Yet another 85 4x4

[datzenmike]

If you can find a supply of dry ice, place in a pillow case and lay on the sound deadener. Once frozen remove and hit with hammer and that shit brakes like glass and you just sweep it up.

[radracer]

given the state of the rust in our floorboards, the rest would probably break out too DX

[bmacster]

given the state of the rust in our floorboards, the rest would probably break out too DX

 

LOL, agreed! I am going to take some measurements for the new sheet metal tomorrow after class then head down to a supplier and pick up the new goods. Hope to have it all welded in this weekend (fingers crossed)

 

I got the seats out of a 1998 Honda Passport (Same as the Isuzu Rodeo) that needs to be cleaned up a little bit but otherwise, they are in great shape. $65 bucks at Pick and Pull. I still need to go back and grab the belts though. I may try to figure out how to fit in the center console as well. The e-brake handle slot may just barely line up for the transfer shifter... It would rock to have cup holders! =D

 

I may just do some modification since I'll be welding anyways to get it to fit right. More pictures tomorrow!

[bmacster]

If you can find a supply of dry ice, place in a pillow case and lay on the sound deadener. Once frozen remove and hit with hammer and that shit brakes like glass and you just sweep it up.

 

Damn, wish I knew that sooner! Ah well!

[bmacster]

The seats are in! This turned into a bigger project than I thought. The first part was finding decent seats and seat belts. I am surrounded by at least 6 junk yards... Pick n Pull in Lakewood thankfully had the color I wanted. The donor vehicle was a 1998 Honda Passport (Same as the Isuzu Rodeo) but the seat belts were trashed. So the following day, I ended up at Budget Auto Wrecking in Auburn (down the hill from me) and got the belts out of a 98 Isuzu Amigo that happened to be the same color as the seats.

 

 

I gave the truck it's first bath and who knows how many years. This was a two fold purpose though. One was to figure out where all of the leaks were at and what holes I need to plug up. The windshield and rear window seals are shot and need to be replaced. There is a leak on the drivers side that I can't determine where it is coming from... some more investigation is needed into that...

 

 

Some one was wondering about the door chime in another thread that I can't find... The little silver box, middle left, is the chime. I took video if anyone is interested.

 

Looks much better all clean!

[bmacster]

As a side note to anyone else interested in doing the Passport/Rodeo seats, they don't fit directly with the same bolts. The seat belt bolts however ARE a direct replacement.

 

I got some M8x1.25/30mm bolts. I would recommend going to 20mm. I would also recommend using some decent washers in front and behind to add a little extra support. When you tighten down the front bolts, it will bend the rails to form with the support in the truck. I did heat it up a bit to make it a bit easier to adjust the contour.

 

The only other thing of note is the computer will need to be moved 2 to 4 inches to clear the rail under the drivers seat.

 

Now to start looking how to patch old bolt holes and see if that center console will fit. Good times!

[bmacster]

Not a lot of work has been done on Brownie after my last update. Finals are coming up next week so I've been pretty focused on that stuff before I have a month off. Woohoo!

 

So a break down of things remaining;

• Still haven't an air compressor and impact set to get the bumper off and start work on the wheel bearings. Hopefully next weekend when things calm down.
  
• Still need to get replacement steel. I decided just to do small patches instead of doing full replacements of the floor pans.
  
• I need to figure out where the leaks are coming from under the truck. At least it is a slow leak but as soon as I can find it I'll let you know...
  
• There is still the vibration when driving. Any ideas what else I should check? Wheel bearings? Center drive shaft?
  

 

Would a rear drive shaft out of an 86 KC 720 4x4 work? If so, there is one I can grab for free..

 

Got the front end off and just about every screw/bolt broke in some fashion. Having a hell of a time getting the broken stuff out too...Any ideas/tricks to get them out? PB Blaster ain't helpin....

 

Argh.. the bastards...and it's welded on too....

 

I am also working on the 'Smyrna' dash modification since the foam was completely rotten/moldy and had a gag worthy smell emanating from it. Now I need to get some bondo and start filling it all in.

 

In the meanwhile though, I fixed the broken wires for the light behind the heater controls. All of the interior lights work now!

