RainGoat
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Posts posted by RainGoat
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I was also looking at spots inside the frame rails for mounting mine. The wd21 just doesn't have much spare space under the hood.
Interstate makes quality products.
Curious where you choose & what your thoughts will be on exposure to the wet as I know you are more than familiar with our climate given you just moved from an area thats considered awfully rainy by other a western WAshingtonians.
As for Costcos Interstate, after my research, Im sold on putting that in my wifes car & my DD for their next batteries.
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Dean, Thats fantastic! Sooo glad I posted this! Was size the reason you opted for the Group 34 over the Group 27? I really like your dual battery solution as a reserve mini battery is perfect. I had been reading simple dual battery set ups in the T4R forum as I want to do this for my Moms 4Runner as well (shes now remote & solo a lot more than I am). I was considering a Group 34 & an Interstate but yours looks perfect!
Also, I note you have the Marine version & it looks like you used the auxiliary terminals. Do you think its worth the extra cost & decreased warranty (+$30 & -1 year warranty on the Group 27)? What do you have running from those auxiliary posts? Ill have to check the Group 34 Northstar/XS specs, any reason you chose it over a 34/78 Odyssey Extreme? The Group 27 specs & warranty are phenomenal but I dont think it will fit with another battery because of its length.
Ive already been eyeing your plumbed for air system but somehow didnt see your battery set up. Storing the compressor underneath sounds like a something to consider. Im going to have to think about climate a bit first. Overheating is rarely a problem here in the NE (though any engine bay gets hot); water exposure on the other hand is a chronic day to day problem here. Still, I like the idea of not cramming it into the bay. Also, my compressor only cost me $47 & Ive been thinking about wiring it into my Moms truck & just getting an inexpensive one from Harbor Fraught for myself - theres one that several knowledgeable T4R guys like & its easy to mount & even less expensive so who cares if I can swap it out with ease every handful of years.
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Are those Rocky Road Super Sliders?
If so, how do you like them & could you post a pic or two of how they look on the truck?
Thanks!!
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Cleaned up part of your thread... not sure about that second post though...
Thanks, I wasnt sure either. Just leave it I guess. The information is all there, its just hard to read. Ive edited it at least half a dozen times & it just wont keep its form so this will have to do.
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Battery Yellow Top Odyssey Extreme Northstar = X2 Power Interstate (Costco)
Group 34/78 // 75/25 25 // 34 // 34/78 27 27 24F(Not Pathfinder Size)
PHCA 1400 // - - // 1500 1750
CCA 750 // 620 850 // 792 // 850 930 930 700
CA 870 // 775 990 // - // 1250 1080 875
Ah 55(120AH)// - 65 // - // 68 92 90
Reserve(min) 120 // 100 130 // - // 135 195 130
Weight (#) - // 38.81 50 // 46.6 // 49.5 68 69.75 42.1
Length 10 1/16 // 9 1/16 9.46 // 10 1/4 // 10.86 12.44 12.46 11
Width 6 13/16 // 7 1/16 6.84 // 6 13/16 // 7.09 6.77 6.77 6 7/8
Height 7 7/8 // 7 5/16 8.69 // 7 7/8 // 7.88 8.86 8.75 8 3/4
Warranty (yr) 3 // 3 4 // 3 // 3 4 5(4 Marine) 3.5
Cost ($) 282 // 272 290 // - // 289(262+t) 350 330 84
Online Order -10% = tax
Occasional $30 Rebates
This was super frustrating to get to post correctly. Ive edited it multiple times in an effort to clean it up but it repeatedly looks okay in the Preview Post then eliminates all the spacing once Submitted. I reported the above with the hope an Admin/Moderator will delete them. Sorry for the mess.
