New World Datsuns...

Lol, started with the insulated overalls and the big jacket. About 34 degrees. Warmed up to 50 though, no wind, stagnation advisory for the next couple days. I still have to tighten the torsion bars and I was looking at putting a washer on that rusted off, but I can't find where it went now. Going to have to scratch my head on that one.

So I've been chasing an intermittent issue in the hardbody that was just giving me fits. Only at light load, barely off throttle, the truck would feel like it was missing going down the road. Hooked it up to an analog voltmeter on the TPS (made a custom connector), watched it, dead linear everywhere. Checked the FSM, no test procedure for the 4 cylinder MAF sensor (hot wire version) Checked cap and rotor, replaced cap and rotor, and plugs. None were terrible. Wires were good, no arcing. Checked coil and igniter, no issues found there.

So I've been fiddling with it and fiddling, finally found one day that a dip in temperature made it less. Thinking hmmm. Kept thinking it was an electrical problem, but if I can't determine any part is bad, won't do any good to replace it. After the temp difference, it got me thinking it's a mechanical issue. Happens about 2000-2900 rpm. Idle is fine. Full RPM, no miss. I did have a lean signal at the O2 sensor at idle, though if I pulled a vacuum line, it went lean instantly and recovered once re-attached.

Ended up at the EGR valve. Disconnected the vacuum switching valve that controls it, and then re-routed vacuum hoses so the BPT and EGR had no possible vacuum. BINGO! Wouldn't you know, no more issue! In case any of you struggle with that annoying not-findable mechanical issue that presents almost as electrical, check your EGR assemblies.

In this case, I'm finally having the Megasquirt ECU assembled and a block off EGR plate will soon follow, then it will be infinitely tuneable!

I honestly don't recall the layout on your particular engine, but the ones that have individual EGR passages from the valve will coke up over time. The remaining cylinders with open passages get the extra exhaust gas. You might not feel it with one passage plugged, but 2 or 3 will cause a noticeable miss. The plugged cylinders run great.

This is newer than the old style. Only one largish .625" EGR tube that comes from the manifold around the backside of the head to the EGR.

Whats EGR? lol. My BMW didn't even come factory with it. Datsun motor never had it either.

Same here.

Been hearing a clunk and a bearing sound in the hardbody as of late, which I know isn't possible at the wheels, being the rear wheel bearings are near new and so are the fronts. The center support bearing on the other hand has chunked out rubber and isn't looking too hot. Confirmed upon replacement today at 236,000 miles. Can't remember when I put the last one in, but I just checked on youtube for the video I made about the dust cups being too long on the altrom bearing I had then. Looks like 2011, so it's lasted 9 years. Not too bad. I got a Precision (China) replacement at OReilly's the other day, only 98 bucks, not too bad. The NAPA premium is much more. I was going to go get a one piece driveshaft, but I haven't had time to measure and it's dubious if I can find out out of a Frontier that works. I know there is a one piece, just rather rare.

The good news is the last time I did it, I sandpapered down the bearing surface until it was about .001" press fit, meaning all I had to do it grab it and press the center with my thumbs and off it came. Much nicer than the press option. New one went on a smidgen hard, sucked down with the nut easily. Ready for hopefully another 9 years!

Alright, after only 4 years, I finally have the MSPNP ecu kit I bought assembled and working. I didn't assemble it, my buddy Chris did. So the truck idles with it, and I left it at that. I scheduled dyno tuning time at Hanks the week after next. Spent yesterday changing oil, cleaning the KN filter and routing vacuum line for the ecu. Ended up bending some small brake line and putting it through the evaporator core line outlet, then to a small section of rubber to a vacuum tee off the manifold. Have two tees in that line now since it has to feed the FPR, charcoal can, and come around for the auxiliary line to the MAP sensor that's built into the ECU.

Then I ran a longer piece of brake line under the carpet and have a small section just above the floormat that connects to the curved piece through the firewall. The good part about this is it should last forever, and I'll be able to swap the stock ECU back in should something happen with the MS unit. The only thing I have to do now is make a bracket to fit the MS so it stands the ECU off the floor like the current factory unit.

Hey look, some random tranny pics! Trying to id, need a url to link from, lol

Random tranny links? You may need to try that other forum.

It kinda looks like a 350Z 6spd except for the lack of case ribs, but they likely all look sort of alike.

Yeah, I was talking to Datzenmike about trannys. So the FS5W30A is the one I have. I thought it was an 87 300zx internals with a hardbody tailshaft for 2wd VG30. Apparently, it's actually a 90-96 300zx trans with a d21 tailshaft for 2wd VG30. Or the guts are actually 87, but I don't think that's right. Maybe the ratios are the same, but the sandwich plate would be smaller. It was built 5 years ago, been mothballed ever since. Fuck a duck. Not sure now, and I'm not sure if my tranny builder will remember either. Been too long. Either way, I was going to sell it to a kid with a 300zx, but his is 87 and a much smaller unit than this big behemoth.

