Hard headed Hardbody

[Taterhead]

So what you believe you have is the transmission on the right with the front case of the middle one connected to it?

Exactly.

[Taterhead]

Fuck you pilot bushing

[DRIVEN]

You know there's a tool for that, right?

[Taterhead]

Yeah, but probably kind of hard for me to acquire as late as it was that night. Hacksaw blade loosened it for me. “New” trans (actual 71b) is resting in place so I can do measurements on a cross member and driveshaft. Still not sure which route I’m headed yet. I may just try to source another 71c gear box and mate it to the 71b bell housing like a previous owner did.

[Taterhead]

Small update, 71B will fit. And what I mean is it will bolt up to the engine, Nissan conveniently put a removable plate where the gear shifter goes so that could be removed and the 71B gearshift will fit without any cutting needed. They also pre-drilled two more holes where the crossmember bolts so you can actually move the crossmember forward (IIRC) and it will kind of lineup. The problem with putting a 71B trans in this truck is the fact that the driveshaft crossmember for the idler bearing will not lineup, and any combination that I make the two different two piece driveshaft it will still be about an inch and a half short.


So my plan was to take the 71C gearbox apart & see what was wrong with it, hoping it was just an output shaft bearing that I can replace. Well for some reason I can’t get the damn thing apart. Do any of you know if this needs to be removed?
The “bracket” the shifter sits in. That shifter shaft, it seems, is the reason I can’t get the back casing off. Like the casing is just sliding back and forth on it. And I’m pretty sure this thing is toast. I’m no transmission expert by longshot, but I don’t think this stuff is supposed to fall out when you take it apart.

[Taterhead]

Question answered. Yes that has to be removed. Once I got the back case off this is what I found.





Yep, it’s trash.

[wayno]

Wow, that thing is wasted, and it was driven that way to get that bad, my guess is it sounded terrible.
Can't you find another 71C transmission?
Maybe the 720 drive line for the 71B will work.

[DRIVEN]

My condolences

[Taterhead]

Yeah I think getting another 71c is my easiest/best bet. It did sound terrible. I have 2 different 2-piece driveshafts, one from each truck, and the longest combination I can come up with is still about 2 inches short. The 71b will remain in the shed out back just in case it’s needed in the future and I’m currently searching for another 71c to use this one as a core for. The closest pull-a-part that may have one is about an hour away but I don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for one.

[DRIVEN]

Not sure how much an arm and a leg goes for over there, but it might be worth it if it gets an otherwise unusable vehicle back on the road.

[wayno]

Transmissions around here at the Pick and Pull yards are around $170.00 to get them out the door(trans/core/environmental fee), prices have went up around here since the last time I bought one, as I recall it was less than $120.00 the last time I bought one.
By the time you get a drive line made which is a hassle around here it will likely be cheaper to buy a 71C.

[Taterhead]

Yeah I should have elaborated more in that post. Pull-a-part is the way I’ll go most likely. That P-A-P that has 2 of those trucks is an hour away, with no way of knowing the status of transmissions in them until I get there. The nearest P-A-P doesn’t have any Nissan trucks right now. I’ll just have to take a little road trip. All the P-A-P’s here are in rough areas so it is not unusual to have someone sit in the parking lot to watch the car you came in. All the regular junkyards I’ve talked to are anywhere between $350 to $550 with a core charge.

[wayno]

That's too bad one has to have their vehicle watched in the parking lot, although I always used to worry about my hubcaps being stolen also, but it never happened, they are just 620 SS hubcaps, not that rare.
I have thought for a long time now that I get robbed when I pay for the parts I went there to get, no one ever robbed me outside the building in the parking lot.

[Taterhead]

Finally found a transmission for this thing. The only one that I have found in the past eight months. For some reason every time one of these trucks hits a pull a part someone goes and strips them. This is what is back in the truck now.

I have no clue what the Z3 is but it’s bolted to the engine.

[BLUE]

Nice , Glad you finally found that works for ya Man !

[Taterhead]

No real update. So I have a written record somewhere:
Changed oil & filter, plugs, wires, and valve cover gasket. Next up is new tires, figure out why the front blinkers refuse to work, extensive cleaning, and sourcing a bench seat.
Really just driving it and putting it to work.

[wayno]

Just the front blinkers don't work, the back blinkers work?

[Taterhead]

Correct. The back ones blink rapidly like the front bulbs are blown, which I guess is possible, but the guy I got the truck from told me that he was having trouble with the front blinkers before I got the truck from him so I assumed he checked the bulbs. That will be the first thing I do. It’s just one of those things I haven’t looked at yet.

[DRIVEN]

Never assume. Because Nissan product.

[Taterhead]

That’s true. And also I did get the truck from a guy affectionately known as “half-ass Dave”.