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Battery
Yellow Top
Odyssey
Northstar
X2 Power
Group
34/78 / 75-25
25 / 34 / 34/78
27
27
PHCA
1400 / - / 1500
1750
CCA
750 / 620
850 / 792 / 850
930
930
CA
870 / 775
990 / - / 1250
1080
Ah
55(120AH)/-
65 / - / 68
92
90
Reserve
120” / 100”
130”/ - / 135”
195”
Weight (#)
/ 38.81
50 / 46.6 / 49.5
68
69.75
Length (")
10 1/16 / 9 1/16
9.46 / 10 1/4 / 10.86
12.44
12.46
Width (")
6 13/16 / 7 1/16
6.84 / 6 13/16 / 7.09
6.77
6.77
Height (")
7 7/8 / 7 5/16
8.69 / 7 7/8 / 7.88
8.86
8.75
Warranty (yr)
3 / 3
4 / 3 / 3
4
5
Cost
282 / 272
290 / - / $262+t=289.18
350
330
Costco Interstate Battery Info (Same as regular Interstates, unlike cheaper version sold at WalMart)
$84@Costco for 24F (fits my wife's MDX)
Warranty 42 months, any problems during that time period & they replace it with a new one with a new 42 month warranty.
Item Number
850232
Group Size
24F
Cold Cranking Amps
700
Cranking Amps
875
Reserve Capacity (RC) @ 25 hr
130
Length
11 0/0"
Width
6 14/16"
Height
8 12/16"
Weight
42.1#
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Okay, this is alot of info....
The core of this question is about installing onboard air & engine bay space with an unnecessary and excessive amount of information regarding batteries.
Battery History:
The OEM battery was replaced with an Optima Red Top 3/27/04 (back when they were good & I only had to pay $100. That battery was still going strong when I replaced it with an Optima Yellow Top 11/20/09. In fact, that old Red Top is still going in my brother's roadster. I installed a cheapie float charger from Harbor Freight years ago and just started using it last summer to keep my Yellow Top alive. If I left it a week or two without plugging it in or using the truck, I would need to jump it. It would, however, start right up after that, even if it was only for a quick run to the grocery or hardware store. Finally, when my truck sat idle from Thanksgiving until February during its engine rebuild/replacement, the old Yellow Top gave out. I even tried the Optima Charger as it's supposed to recover deeply discharged batteries-it brought some life back but not enough.
As an aside, I have a 2nd Optima Yellow Top in my wife's MDX that I bought 1/2015. I did not do the research I should have done and I would say that battery demonstrates the decline of Optima with its purchase by Johnson Controls. I replaced her OEM (which I still keep on a float charger to jump cars as needed) because the OEM couldn't handle having the radio on while I cleaned the car for even 30" without requiring a jump. The Optima was better but still can't handle much longer which is a travesty by comparison to my old Optima's. I won't buy Optima again and my research has convinced me that for regular vehicles I will replace them with Costco Interstate Batteries as they cost <$100 and come with Costco's bombproof 42mo warranty which gives you a new battery with a 42mo battery.
Now it's time for a new battery & I'm thinking about capability vs space. The Pathfinder, however, is a different story. It doesn't run as much electronics as these modern cars but I have historically run a lot of incandescent auxiliary lighting. I plan to switch a lot of that to LED which will reduce drain but I will be putting on a winch. After much research, it seems like my finalists are the Northstar Group 27 (produced as an X2 Power@Batteries Plus) and the Odyssey Extreme 34. The Northstar comes in a Marine Version which is identical in specs but has the additional top low amperage mounts, costs $30 more and only has a 4 year warranty as opposed to the standard awesome 5yr warranty. The Odyssey, however comes in a 34/78 which would give me side terminals. I know some people like to use these for their winch but I read on Optima's side that these side terminals are low amperage & shouldn't be used for that application (doesn't make sense to me as I thought these were alternate terminals for vehicles which needed a side mount Group 78). I'll post the specs below in another post.
I would go ahead & buy the Northstar Group 27 (well, the BatteriesPlus XS Power version) but, after examining my engine bay, it looks like I could possibly mount a Group 34 longitudinally along the vehicles axis & free up 3.5-4" along the outboard side of the battery to possibly mount a compressor. I even found a relatively inexpensive (~$30) Odyssey mount tray that I could likely fit in this orientation. I have a Q Industries MV-50 compressor that I would like to mount in the engine bay for onboard air. I have seen it done with, with Stioc from ExPo if I recall correctly. I’m curious to hear input?
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Well, talked to my fab guy about strut tower repair...
He's talking (per side):
10-12 hours @$60/hr
<$100 in shop supplies (sheet metal, welding supplies, etc.)
Nissan repair patches ($40/ea.)
