Ownership Verified: Hemiheads WD21, 1990 Nissan Terrano. (Which turned out to be a 1989)

[Hemihead]

Background story! The last years have seen a rather spectacular increase in outdoor activities for me, ranging from live-action roleplaying to airsoft battles and general hiking. To get back and forth between those places and home I bought a VW Passat for ?80 that was given some TLC and then served me for two years. While doing the work I could not help but notice that it wasn't really built to be driven off-road and after close contact with a stone and a birch tree, the idea of something less flimsy and 4WD popped up. First the aim was set on a Jeep Cherokee but they were either beaten to hell and back or way out of my price range. And then... Something else popped up on Blocket (Swedens version of Craigslist) and after a testdrive and some haggling I was ?300 poorer but the proud owner of a 1990 Nissan Terrano!

Let's start with the important pic first:

A ragged old warrior, 271k km but still going strong. It's got some battle scars and dents but just minor surface rust on most of the body.

The powerplant! Due to it being imported from Germany back in the day, most of the paperwork is gone. But I guess that this crusty lump is Nissans VG30E which means 148 hp, it's then mated to an automatic gearbox. An interesting note is that it has been converted to run on LPG way back in the day, then converted back to petrol.

The former owner claims that the body have been raised from the frame, I have no idea if that's true but the body mounts look like this.

Rear end. Beater Passat can be seen to the left.

Passenger side.

Pros:

*Cheap
*Runs great
*Very little rust
*New exhaust
*Beefier battery
*Sound insulation installed by former owner

Cons:

*Bald tires
*The new exhaust leaks due to bad fitting
*It stinks of air fresheners in the cabin, threw out 5 stink-trees when I got it home
*The electrical windows don't work
*Handbrake don't work

Plans!

*Full service with filters, fluids, sparkplugs, the whole wazoo.
*Change cambelt and water pump.
*New off-road tires.
*Fix leaky exhaust.
*Fix handbrake.
*Install separate oil cooler to the gearbox.
*Plasti-dip in olive drab or similar, just so the car don't shine like a beacon between the trees.
*Drive around and look happy.

If anyone have experience with these cars or just tips and ideas in general, do tell! I know absolutely zero about them.

 

[Der Stig]

Excellent! These are nice little rigs. There's plently of forum support out there as well. If you can fit 31s, I'd recommend the BFG KO or KO2s, depending on your budget and whether you're buying new. I quickly found out that a set of newand even used off-road tires cost more than what I paid for the Bronco

Also, with the VG30, IIRC, you'll want to be sure that the timing belts have been done. Spectre can shed more light on this, since he used to have a WD21 as well.

 

[CraigB]

Love WD21s! Great buy, wish I could find one around here that cheap.

 

[Hemihead]

Excellent! These are nice little rigs. There's plently of forum support out there as well. If you can fit 31s, I'd recommend the BFG KO or KO2s, depending on your budget and whether you're buying new. I quickly found out that a set of newand even used off-road tires cost more than what I paid for the Bronco

Also, with the VG30, IIRC, you'll want to be sure that the timing belts have been done. Spectre can shed more light on this, since he used to have a WD21 as well.

Belt and pulleys ordered already, along with the water pump. And tires, yeah... Expensive but it might be worth the money. It will mostly spent it's time on places looking like this and it would suck getting stuck 20 meters in.

 

[Spectre]

Not bad looking, but are you sure that's a 1990? At least in the US, 1989 was the last year for the 2 door Pathfinder/Terrano variant. Also, that engine is a VG30I, not a VG30E - and the last model year for that in the US (and I thought everywhere else) was 1989 as well. The VG30i is a throttle-body fuel injected motor and has some slight internal differences from the multipoint-injected VG30E. Slight changes to the heads and (for some reason) the crankshaft, as I recall.

In addition to the belt, tensioner, and water pump (get actual Nissan parts for the tensioner and water pump, accept no substitutes, belt should be Gates or Nissan) you should also get the crankshaft pulley/sprocket and most importantly the key that goes in the slot between the pulley and the crankshaft itself. That thing often rusts in place and you either spend forever getting it out intact or you have to destroy it to get it out. Save yourself a trip and some heartache; they're cheap. Yes, timing belts are absolutely critical on the VG30s - as you seem to know.

You also seem to already know about the bad/undersized stock transmission cooler and that you need to bypass it, which is good. Another common problem is that the truck won't rev over 2000-2500 rpm or so - this is caused by a bad CHTS or Cylinder Head Temperature Sensor, aka coolant temperature sensor. They're cheap from Nissan and you should probably just go ahead and replace it immediately given the age of the truck.

Yes, that does look like you have a 3 inch body lift installed. For the Pathfinder/Terrano, the magic formula is "3+3=33." This translates to, "A three inch body lift plus a three inch suspension lift means you can fit thirty-three inch tires without rubbing, binding, etc." It will fit the very common 31x10.5 size tires out of the box, though.

