Hey guys,

I have once again come into a few problems with the old Patrol.

First Question: my battery does not seem to be holding a charge. It is only good for a few quick turns of the starter and then it lacks the power to turn it over again. Do you think that the time my neg cable melted of that the battery could have been damaged? It is a brand new Napa battery? Is there a good way to test it?

Question 2: This might be for Fudd; I went to crank the engine over the other day (with hand crank) and it would not budge at all. I mean I really leaned into it too??? Then I used to bronco to jump start the battery and it turned over fine with the starter and started right up. Any idea what might cause a stoping in the engine like that? Could my starter be locking up or something?

Question 3: I noticed that there seems to be a slight ticking sound in the lower oil pan. When you are in the truck you can hardly hear it but if you crawl under the truck when it is idling you can hear it quite clearly. Would an oil pump make that kind of noise? Is is a bearing going? I just don't feel like putting a new engine in the Pat unless it is REALLY needed so if I can fix what that is now then I would do it in a second.

Thanks for any opinions,

Jason

quote:

---

Originally posted by jmcallis:
First Question: my battery does not seem to be holding a charge. It is only good for a few quick turns of the starter and then it lacks the power to turn it over again. Do you think that the time my neg cable melted of that the battery could have been damaged? It is a brand new Napa battery? Is there a good way to test it?
Thanks for any opinions,
Jason

---

..
jmcallis:

... Can you take the battery back to napa for a test and maybe an exchange? If you jumped it ... seems like the battery or the conection would be bad. Did you try backing the timing just a little?

Have a good one and CUL.. Don S..

'99 4x4 3.3 KC & '04 Sentra
'99 4x4 4.7 WJ & '76 4x4 FSJ

Battery: I know some is obvious but make sure it is clean on the posts and tight, if loose it will drain it or not charge. If cables shopw any damage or wear replace them. Obviously make sure you have checked the belt. Possibly a wire on the ALT got knocked off doing other work? Corroded wires on the ALT? Maybe the ALT just went down...? If the ALT is dead it won't charge the battery and then it will be dead and need to be jumped. I had to deal with this 2-3 months on my 64, it was a combo of crappy connections on battery and a mixxed up wire on the new ALT.

CRANK: Was the motor at TDC? It has to be at TDC on #1 to be hand cranked. Yet, it should not make it freeze up if not. yes the starter can sieze but this is not likely. It wasn't it gear was it? If the starter is turning fine for a jump it should be ok.

NOISE: Yes an oil pump might click if going down, not likely though. How is pressure? Has it got hot recently? Usually if the pump failing pressure will be all over the place or low. When was the last time you had the oil pan off? Might be a good idea to check and make sure something isn't floating around down in there. I had something floating in my vavle cover when I bought the 64. It made a click sound as the valves hit the small chunk of steel. Maybe it is related to the starter and a small piece of the gears has broken off and is in the bottom of the pan...? You could have a bearing going on the crank. if so it needs repair right now not 50 miles from now. If you let it go serious damage could be done man, same with the oil pump...hate to see it on a stock motor. I could be wrong but I would drop the pan if I was you and look see. You can get a new pump for not much. The motor can be rebuilt in the truck but better not to. All parts are available.

Get the battery and alt tested at any parts store...they'll do it for free.


1998 Frontier 4x4, 2002 Xterra 4x4, 1983 280ZXT, and a ratty old Sentra
Remember, Grow the Nissan Community and stand up for ORV user rights!
Card Carrying M.E.S.A Member (Modified Easterly SWANKy Associates)

quote:

---

Originally posted by Desert Rat:
Get the battery and alt tested at any parts store...they'll do it for free.

)

---

Yeah, I'll take it in on Sat. The battery could be weak. I did notice that the terminals were quite loose, I just gave a little wiggle to the neg cable and unhooked it. So that could account for the lack of charging.

Fudd, that ticking sound. How much for a oil pan gasket? Can I just use the blue gasket crap? How about availibility of the oil pump? Do you have a solid used or new one if it is bad? I sort of recall that my oil prussure has been going up and down of late. I have a mechanical gauge (the afterfactory type with an oil filled plastic tube to the back of the gauge). Also Fudd, I'll take a valve cover gasket if you have one too. I was going to adjust the valves. Do you have the specs for that job? Any recommendations I should follow before I begin?

The crank? Do I always need to have the engine in TDC to start it? I didn't know that, what is the best way to tell without having to pull the distr? Yeah, I think I might have been in gear ( ) when I tried to start it before.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Don S: Did you try backing the timing just a little?

---

Just to elaborate on that a little bit, ignition that is too far advanced can cause the engine to jerk while being started. As if somebody is stopping it all of a sudden, then letting it go.

When hand cranking, it can actually jump back a good 1/3 of a turn! Enough to break your wrist. Trust me, I made mine a bit sore that way...

Battery: most defianately loose cables will cause a lack of charge, happened to me on the 64 with a new ALT. Put in new cables if you have not, make sure ends and next to new, tighten em down and spray them. Also I found out today the value of a battery isolator. I was getting some 4wdin' in with the 64 in my driveway. Whole motor is freshly rebuilt now so have to try and play a bit before it leaves Wyo. Any ways, was making high marks with my tires on 10ft tall snow banks in the yard. Hit one 65% graded bank fast and got a good 8+ feet up it, this snow too. Any ways at the top I slammed the lip and bounce the tires up off the ground about a foot. Landed rolled back down and it was dead. I sent the battery flying around in the box under the seat and it made the cable get removed. This an Optima so no biggie but for serious off-roading in a P-troll you need the battery isolated for sure.

