grie78 Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 I started having trouble with my 95, I've been having issues with power loss throughout the speed and rpm range. it had sounded like it wasn't getting enough gas, so I replaced the fuel filter. very basic swap, two clamps - one on each end, and making sure the arrow on the filter was in the right direction. still ran like crap, so I continued. got all the parts - cap, rotor, plugs, and wires. 1st problem- the screw heads on my dis cap are so rusted, the head stripped out on two of the screws. moving on... 2nd problem- while removing the wires off the plugs off the side of the valve cover, two wires broke in the boot, leaving too much on the end of the spark plugs to get a deep well socket on them. ok...on to the less accessable plugs 3rd problem- while two of the wires came off easily, the plugs are apparently so old, that I can't even get them off, and I think one started to round the corners. and 4th- how the hell do you swap out (or even get to) the last plug(#6) up against the firewall? I have thin arms, and I could barely reach back there just to get my hand on the wire. thanks for any help Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Okay...first off.... Distributor cap.....use vice grips......but first, soak them in penetrating oil for a day... Broken wires.... Use long needle nose pliers to pull the pieces of wire off the plugs Seized plugs... not sure.... be 100% sure you're using the EXACT right size socket. I believe for our applications, it's the 5/16" #6 plug..... look for the toolkit under the rear seats. There's sparkplug tools in there that make the #6 real easy to remove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blamtro Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Seized plugs... not sure.... be 100% sure you're using the EXACT right size socket. I believe for our applications, it's the 5/16" No way it is 5/16" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 (edited) Err.....5/8" Sorry.... -alcohol- Anyways....Wasn't sure......I know it's one of the standard sparkplug sockets that fit properly.....couldn't remember off hand which one..... Check the socket on one of the new plugs to ensure you're using the right one. Edited December 28, 2006 by Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey.T Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 Use the 6 sided socket.... Plug 6, if you dont have the tool.... 3" extension+Wabble/Elbow+3" extension+ socket...... Someone here posted the set up for it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 damn, that's sucky. i'd soak the plugs with penetrating oil if they aren't budging. if you need it. otherwise these guys got you covered. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grie78 Posted December 28, 2006 Author Share Posted December 28, 2006 thanks everyone. I'll be working on it again this weekend, in case I need an extra day. I had no idea there was a tool kit under the rear seats. I'll have to look for it tonight. it should be there, I had a feeling the family that owned it before me didn't do much to the truck, aside from leaving dents in every body panel. it seems all the general maintenance jobs I've done to my vehicles are turning into bigger problems with this poor truck. I really like my pathy, but I'd like a break from the repairs for a while, at least until I get the exhaust fixed and the frame patched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govols74n Posted December 28, 2006 Share Posted December 28, 2006 thanks everyone. I'll be working on it again this weekend, in case I need an extra day. I had no idea there was a tool kit under the rear seats. I'll have to look for it tonight. it should be there, I had a feeling the family that owned it before me didn't do much to the truck, aside from leaving dents in every body panel. it seems all the general maintenance jobs I've done to my vehicles are turning into bigger problems with this poor truck. I really like my pathy, but I'd like a break from the repairs for a while, at least until I get the exhaust fixed and the frame patched. It is with the tools for the jack...i.e. lugwrench....you'll never know what it is until you look closely at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 A ratchet with several extensions and a u-joint fits the #6 plug pretty easily. If you have access to compressed air, use it to blow the crud off the top of the plugs before you pull them. If you don't all kinds of good stuff like sand and dirt will fall directly into the cylinders when you pull the plugs. Use a small flat screwdriver or suitably long thin wire to scrape around each plug to make sure they're at least semi-clean. The plugs are 5/8". Are the distributor cap screws cut for either flat or Philips head? Try the flat screwdriver if so. Stick the screwdriver into the screw head and rap it a few times with another screwdriver or something to give it a bit of a shock and hopefully break them loose. Don't bang on it too hard, obviously. As always, PB Blaster is your best friend when it comes to loosening rusted or stuck parts. WD-40 doesn't work quite as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 When you install new plugs in an aluminum head it should be cold. This doesn't seem to be a problem in your case, at least this time around. I also use a little anti-seize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 worst case, if you can't get at the plugs, pull your intake manifold. It's not that hard and the gasket tends to remain intact though I'd reco replacing it anyway. That'll give you better access to get at the plugs and stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grie78 Posted December 29, 2006 Author Share Posted December 29, 2006 Are the distributor cap screws cut for either flat or Philips head? As always, PB Blaster is your best friend when it comes to loosening rusted or stuck parts. WD-40 doesn't work quite as well. the dis cap screws are Philips, but I still have a little left on them, so I think I'll try a larger screwdriver. PB Blaster is awesome. I have two cans in the truck, next to the tub of Fast Orange. I'm headed to Sears after work for some more tools (esp. longer needle-nose pliers). between working on this truck, and the sh|tload of work I did on my Toyota Tercel last year, I should end up with pretty much all the tools I'll need for any other repair work on both vehicles. I'll take better care of the truck than I did the Tercel. I changed the a-frame, both front axles, radiator, had a new exhaust put on, and swapped out my e-brake cables on the Tercel, only to hydroplane into guardrail (ripping half the rear axle off) because I waited too long to rotate my tires. BTW, where do I find any grease fittings on the truck (if there are any)? I bought a grease gun two years ago, and have yet to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M in KC Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 If your '95 is like my '91 you will have to install the zerks yourself by taking out the plugs/bolts. Usual locations upper and lower ball joints, steering linkage, tail shaft, U joint, etc. The others have you covered on all your current whoas. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted December 29, 2006 Share Posted December 29, 2006 Yeah, a stock Pathy only has one grease fitting on the front driveshaft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grie78 Posted January 8, 2007 Author Share Posted January 8, 2007 finally had the chance to finish my tune-up (except for #6 plug/wire). I'm pretty sure the dis cap and rotor were original, since the Nissan stamp was on both parts. all the posts on the inside of the dis. were burned down so much they were rounded, and the rotor was about 1/8" shorter than the new one and had buildup on the end of it. the truck still runs like crap when it's cold, but once it's had a chance to warm up, everything's fine. I'm missing something here, but I'm not sure what it is. the engine light has been on since the day I bought the truck, back in May '06, but the problems I currently have, didn't start until about a month ago. the only thing I can think of, is that there is an additional problem that would have caused the engine light to come on, but since it had been on from the beginning, I wouldn't have noticed until the performance issues started. thanks everyone for the assistance and suggestions, I did have to use a hammer while turning the screws on the distributor to get them to break loose. Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Check your ECU error codes. There's a pinned topic in the Garage section that tells how to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Mine ran like crap when cold when my O2 sensor was shot. Good chance that is your problem. Especially since the check engine light is illuminated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zack1978 Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 Mine ran like crap when cold when my O2 sensor was shot. Good chance that is your problem. Especially since the check engine light is illuminated. X2 Zack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 That's wierd, cause when it's still warming up the ECU doesn't even use the O2 sensor for feedback. It only uses it after the engine gets up to temp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 True....I guess I wasn't explicit enough........ It was more as it was reaching operating temp. It would start and run fine at first, and as it warmed up, it would sputter/misfire/bog down......then once warmed up, it'd be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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