I'd like to see pictures of the frame where it passes over the rear axle. A seemingly rust-free Pathfinder can have fatal rust there.

I would also recommend that you replace your front tension rod bushings with some polyurethane ones from Energy Suspension. Yours have to have perished and it is a critical safety issue as the tension rod is the back half of your lower control arm scheme. You can also check for damage to the brackets, rod, or the backing flange the bushings mount to. If it's been offroaded a lot with perished bushings there, you will probably need to effect repairs in this area.

You should also check the drag link in the steering. WD21s that have been offroaded tend to have damaged drag links early. There are reinforced drag links out there and they are strongly recommended.

Calmini is pretty much the premier place to go for offroad upgrade parts for these things. https://www.calmini.com/

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head at this time.

 

[Hemihead]

Not bad looking, but are you sure that's a 1990? At least in the US, 1989 was the last year for the 2 door Pathfinder/Terrano variant. Also, that engine is a VG30I, not a VG30E - and the last model year for that in the US (and I thought everywhere else) was 1989 as well. The VG30i is a throttle-body fuel injected motor and has some slight internal differences from the multipoint-injected VG30E. Slight changes to the heads and (for some reason) the crankshaft, as I recall.

In addition to the belt, tensioner, and water pump (get actual Nissan parts for the tensioner and water pump, accept no substitutes, belt should be Gates or Nissan) you should also get the crankshaft pulley/sprocket and most importantly the key that goes in the slot between the pulley and the crankshaft itself. That thing often rusts in place and you either spend forever getting it out intact or you have to destroy it to get it out. Save yourself a trip and some heartache; they're cheap. Yes, timing belts are absolutely critical on the VG30s - as you seem to know.

You also seem to already know about the bad/undersized stock transmission cooler and that you need to bypass it, which is good. Another common problem is that the truck won't rev over 2000-2500 rpm or so - this is caused by a bad CHTS or Cylinder Head Temperature Sensor, aka coolant temperature sensor. They're cheap from Nissan and you should probably just go ahead and replace it immediately given the age of the truck.

Yes, that does look like you have a 3 inch body lift installed. For the Pathfinder/Terrano, the magic formula is "3+3=33." This translates to, "A three inch body lift plus a three inch suspension lift means you can fit thirty-three inch tires without rubbing, binding, etc." It will fit the very common 31x10.5 size tires out of the box, though.

I'd like to see pictures of the frame where it passes over the rear axle. A seemingly rust-free Pathfinder can have fatal rust there.

I would also recommend that you replace your front tension rod bushings with some polyurethane ones from Energy Suspension. Yours have to have perished and it is a critical safety issue as the tension rod is the back half of your lower control arm scheme. You can also check for damage to the brackets, rod, or the backing flange the bushings mount to. If it's been offroaded a lot with perished bushings there, you will probably need to effect repairs in this area.

You should also check the drag link in the steering. WD21s that have been offroaded tend to have damaged drag links early. There are reinforced drag links out there and they are strongly recommended.

Calmini is pretty much the premier place to go for offroad upgrade parts for these things. https://www.calmini.com/

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head at this time.

Thanks for the info, I'll crawl under it and check the frame over the rear axle at once. The model year is based on when the first European registration was, in this case the 17th of December 1990, but it might have been sitting at the dealer for some time. Have to look into that, see if there are any more surprises to it.

 

[Spectre]

Thanks for the info, I'll crawl under it and check the frame over the rear axle at once. The model year is based on when the first European registration was, in this case the 17th of December 1990, but it might have been sitting at the dealer for some time. Have to look into that, see if there are any more surprises to it.

Go by the VIN number, a *lot* changed between 89 and 90 and you will need to make sure you're getting the right parts. No few of the parts will *not* interchange at all or will at least require significant modification.

 

[public]

The Terrano was uncommon enough for cars to be sold late after they were manufactured, I guess. There were 1Ga Eclipses registered new in 1996 and so on.

 

[Hemihead]

Go by the VIN number, a *lot* changed between 89 and 90 and you will need to make sure you're getting the right parts. No few of the parts will *not* interchange at all or will at least require significant modification.

Found a VIN-decoder on the internet and you were correct, the car it built in July 1989 and was intended for the American market. It seems like someone brought it over to Germany in 1990 and then it found it's way over to Sweden in 2007. What a mess. :lol:

Maker NISSAN
Name PATHFINDER
Production Date 07.1989
Body color 531 - WHITE <FROM AUG. 1989>
Market USA
Body 4AT
Engine VG30I
Features XST/SE
Options AREA:FEDERAL; DOOR:2 DOOR; WHEEL DRIVE:4WD
Body WAGON
Type WHLYD21PKEUB33
Interior color B - BLUE

 

[Hemihead]

So I crawled under the car and almost got a heart attack due to a big-ass wasp nest close to one of the springs. After checking it out and finding it empty it was removed and then some pictures was taken of the frame. No rust, just dirt and grime. Tapped on the frame with a pointy hammer and nothing gave away or sounded bad.