Alright, so it's official. I ordered a lift kit for the D21! Just a cheapie Rough Country 1.5-2". Not much, just enough to get a little more clearance at the back without bobbing the bed and frame. Going to upgrade to 31 or 32" tires also. Going to have to re-gear to 4.62 gear, currently have 4.375s. Contacted Lokka in Australia to see if they have a ratcheting locker for the R200 front in the hardbody. Hope they do. That way I'd have the factory Nissan limited slip from the Pathy in the back (Glorified open when a wheel is in the air) and with the front locker I'd at least have 3 wheel drive with an uncouple option when off throttle.

Planning on running the Compressor trail in Mullan this spring with Buddy and my boss, and maybe Mohammed too. We shall see. I was going to buy another 4x4 so I didn't have to beat up the hardbody, but I figured hey, I have it already and it's more than capable. Going to put some rock sliders on and make a winch bumper and get it all set up for some gnarly trails!

So I figured I'd stop worrying about tire choice and concentrate on armor since I know I won't have the big tires I'd like or the clearance. That said, ordered some 67" rock sliders and corresponding frame bracket kit from ruggedrocksoffroad.com They should look like this roughly: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/ ... s-on-wd21/

Going to do those, then fabricate a winch bumper and some sort of rock slider/tube bumper for the rear to protect the bed and get rid of my rusty factory chrome useless step bumper. That way, even though I won't have the clearance of lift and 35" tires, I'll still be able to drag the hardbody over obstacles without killing the body. Figure I'll run a 9500 lb winch up front with synthetic rope. Those are pretty cheap in an off brand Rough Country. Thinking 31s are all I'm going to run, that's about the right size without changing to 16" wheels which would cost more.

I'd actually like to find a way to adapt the cheaper Jeep bumpers with winch tray to the front end. It would be much cheaper than fabricating my own. We shall see. Something like this: https://ruggedridge.com/p/rugged-ridge- ... it/v/jeep/

We started selling these at Titan Truck before I left there for the service advisor position. https://ruggedridge.com/p/rugged-ridge- ... it/v/jeep/ They're cheap enough, decent quality, and already built. Whether they're available because China and covid is another story. Either way, I'm thinking I need to measure them. They might fit just about right with some minor fiddling.

I can't catch a break today. I have literally gotten two things done. I rotated the tires on the truck, and I welded a bung on the exhaust. How long did it take to weld a bung? Well, from the time I put the truck in back and ran it up on ramps, 3 FUCKING HOURS!! Barely have enough room, I broke the droplight so was using my flashlight to get the bung situated. Then the welder had a tip jamming issue, fought with that for a half hour. Finally figured out what was going on. All the rest was figuring out a way to get the stinger in so I could actually weld the bung on. There's a torsion bar and driveshaft in the way, and that was the best spot. Couldn't get it at 3 o'clock like the instructions wanted, but got it at about 4:30 position, so it shouldn't get screwed by exhaust moisture. And even if I wanted to put it up higher, there's no room. I'd have to yank the exhaust all the way out and weld in the bung.

I'm so tired of working on my back, and welding on my back, in the dark, with about 3 inches of space between what I'm welding and my head! I need a fucking lift. I should have just gone to work and done it, or dropped it off at the muffler shop on lunch, but noooooo, I have a welder, how hard could it be, I said?! Fucking horseshit!!

Now I'm off to go buy beer. That will make me feel better. I'm done ranting. What a productive day. Dog walk, rotate tires, and weld a bung on, fuck me running.

This (street tires)
Prompted me to do this

^^*They were 30.5’s and I didn’t have any problems afterwards. Although I don’t have any idea what kind of trails you’ll be running.

So here's what we're going to do:



I have a lot of preparing to do to make sure I don't break the truck!

Yeah what I’ve done is not that involved. Although that looks like a lot of fun

Ok, so I just figured out some stuff. The 4 cylinder 4x4 D21s got R180s (RB43 is my front axle designation, but the FSM says R180), but the 6 cylinder D21s got R200s! The good news is it appears the wheel side of the cv axle is the same on both, the inner dimension changes due to the size difference of the R200. So that means I should be able to yank an R200 out of a 6 cylinder Pathy or truck and retrofit it into the 4wd chassis. Theoretically. The torsion bars are different, but all I should need are the mounts if they're different (I think they're the same) and some 6 cylinder VG30 axle shafts.

The problem I'm running into is if I want to re-gear to 4.62s, the 4 cylinders never got that ratio. The VGs did because the factory option tire size was 31x10.50x15. Whereas the 4x4 4 cylinder it was 235/75/15, the standard old truck tire.

Just glad I had the FSM. All this old information is hard to come by these days. I'm probably the only idiot who wants to wheel a D21 with factory stuff, lol.

We got the lift on last night. It's a giant pain in the ass, mainly due to rusty Nissan hardware. Also, the front shocks supplied with the Rough Country kit are incorrect. I called this morning, going to verify on shock body, but their compressed length of the new shock is 9.89". Factory is 8.125". The new upper control arm controls the extension, the lower control arm (unchanged) controls the compression. The new shock body is waaay too long, so it limits out way before it reaches full compression.

Basically, I think they figure since you're raising up the torsion bars, you'll never reach full stuff again. Clearly, they haven't met me. I'll be submitting pictures and dimensions so they can change their kit, because these shocks don't work. I'm going to get some factory shocks which should work just fine. Interestingly enough, the 2wd shocks are longer travel than the 4wd. I'm going to get both and see which work better. I'll keep you guys posted with pictures later.