1983.5 4x4 - retirement truck

[datzenmike]

2wd 23-25mpg? 4x4 under 20. In town keeping up is the Z24's 'massive' low speed torque at 2,800 and light weight.

[Madkaw]

2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

2wd 23-25mpg? 4x4 under 20. In town keeping up is the Z24's 'massive' low speed torque at 2,800 and light weight.

4WD 

yes - the torque ! I get a lot of resonance under load from the exhaust at anything below 1800 rpm - so I try to avoid that area

[frankendat]

3 hours ago, Madkaw said:

I get a lot of resonance under load from the exhaust at anything below 1800 rpm - so I try to avoid that area

What do you mean by this? I am seeking to understand.

[Madkaw]

16 hours ago, frankendat said:

What do you mean by this? I am seeking to understand.

I would call this drone from the exhaust . 

[datzenmike]

What do you have for exhaust? Most Datsun cars have a resonator half way to the muffler to reduce drone sounds.

[Madkaw]

1 hour ago, datzenmike said:

What do you have for exhaust? Most Datsun cars have a resonator half way to the muffler to reduce drone sounds.

According to my search on a 83 there is a catalytic converter before the muffler - which I have there . I’m about ready to ditch it and install a resonator there or add a resonator 

[frankendat]

10 hours ago, Madkaw said:

I would call this drone from the exhaust . 

I'm 99% there, you are discussing methods to improve engine exhaust sound on your Nissan, the same reason I ran cherry bombs on my Nova back in the day-right? (Once I pulled off a spark plug wire on the cruise to give it that "super cammed" idle.)

[Madkaw]

Well I continued the repair work . I ended up taking apart the rocker assembly . This was the only way to do this right . 

[1001001SOS]

Very inspiring and technical build, appreciate all the info youre posting! 

[frankendat]

On 10/5/2023 at 8:34 AM, Madkaw said:

Well I continued the repair work . I ended up taking apart the rocker assembly . This was the only way to do this right . 

Are you replacing the section with flat stock or using a  piece taken from a donor?

[Madkaw]

19 hours ago, frankendat said:

Are you replacing the section with flat stock or using a  piece taken from a donor?

See previous page . 

[Madkaw]

Did finally weld this on but my welder was giving me a hard time . Plus I only had .030 wire available when .023 would have been better . This equates to burning thru and all other havoc . Fortunately bondo hides it all 🙂 

The hard part of this project was doing this without ever removing the door or fender . Since this is my DD when the wife has the Volvo I can’t be down very long . Plus I’m getting lazier and weaker in my old age . 

Maybe the other side will go better now that I know what I can get away with . 

[Madkaw]

I’ve been chasing down a driveline vibration for a while now . Really prevalent in 5th gear at highway speed . 4th gear is not as much but the frequency is higher but still there . 
Im figuring it’s driveline angle because I swapped to the d21 trans or my main driveshaft is out of balance . I had the driveshaft balances before but I think I took it apart to clean and check grease and maybe didn’t get it clocked back the same . 
It’s hard to measure drive like angle with the smaller driveshaft . Might have to remove the shaft so I can measure off the output shaft of the trans . The smaller driveshaft was balanced not too long ago . 
Then yesterday I was poking around and saw my trans mount rubber was tore loose on one side . I’m quite sure this is part of the issue if not all . This allows a ton of movement that is probably affecting angle . 
 

Trying to order one but no OEM ones to be found . Wonder if the Thailand ones are better than the 25$ ones you can buy all day long . I ordeed the cheaply for now but wondered if anyone has experience with the Thailand stuff . 

[datzenmike]

I lowered my 710 and installed a longer 5 speed, it upset the drive shaft angles. It was a very low speed hum/rumble. An 1/8" spacer under the rear of the lowering block tilted the pinion down and on the first try corrected the angles and hum was gone. It was conspicuous by it's absence.

 

The angles have to be measured with the car with it's wheels on the ground. You could have a full tank of gas and have someone sit in the driver's seat.

[Madkaw]

 

The angles have to be measured with the car with it's wheels on the ground. You could have a full tank of gas and have someone sit in the driver's seat.
 

