Pathy, why have you forsaken me?

[Manifesto]

yea, I remember the belt was pretty mangled when I pulled it out the first time...

I kind of really want to pull the other head off and have it checked out but I won't have money for that one for another 3 weeks! Long time to be out of a set of wheels...

Compression was still decent in the other bank so I think I'll just leave it alone for now

And either way, it will be WAY better than before, at least all 6 cylinders will be workin now and that whole head will be new

Maybe I'll pull it all apart again in a few months when I do cams and exhaust headers

[Kittamaru]

Damn I wish you could come teach me what you know... lol.

 

For that matter, wish I had the spare cash to take some mechanic classes... doh.

[Manifesto]

well I actually never took any formal schooling yet myself, not yet anyway

I've just grown up around it and have become pretty comfortable around it

I've got a couple manuals with torque specs for stuff, but really this is my first tear down

And when I did the timing belt 2 months ago, that was my first belt too

Best way to learn is just to dive in and take stuff apart

Just don't rush anything and keep track of where all the bolts go

Motors are just like a giant jigsaw

If you can turn a wrench, you can build a car

It's not that scary once you get into it

 

I've just learned to always be prepared for old stuff to break -- set aside money for bolts and gaskets and other junk

Keep track of the little metal clips for the electrical connectors

and any other odd pieces (like the key on the crank shaft or the rubber grommet things for the fuel rail)

penetrating lube and anti-seize are your friends

and label where all the bolts came from lol

Edited June 11, 2010 by Manifesto

[Manifesto]

oh, and it doesnt hurt to find an intact donor truck in the local scrap yard should things break or go missing

There's actually NO pathfinders in the ones here O.o

but I located a hard body with a V6- just in case lol

[JamesRich]

I would have pulled both heads at the same time. Even if the valves were not bent, they could be lapped so they seal just as good as the new side. Then you know your top end is all fresh. Course if you don't mind the extra work and gaskets to tear it down again.

James

[Manifesto]

I really want to, but when I take it off I want to get it jet washed and all the seals taken care of and have a valve grind done -- if they're good, or replace the bad ones if need be -- and I just don't have the money for that atm

so I think that one will have to wait... bleh

 

And I figure I'll be even better at tearing it apart and putting it together the next time around, I'll know every inch of this truck in no time xD

Edited June 11, 2010 by Manifesto

[adamzan]

Haha I'm trying. All of our licenced guys do really good work One of our service writers and a couple of the tire guys are door knobs but our shop manager hates firing people. They're slowly learning at least....

 

Haha and yes, the lift and alignment racks come in pretty handy. I've been working on cars professionally since I was 15 years old-- guess I've been spoiled always having a shop to work in

Wish you lived near me then maybe I wouldn't have to pay to get my tires balanced lol. I took it to CT 3 times before they got it right. I love how it took 3 of them to check my steering even though I told them not to mess with it.

[Manifesto]

Aye, unfortunately CT does get a lot of flak in those regards. We are the starting place for many in their technician careers and many tire guys in our stores across the country, many not even have ever picked up a wrench before starting here. Then most of the experienced guys find better jobs elsewhere or start apprenticing and the tire guys don't get the greatest guidance or supervision.

 

Me, I was lucky enough to have worked in 7 different shops before I came here, learning something new everywhere I went, so by the time I got here, I was able to teach the other tire guys here, and even some of the licensed techs a few things about tire busting =)

 

Not every CT is the same, they're all independently owned and operated, so I can't speak for all of them. But from what I've noticed in most shops is the same inexperience is recycled from tire guy to tire guy. It's not the shop, its the people working in it XD

[Manifesto]

UPDATE!

So hopefully I'll be picking up my cylinder head tomorrow =)

in the mean time, here's how I've been keeping busy

 

Got a phone call from the local Pick n Pull informing me that they had gotten a realllly good condition '92 Pathfinder SE 4x4 in

(it seems really rare for Nissan Trucks to end up there O.o all they had for the longest time was 1 '89 pickup)

I was impressed, interior was MINT with 359000km on the clock. It was red though, or else I would have plundered it all >_>

I did get first dibs on it though and grabbed some stuff:

 

'New' connecting rod to make my door work again

 

Installed and working =)

 

some extra ECUs-- in case another one burns out from the deep water

 

'new' shift knob for transfer case

Olddddd

 

Newww

 

Annnnd some really good condition valve cover bolts to throw these pretty bitches

back in once the head work is done

(top one prepped, ready-ish for paint-- bottom one finished)

 

 

 

Next time, I'll get the centre link I started to claim but lacked the tools for complete removal

(can't believe I forgot my hammer >_> )

annnd hopefully grab an electric radiator fan out of a 3.8L Taurus for an electric fan swap

might even nab a spare tire carrier and mod it for a fuel can holder...

gaaaaaah I <3 junk yard ^_^

 

OH, that pathy had rear disks on the stock axle... would it be worth taking? I have a H233b rear in mine...

