madhatter_xe

Hey man, good to hear the battle is almost over, sounds like its been a crazy job. I just bought some Pacesetter headers and am plannin on addin some ceramic or high temp paint to them. Do you need to sand them right down and get all the paint off? or just scuff the paint so the ceramic coating will stick? THIS website says that you just need to rough up the paint, but then wouldn't it just flake and ruin the coating if you leave it on there? thanks for any advice.

if the battery terminals are all very clean and the cables are tight as hell. check all the wiring...especially the fusible link. Then you could pull the alternator and get it bench tested somewhere. It might not be charging. hopefully it isn't the starter...those things are horrid to remove.

not sure if you;re attempting this, but yesterday i had luck drilling a notch or slit into the stud by drilling a couple small holes in a row and then using a flathead screwdriver to unscrew it. It worked great, be sure to soak in liquid wrench for a few days first though. Of course, be extremely careful not to slip and drill the threads or the head. Good luck dude!

good call! just ordered one from Partsource for $75, and no shipping charges to worry about. Thanks.

thanks alot for the info Al, i'll give them a call. 89Pathfinder: the filter is located in an ugly spot right above the starter. So everytime you change your filter it leaks all over your starter and stuff. And believe me, you do not want to have to change starters on these things...its brutal.

Anybody heard of a Canadian shop selling the single filter relocation kits? summit adds $11 for handling costs + shipping costs+ duty at the border....yikes.

Thanks alot for the offer Casey, i'm sure I'll have some questions to post on here throughout this swap. Its always good to know there are folks on this board that have been here and done it already. Looks like I won't have to do the top end swap though, I found a vg30i in good shape that i'm gonna use.

Okay, that is great to hear. I found an engine out of a '92 for half the price, with half the km's. Now I just need to search for some tips on how to switch it over...if any custom fabbing is required. If anybody has done this already, feel free to tune in. thanks.

Yeah, I'm gonna email some of the sellers on eBay and see how much they want to ship an engine to Canada....shipping could be more than the stinkin engine. I'm having trouble finding any decent VG30i motors and am wondering about putting in a VG30E...but I don't really want to deal with the wiring nightmare and other things related. After lots of reading on this board i am still sort of confused. Is it possible to drop in a VG30E engine, but use the same ECU, TBI...ect, from my original engine? if so, would it be extremely time consuming and difficult? RedPath88: Those studs sound good, i'll give them a go. So did you take a used one in for size reference, or did the guys just know what size to use? thanks again for all the help.

Thanks for all the info! this stuff is great to know....and i'm doubting if I should buy the engine I had lined up. Those import engines sound like the best way to go, but I would really like to do this swap without busting the bank. I don't think I can afford to spend over a grand on an engine...so I might have to just cross my fingers and go with one from a JY. The one i had lined up has a 90 day warranty, but with the low compression i don't know if i should even bother. Good call on the timing belt too, i'll pick up a new one. Redpath88: Thanks alot for listing the gaskets to swap out, might as well swap them while the engine is sitting on a stand. Do you know if the NAPA studs that you got were the revised replacement studs? the stronger ones? Cheers.

hey folks, Well it looks like my engine has officially bit the bullet...errr...well con rod to be exact. I was driving home on the highway the other day and heard a loud crack from my engine bay and then some horrid knocking noises. I pulled over to find a hole blown right through my oil pan. that can't be a good thing. I'll try to attach a pic. I haven't dropped the pan, but it looks like the engine threw a rod and is likely kyboshed . I found one at a JY for $600...its from an 87 and has like 100K miles on it. The JY claims all cylinders compression tested at about 135psi....anybody know what factory specs should be? i plan to swap over my newer water pump, timing belt/TB tensioner...and also change the crank seal, cam seals and rear main seal. But I remember seeing a list of stuff on here that are things you might as well change while the engine is sitting on a stand. Does anybody have a link to that post? i read through most of Slick's engine swapping posts and they were a huge help (thanks for taking so many pictures Slick!!), also, does anybody have a part number for the stronger manifold studs that i should use? EDIT: I found a thread on here with the PN for the 300zx studs. thanks alot for any tips of info...this is the first time i've swapped out an engine.

This picture should give you a good idea of what things should look like when lined up correctly. Note the red arrow pointing at the dimple that needs to be lined up with the indent on the cam. Timing Pic Superson, The last time I did the timing belt one of the cams jumped a bit and I just rolled it back (counterclockwise) to where it was before and put the belt back on. A good way to know your reference points is to make sure all the marks line up before you take the belt off, then if it jumps you know where to roll it back to. You shouldn't be able to bend a valve cranking it by hand...you should hear a clunk as you're cranking it and know to stop. You might as well mark the housing for future reference. I just put a small scrape in it with a chisel.

Do you mean the shock absorber broke off from the axle? Looks like the coil spring might be cracked or something...I didn't think wd21's had struts? I could be wrong though....wouldn't be the first time. Can you take a pic of the rear suspension.

hey trailboss, do you this dude's name? i am looking for some TB's. Cheers

With the alternator located where it is, you might as well get used to changing it.

Good stuff! thanks Simon

Hey Skrill, I must be behind the times with my internet lingo...what is Steve's Rugged Rock's? is it an online store? I'd like to pick up some sway aways for as cheap as possible.

Got it!

Bahaha! hilarious..

yeah its made a mean mess of the street in front of my house...i can't say i'm looking forward to this :oops: Thanks for the tips Slick.

will do. thanks.

I think the pathy's rear main seal is leaking...I haven't heard other people mention this much before, is it common for an 88? Does anybody have some tips on changing this? Is it easier to pull the engine or the tranny? thanks.

are the bumpers the classic nissan rust color? or are they in decent shape?

IIRC you should be able to barely twist the timing belt 90 degrees in the belt section between the cams.

You don't absolutely need a puller. I put a rag over the crank and pulled it off with a pipe wrench.