Trouble starting

[cseger1]

Well I got the compression test done. From the firewall to the grille its 145 160 207 260. Bummer. I guess its time for a new top end. Any suggestions as to a piston, sleeve and ring kit? DIY or shop? I am getting sick of this task so I may take it to a shop. Stimulate the economy a little.

[asavage]

Low-miles engine, eh?

If it's been sitting a while, have you checked the valve lash to see if they're tight? If they are, could be rust on the valves from sitting. Temporarily open up the lash to something (exact amount is not critical, just make sure you have a few thousandths lash, but do use the normal adjustment procedure, ie do turn the engine to the correct place to do the adjustment).

I've had two engines ,that had sat, come in with tight valves. Opening them up, getting it started, then readjusting them later did help.

If you have the budget, having someone else do the work is nice for a change.

OTOH, if you had that kind of budget, you would probably not be playing with a 25-yr-old truck.

Most shops do not want to get involved with engine internals anymore -- it ties up a service bay whilst the machining operations are sub'd out, and esp. with older/niche rigs, parts availability (and correctness) can kill the profit, chasing parts, RMA-ing wrong parts.

Additionally, no shop will have the correct puller for the sleeves removal/installation. Overbore means complete teardown, and no shop will put your old crank brgs back in, few will want to learn about how to correctly time the IP, etc. etc.

You are going to have a hard time finding someone to do that job, period.

The sleeves-n-pistons part can be done with the engine in the truck, but it's not fun. The oil pan must come off to access the rod bolts to pull the rod/piston assys out to change the pistons/rings, even if you decide to not replace the sleeves.

If you pull the engine yourself and hand it to a shop, you might be able to find one to re-ring or replace the pistons/sleeves/rings. Maybe. But expect the warranty to be quite limited, as unless they can run it and verify the IP timing, if a piston melts the warranty situation is hopeless, since you don't know if it was a bad piston, abuse, or wrong IP timing melting the piston crown. See what I mean?

I have two new piston/sleeve/ring sets available for sale. They are not Nissan, they're aftermarket (there's a thread here somewhere with pics).

I also have that SD22 for sale that needs a water pump, IP, and niggling other stuff. If you get serious about it, I'll take a compression test. It's a used engine and most used SDs use some oil, but it's a runner, given another IP.

Beyond that -- economically, how attached are you to this truck? Doing anything on the inside is expensive, even if you do it yourself (if you count your time).

If you have little to lose, and live out in the country where you can do this kind of thing, consider getting a friend to push you & the truck up to speed (like 30 MPH), then wave your hand out the window, your friend brakes hard to get out of your way, you continue to roll for a bit to get some clearance of of your friend, and you engage the clutch in 3rd gear. Do the GP preheat while you're being pushed. Never engage the clutch while being pushed, you will only bend things; only engage clutch when you're coasting.

I don't know if you will get it started that way, but it's the only thing left to try that's cheap and easy. And you can do multiple runs too. But you can't do this sort of thing in the city. If there is something that is "temporarily" reducing compression (ie stuck rings that could be freed without disassembly, or a rat's nest in the intake -- don't laugh, I've seen it more than once), if you spin it fast enough it might light off, and once lit the compression numbers may change. If you get it lit, and run it a minute or so, re-adjust the valves lash and re-do the compression test. If the numbers are above 350 then, you have something to work with. If not . . . add time & dollars.

[cseger1]

I'll have to try the push starting Al. I live out in the country and i could do it up and down in front of my house all day without getting hassled.


But I've got the head off now. I figured with the coolant in the oil pan I was looking at a head gasket problem. I was hoping it would be obvious if it was blown. It looked pretty good.

Can I tell looking down on the piston what kind of shape the rings are in? The motor is pretty gooky and I couldn't see much past the piston dome. The cyl walls look pretty good though. No scratches, no rust. With as torn down as she is right now I am thinking I should drop the oil pan and fish out the pistons.

AAAAAaargh.

[asavage]

But I've got the head off now. I figured with the coolant in the oil pan I was looking at a head gasket problem. I was hoping it would be obvious if it was blown. It looked pretty good.

Could be a cracked head.

However, the oil coolers rust and leak on these things too. Mine leaked coolant to the outside, but seeing the condition some of the SD oils coolers I've seen have been in, it's possible to leak coolant to the inside, I'd think.

Can I tell looking down on the piston what kind of shape the rings are in?

Not a chance, sorry.

With as torn down as she is right now I am thinking I should drop the oil pan and fish out the pistons.

AAAAAaargh.

Yeah . . . this is how they end up behind the garage, until you have to move, and then you give it away. In fact, that's how that '84 Maxima Sedan ended up in the JY; the father & son worked on it for a while, then son lost interest, and that was it: a very nice, low miles Sedan now being scrapped.

[cseger1]

Ouch! Thats a bad thought. I'm kind of dedicated to this little truck so I think I am going to look around for a willing rebuilder. I called a guy in Houston that is happy to take on the job. He's giving me a quote later today.

Al, is one of your rebuild kits for sale?

[asavage]

I don't have a whole engine kit, just the hard part: new piston/sleeve/rings sets. I have two sets of four (enough to do two engines). See this thread for details.