So, rounding up pretty heavily to make sure I don't wind up in trouble, we can say about $1000 per side, more realistically $850 if it stays on budget. That's a lot of money. But is it worth it? I'll have to decide. I'm thinking yes right now. I like the vehicle a lot, and there's nothing else really significant wrong with it. There's no way I'll find a R50 in better condition that I can afford, and any other vehicle I'll be out a ton to build it up to where my QX4 is now. &^*@ing rust....
He also mentioned maybe having to drop the subframe to do the job, so at that point maybe add a 3" SFD? It would't be very much more in fabrication or time, and the only parts I'd need is a steering shaft and u-joint as well as factory Nissan brake hoses from some other vehicle (right?), so maybe this would be a good opportunity for that? As long as it's all apart...
You can either fix yours and then you know what you have. Or find another one and possibly start a whole new set of issues.
That's what I'm thinking. ...... I feel very confident in the vehicle; the only mechanical trouble I've ever had was one O2 sensor. I've basically decided that I'm going to fix it. Let's get this rig to 250K (and not look like crap when it gets there
)!I can completely understand the dilemma! My recent engine rebuild/replacement led to alot of soul searching but I ultimately went ahead with replacement. The core of my decision was that my alternative was to buy another truck. I know and trust mine better than anything I could have found and they all might have had the same problems waiting in the wings. That's the silver lining I'm leaning on at least. Once you start getting in the $1,000s, it's definitely a commitment to keeping the truck for a long time. I soothed myself by realizing the sales tax on a new truck was about what the actual repair cost was and the rest was maintenance cost that I would have invested if I kept the truck another 100K or decade anyway.
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As Ive already said, Im 100% in. I love the idea of adding the front receiver tube. I plan for my bumper to have recovery points so I dont need it for that purpose, however, a front receiver is SUPER handy for moving a trailer around tight places, as youve noted. I dont need to do that often but having the functionality in reserve is great. While I know you cant help yourself in your pursuit of perfection, most of the metalwork will be hidden and the skid plate, which is likely the only thing actually seen, turned out remarkably well!
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TownDawgR50 speaks for me! Literally, when shipping time comes, you can send mine with his as hes the Boss (& you of course!).
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1 1/2" spacer with KYB struts.
LF - 32 1/2" to 35 net 2 1/2"
LR- 32" to 35 net 3"
Today back was 37.5" and front was 35" for 2.5"rake both sides on my level driveway.
What Springs do you have on the front?
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I picked up my truck & original engine & a whole bunch of parts today. The truck runs fine-just like she did the morning of the day after Thanksgiving. Really weird to go through all of this just to kind of end up back where you started (actually the new engine isnt quite as shiny & clean as my original). This whole power valve thing has definitely tarnished my opinion of Nissan.
I was able to very specifically ask the mechanic about any differences in the JDM & the original engine. He said they were identical. No differences that he could tell & everything transferred over just fine. Best of luck!
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I picked up all (4) O2 sensors, the upstream are NTK and the downstream are Denso, for $130 shipped. At about 33 bucks each it was a deal I couldn't pass up.
Are there more of those? I can always stock up on those O2 sensors. When they were fixing my truck they noted a transient code for one-probably the 4th starting to give up the ghost.
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I think my entire problem was due to a power valve screw. That error is admittedly inexcusable on Nissans part. A simple notice from Nissan would have been enough to have given me warning to fix it for a couple hundred or a few hours of my time. Otherwise, Ive only done routine maintenance (oil & filters) & never had any issues in 106K other than the pesky O2 sensors. It actually looks like she swallowed 4 screws previously without any problem. Sure wish I would have known! No Pathfinder owner I run into in the future will ever leave me without fair warning.
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Well, this whole process has taken me about two months so I'm clearly not one to rush things. That said, I'm not entirely sure the mechanic will be there. He was supposed to move on to another location but had stayed to do my truck as they didn't have anybody else comfortable with the project. I think last Friday may have been his last day at that location. I'm going in Wednesday and will ask him if he's there. When I last saw him he had already stripped down the new engine and had started transferring things over. He didn't seem concerned at all though he planned to move essentially everything over from my old engine. He billed an additional 4 hours to do this plus another 4 hours on the timing chain. Initially, I had planned to hold off on the chain given the engine was supposed to be ~50K miles but there was miscommunication and he had dived in anyway. He did show me some wear on one of the guides (it looked like it but could have been for my mental benefit since he had already started the chain). That said, I don't remember him showing me wear on my own chain. I tried to verify the mileage on the new engine and asked for a VIN from the shop or some other sort of assurance. In the end, I was only told that it's a Japanese Export rule that all the engines have to be <60K to be exported & that their shop had faith in the company they received the engine from (not withstanding the first engine which had water in it I guess). Personally, I'm a little dubious about the mileage claims on these JDM engines but at this point it's probably best for me to try and stop thinking about it.
