

I love Helicoils. They were actually invented for manufacturing to increase productivity and strength in aluminum. I can't remember where i read it, but it's claimed that if their installed properly they're stronger than the original threads. Something about being stainless, and dispersing the stress along the entire hole. I haven't used them for a head, but i would, that's my .02.

As expected, Nissan told me to go rub off. The bitch, upon hearing that i believed this to be negligence and not a materials or workmanship issue offered me the number for the BBB. So funny. Anyway, can anyone confirm absolutely that these are screws are brass please? My odds will greatly improve if that is the case.

Sorry, thought i read somewhere it was august 2001 they started the vq35.

So the service guy call today at 930am. Says his tech believes it might be a power valve screw (like he didn't hear me yesterday when i told them to start there) and said it would cost $250 to take off the intake and verify. I said go for it, it's what it's there for. I ask who's gonna pay for it if it is. he said contact nissan, gave me the number, and i did. He said he'd call back and let me know what they found, never did call me back. Talked to a customer rep with nissan who took my info and problem down, and said someone would contact me tomorrow after contacting dealer and evaluating request for "financial assistance". I called the dealer back at 4pm and yep, number 3 cylinder is missing a screw, so they took out the plugs and tried to fish it out, no luck. So, he said my options were, leave it there and hopes it burns out, said it's already allot smaller than it's supposed to be, or remove the head and get it out (the $3000 dollar 22 hour option). So that's what i've got so far. I'll keep you all updated as i hear from nissan. I'm not holding my breath there. I guess my next call is to the Attorney general of my current state and the state i bought it in, but i don't hold allot of hope there either. The service guy said he believes nissan will claim it's out of warranty and not their problem, which i might buy if this was a wear item, but come-on, it's not even close. It's loctite on a friggin screw. I bought japanese hoping to avoid the domestic type issues. Anyway, if you have a 2002 vq35(first year with the engine i belive), get going, don't procrastinate like me, and get those screw tight. I wonder if they got their heads out of their asses and did it right after that? Maybe everyone with a vq35 should get going on this. Better safe than sorry. Pete

Ahh, got it. The screw made it all the way through the exhaust!? How the heck did it past the cat? That's Crazy. Anyway, the dealers service manager claimed he has only seen the problem once on a altima (or was it maxima), and never on a pathfinder. I assured him the screw problem is happening, all over the country, and he just shook his head in doubt. This is not going to be fun in any way.

Well, it's done. I've dropped it at the dealer. first time i've had to have someone else work on it in 2 or 3 years. I feel like a failure. Some one else's hands are on my girl.