Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

:lol: That's why I'm still debating what to do with my Toyota. I love how damn good it is offroad, but driving it on the streets is painful with the spool in the rear. That was a mistake. But I don't take it out much anymore. In the last 18 months I've taken it out maybe 3 times. Maybe I should just sell it. Or maybe I should invest some more money into it to make it tolerable to drive on road. Like a real locker for starters. And some bumpers and quick remove mudflaps, so I don't have to worry about getting pulled over again. Etc.
A locker would make a world of difference. One of my coworkers had a 4Runner, same body style as yours, with a locker in the back and it was tolerable for a DD. I'm not sure what brand/model locker he had though. It was fairly smooth and quiet in corners.
 
Ugh, I need to clean out all my crap from the XJ before selling it.

That is the worst part of selling a car.

Really? You guys have that much junk in your cars?

People always tell me my car is impeccably neat and clean, but I didn't think anyone's was so dirty it would actually be a chore worth talking about if you were to sell it or just clean it out. I only have maybe a dozen small items in my car which I can empty out in ten minutes.

This is especially true in my current car since the GTI has almost no storage space in the cabin. The glovebox is very shallow when closed, the ashtray is predictably quite small and the cubby in the center armrest is almost non-existant and can only fit a few coins and maybe a keychain. Even though I keep very little junk in my car, I actually had to ditch half of them when I got my current auto.
 
Really? You guys have that much junk in your cars?

People always tell me my car is impeccably neat and clean, but I didn't think anyone's was so dirty it would actually be a chore worth talking about if you were to sell it or just clean it out. I only have maybe a dozen small items in my car which I can empty out in ten minutes.

This is especially true in my current car since the GTI has almost no storage space in the cabin. The glovebox is very shallow when closed, the ashtray is predictably quite small and the cubby in the center armrest is almost non-existant and can only fit a few coins and maybe a keychain. Even though I keep very little junk in my car, I actually had to ditch half of them when I got my current auto.

I don't keep much crap in my car either, I could empty it in 30 seconds. Then it would just take a few minutes to vacuum the carpet and seats and beat out the floormats.

Washing the exterior takes much longer and is much more annoying.
 
I actually had quite a good time cleaning my old Fiesta when I sold it, making everything look shiny and new, and fixing the little things that didn't work but never bothered fixing before... And the cool thing is that the buyer actually noticed the cleanup, which might have helped the sale :)
 
Blind, did you have the transmission lube changed after you got the truck, or do you have records indicating a change was ever performed? I've got a suspicion of what it might be.

As for the clutch, provide them with the bits and talk to them about it - it's only a tiny bit more labor while they're at it.

I had the car inspected when I got it. The transmission had been done but the diffs had not, the previous owner was very up front about that. Also my mechanic checked the fluids and confirmed that the gear oil in the transmission was new, but the diffs needed servicing.
 
I've set my sights on an olive green W116 with some minor work (because it has been standing still for a couple of years), they're only asking ?2000 but I'm probably never going to be able to pay for maintenance etc. :(
 
I had the car inspected when I got it. The transmission had been done but the diffs had not, the previous owner was very up front about that. Also my mechanic checked the fluids and confirmed that the gear oil in the transmission was new, but the diffs needed servicing.

$5 says they put GL5 gear oil in and that's what killed your trans.
 
How would GL5 gear oil kill the transmission? It sounds to me like it is intended for use in MTs.

Also, I have no idea if that is what they put in or not.
 
A quick search on the xTerra club gives this:

What probably happened to your tranny was the GL5 gear oil (designed for differentials) failed to let the synchronizers do their job (improper additive package). They failed and he began crunching gears ... then they failed. Spectre can confirm or deny this.
 
$5 says they put GL5 gear oil in and that's what killed your trans.

Yup all nissan manual transmissions require GL-4. A few other manual transmissions also require GL-4 but every nissan transmission I have ever worked on required GL-4. GL-5 has the wrong pressure additives.

How would GL5 gear oil kill the transmission? It sounds to me like it is intended for use in MTs.

Also, I have no idea if that is what they put in or not.