Yes I have a good used oil pump, or it was good when removed. Yes you can use RVT gasket maker but use a high temp on the oil pan, a cork made gasket is better, I have them in stock both in OEM and NOS. I have valve cover gaskets, NOS. I have the specs, in a book. Don't adhust them until you get the specs unless they are still on the valve cover. Email me for pricing and all that jazz...

I think if I can recall right it will have a flat spot or a soft spot where the motor rests for TDC. Meaning as you turn it over with the crank it will be very hard to do until you get to TDC then it has a small spot where it turns kinda freely. It has been 10 years since I did it and hard to remember. Jon is right too, it can be dangerous and once learned shuld only be used when needed. Not to show it off to your friends as this is when karma bites you and you get hurt!

Ok guys, I had a few gains today in the grubby snow! Yeah my terminal need some serious love. Sure enough I just pulled the cable out of the positive lead terminal end. And it was covered in corrosion. Turns out that I was able to super clean it with a wire brush and now the battery seems good again. I cold started today in about 25 degrees with no problem at all.

OK, the noise that was in the lower part of the engine it totaly gone. I was working on trying to get my GRUBBY rochester carb dialed in and so forth and the tapping noise never came back. I changed up the oil just in case but there seems to be nothing wrong.

Fudd or John, is there a proceedure you went through to dial in the Rochester carb? There is still too much hesitation when I put the pedal down from idle. Also there seems to be a lack of power. Do you unhook the vac advance when tuning? Do you start from a certain RPM, do you tune the idle screw first then the air mixture?

Coat that terminal in white lithium grease to help prevent the crud.


1998 Frontier 4x4, 2002 Xterra 4x4, 1983 280ZXT, and a ratty old Sentra
Remember, Grow the Nissan Community and stand up for ORV user rights!
Card Carrying M.E.S.A Member (Modified Easterly SWANKy Associates)

Mine does it too. I have found that you can open the choke TOO wide open. Try closing the choke out just the slightest bit. Maybe move the knob about 1/4" That usually does the trick for mine, and it doesnt run rich either.

As far as tuning the carb, mine never seemed to change as I adjusted the idle mixture screw. Only when it was tightened down all the way or loosened up all the way.

Well my Patrol runs very rich. There is black unburned fuel flying out of the exhaust pipe. I cover the cars that are parked next to me if I rev the engine.

I'm starting to think that the rochester is malfuntioning or something. I might just go talk to a carb guy in PHX if I can find one.

We need to adapt a Pathfinder TBI setup, or even a 300zx MP EFI to an old patrol..

The nice thing about older Nissan EFI systems is that it can be easily adapted to run ANYTHING. These are batchfire systems that inject fuel once per engine revolution. ECUs are similar between 4 and 6 cyl models and wiring into the truck is easy.. with only 6 wires needed between the EFI system and the vehicle. I would suggest an ecu from 85-87 to make things easy.. these ecus will run with hardly any sensors connected.. and will default to a safe mode if you remove critical components. The code/self diagnosis is easy to work with to diagnose problematic components.

jm, you are halfway there with the distributor mod you did. Toss in a 280zx turbo distributor. That would then sense crank angle and could control an EFI system and ignition. Add an ECU from a 300ZX to control ignition and an O2 sensor in the exhaust pipe. All you need then is a means to inject fuel. TBI might work.. or drill a spare manifold to accept injectors and mount the throttle body where the old carb was. If the manifold is aluminum, this could be done easily. I got my 510 to run on a minimal EFI system.. and it runs GREAT! There is only one vacuum line on it.. and only a few parts that are needed to make it work (dist w/ internal crank angle sensor, Throttle body w/ throttle position sensor, Mass air flow meter, O2 sensor, and water temp sensor). You could grab all these from a yard for under $100.

The only other thing you will need is a high pressure fuel pump and a return line back to the fuel tank. Get a 280zx turbo pump.. its external to the tank and can be bolted to the underside of the truck.

I even have a spare maxima ECU you could have if you want to try this.

What I think woudl be cool is an injection block that sits where the stock carb sits.. and uses standard Nissan fuel injectors to meter fuel. Basically a very very simple TBI.

Get a Optima, no more corrosion. At least that's what i've been told. Mine has been in for 6 months or so with no corrosion.

Mr. Will

SHIFT_into a rock

Datz, you bring up a lot of stuff I have been trying to come up with myself, but I lack the experience with the sensors. I have complete access to a total 280zx turbo. I have even made my conversion (distributor) with the turbo distributor and its module already. I can grab a 280 fuel pump, did it have a EFI? Or was it a fuel rail. I will take the Maxima ECU if you have it. I know that I could get a lot of parts and sensors from the bunch of Maximas (old ones) from a junk yard on Broadway. I even grabed one of those distributors already. Maybe this weekend we could make a list of things for me to check for and I'll build the list. The bottom line I REALY want to go fuel injection. I'm realy sick of carbs!

Ok.. I can help you out with that.. The only tricky part will be sealing up the manifold.. but will really jsut involve making a plate that the throttle body and MAF will bolt to. Some creative welding work and some 3-3.5" exhaust pipe should do the trick.

Do you have access to any spare intake manifolds and do you knwo if they are aluminum or iron?