They've billed me over 41* of labor, plus the parts (which I'm disputing as I calculate >40% markup compared to Courtesy) & the engine. Frankly, it's dumbfounding but I definitely realize it would have taken me a year to get it done in little bits and pieces, far more than 41 hours I'm sure. I also don't really have the garage space for it and it only rains nearly daily here except for July and August. At least nearly everything has been replaced and the engine should be essentially fresh and new. Part of the decision to go ahead was based on my thorough examination of the body and no evidence of any rust anywhere (well, a bit on the exhaust & surface on the drums). The first 10 years of this truck's life it was mostly garaged and did 3 of those years in Arizona. It does look nearly like it did when I bought it. I'm putting the horror of the cost and all the back and forth with the shop behind me and trying to look at is as buying a "new" used truck. For what I paid, I certainly couldn't have bought anything used that I could have trusted as much. (I did entertain a late 2000s Xterra, a GX470 and a 2010+ 4Runner but they all would have costed several fold more and the first two would have had nearly equal miles to my own truck but with an unkown history).
I'll let you know if I'm able to talk with the mechanic. Best of luck in your endeavor!
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Harbor freight has some engine mounts for $40-$60 but I dont see how I can transport it mounted. Currently its upside down on a furniture dolly at the garage. I have an identical dolly I dont use & can likely get the shop to transfer it. I can then roll it onto the trailer via the ramp & roll it off at home by myself. Unfortunately, I dont know how I can then mount it on the engine mount. Might just leave it on the dolly until its dry this summer & then use my 3/4 ton long haul rope puller & a tree branch to hoist it (my garage is finished & I dont trust the span-plus Ive got enough sheetrock cracks from earthquake damage).
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My truck has had a P0430 and P0420 code thrown since I bought it 6 years ago. I know Nissan has a Service Bulletin out to change the ECU firmware and adjust the O2 sensor range values, but the codes never had any effect on the driveability of the truck, and as apparent with the gas mileage, the O2 sensors were likely just fine. I had my girlfriend's brother hook it up to a super expensive code reader when I first got it and we watched the values for awhile while idling and under load. The sensors were responding correctly so I did not care to have to deal with the Stealership to try to convince them that the programming is free according to the NSB.
An old friend of mine who worked at Nissans Test Facility in AZ told me the NSB turned the O2 sensors just a little bit later after ignition & that this allowed any residual moisture to be eliminated before they turned on & ultimately prevented their premature failure.
My local dealership wanted an hour labor to do the ECU flash. Given how easy they are to replace, that their failure doesnt disable the truck & Ive been able to buy close out aftermarket sensors for $15 each, Ive put it off. My failure history:
60K/8yrs: Bank 2/Sensor 2 Replaced
71K/10yrs: Bank 1/Sensor 2 (popped code, I cleared it & it didnt return until
98K/13yrs: Bank 1/Sensor 2 Replaced
105K/15yrs: Bank 2/Sensor 1 Replaced
Now that Im out of those inexpensive sensors & Ive rebuilt the engine with a commitment to another decade & 100K, perhaps I should hit up the new Nissan dealership that opened next to me & see if theyll do it. Do you have a link to that NSB?
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Well, guys, I've been stalling as long as I can to buy this motor I found online.
I'm trying to wait to hear the good news that @RainGoat's truck is all up and running with the new appropriate year motor. Otherwise, what complications I need to look into before I decide to drop yet another $1k into this truck.
That said, how's it Going @RainGoat? Getting close to getting it back?
Im told its up & running. They finished it on Friday but I was working late and unable to pick it up. I was going to go in today but stuff came up. I am also figuring out how to transport the original engine home & how to store it. The shop gives a 2 year warranty on their work & a year warranty on the engine. I felt the mechanic was vested in the work. I have faith everything should work though I do expect a difficult conversation surrounding parts prices. I should have it by Wednesday and will let you know.