 

I am still not sure what I am going to do for the radio. The previous owner hacked the hell out of the area and now I need to figure out how to fix it all to support a new radio I have. I am thinking putting some sort of plastic across the hole and cut to fit, then gluing it all together, paint it and call it macaroni. Any ideas would be appreciated!

 

Welp, that's all for now.

[Smyrna720]

:D

 

Seeing this makes me happy.

 

As for the broken bolts... when I pulled the fender off to fix my door hinge, I broke over half of them. All I can tell you to do is get on them with a pair of vice grips on the back sides of the ones you can, torch (propane) the ones you can, and get some left handed drill bits. And. And. AND! Run a tap through every hole you can. Even the ones that didn't break off. The ones that did, all you can do is center punch, drill and tap.

 

Go to the junk yard and just start raping other Nissans for bolts. Interior bolts are best because they're not usually rusty.

 

Good luck.

[bmacster]

:D

 

Seeing this makes me happy.

 

As for the broken bolts... when I pulled the fender off to fix my door hinge, I broke over half of them. All I can tell you to do is get on them with a pair of vice grips on the back sides of the ones you can, torch (propane) the ones you can, and get some left handed drill bits. And. And. AND! Run a tap through every hole you can. Even the ones that didn't break off. The ones that did, all you can do is center punch, drill and tap.

 

Go to the junk yard and just start raping other Nissans for bolts. Interior bolts are best because they're not usually rusty.

 

Good luck.

 

That is exactly what I started doing too! Not a lot of work has been done on the truck the prior two weeks. I did get the bed and interior all prepped for herculiner. Just going to finally get around to welding in the patches next weekend and after that, I start a new job that'll take up a lot of time.

 

Ah well.

[bmacster]

Hey everyone! I am still around. Things have been insane with work and school.

 

Got the seats installed, the floor is still an issue and haven't had any success repairing it. I used a shower liner with some POR-15 to get me through this winter. It sure did quiet the cabin down a lot but that is as far as I have gotten.

 

With winter break coming up, I am hoping to finally get around to fixing the rear drive shaft and start working on the front end of the truck. Sadly though, I gotta move first and need to get the trailer wiring hooked up first.

 

I did get the bed repaired though and used 4 cans of rust-oleum on it before the cold weather hit. Looks great now! Some pictures later on.

[kn1ghtride]

bmacster, I am loving this post.  Have you done anything more since November?

Last March I saved a 1986 720 4X4 Extended Cab from the junk yard.  Same color and interior as yours and I have been trying to bring it back from the dead.

So far I have replaced rotors, pads, front shocks, stabilizer links, entire exhaust & converter, and patched a gaping hole in the floor under the clutch pedal.  It still has a bad gas leak so I can't fill it over 1/2 full and needs rear shocks.  I am looking for a new tank but am holding off until I know if it needs new rubbers for the tank and how much they cost.

Keep up the good work-

 

Joe

[bmacster]

It is slowly coming along! I got a used drive shaft from a 84 720 that works great. Just replaced the oil in the diffs, transfer case, and transmission. The oil in everything was basically sludge. I'll replace it again in 200 miles so it'll be all cleared out, hopefully.

 

I need to do a full brake job and front suspension job on it still. Haven't had a chance to with the school/work schedule. 

 

I drive it off and on though, nothing too far until I get the work done on it. - It is mostly my railroad/hauling/towing/camping truck so I don't have to worry about the car so much. I was in the process of firing up this 1922 Baldwin 2-8-2 steam locomotive. This steam engine is one of 7 on the property. Later this year, we will have 6 operational steam locomotives, the most at one location, in North America. 

[]2eDeYe]

Is that open to the public?

Truck is looking good

[bmacster]

Is that open to the public?

 

Truck is looking good

 

Sure is! 

 

http://www.mrsr.com

 

We start in April with some special events. Keep an eye out on the Facebook page for special deals too. 

[bmacster]

A quick upate;

 

Got the front brakes done and completed a DIY on how to do the front rotor replacement. Some what easy, if not tedious job when you have to do the bearings, but it was fun once I got into the groove.

