Al Savage's 1983 Sentra 2D CD17

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TheDieseliminator
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Location: Florence, AZ

#46

Post by TheDieseliminator »

Hey Al, I know I haven't been on the forum in a while but I wanted to congratulate you on the new purchase. Now you can say you've owned all three Nissan diesel vehicles that came into the country, the 720, the Maxima, and now the Sentra. I wouldn't expect that thing to get any less than 45 mpg and is probably a lot nicer in many ways then a Rabbit diesel (even though I've never driven either one). I still got the Maxima but took it off the road back in January because it needs a lot of work. I may think about selling it either as a whole or a parts vehicle and I'll make sure I post it on the classifieds here first before Ebay or Craigslist. Good luck with your Sentra diesel and I'm sure you're loving the fuel mpg!

Sal
1982 Datsun Maxima diesel wagon w/ 228k miles
*occasional daily driver*

1982 Datsun Maxima diesel sedan w/ 252k miles
*now off the road as a parts car and sent to the yard :( *
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asavage
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#47

Post by asavage »

Mark is homebrewing small quantities of biodiesel, and I've decided to use his stuff in this rig, when he has enough to go around. So this tank is the first BD for it since I've acquired it.

Newest mileage: 840 miles, 17.2 gallons = 48+ MPG on petrodiesel.

The tank is around 8.5 gallons capacity, but I put exactly 2 + 2 + 4 gallons of petrodiesel in over the course of ten days or so, waiting for Mark to make enough BD to make a real tankful -- that's how we got to 17.2G for this calc.

We filled it this morning from 5 gallon jerry jugs, so the exact amount on this tank fill is somewhat estimated, but I think we put in about 9.2 gallons (into an 8.5 gallon tank, ie filled until fuel ran down the side of the car). The numbers are on the conservative side. I'm still over my 42 MPG target, and I've been driving less conservatively.

I expect the mileage to drop, as I'll be running the headlights more as daylight diminishes, and I expect some MPG drop due to the biodiesel.

This engine is small enough that loading the alternator makes a noticeable difference. When I hold the manual GP down, I get more engine braking -- it's not subtle. I use this when descending my steep driveway in the morning on a cold start.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
goglio704
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Location: East Tennessee

#48

Post by goglio704 »

asavage wrote:This engine is small enough that loading the alternator makes a noticeable difference. When I hold the manual GP down, I get more engine braking -- it's not subtle. I use this when descending my steep driveway in the morning on a cold start.
At that rate, air conditioning could produce whiplash. :lol: :wink:
Matt B.

83 Maxima Sedan, LD28, 5 speed, white, 130k miles. My original Maxima.
83 Maxima Sedan converted from gasser, LD28, 5 speed, 2 tone blue, 230k miles
82 Maxima Sedan, LD28, 3 speed auto, 2 tone Gray/Silver, 140k miles
81 810 Sedan, LD28, 3 speed auto, rust, rust, and more rust!

2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
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asavage
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#49

Post by asavage »

Started poorly with lots of misfiring today, misfiring and smoke that would not clear up by pushing the GP button.

Removed the GP bus, did a current draw test on each GP: Nos. 2 & 3 are dead.

Closest stock seems to be Sacramento, CA. at $31 ea.

------------------------

Since the engine is warm and I have two GPs out already, time to do a compression test.

Using the Snap-On 3545B GP adapter and the 45° adapter on all cyls.

1 = 440
2 = 410
3 = 360
4 = 350


I told you this engine is worn out.

Anyone have a source for CD17 GPs? What I have are OEM 6.5v units. NGK or Bosch are OK with me. No Champion or Autolite. Used would be ideal.

Back to driving the Aero until I can come up with a couple of GPs.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
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leadpaw
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Joined: 16 years ago
Location: northern california

#50

Post by leadpaw »

i have a few used ngk gps right now

all ive done to them is a continuity check and they came out good. I wrongly changed them when a glow relay gave up.

pm me if you want em.
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1985 diesel sentra
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leadpaw
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Location: northern california

#51

Post by leadpaw »

Hows this car coming? did ya find the glow plugs you needed?
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1985 diesel sentra
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asavage
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#52

Post by asavage »

Yeah, I bought them new.