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One of the reasons I choose the Pathfinder back in 2002 (despite my prior vehicles being a Z & Maxima) was that it's handling was quite a bit cripser than all of the competition at the time and I knew that it would be used as a "touring" vehicle. I've literally driven it coast to coast & to virtually all 4 corners of the U.S. and some of Canada. I have gone through 2 sets of AirLift 1000s, though I think they have been functional far less than half the time. Otherwise, I haven't done anything else to the suspension. I've run Toyo Open Country AT & ATIIs thoughout. Nearly all of the 106K miles on it were put there by me over the past 15 years. Consequently, I have a pretty good feel for how it's supposed to ride (on pavement & gravel in particular) and I was surprised by the feel of Micah's rig which made me realize I needed to think hard about my sway bars in my coming build out. In the past several months I've been in Micah's R50 both before & after the LR rear springs upgrade. Micah feels the LR springs made a significant difference for him but I definitely noted sway in both cases which was new to my R50 experience. I suspected it was his rear sway bar deletion but matters are complicated by his "death wobble" from degraded lower control arms.
Initially, I had assumed I would remove the rear sway bar as it seems nearly everybody does. I also was taking into account a bit of an evolution of my rig into much more of a dedicated camping & offroad rig with much less "touring". However, essentially any off road adventure here still requires a couple hours of crowded, high speed, highway driving, often on slick roads. Plus, I'm now carrying the precious cargo of my two small kids and my truck is going to be much more heavily loaded. When I was younger, it was just me and a single passenger, the gear never rose above the back of the rear seats where I would often net it down. Now, I've gone from spare, primitive camping to a family of 4 with more decadant camping equipment. Not only do I have greater passenger & gear weight, but I'm more top heavy because I've started to use Plano boxes on the roof to simplify departure & campside access for the wife & kids.
All of this has really made me think about my sway bars. I've read enough to think I wouldn't feel particularly safe without the front sway bar but I was beginning to question my assumption that I would take the rear off. Your efforts to try and have the best of both worlds was perfect. I really respect the carefull thought you put into your projects and your goals tend to be similar to my own. I had seen the WP disconnects but had the same concerns regarding metal on metal. I can't say I had thought through the other implications of the loose bar quite yet. I really appreciated this thread as the two of you went to great lengths and into great detail to surmount these problems. I Ifeel that the you have explored this in a far more detailed fashion than I ever could have. I was also willing to go to the effort to duplicate your work if you felt the results were worthwhile. In the end, I guess I'm glad to hear you say you missed the sway bar in on-road and didn't notice a huge difference off road (except occasionally wishing it was actually there). I take it by your discussion of replacing them that you actually think keeping the rear in place is better. Therefore, I think I will just replace my bushings and keep the rear sway bar intact as well. It does ound like I should consider the LR front sway bar end links you've mentioned above. Those are going to go on the rear, right? Luckily, I expect you will have trialed it before I get to that point. Let me know how it goes as I will be happy to follow your lead.
Thanks again!!
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Micah, I see you got to that Taco Bell after all! : )
Is Alex on NPORA?
Safe Drive back to Dillon!
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To be honest I totally forgot about that(in regard to attaching to the strut. The only way I can think to verify is to turn the wheel all the way to one side, and try to eyeball if the new joint will have that much rotation. This would also remove a heim style joint from a possibility up front as well.
If only I had thought of this sooner I could have investigated it when I was doing my brakes this morning(upgraded to hawk LTS, HUGE difference especially when combined with finally adjusting my LSV after the lift).
I'm going to remove the rear sway for the trip in a couple weekends, and get the rear sorted and fabbed up. I may just leave the front the heck alone until I'm able to turn this truck into a camping/wheeling only rig(probably a year or more away).
Well, drove it around a bit, and there's a little chatter. Not terribly overbearing, but noticeable even on flat roads. It can be drowned out with a little stereo volume. I'm ok with it, I just feel better having the sway bar back on at this point (the difference was noticeable on the first turn.)
I think I may revisit a previous idea to use some sort of bungee or spring to compress the link together, essentially keeping the balls seated into the sockets. I think it's just the 180° joint that's making the noise, so I may even just make that end a 90° and fashion an L mount for it.