 

Went to take the truck for a test drive aannddddd I can only assume the master cylinder decided to let go as I was pulling out and nearly KO'ed a Lexus. Pedal went straight for the floor. Thankfully the e-brake works really well... I was really  :w00t: followed by  :crying:  :poop:

 

Limped it back to the garage and will have to replace the MC now. Strange how the pedal was rock solid and no signs of any leaks neither.

[bmacster]

Just another quick update:

 

Still don't have brakes in the truck as of yet. After replacing the MC, things still weren't getting any better. After some recommendation on Ratsun, I took apart the rear drums, only to find a pile of mess in them. Completely rusted, wouldn't move without some sort of force being used. Overall, a bunch of neglect from PO's. I am surprised honestly some one didn't get hurt driving in this condition.

 

 

Drivers side..pulled the drum off, 2 or 3 of the springs were broken, the adjuster is frozen solid, the pads had multiple cracks. Drum looked OK.

 

Passenger side..pulled the drum off, adjuster fell out (never heard the thing rattling neither..) and it was also frozen, pads were OK looking, most of the springs were rusted or broken. Drum looked OK.

Now would be a good time to just upgrade to disc brakes, huh? 

 

I may get the drums turned, get the rust off, and paint them with something for added protection. Hopefully this will be the last thing.

Time to order another $150 of parts to get this thing going. Sheesh, what a project this has turned out to be! 

[bmacster]

Just about got the brakes done. It has been a royal pain in the ass since I started the project. 

 

First, the PO(s) had the front calipers upside down on one side, one was correct, which would explain why the thing was only applying on the drivers (correct) side. I did not make any connection to that until I saw a few other pictures and looked in the FSM and realized why the fronts weren't doing getting any pressure at all. The damn things were swapped and the bleeders were on the bottom, NOT the top as they should have been. I also noticed that the hydraulic hose clip was missing on the drivers side. Cool.

 

I took the drums off to realize, again to my delight, that the springs were either severely rusted, broken, or on incorrectly. The self-adjuster screw on both sides were frozen solid. Two weeks in PB Blaster did not help neither. I battled it using a vice, 20 inch breaker bar, and a cheater. I am either a lot weaker than I come across or it was simply done. Needless to say, it went into the recycle pile. 

 

My "shopping" trip to various junk yards than begun in earnest to find the parts to complete the job., I picked up the drum brake adjusters off a hardbody (basically the same, just more teeth), 2 extra clips, just in case, and some odds and ends (screws that were half way decent) 

 

As of today, I can happily report that the brake job is mostly done. I have to re-bleed the system one more time as the passenger side, do the rear brake hoses, and grab the wheels and tires off a Isuzu Rodeo. 

 

Whew.

 

Next project - Front suspension, ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar, and shocks.

[Telkwa]

bmac -

The cowling area where you found all the pine needles and mouse nests - that area must have drains along the left and right sides of the truck, doesn't it?  I had less pine - well, fir - needles in my cowling area, but more mouse nest.  I got most of it out like you did, with compressed air and various vacuum hoses.  I'm assuming there has to be some kind of channel that drains to the ground in the corners but I can't see anything.  If I knew where to aim I'd take an air gun with a hook-shaped extension and try to blow the holes free with compressed air.

[bmacster]

bmac -

The cowling area where you found all the pine needles and mouse nests - that area must have drains along the left and right sides of the truck, doesn't it?  I had less pine - well, fir - needles in my cowling area, but more mouse nest.  I got most of it out like you did, with compressed air and various vacuum hoses.  I'm assuming there has to be some kind of channel that drains to the ground in the corners but I can't see anything.  If I knew where to aim I'd take an air gun with a hook-shaped extension and try to blow the holes free with compressed air.

 

I will check that out tomorrow! 

 

I have a sneaking feeling that the passenger side caliper is sticking. Ugh. 

[bmacster]

Drove the truck around town today, checking temps every few miles to see if the caliper is sticking. It does appear to be sticking but it is very, very minor that the temps compared to the drivers side is only 5-10 degrees, around town and 10-15 degrees under mild braking. It does pull very slightly to the right when braking as well. 