And have motor mounts 🙂

[Madkaw]

Some weird stuff here . Newish NGK wires corroding like crazy on the business end of the wire . These wires match the VW coils I’m using and that’s why the metal protectors on the boots . I had one wire without the metal jacket and it DIDNT corrode - interesting About impossible to clean properly and wonder how it has been affecting my engine . Ordered new wires -Walker - truck seems to run better 

 

Found a bad trans mount . Rubber separated on the front side of mount allowing extra movement of the trans and under load it surely has raised up enough to affect driveline angle . Ordered a new one and I will see if it really was an issue . Also dropping off main DS to have it checked 

[Madkaw]

Well my trans mounts came in . I’ve been fighting a driveline vibration and found my mount was torn.  I ordered 2 just to see if one was different from the other.  One is 26$ and the other 56$ . The expensive one is from Thailand but the ad showed a Nissan parts sticker and I heard they were better quality rubber . 
What I didn’t expect to see was one is taller than the other . The Thailand one is taller . I don’t have the old one out yet - but measuring it seems shorter . 
From what I can tell there is no difference between the years or transmissions . 
Why height makes a difference is because my driveline angle could be my vibration. I have the hardbody trans in my truck that needs the crossmember modified to maintain angle and be able to bolt in . 
 

[Madkaw]

Well the shorter mount was the correct one . After installing it and checking driveline angles they were about perfect 

I think I found my vibration . I had installed the bigger front brakes . I didn’t get the drivers hub tight enough . When I had it jacked up I grabbed the tire at 12 & 6 and I could hear the movement . Maybe settled in after driving for a while or I just screwed up . I haven’t driven it since finding this but it’s got to be it . Sad part is I took the truck to have the wheels balanced at a shop and no one picked this up while checking for what I reported as a vibration . 
Now to chase down a noise from the unknown . I think it’s a speedo cable because I can’t tell from where in the interior , but it’s coming from inside . Might just order a new one and throw it in . 
Need to get back to finishing up the body work so I can get it repainted . 
Wish I could get it to idle smoother , but I think it’s an engine balance issue . Smooths out over 1500 rpm . Lumpy idle at 650 rpm like it has a cam . Tune is solid . 

[powderfinger]

I had a squeak coming from my instrument cluster that I thought was the speedo cable. Ended up being where the speedo cable plugged into the cluster. I took a spare cluster I had and used all the best pieces from both while making sure I used the actual speedometer from the spare and the swapping the speedometer fixed it.

 

My original plan was to add a little lube to the speedo but I didn't really see anywhere I thought I could lube that would fix the problem once I had it apart.

Edited November 28, 2023 by powderfinger

[Madkaw]

Well amazingly the passenger side is in better shape than the drivers. Not nearly the rust down in the rocker - though the front part by the cab mount is toast . Almost the same amount of work but at least I’ve practiced at it . Still a lot of cutting with the death wheel - ugh

[NC85ST]

With the truck upside down, I’m sure it’s easier to work on! Haha. 

[Madkaw]

19 hours ago, NC85ST said:

With the truck upside down, I’m sure it’s easier to work on! Haha. 

Yeah- this way I can stand up and do my welding - lol

[Madkaw]

Well I got the truck right-side up now - lol

Wish I could get it 4 ft in the air . This crawling around the floor to sand , file , fit , weld is killing my back . It seems like it’s taking a lifetime to get this done . But I do walk away from it for a day or two sometimes . Now I have the inner rocker piece welded in I will go ahead and treat the rest of the rocker while I have access to it . I’ll run a wire brush down the rocker to get the scale stuff off and then treat it and paint . Then I can tack on outer . 
The drivers side came out okay . Need to coat the inside with some metal preserve goop so it won’t rust ——as fast .

Edited December 2, 2023 by Madkaw

[Madkaw]

Passenger side tacked in ! It didn’t seem quicker the second time around but the results seem a bit better . Now the bondo work . I actually use duraglass for the first coat . 

[NC85ST]

Nice work! Too bad you didn’t keep it flipped over, would have definitely been easier to work on. LOL