Let me start with what a great back & forth this was between the two of you! As I contemplate overhauling my suspension, thie subject of sway bars has been on my mind. Like yourselves, I would really like to preserve the ability to have the sway bars for on-road performance & safety but be able to disconnect them for off-road. I really appreciate all the thought & care that went into your collaboration. All that said, it looks like your conclusion was fairly dissatisfying. I'm wondering where all of this has left you today.
hawairish are you still driving around with the disconnects installed? Did you ever do the fronts? Would you do it again?
NovaPath, did you ever put yours on & what your experience?
Thanks Guys!!
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...Land Rover front springs on a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder rear before. I am also putting Bilstein 5125s on the back and know there are a few tricks for those.
Tips and hints for the front would also be helpful. (KYB with 1 1/2" spacer for a 2" lift on front.) Do have Camber bolts.
One thing I am getting mixed messages on is torque. "Flurry" give 29 ft lbs much lower than Nissan Specs. and so on. Torque for Camber bolts would be helpful also.
For the rear springs you'll have to disconnect your shocks and panhard bar and let the axle droop.... Once the strut is assembled you can throw in back in the rig. The camber bolts need to be oriented a specific way which I kinda forget, I know Xplorx4 knows.
Strut Alignment
The notches on the bottom spring seat and the top spring seat must be aligned as shown. Note that the side of the strut shown in the photo is the inboard (engine-facing) side. When reinstalling the struts, orient the "L" or "R" on the strut insulator (aka "top hat") so that the "L" lines up with the notches for the left strut, and the "R" lines up with the notches for the right strut.
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Here is what I think summarizes the info to date on the LR springs, their real world effect on the R50 & who has put them on to date.
Land Rover Defender 90 Spring Summary
http://www.red90.ca/rovers/springinfo.html
5" inner diameter (same as the R50)
NRC9446 +2.5-3 (15Spring Ht) 0.5-1" rake c 2 front spacers
175# Spring Rate
LR 90 Defender-Front Driver
(0.5" longer than passenger)
NRC9447 +2-2.5" (Micah got 4")
175# Spring Rate
LR 90 Defender-Front Passenger
NRC9448 +4(Perfect c 4"SFD), cut one coil=3"
225# Spring Rate (LR 90 Defender-Rears)
$80 Delivered from UK
NRC9449 +2-2.5" (same Height as NRC9447)
225# Spring Rate (heavier Load than NRC9447)
9446: neilca(35"F/36"R c 31"tireMid Fender Ht)
9447: 19pathfinder99, micahfelker(37-37.5" c 31"tire), MichaelAndrews
9448: TowndawgR50 Bax03SE(37"F/38"R c 33"tire Mid Fender Ht-1 coil cut)
9449: 03Troutfinder (36.5" from 34")
Brands-few reviews on LR forums say Brit Part (c8) springs held up better than OEM Land Rover against sagging
Please look it over & correct accordingly!
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Here is a pointer I've been saving for when I do my struts.
Strut Alignment
The notches on the bottom spring seat and the top spring seat must be aligned as shown. Note that the side of the strut shown in the photo is the inboard (engine-facing) side. When reinstalling the struts, orient the "L" or "R" on the strut insulator (aka "top hat") so that the "L" lines up with the notches for the left strut, and the "R" lines up with the notches for the right strut.
(AARGH, photo didn't come through, I'll try & add it tomorrow.
Thanks for the write up Micah! And thanks for the chance to see your set up & feel it's ride yesterday!
Battery & On Board Air Compressor
in 96-2004 R50 Pathfinders
Posted
While the rear cubby looks like a great spot. I'm usually so loaded in the cargo area when camping that I wouldn't be able to get to it without a major inconvenience (plus the wife HATES loud noises). I think I might explore mounting it underneath but with some shielding to protect it from splatter. While I know TowndawgR50 has experienced rust issues, he has to travel the road through the pass every day, which I suspect may mean he has a much higher salt exposure. My truck has done 90K & 12 years in the PNW without any significant rust issues. Nonetheless, it gets wet under there nearly every time I drive it. I'm thinking a splash shield is probably sufficient but I may have to wait until I can move that spare to a rear tire carrier (which reminds me, if anybody runs across the swinggate release mechanism or even just the latch mechanisms below the hatch, I REALLY want and need them).