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Newbie from Australia


trekterrano
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Hi All

Just purchased my Nissan terrano - 1987 VG30 model. Have been involved in charity car rallies for a number of years (as well as full on rallying prior) and after this years event running my classic 1971 datsun 240z decided that I needed to retire the zed and go with a different vehicle. Got this one with a lot of the mods already completed so looking forward to enjoying the new style of comp. We raise funds for the The Starlight Foundation here in oz and typically raise a couple of hundred thousand each year from the entrants. Looking forward to learning more through the forum. Cheers all

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  • 1 year later...

Hi all - apologies for the loooong delay in updating. Some pix uploaded 

.

Am now in the process of looking to replace, upgrade the VG30e engine (has a decent bottom end knock) and looking at either a straight swap (can get a warranted low KM engine at decent price) or possibly go to the VG35e but not sure of what issues I may run in to with that direction. Any input/suggestions very well received. 

Am not sure what equivalent pathfinder model I should/could be looking at for either the VG30e or VG35e engines as Pathfidner is a LOT better recognised than Terrano back from 1987 ? 

Thanks in advance of any advice

Cheers

Ian

2018804127_terrano5resized.jpg.d8b9ec48ca8254d2081401c7189a5283.jpg865591141_terrano1resized.jpg.baa8b2e6e0a6d5e7c7dfa37688017a46.jpg1532737756_terrano8resized.jpg.f21cea5d1a0d7fd3976a676cf0c56453.jpg

 

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Looking good! I like the rims, really fits the rally look.

Unless Australia got multiport before the US did, or somebody's swapped it, what you've probably got is a VG30I (throttle body injection). The VG33 swap is fairly common and well written up, and you can swap over the intake from your VG30 and run the factory computer, so you don't have to mess with wiring. The V-belt pulleys/balancer won't fit the VG33 crank, though, so you have to track down an adapter or run the VG33 serp belt and accessories. You can get one from a first-gen Xterra, Frontier (Navara in your market?), or early R50 Pathfinder (later R50s had the VQ35). From what I've read, the accessory locations/brackets on the X and Fronty will fit the WD21 engine bay (so you can run the serp belt and not have to mess with the balancer).

The VQ35 is a big SOB. Looks like a few people have swapped it into D21 minitrucks, though. IIRC one guy on another forum was trying to swap one (or was it a VQ40? Don't remember) but I don't think he ever finished it.

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Apologies, you are correct - VG30I rather than my I typo.

Re the rims, they are OZ Racing rims, imported by the guy who owned this before me. I tried to source another one (i normally run with 2 spares ) but the Australian distributor said they couldn't source any more - so have sourced 16" genuine Nissan steel rims, so that looks like the direction now.

My ride for the rallies up to now has been a 71 240Z - see below - so the Terrano will certainly be a different beast.

Re the VG35 - thanks a lot for the suggestions. Will investigate the local options. I build all my own so the engine swap and upgrade shouldn't create too many challenges hopefully. 

Much appreciated - will see how it goes

201708 Trek2.JPG

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Hi All,

a long time between posts but the Terrano is actually progressing. This years event (was to be held later this month) - has been cancelled due to Covd, sow e are now aiming for a March/April short run and August next year as the big one - fingers crossed all be a bit better by then. See www.trek4kidz.com to see what we do - my wife and i are car240   

In between work, Covid and other "challenges, i removed the engine and stripped it for a full, bottom up, rebuild. The strip down found a couple of burnt valves, some other smaller items abut minimal bore wear or other issues.

That progressed and, in between, did a bit of port cleaning and tidying up and started re assembling. Can't say the removal of the engine was fun, between my not so thin hands and tight spaces, it was definitely a challenge. Added a set of aircraft ring spanners to the toolkit which helped a treat. Extra long double enders which made some of the bell housing bolts a lot easier. 

Dropped the front diff/trasnaxle, front cross member etc and then engine out, all single handed.

The rebuild went ok apart from one snapped exhaust stud (appears to have been that way for quite a long time-well before my ownership) that I has asked my machinist to replace and he missed it completely, as I did when i picked up the completed parts. The thread on the head side wasn't great and I ended up using the next size up exhaust stud (10mm) and turning down the manifold side and re tapping that to the original 8mm and then drill and tap a new 10mm in the head. All done, secure and all studs secure.

In the process of aiming to rebuild, i found the throttlebody assembly to be junked and trying to get a replacement was proving  a real challenge "down under"   so, after reading up on the weber kit, decided to invest in that and am in the process of fitting that as well. As the terrano has to go through a  complete blue slip/full registration inspection, will be interesting to see the outcome. Generally no tests for exhaust emissions so hopefully will be OK. 

Got the engine back in and aligned (it is an auto) with thrust plate/torque convertor no issue and then had to try and refit the diff/front transaxle. Now that is a job that is challenging to do single handed while on stands. Purchased an adjustable gearbox mount for my floor jack and that ended up working a treat. Used the adjustable leveler (normally front to back but used sideways) tilt the transaxle rear bar mounts to go up between the torsion rods enough to fit and then level out above the rods.Back bolts in and then re position jacks, add a few ratchet straps in a few different directions and then crank, adjust, tilt and repeat about 27 times and finally all lined up and secured.

So now I am down to refitting the rest of the engine bay kit, drive shafts and peripherals and then hopefully fire it all up and run it in. A long and slow path but, with the quality of the rebuild, parts used etc., am expecting a pretty good "from new" run....      

As well as the general rebuild, have been working on fitting an oil filter relocation unit with heat shield, extractors (not as expected so going back to that again at a  later stage), new inner front splash guards (the old ones were half gone one on the passenger side and split in multiple places on the drivers side. Also found the coil pack mount pretty much rusted through so fabricated a new one of those while adding a  new pack at the same time..  

Have been sourcing most om spares from RockAuto and finding cost, freight and very, very quick delivery to be a great end result.The range is very good and so far, everything has arrived as needed/expected.     

 

One a side note, I have been trying to source some more (2) of the OZRacing 15" 6x139.7 rims (we always carry two spares) to no outcome. OzRacing don't supply that size any more and no one seems to have anything like it unfortunately.

So, I am now looking to replace all rims with 6 of the same and have been looking at options. I can find plenty of the 6x139.7 and similar offset, but the center bore seems to be the issue. From what i can see, the Hardtop has a 100.3mm center bore while other later nissans (pathfinders and the like) are around the 106mm. From what I udnerstand of the center bore size, it is so the wheel centers on the hub more precisely. Does anyone have any experience in running larger center bore (than the 100.3 standard) without issues?     Any advice/past experience would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers all

  

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Every possibility - i bought it from Vic and the prior owner had used as both tow and chase vehicle for a number of years. The engine was a little tired (more than let on) when I bought it, but it is getting back to healthy. 

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Very likely it - was in use for some years, well fitted out, full cage, LSD, seats etc. The OZ wheels look good on it but I am trying to replace the 4 with 6 matching of something else as cant get the oz in 15 6 stud any more. Want to have 6 matching as we always run with 2 spares minimum as our events are 7 days - 3 on, one rest, 3 on and cover 3k pls kms in the week.   

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