 

Best of all though, the brake light is out (only comes on with the parking brake, as it should). 

 

On my weekend (Tuesday and Wednesday) I will go around and recheck everything but glad it is driveable though! 

 

I still believe the carb is my weak point BUT I have not done the spark plugs, wireset, and O2 sensor (that'll be on my next weekend) before I do officially rule it out. We'll see what the gas mileage is on the truck after this week.

[bmacster]

And yet another update!

 

Managed to get an epic 150 miles of fuel on this tank, or 10mpg.

 

I decided to do another compression test, just to look at things since the truck is still struggling at freeway speeds and any sort of hills. 

 

Compression test had Cyl 2-3 at 45 and 50 respectively. 1 and 4 was 155. 

 

With tomorrow being my weekend, it appears I get to do a HG job. 

 

UGH.

 

At least I am learning how to work on vehicles and not tossing it to the scrapper!

[]2eDeYe]

I believe if you pull the fenders off you can clean those channels out.

 

To bad on the compression, but at least you know the problem now :)

[bmacster]

I believe if you pull the fenders off you can clean those channels out.

 

To bad on the compression, but at least you know the problem now :)

 

Hell I didn't even think about that. I'll have to do that when I do the ball joints and tie rod ends and make life nice and easy..ish

 

I did notice after I cleaned it out that it is still leaking like a mofo mostly on the heater side. 

[Telkwa]

bmac -

 

I pulled the fenders and front valance off over the last couple of days.  It was relatively easy.  That putty-like material Nissan used between the body panels can be a little troublesome.  I ran a utility knife or metal chisel along the edges and that seemed to help.  The other thing that helped with the putty was to get all the bolts out first, then gently lever the panels away from each other. 

 

There are two bolts, one on each side, way down low on the fenders and just behind the front tires.  These were the worst for rust and wear, but both of mine came out.  You can hose the back sides of these two bolts with Kroil by spraying in there with the door open if I remember correctly.  (EDIT: Nope, not through the doors, have to reach underneath the truck.)  These two also had the Nissan putty around them.  I didn't notice that at first.  I thought I had the socket on but it was only catching the top of the bolt.  I caught the error before ruining the bolt head.

 

There's a bolt on each corner that attaches the valance to the fenders, below the headlights.  This bolt perches on an odd little "wing" of body part metal.  Be careful with these.  You start torquing on them too hard, and the metal will begin to twist instead of the bolt breaking free.

 

Only one bolt head broke off.  The one right next to the hood hinge on the passenger's side, which I would have thought would be less likely to break off than several others.  The bolt was starting to turn out, then it died.  I smacked it with a punch, pretty much right in the center for once, and drilled a hole all the way through it.  There's hardly any metal left, so I should be able to get it out with an EZ-Out type of bolt extractor.

 

You know those little plastic clips that hold the flimsy wheel well mud guards to the fender?  Keep track of them.  One of mine flew off when I pulled the fender loose.  I could easily have stepped on it and broke it.

 

The truck sure looks different without the fenders and valance and headlight buckets!  Now there's access to a bunch of little spots that need cleaning and rustproofing.  However, I still haven't figured out for sure how the cowling area drains to the outside.

[bmacster]

Brownie update !

 

Finally got around to taking the head off. Confirmed that the HG was blown between cylinders 2-3. I didn't get a real close detailed shot of the head gasket but alas, yay.... The head will be going to get looked at tomorrow before I start reinstalling everything. 

Some interesting notes; cyl 2-3 were pretty clean on top of the pistons. I can only think there was enough steam in there to clean it all out, or cyl 2-3 simply wasn't firing.

 

I am hoping I got the wedge in as it should be... It was a pain in the ass to try to get the wedge in there with the cam gear. I have no idea at this point how I am going to get the cam gear back on it without the tensioner going all over the engine...

 

I found a junk yard with a straight set of 16" Isuzu Rodeo wheels and tires that'll complement brownie nicely. Just need to wait until tomorrow to grab them.

 

A few pictures... Sorry they are so large... they won't resize properly on Photobucket since they changed to this new layout.