Some transmissions do require GL-5 but not nissan ones and not some Mazda transmissions.

It is like Lube shop 101 but people still forget. I used to beat it into my new techs along with not dropping the trans-plugs in Hondas and other four cylinder FWD cars where the transmission is on the "wrong" side of the car.
 
How would GL5 gear oil kill the transmission? It sounds to me like it is intended for use in MTs.

Also, I have no idea if that is what they put in or not.

Most shops put GL5 in as that's what most manual transmissions (at least those that do not require ATF) use.

Unfortunately, the sulfur in most GL5 gear oils is not compatible with some of the materials Nissan uses in their transmissions - like the synchros, etc., etc. It is very easy to make the mistake, especially if the person changing fluids doesn't RTFM or know about Nissan manuals. This is a well known idiot-generated problem for Nissans; all manual Nissans not using a bought-in transmission like the T-5 are incompatible with most GL5 lubricants.

More info here: http://www.nissanforums.com/b14-95-99-chassis/104196-gear-oil-gl-4-vs-gl.html

A quick search on the xTerra club gives this:

What probably happened to your tranny was the GL5 gear oil (designed for differentials) failed to let the synchronizers do their job (improper additive package). They failed and he began crunching gears ... then they failed. Spectre can confirm or deny this.

Yup all nissan manual transmissions require GL-4. A few other manual transmissions also require GL-4 but every nissan transmission I have ever worked on required GL-4. GL-5 has the wrong pressure additives.

Worse than just being simply the 'wrong' additive, the sulfur actually destroys Nissan synchros (which are made of bronze and copper) through the process of chemical etching, and then your transmission is toast. I had the very last Nissan model which could use GL5 in the transmission, and that was the T-5NWC equipped 1985 300ZX Turbo. The next year the only manual transmission choice was the then-new in house five speed, and an unwary or inattentive tech installing GL5 in the 1986 transmission could wreck it in no time flat. I think there actually was a Nissan TSB about it at the time.

I remember one Nissan club 'work day' where everyone else started screaming about the gear oil when I pulled it out of the hatch - which stopped when I reminded them that I had a T-5 and could actually use GL5 safely.

When I think of 'wrong' additive, I think about someone putting a non-LSD gear oil into an LSD and poisoning it (there were some that were incompatible with clutch type LSDs a while back - they 'poisoned' or contaminated the clutch discs and rendered your LSD into an open diff.) However, it didn't acutally cause mechanical damage. This is actually worse than just 'wrong.'

Edit: Putting GL5 in a Nissan transmission is about the only thing that will kill a stock Nissan manual at stock power levels, unlike my former T-5. Unfortunately, Blind, it looks like you got bit by an idiot grease monkey. Whoever changed your transmission lube last owes you a transmission; a simple and inexpensive oil analysis can prove that the oil is in fact GL5.
 
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I think I figured out what killed my battery. I noticed today that my trip to work is less than 4 miles. Then I park the car for 10 hours. Then drive back another 4 and that's it. That battery probably got absolutely knackered from these short trips.
 
I think I figured out what killed my battery. I noticed today that my trip to work is less than 4 miles. Then I park the car for 10 hours. Then drive back another 4 and that's it. That battery probably got absolutely knackered from these short trips.

Time to start taking the long way to and from work. :p Or consider a Honda SuperCub (more efficient than a bicycle!)
 
Speaking of using the wrong fluid. The previous owner my of my dad's Disco brilliantly topped off the break master cylinder with ATF. Good work on their part.
 
Yup all nissan manual transmissions require GL-4. A few other manual transmissions also require GL-4 but every nissan transmission I have ever worked on required GL-4. GL-5 has the wrong pressure additives.



Some transmissions do require GL-5 but not nissan ones and not some Mazda transmissions.

It is like Lube shop 101 but people still forget. I used to beat it into my new techs along with not dropping the trans-plugs in Hondas and other four cylinder FWD cars where the transmission is on the "wrong" side of the car.

Most shops put GL5 in as that's what most manual transmissions (at least those that do not require ATF) use.