I've put 8k miles on the Sentra, and put about three cases of oil through it. It would not start for about two months, during the time I was hospitalized and then afterward. I had it so flooded from trying to start, that I had to have a friend push it up to 30 before I could fire it off. But I've run it another 1k since then. The engine is very tired, and the clutch is on its last leg too. But I drive it most every day.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
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asavage
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#53

Post by asavage »

Lost two more GPs. Have had to push-start it or use a hill three times in the past two days, so I pulled the GP bar and sure enough: Nos. 2 & 3 are open. No. 2 is one of the "new" ones I put in a few months ago, so the manual GP button really is a GP killer.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
rlaggren
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Joined: 17 years ago
Location: San Francisco

#54

Post by rlaggren »

Al,

For general info, which plugs did you use and how many seconds do you think you usually heated them? I'm thinking that since you know these systems you probably kept to a max burn time and it might be good info to know for the future - a "don't go here" for those particular plugs.

From what I've read here (I think) common rule of thumb is/was 10-12 seconds was sorta OK, but no more. But it must vary by the plug.

Rufus
82 Maxima wagon
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asavage
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#55

Post by asavage »

rlaggren wrote:For general info, which plugs did you use . . .
They're NGK brand, the two I put in were new a few months ago.

The CD17 uses a GP that is different from (and not interchangeable with) the ones used in the Maxima, and also different from the SD GPs.
. . . and how many seconds do you think you usually heated them?
I've been letting the OEM system glow in the morning, and when it drops to reduced voltage (I have an indicating lamp on the dash next to my manual button), I push the manual button and count to ten. A couple of times I counted slow so it may have been twelve seconds -- in addition to the OEM period which is around eight seconds.

I only pulled one of the two bad ones today -- the "new" one that burned out -- and it has only a very small blistered area showing, nothing like the gaping hole in my SD22 GPs when they burn out.

So, I'm guessing that (8 + 12 = ) twenty seconds is too long for the CD17 NGK GPs. Really, that's not a surprise, based on previous experience. I would expect the GPs in the Maxima to react the same way, but NOT the GPs in the SD22 Type I system, which are not fast glow like the Maxima and Sentra. The SD25 in the later trucks are Type II and ARE fast glow systems and would be similary sensitive to over-glowing.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
rlaggren
Posts: 541
Joined: 17 years ago
Location: San Francisco

#56

Post by rlaggren »

Thanks for the info. I didn't think immediately about the affect of adding onto the automatic system.

I've got an 07-08 Denso glow plug catalog w/more than you'd want to know about the things. One interesting note is that the temperature curves they show have the plug reaching final heat (and then leveling off) only after 12 seconds. And they don't show any maximum on-time in their graphs, although I guess that's not the point of sales literature... <g>

I'll upload it if you want it.

Rufus
82 Maxima wagon
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asavage
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Sold Jun2010

#57

Post by asavage »

Putting this here to complete the thread: I sold this to Bill in Jun2010. He flew out to Seattle and drove it home (Miami?). After I sent him on his way, I never heard from him again. I wonder if he made it.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
Sleestak
Posts: 18
Joined: 8 years ago
Location: Hillsville, VA

Re: Al Savage's 1983 Sentra 2D CD17

#58

Post by Sleestak »

I've watched this before and wondered if it was the one you had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHcLMjtWmW0[/youtube]
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asavage
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Re: Al Savage's 1983 Sentra 2D CD17

#59

Post by asavage »

Good find!

Yes, that was my car. I just watched his eight-part youtube vids on his trip. Bill mentions how thrifty the Sentra was, but he never mentions how much engine oil it used.

I drove that car Seattle<->Portland many times, and know well how the oil consumption went way up at highway speeds. It was seriously worn out, that engine, and the clutch was juuuuuust about done.

Nostalgic . . . but I'm glad I gave it away. I got my two years from it, and it was time to be someone else's adventure :)
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
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