Kingman

Hopefully they aren't charging you for the diagnosis? A lot of shops will check head gaskets for free, all they do is pop the radiator cap and hover over the inlet with a tester that changes colors when exhaust gasses are present in the cooling system. Too bad I didn't catch you before you took it in. Auto parts stores sell those kits for $10-15. Hopefully it's just trapped air. Sometimes they can hold them in and take some serious persuasion to get the air pocket to burst.

That's why I said /neutral safety switch.

What about the clutch/neutral safety switch?

I had the same issue with an '87 I had. But sometimes instead of simply quitting the blinker relay would start squealing. Finally found a short and open wires in the back where they had spliced the trailer harness in.

Do you have an aftermarket hitch receiver and light plug?

I feel like that is a really bad idea to use a pump from an engine that came apart. Metal debris and no oil pressure may have been the cause. Just because the pump casing looks fine doesn't mean it is. You need to take the pump apart and inspect it to see.

The turbo automatic 300ZX oil pump is higher volume but they have a different style face to them, so you'd need to run the older pre-86 timing belt covers and water pump as well. On top of that they are always on back order or not available for some time... I have a W-series with about 30K miles on it laying around... Even if you pull the engine you still have to drop the front diff. It's pretty sucky how it all fits together up there. Drop the diff, drop the oil pan, remove the oil pick up tube, the crank pulley, all front covers, timing belt, crank gear, woodruff keys, and unbolt the oil pump. If the crank gear is stuck on there let it soak on PB Blaster for a day, it should loosen up a lot. Sometimes they slide right off and other times there is no way unless you cut it off. Being as you're in the mid 90s it should pop right off. Get a new pick up tube gasket!

The oil behind the timing belt cover is the cam seals. It's best to replace those when you're doing the timing belt job. The head gasket issue - first off, make sure the condensation you are seeing isn't just build up in the exhaust from sitting. Does the exhaust smell like coolant? At most auto parts stores they sell a kit that tests for exhaust gasses in the cooling system. The liquid starts off green then turns blue if there's a leak.

That it was. Things get real rusty when they sit for 8 years.

If you do, give it back to me so I can frame that sucker. 3 days to get that thing off... it thought it was going to win.

Don't you ever take that crank gear off the receiver!

Gates and Bando

Compression rod/strut rod bushing. Rockauto.com has Moog ones for pretty cheap.

What's the compression ratio? Cams? How bored over? That's gonna be a mean little truck!

Compressor surging like a mofo... nice.

I ran my '87 for almost a year without a shroud. It never overheated but it did run a little cooler with a shroud on it.

My buddy has an '01 with 250K miles on it. Original engine and trans with paperwork from almost new. Hasn't needed much... it runs perfectly amazing and the trans is still nice and firm. It's pretty beat up but seems to be a pretty tough cookie.

Most shift hard into 2nd. Even the old Jacto 3-speeds do it. Harsh 2nd, lazy 3rd.

That looks completely failed.

Running in neutral after cycling through all the gears on level ground.

Uh. Check the dip stick, make sure it's full, and make sure the cooler lines aren't on backwards.

Failing wheel bearings can squeal.

Yeah, deeper valve reliefs is all.

It'll sound similar to this...

Good Lord your dealerships are effing morons! Talk to Alkorahil on here or http://www.courtesyparts.com/22630-engine-coolant-temperature-sensor-pathfinder-wd21-07/1986-08/1989-vg30i-p-542584.html?cPath=5572& Serious dude, don't try an aftermarket one. Been there done that and it's not worth the headache. And do NOT butt connect the wires together, that's built in resistance and that's exactly what the ECU reads - resistance from the sensor.