k9sar

I got tired of all the crap inthe starter and not being able to get at it easily (especially after putting headers on it) so I threw a dual filter relo in mine as well.

so how hard is it to replace a bad cylinder? (lol)

I hope I don't get lost in the move

I threw a jack under mine (factory nerf) and folded it. Of course, it had been underwater several times and had rusted out from the inside...

the placement of the starter sucks. It's right under the oil filter and sending unit. Crap drips into the starter and gums it up. This is one of the causes of failure. Would not be a bad idea to pull the starter, disassemble and clean it up, then bench test it with jumper cables to see how it runs without a load. It should try to jump out of your hand or off the bench.

I spun a main bearing on the crankshaft and that is how it sounded. The 'gap' in the bearing was now allowing the piston to hammer what remained and nearly destroyed the crankshaft.

throw a little stop-leak in it. That will take care of it

sounds like he wants to have a set of heads to have rebuilt and ready to swap on. That reduces the "out of service" time for the vehicle if it is the only thing you have available. I have a spare set of sitting in my garage that I kept off my old engine for just that reason. Problem is that I haven't rebuilt them yet

ummmm.... your steering wheel is on the wrong side

you can slide it forward enough to get a good look through the wheel well. This is the point where I removed the shield and was able to get it out easily. I never replaced the shield.

mine runs much better when it looks like this

no aftermarket stuff though the CD player is actually from an Altima then modified to connect to the stock radio (the pathy and altima CD players were identical except for the connector and price) but that was in place for many years working fine.

95se pathy and I have been experiencing things that I have yet to put the amount of time and effort into to troubleshoot. Preliminary checks (fuses, etc) have not revealed the issue. So I lost my rear speakers.... Playing only on the front is not too bad since it is cold and I haven't been able to get to the junkyard to scavenge a replacement amp yet. My horn has been intermittent... which is annoying when soneone cuts me off and I can't express my displeasure without contact. This morning, my radio was on and no sound at all. No horn either. and no, they do not share the same fuse. Anyway, by the time I got to work, the radio faded in then back out again. It did this a couple of times then stayed on. While it was on, I tried my horn (just curious) and it worked. Still no rear speakers so I'm still betting on a failed rear amp but the radio/horn has me baffled. Perhaps a ground? Do the amps and the horn share a groundpoint or harness? I have yet to drag the manual out and trace the electrical. Another fun one is that occasionally, when I hit a speedbump or a hole, my radio turns off. I found that this is in response to a failing/touchy circuit in my CD player that turns off the radio when I insert a CD. If I smack the side of th eplayer with no cd in it, the tray light illuminates momentarily and the radio turns off. The illuminating tray was the key to discovering that the CD player was turning off the radio. The older this truck gets, the more interesting the issues.

I get from 14 to 15 and it's just daily driving in stop & go traffic during rush hour. During off hours, I run it about 80-90mph but get a little nervous if I get over 95. I wonder why my mpg isn't better.

nothing like learning the hard way. Glad you didn't have to pay dealer prices.

sounds like you bent the linkage.

Fixed the remaining 2 washer pumps. Now I have plenty of spares to help clutter my garage. Threw away the piece of vinyl that came off my headliner. I had visions of reattaching it but it's been over a year and I decided to just say the hell with it.

funny I see this now. I just spent about a half hour fixing 3 pumps, just like I'd fix my starter motor. remove the screws and the lower cap, slip the impeller off, bend the three tabs out straignt(if not straight, you may have some issues slipping the electrical connector off. Pull the black part off of the shaft. You will probably have some difficulty with this since this is where the issue is typically. As you pull on the black part, press the shaft into it so you don't remove the commutator yet. If you can't do this, you will need to sneak inside and spread the brushes to allow the commutator to come out without bending the brushes. Once this is out, slide out the electrical connector ring/assembly that holds the brushes. You can then remove the commutator easily. The repair: Clean the shaft of the commutator that holds the impeller. There was a bit of rust buildup on all three of mine due to leakage past the shaft. Turn your attention to the black insert that the shaft goes through. Clean all the rust off of it and run a tiny brush or twisted paper towel end through the small opening to remove all the buildup. Clean the brush area on the commutator to bale sure there is no carbon buildup in the contact slots. Dab a little silicone grease on the impeller shaft and use a wire or toothpick to get a little bit into the opening. Slip the impeller shaft into the black part and make sure it turns freely. Remove it. Add a touch of grease to the top bearing in the metal cap that holds the magnet and insert the commutator. Carefully insert the electrical connector and brushes, taking care to spread the brushes as you get them into their final position and not get any grease on the surfaces. I gave a tiny bend to the brushes to give them better contact but this is probably not necessary. Once the commutator and the connector/brushes are in place, make sure there is still a touch of silicone on the impeller shaft and slip the black part on. Before bending the tabs, I used clips to jump from the pump conncetor to the harness and held the motor as I tested it by pulling the washer lever. If all works, bend the tabs down, insert the impeller and screw the base back on. You can smear a little silicone or some RTV on the bottom (or a tiny o-ring) to help it seal, then put the screws back in. You should now have a working pump. It doesn't take long and it beats the hell out of paying for a new one or not being able to wash your windows.

I can have him chillin' in a soldiers hut at Valley Forge National Park. I'll participate.

When I tested my starter, I used my jumper cables to connect the terminal wire underneath to the starter post for the constant 12V (this simply allows the starter to be removed but still involves the truck wiring for power. Then I ground the starter to the block (not the frame) since this may help identify a block grounding problem. With the jumpers hooked up, I throw a test lead on the trigger wire connection on the starter solenoid and use that to tap the positive on the battery (removes the ignition circuit from the equation so you don't need the key). IF it works, try moving your ground to the frame instead of the block (looking for ground problem). Try moving from the 12V big-ass wire for the starter and connect directly to the + post (looking for problem with 12v constant supply). Try jumpering the trigger to the real connector and testing with the key. You can isolate the 3 main components of the ignition circuit this way and see where the problem lies.

it will work if you ground the starter to the block with a jumper cable. I've tested mine that way

and DO NOT add radiator stop-leak to your crankcase in hopes of stopping the oil leak. no, it wasn't me but I have a few friends who are mechanics and they certainly have seen their share of stupidity.

if it were a rear seal, the dripping would be out of the bell housing. If your oil filter adapter and sending unit are dry, the leak is most likely either your rear seal or the oil pan gasket itself. Being that close to the exhaust, it thermally cycles quite a bit. Check your head cover gasket though. I have seen those leak and run down the block. Last time I had to track down a leak, I got under there and wiped EVERYTHING down with rags and paper towels. Then run to temp while sitting since driving tends to fling droplets all over the place and it becomes difficult to tell what is leaking. If you get to temp and do not see active leaking, let it cool and systematically wipe areas with a paper towel looking for any fresh oil evidence... head covers, oil pan, under the starter, bell housing, block under the sender unit, etc.

put a stuffed pig in the back since my wife wouldn't let me keep it in the house.

it also helps hold the snow and ice on your roof instead of letting it slide off as you drive down the road.