And while the seller didn't lie about the exhaust being new, the install is one of the worst hackjobs i have seen. Nothing an hour or so with the welder can fix though.

 

[loose_unit]

I would totally rock that as a winter beater for ?300! Love it!

 

[Spectre]

Check on the outside of the frame behind the rear tires, too - that's often where it first shows up. Good that you now know you've got a USDM 89 which has had the rear tailgate replaced/repainted/restickered. It should help you avoid many 'why doesn't this part fit' moments.

 

[Hemihead]

Check on the outside of the frame behind the rear tires, too - that's often where it first shows up. Good that you now know you've got a USDM 89 which has had the rear tailgate replaced/repainted/restickered. It should help you avoid many 'why doesn't this part fit' moments.

Another check revealed no rust. Frame-wise, it's mint and that makes me -very- happy.

Went to the local auto parts store with a list of items I wanted and they just looked at me like I was asking for the head of the King. The whole "imported from America" thing made them go into lockdown mode and they could not find much. The things they found were horribly over-priced so I went down to the local Nissan dealer and checked just for fun. "Sure, what do you want?" Long story short, a box of ignition parts will arrive next week and it will be around 30% cheaper then ordering them from the generic auto parts store. Thoroughly impressed with the Nissan dealer, they get a big gold star in my book.

 

[Spectre]

Der Stig and I were at the junkyards Sunday and we came across a crumpled WD21 that provided the following visual aid regarding the tension/compression rod bushing. It's this one:



This truck was a 2WD one, but the 4WD front suspension differs in only some minor ways/dimensions. You need to check that the hole that shaft goes through isn't wallowed out and that the shaft itself isn't damaged. Also notice that the upper control arm bushings are ridiculously easy to replace at the same time so you may want to go ahead and replace those with poly bushings as well.

Another item that could be of significant aid to you is something called "Nissan FAST." This is the US dealership parts department program; it is inordinately detailed and can provide build sheet like information for any Nissan (in whatever time period the version you get covers.) This is a Windows program and can be found in the usual places on the Yarr Matey network. Very worthwhile - you can get part numbers from it and check compatibility, etc. It will even tell you if your truck didn't use a particular part even though it was supposedly after a production break point. Highly recommended.

 

[Hemihead]

Thanks for the info! Will check that program out at once!

In other news, replaced almost every fuel and vacuum hose due to dry rot. The fuel hoses was the same texture as toasted bread...

 

[Spectre]

One more thing just sprung to mind. The WD21 uses an unusual brake light/cruise control switch scheme that can leave you scratching your head and wondering why your battery keeps running down. This is common for a number of Nissans of the era.

The system uses normally closed pin switches that make contact with the brake pedal assembly, so that when you depress the pedal, the pins come out of the housing and the brake lights go on/cruise control goes off. The catch is that they're not actually coming directly in contact with the pedal arm but with little plastic buffer plugs or 'stoppers' that tend to disintegrate. If you look up the brake pedal arm, you will see some welded on or stamped in tabs next to obvious pin switches. The whole thing will look something like this (picture from a Sentra, but the idea's the same.)

Those translucent 'mushrooms' are the stoppers or buffers and they simply push into holes in the tabs. Older ones were white/cream, brown or black. When they disintegrate, the holes in the tabs are large enough for the pin part of the switch to push through and then your cruise control doesn't work or your brake lights stay on no matter what you do. They're easy to replace as pre-emptive maintenance (push out, wipe out residue, push in new ones) and at least over here they cost all of $3. I'd suggest doing this ahead of time and saving yourself some embarrassment.

Edit: Here's the actual one from a WD21. Apparently there were also green stoppers but I've never seen them in person.

This guy took off the clamp nut for one of the switches (nearest the top left of the pic) so don't expect to see yours look ike that. The correct setup IIRC is the one below it. Yes, this does mean you can adjust at what point in the pedal travel you want your brake lights to come on and/or your cruise control to cancel.

 

[Hemihead]

Slowly working my way into the engine, working when spare time and weather allows it.

 

[Spectre]

Looking pretty good so far, though I'd replace that thermostat housing and related hoses while I was there.

 

[Hemihead]

*Cambelt changed.
*Waterpump changed.
*Tensioner changed.
*Most radiator hoses changed.
*Thermostat changed.

Next up, replacing oil in engine, gearbox and transfer case.

 

[Hemihead]

Things went a little too well apparently, today when I drained the gearbox oil I noticed that it had a slight discolouration to it and a faint burnt smell. Googling suggest that either the oil is cooked due to lack of cooling or that the clutch packs are on their way out, both highly plausible since the car have 271k km on the clock and have been running a standard oil cooler up until now. Fitted a small external oil cooler from an unknown vehicle I found on the local scrapyard and changed the oil, will keep a close eye on oil colour and how the gearbox feels in the future.