[DickyDck]

So some of the regulars here know I got another Xterra, another one with SMOD damage so I'll be rebuilding the transmission for a new project and transferring most of the body armor from the other one over to this one. This will be my thread going from start to finish!

For starters, I drove it around today and it drives good except.... it doesn't ever get out of first gear so there is definitely some valve body issues from the SMOD. In the meantime I started on some easy things like finding out what that noise is when I turn on the A/C

 

[DickyDck]

New radiator in!

 

[DickyDck]

going to call a company tomorrow to make sure they are real, but if they are I'm getting the titan front end suspension swap kit!

 

[DickyDck]

Went on a wheeling trip Friday night up Union Springs/Flagpole Knob. Got stuck a few times but was able to re-establish a line and get up some rocks. Also went through some pretty deep ass streams since it was raining its ass off. Has made me decide to do an electric fan swap. Glad I have my old old radiator from the first Xterra, I can mock up an aluminum shroud and figure out how many fans to put in there. Most of the Titan kits I've seen are dual fans that go on stock radiators, so I think dual fans on an aftermarket 2-row aluminum radiaotr should be good as long as I get some strong puller fans.

 

[MeToo]

Don't get the SPAL 12 pullers. I have them and they are noisy as all get-out!

Some sage advice from @RacerXXL:
Why he did it:

Need help with a couple things I found

I bet that was one of those "Oh S%#@, I can't believe that just F'ing happened!" moments. The look on both your faces was epic I would imagine. Hahahaha!!! You have no idea. I spent a large portion of my adult life working in professional motorsports as an engine builder and chassis mechanic...

www.clubxterra.org

Picture of his setup:

Need help with a couple things I found

Hello all, newbie here so if I'm doing something wrong on the forum just tell me. So I'm working on a 2001 SE 2WD, 3.3L V6 Xterra we bought for my step daughter. I'm in the middle of the tear down and replacement of the value covers. It sounds like that is a common thing. I've been watching all...

www.clubxterra.org

My twins just before attaching them to a pair of ¾" square tubing that I bolted to the body. They work well, just loud. Yep, no shroud, just fans. They are about ¼" to ½" from the fins, and I now have an SC radiator ready to install (just like @RacerXXL has) when I do the t-belt service later this month or next.

 

[DickyDck]

do the 12" span the whole radiator vertically?

 

[MeToo]

No. Using measurements like this from RA, I chose the 12" size to keep from going past the side edges. If I were to do it again, I'd get 14" fans and not worry about the extra 13/16" (about 3/8" for each) that they'd hang over the left and right edges.

 

[MeToo]

Since messing with the instrument cluster recently, which means that I pulled the needles off and didn't get them back just right, I've been using my ODB to watch live data. That includes the coolant temps.

Even with only one 12" fan running on a fairly warm day (mid-eighties) and driving for about 15 minutes at 65-70, then another 10-15 at slow speeds, it never overheated. The coolant sensor I added turns on at 190°F, the temp will stay at 190 for a while before it turns on, and always turns on before it reaches 191. It'll turn off only after reaching 189 or maybe 188. The t-stat is a 180.

While driving, the temp stays between 186 and 194, never higher, and is more often between 190-192. This is with the stock radiator and only one 12" fan allowed to turn on via the sensor.

There is also a 14" pusher that came from my 2001 before I put it up for sale. It is mounted in front on the left (driver's) side of the AC radiator. It runs if the AC is on, or if I turn it on manually. When I turn the 12" fans off and turn on the 14" (with or w/o AC on), the coolant stays in the same range. The nice thing is it's quieter, which is nice in a drive-thru. It's not controlled by the coolant temp sensor, so I have to turn it off if it's not needed.

Because they make so much noise, I expect that eventually they will grow into 14" fans that will be quieter or they'll be returned until I find some that are.

Choose well, Grasshoppa!

 

[DickyDck]

I was thinking 2 different sized ones, a smaller 10 and a larger 14. Having the 10 come on at a lower temperature and the 14 at a more normal higher temperature. I also run the beefy 2 row radiators which work great. by chance could you take a picture of your pusher fan for the condenser? neither of mine have one, maybe its only a gen 1 thing since mine are gen 2?

 

[DickyDck]

looks like behind the bumper this may have been in a front end collision, doesn't matter since the frame appears to be intact and all this is going away with the transfer of off road parts. Titan front end swap has also been ordered!

 

[MeToo]

I was thinking 2 different sized ones, a smaller 10 and a larger 14. Having the 10 come on at a lower temperature and the 14 at a more normal higher temperature. I also run the beefy 2 row radiators which work great. by chance could you take a picture of your pusher fan for the condenser? neither of mine have one, maybe its only a gen 1 thing since mine are gen 2?

Here's what it looked like while still on the 2001 while I was replacing the t-belt, both before the accident and after, with the 2004 next to it.

Behind the grille of the 2004 while it still had the stinger bumper:

Bumper cover in the process of being installed:

 

[DickyDck]

I wonder why the gen 2 stopped using a condenser fan, I feel like it would only help with cooling and A/C

 

[MeToo]

Gen 1 stopped using it before it became Gen 1½. And they weren't on all trim levels, either. My 2001 was a top-of-the-line SE: sunroof, fancy radio, leather steering wheel with Cruise and Audio controls, etc. etc.

In mid-model year 2001, Nissan had dealer techs remove any AC pusher fans from unsold stock and return them to Nissan. I forget the numbers, but basically they found that the fans were used less than 5% of the time that the AC was in use. They were controlled by inputs from the AC, road speed, and other data to turn them on only when needed. So the 2001 that I got with one on it was sold before they were cancelled.

 

[DickyDck]

More little things while taking breaks from work.

 

[MeToo]

Don't forget to spray a clear with UV inhibitors. Otherwise you'll be doing it regularly.

 

[DickyDck]

oh yeah, I have a bottle of headlight coating I used on it after buffing, much cheaper than getting a restorer kit that gives you some presoaked cloth with the stuff.

C3 Headlight Ceramic Polycarbonate Coating - Power Cube 5yr Warranty 30ml bottle Free applicator and Microfiber towel : Automotive

Buy C3 Headlight Ceramic Polycarbonate Coating - Power Cube 5yr Warranty 30ml bottle Free applicator and Microfiber towel: Headlight Restoration Kits - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[DickyDck]

in case anyone is thinking about doing a Navarra D40 snorkel on their Gen 2, it isn't quite a perfect match up...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E4J5VCA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am handy enough to make it work but it is not a quick and easy task. Fortunately I have a part Xterra I am testing it out on before putting it on the new X. The lower piece does not conform to the fender as expected. Googling images of a Navara the front fender is indeed contoured differently. I will be cutting out sections and plastic welding them back shut to conform to our model.

 

[DickyDck]

So as I was under x#1 this morning looking at things, the leaf springs caught my eye. I bought shackles to lift this when I acquired the vehicle, and now that I looked at x#3 closer #1 had add-a-leaf springs on it. The previous owner must have out these on. Guess I’ll be transferring these over to #3 when I have it ready!




05 Base model X

07 Off Road X

 

[RacerXXL]

Helper spring common on Gen2 when the leaf pack flattens out.