Today, the '83 Wagon sucked up the whole thing.
asavage wrote:Oh, the CC doesn't work. The console light lights up, but no action. Most likely another vacuum leak to sort out.
Hose was off the vacuum tree on the top of the vacuum pump. Haven't tested it yet, but I'm guessing that will fix it.
asavage wrote:Balljoints are tight, no zerks. Both inner tie rod ends loose.
Boy, was I wrong.
I had both front tires off today, swapping on alloys. Right inner tie rod end is bad, the boot's bad, and the rack is leaking on that end (I've said all that before).
However, both balljoints are loose, and the left one is
very loose. How I missed that one, I don't know. Outer tie rod ends are good.
All the v-belts are new. More on this . . .
I began today by planning to swap on two different tires to the front, then drive it to ascertain if the vibration at 50+ diminished. I never got that far, however.
First, I swapped on two alloy wheels/tires. Found the balljoints issue. Adjusted tire pressures, locked up shop and backed it out to go drive it on the highway. Bang, the PS belt snaps. Let this be a lesson to you: don't try /(as I did) to shortcut the correct way to change the LD28 PS belt. Last year, I had jammed/forced it in, instead of removing the fan clutch and water pump sheave. And the belt lasted about ten miles.
So I walk over to the parts store, get a new belt (Gates, in stock!). At first, the counterman said he didn't have it and then I said, "you didn't ask a key question.". He looked at me and said, (altogether now, you've
all heard this one many times by now) "It isn't a
diesel, is it?". When we got that straightened out, he had the correct belt after all!
Walked back to the shop, pulled the fan clutch, sheave. Tip: leave alt. belt on to provide tension to aid in removing fan clutch nuts (10mm wrench). Use ratchet/22mm socket on alternator nut to turn engine over to get each nut to 12 o'clock.
Installed new PS belt, reinstalled sheave and alt. belt, put all four fan clutch nuts on one at a time, got distracted by a customer coming round to the back of our (closed) shop, and when I got back to the job
I had forgotten that I hadn't tightened the fan clutch nuts. Yup, you know how this story ends you think, but it's worse than that even . . .
Meanwhile, I keep looking at this major leaking valve cover gasket, and thinking how easy it would be to solve that oil leak while I've got the time and the gasket in hand (have had the VC gasket for over a year, Fel-Pro).
Fel-Pro VC gasket VS 50215 R (box says, "Replaces 13270-V0702")
from RockAuto.com, $14
from NAPA online, $17
Victor VS38333 (NAPA NGAVS38333)
from NAPA, $19
OEM 13270-V0702
from nismoparts.com, $26
So I pull the VC. One hose to the Crankcase Depression Regulator (or whatever Nissan calls it), disconnect accel cable to IP at the cable sheave and move it off to one side, and eight 10mm head bolts, cover comes right off.
A bit of work with a couple of cans of brake cleaner . . .
BTW, this is where
that special valve adjust wrench comes in handy, if you're adjusting the valves (which I didn't). Or, use a 17mm crowsfoot adapter, as Matt mentioned.
And a whole lot more work (like 40 minutes) on the valve cover itself, mostly with the Castrol SuperClean, and finishing up with a can of brake cleaner . . . .
Next problem: the VC bolts have rubber seals in the washers. The FSM doesn't show them very well, but the Parts Catalogue does. They are
13275-V0700, $2.58 each.
The Fel-Pro and Victor VC gaskets do not come with those seals, and they're hard as a rock on this Wagon. FLAPS had no suggestion, so I went to the hardware store and got creative: faucet washers, "1/4M", 0.39 ea. and
in stock.
Had to remove the sholders of the hard-as-a-rock OEM seal washer material, so the faucet washers would have a flat sealing surface. A 15/64 bit run through the center of each washer makes it just thread on the bolt -- don't over-drill.
Those washers "squish" well when installed. They are not terribly oil resistant, I'll bet, so I don't expect them to last years and years.
With the VC back on, I locked up the shop for like the fourth time and drove it to the car wash, hosed down the engine of all the loose oil from running with the leaking VC gasket over the past year. Also determined that the wiper blades aren't, anymore.
Drove 1/2 mi. to the biodiesel trailer, was able to force two whole gallons ($7.50) of BD into the tank, slopped some on the side of the Wagon too. This Wagon had a full tank of fuel when I got it, I've used less than two gallons in the 14 mos. since I got it. The fuel is years old, and I wanted to mix some BD in it.
Drove away from the BD trailer, got about a mile, and the fan came off into the radiator. Tore up the fan shroud too, swiped a bunch of radiator fins but no leaks --I don't know why not. Eventually got it back to the shop, walked to the FLAPS again, picked up a studs kit to replace the four bent and mangled studs on the water pump (and one wiper blade, they only had one). An hour later, I had the studs replaced and the fan back on.
Lock up the shop for like the sixth time today, get in the Wagon and glow it, and "click". Dead starter. If you know the beginning of the saga of this Wagon, you know that Myrna had several people try to help her get it running, and at some point someone stole the starter. It got replaced but I had noticed that it was through-bolted at the top. Well, I had to remove the starter now, and I found that it was through-bolted both top
and bottom.
Worse, when I got it out, it turns out to be not an LD starter! I'm guessing here, but my guess is that it's a 2.4l or 280Z starter. And worse yet, one of the correct starter mounting bolts is hanging in the trans cooler lines, and when I clean it up, it's got aluminum thread bits in the threads. So the trans' holes are likely stripped. Hence the through-bolts. Sigh.
I get it up on the bench, and yup, this is the
fourth bad solenoid on Nissan starters that I've had in, what three months? Sigh.
So, I spent all day on this Wagon and never did get to test the cruise control nor determine if tire balance is my high speed vibration. And now the Wagon will have to suffer the indignity of being
pushed out of the shop tomorrow, because I need the bay for real, paying work.
Steve, I tried man, I really tried. I'll get to it, eventually.