Exhaust manifolds among other things

[1994SEV6]

Every day I've been slowly working on my truck. I started last Saturday and today's Sunday. I finally got to the exhaust manifolds.

 

Oh yeah, I guess it's important to mention that this is all in relation to my transmission swap. As far as the exhaust goes, I've had a broken stud for about 6 months now, so I'm going to fix that since I have to remove my exhaust to pull the transmission.

 

I get out of school at about 2:15, and I walk to my "grandmother's house" (she's kinda dead, and the house is kinda abandoned, but it has a spacious driveway )Since it gets dark at 5 or so, I only get about 4 hours to work on it if I use drop lights and stuff.

Mostly I've been taking stuff out to get to other things to take out, but then I realize that everything I just did is stupid and unnecessary. <--That wastes A LOT of time. Boy, you don't even know how many bolts aren't gonna be found.

 

So anyway, today or from 2-6pm was the exhaust. I finally got that stuff off. It's been kicking my ass for the whole week with the bolts and everything being rusted like I've never seen.

 

The manifold flanges were the most trouble actually. I broke two the studs (one on each manifold) AND I bent a ratchet. The handle just bent. I was like WTF.

Here's some pictures.

I've been curious about those numbers since I first saw them months ago.

 

I suppose I found the leak? That's it right? It seems so obvious, but I'm not expert. The bottom left is the bolt that was causing the leak?

 

comparing the manifold to the gasket. Also, note the bolts. 5 bolts and 1 stud nut. Bolts indicate someone previously messing around in here, right? Also, those bolts are not in the correct places where they were, only approximate. So, if someone replaced the studs with bolts, but then the bottom left bolt still leaked, they didn't tighten it enough..? The bottom left is obvious, because it's so dark with soot, but how about the right one between the two bolt holes? That one seems questionable. A very small leak due to a sub-quality gasket?

 

A close up on the bolts. Two of them have the spacer. Two of them have some washers as spacers. One is just the bolt, and the other is the stud nut. Kinda ghetto, eh? None of the bolts are broken. They all taper off as they should

 

Driver's side manifold fasteners (left), passenger side (right). The left 3 are driver's side nuts and spacers. The 4th is a stud from the driver's side. There is a 5th, it was a stud nut, but I lost it. It was only on finger tight. The right 6 are from the passenger's side. So...that's 11, right? Anyone want to venture a guess where the 12th was? The was no 12th. Just a naked stud on the driver's side.

 

What's going on here? The passenger's side looks like it was done with new hardware, but that's where it leaked. With the except of the two studs left, nothing is broken. Why did it leak? The driver's side had 5 studs and a bolt, but none of the studs looked to be broken. Maybe they are broken deeper in the head?

 

I think that's all I have as far as exhaust. Now, I'm starting to question the year of my vehicle more and more. Now, the VIN and title say it's a 1994 Nissan King Cab. It has the 3.0, meaning it could only be as late as 1995. It also has the rounded dash, meaning it could only be 1994 or 1995. BUT, it has the 3rd brake light. I read that the 3rd brake light because mandatory in 1996, but Nissan started doing it in 1995. Among a few other things I can't remember, my seat belts say they were manufactured in 1995. I think there have been a few other stickers here and there indicating 1995. My door jamb sticker says 06/1994

[Towncivilian]

Wiki says that for the US, a "third brake light" was mandatory on new light trucks and vans (which I assume what Pathfinders fall under) starting 1994, and on passenger cars since 1986. Don't know where you read 1996. Other than that, I have nothing to add, sorry.

[1994SEV6]

Wiki says that for the US, a "third brake light" was mandatory on new light trucks and vans (which I assume what Pathfinders fall under) starting 1994, and on passenger cars since 1986. Don't know where you read 1996. Other than that, I have nothing to add, sorry.

 

" 1995 would be the first year to comply with the new, US, "DOT" enacted "high mount brake light" law requiring all trucks from all manufactures to mount a brake light in the center of the rear at the top of the cab. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Hardbody_Truck

 

 

I searched "third brake light" on wiki, and it says what you stated. I read the quote above in the Nissan Hardbody article on wiki. The Nissan hardbody article is probably the misinformed one since it is a subtopic detail

 

you're right though. It seems Nissan started to do the 3rd brake light in 1994. I'm still just a little paranoid of things since the seller was pretty sketchy

Edited November 21, 2011 by 1994SEV6

[Trogdor636]

Hardbodies started 3rd brake lights in 94, and they are different from the 95 3rd brake light. The 94 is a bigger plastic housing that attaches on the top of the roof. The 95 brake light is just a lens, much cleaner looking.

 

Basically, the 94 looks like a last minute oh crap new law throw it on there kinda piece. The 95 brake light was much more simple.

Edited November 21, 2011 by Trogdor636

[Kingman]

Check the manifolds for flatness and if they aren't, use a large belt sander or something similar and make them flat. Warping manifolds is a huge cause of leaks and the stock studs breaking.

[1994SEV6]

Check the manifolds for flatness and if they aren't, use a large belt sander or something similar and make them flat. Warping manifolds is a huge cause of leaks and the stock studs breaking.

 

thanks for the wisdom about the manifolds. I'll be sure to check. They DO look rough. How should I check for flatness? just eyeball it? Or use a leveler and somehow balance the manifolds so the top is level? <--don't really know how to describe that. I don't trust my sense of flatness ..if that makes sense lol

[Kingman]

Set them a flat surface like a counter or table. You'll easily see if they're warped or not.

[1994SEV6]

Set them a flat surface like a counter or table. You'll easily see if they're warped or not.

DUHHH. stupid me. trying to make it complicated.

[silverton]

6/94 almost makes it a 95. I think the new model year is july or august.

 

As for the high mount brake light, it became a law in 1986 for cars. and I believe in 93 or 94 on trucks, but that's already been stated, just felt like spreading knowledge. I'll have a take a closer look at the one on a 94, and I haven't noticed any difference between a 94's and my two 95's.

[Precise1]

Find something smooth and flat (a piece of glass is probably the best your find), a flashlight and some feeler gauges. Put the manifold on it's sealing surface and test it for rocking, look for gaps using the light and measure them with the feeler gauges...

 

B

[Kingman]

You can see the very outer edges are raised up off the table but overall it's pretty flat. Even with a broken manifold stud or two neither one leaked.

 

[sewebster]

The proper thing to use is a surface plate, but not commonly found in the family garage (unfortunately).

[Precise1]

I have a 9x12" granite surface plate in my garage for GP. That's why I recommended glass, most people have a glass table or something...

 

B