Unfortunately, the sulfur in most GL5 gear oils is not compatible with some of the materials Nissan uses in their transmissions - like the synchros, etc., etc. It is very easy to make the mistake, especially if the person changing fluids doesn't RTFM or know about Nissan manuals. This is a well known idiot-generated problem for Nissans; all manual Nissans not using a bought-in transmission like the T-5 are incompatible with most GL5 lubricants.

More info here: http://www.nissanforums.com/b14-95-99-chassis/104196-gear-oil-gl-4-vs-gl.html





Worse than just being simply the 'wrong' additive, the sulfur actually destroys Nissan synchros (which are made of bronze and copper) through the process of chemical etching, and then your transmission is toast. I had the very last Nissan model which could use GL5 in the transmission, and that was the T-5NWC equipped 1985 300ZX Turbo. The next year the only manual transmission choice was the then-new in house five speed, and an unwary or inattentive tech installing GL5 in the 1986 transmission could wreck it in no time flat. I think there actually was a Nissan TSB about it at the time.

I remember one Nissan club 'work day' where everyone else started screaming about the gear oil when I pulled it out of the hatch - which stopped when I reminded them that I had a T-5 and could actually use GL5 safely.

When I think of 'wrong' additive, I think about someone putting a non-LSD gear oil into an LSD and poisoning it (there were some that were incompatible with clutch type LSDs a while back - they 'poisoned' or contaminated the clutch discs and rendered your LSD into an open diff.) However, it didn't acutally cause mechanical damage. This is actually worse than just 'wrong.'

Edit: Putting GL5 in a Nissan transmission is about the only thing that will kill a stock Nissan manual at stock power levels, unlike my former T-5. Unfortunately, Blind, it looks like you got bit by an idiot grease monkey. Whoever changed your transmission lube last owes you a transmission; a simple and inexpensive oil analysis can prove that the oil is in fact GL5.


I'm not so sure about that Spectre. My mechanic bought the fluid from Nissan for the first oil change - it came in a Nissan container. For the second fluid change Nissan does not make a synthetic, but they doe have a recommended gear oil, which we used. The transmission was starting to act up before the 60,000 mile service and it got progressively worse as it was used. We changed to the recommended synthetic thinking that the conventional Nissan fluid was getting gummy at cold temperatures.

I will double-check with my mechanic, but he's been servicing our cars for years and has never once shorted us or pulled a fast one. He invites me out to the bay to see what is happening on my car. Hell, he even comped me the labor for the second fluid change.

I will double check with him, but my documentation shows the exact oil that is recommended by Nissan.
 
Is it wrong of me to be looking at the new Nissan Maxima and be thinking 'hrmm, I could buy this'? It's getting around to new car time and I'm beginning to look at some options. I like the look of the Accord Euro but a Ford FG XR6 or Holden SV6 for around $25k makes a compelling argument...
 
Is it wrong of me to be looking at the new Nissan Maxima and be thinking 'hrmm, I could buy this'? It's getting around to new car time and I'm beginning to look at some options. I like the look of the Accord Euro but a Ford FG XR6 or Holden SV6 for around $25k makes a compelling argument...

I like the new Maxima. It's a bit pensionerish but it is great value. The deals you can get on near new or demo XR6s or SV6s (Falcons more so usually) make them fantastic buys near new. Just whatever you do, don't buy a new one. If you can find a demo XR5 Mondeo still floating around I'd go for that.
 
It looks quite good, I like the styling, I just dont like the Maxima badge because as you say, it's the sort of car your grandad would drive. Dont worry, I'm not stupid enough to buy a brand new Holden or Falcon :p

VE Series II's will have come down by the time I'll be parting with my hard earned (six-seven months for a rough guess) as well, though I dont really wanna pay over $30k. I think anything over that is a waste of money tbh (anything over $20k really, but fuck it, I can treat myself once in a while!)
 
What the hell is "bore walk"?
Shims backwards?
Context:
The 3.8L Nissan VR, which according to a race-engine-building friend of mine occasionally shows up with the shims on backwards, and which bore-walks under boost?
 
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