Edited June 27, 2010 by Manifesto

[Manifesto]

Alright, well it's been a LONG time, but here's my latest updates and problems...

 

I've got the whole deal back together, and... the damn thing decides it's not going to run -_-

at first I was all confused as it was getting spark and everything else

turns out the timing marks on the crank pulley are 45 degrees out!

bloddy hell, so after redoing the belt 5 times and figuring that out

and messing with the distributer

I finally have it running...

except it's shaking like a bastard and sounds like a tractor and doesn't have any balls!!

further more, it was shaking SO bad at low idle, that my muffler, along with the whole back half of my exhaust fell out!

like literally, the welds broke and it all plopped out onto the ground *facepalm*

 

-_-

 

the 'new' head I put in is making a hell of a ruckess, ticking like a mofo, it actually sounds like something is hammering in there!

the techs in my shop are scratching their heads at it... I think getting a muffler back on and giving it some back-pressure might help a little bit

but... I'll get some sound and video tomorrow... it doesn't sound good

I think there's more internal damage

 

Anyone have any ideas? Throw out anything you might be thinking!

 

Does anyone have any experience with used JDM motors? I found a VG30A (yea, A?) that is specified for pathfinders 91-95 and looks exactly the same as mine except with gold valve covers. It's $600 plus $180 shipping, which seems like a hell of a good deal for a whole turn-key motor with only 40000km with a warranty -- I really dont want to put any more money or time into the motor that I have now -- I'm in over $1000 already with no end in sight >_<

 

I'll do some searching, but while I'm on the topic, anyone have any idea how much different a VG30DE is, or how easy it would plop in?

or if, hehe, if the turbos and manifolds on the VG30DETT would clear everything? and sit alright without obstruction?

 

I'm also going to search up all the chevy 350 swap threads to see how difficult those are >_>

 

 

 

Here's some pics of the progress I made:

shiny new $700 cylinder head with grade 8 bolts

Polished the block to a mirror-like finish in preparation

On go the new head and exhaust gaskets

(the head gasket actually didn't fit very nicely - ended up going to Nissan for the right one. DAMN YOU FEL-PRO)

slapped the new head on there, in all it's glory

Then the lower intake and fresh painted valve covers

Started raining while working outside, pushed the truck in a lil more... boss wouldn't let me pull it in all the way

Bolted down the fuel rail and upper intake (that upper was a BITCH, bloddy coolant lines out the ass and a million bloddy wires and vacuum lines effing all over the place and... argh.. frig >_<

never want to do that again >_>

charging the battery trying to start it after leaving the radio on for a month >_>

 

 

more pics and possibly a video with sound of it tomorrow... argh, doesn't sound good

go back to the beginning and the post and read if you hadn't yet XD

Edited July 14, 2010 by Manifesto

[Kingman]

The timing marks on the crank are not 45 degrees out. The dimple on the sprocket needs to line up with notch on the lower lip on the right hand side (facing the motor) of the oil pump. This puts the key somewhat straight up. Then the belt mark lines up with that dimple.

 

I hope you didn't line up the timing mark on the belt with the key on the crank sprocket. That would not be good. And I also hope you didn't end up with the belt on backwards, which would put the timing belt's mark on the left hand side.

 

Did you soak the lifters in a bucket of oil for a couple of days before installing?

Edited July 14, 2010 by Kingman

[Manifesto]

oh, I know the mark on the crank sprocket is right, I lined the mark up approx at the 5 o clock position and made the dimplet line up with the mark on the belt, and checked again by sticking a screw driver down the spark plug hole in cylinder 1 to confirm it was TDC

 

but once the lower cover is back on, there's marks on the pulley that are supposed to line up with the metal arrow tab sticking out of the cover to adjust ignition timing-

that's what I was referring to being way out and weird O.o

 

and no... probably should have soaked them

I just threw it on the same day I got it back from the machine shop

the ticking subsided a little bit after running it a bit and getting oil flowing back up there again

but there is another noise besides the lifter ticking that I'm hearing that doesn't sound very pleasant at all

[Kingman]

Take a video of the sound?

 

Have you tried a stethoscope to see where the noise is loudest?

[Manifesto]

just shot this video today

 

it sounds like its coming from the head that I just spent $700 on >_>