Rehab of Patrol L60-2-00655

[r1lark]

The sway bar links and sway bar bushings will be delivered on Saturday.

Here are the part numbers I've ordered:

Energy Suspension 9.8125G End Link Set with Hardware:

The center spacer will probably need to be shortened slightly to match the original link length. From measuring the original links, plus measuring off the detailed scale drawing of the front suspension in the Shop Manual, the dimension from the center of the sway bar arm to the center of the link mount on the frame should be right around 3.840" or 3-27/32". The Energy Suspension 9.8125G link is designed for a center of sway bar arm to center of link mount measurement of 3.925".

Energy Suspension 9.5124G 20mm Stabilizer Bushing:

[r1lark]

Went to my Mom's on Wednesday, and got some more work done on the Patrol. All the brake lines are now made up and installed -- finally!

Installed the 'new' junction block, got both lines from the m/c down to the junction blocks made up and installed, plus the little jumper from the new 'front' junction block to the hose going to the front axle.

Forgot to take a pic of the m/c brake line that goes to the rear junction block, but it looks very similar the the second one pictured a little later, but shorter. But here is a picture of that line coming from the m/c down to the original Patrol junction block. Note that the third port on the junction block (that originally fed the front axle brakes) has been plugged, so this is now dedicated to the rear brakes:

DSC09248 resized.jpg

Pic of the line from the m/c to the new junction block that feeds the front axle brakes:

DSC09247 resized.jpg

Here is the 'new' junction block for the front brakes, and the short jumper line from the junction block to the front axle hose...........

DSC09249 resized.jpg

...........and the hose to the front axle:

DSC09251 resized.jpg

A view of both lines coming down from the master cylinder:

DSC09250 resized.jpg

And a couple of pics from up top:

DSC09253 resized.jpg

DSC09254 resized.jpg

Also backed all the brake adjusters fully out (ie, the shoes backed all the way off) as recommended in the shop manual. Normally I would do the brake adjustment before bleeding........but backing the adjusters off does make sense I suppose, giving more of a stroke on the wheel cylinders during bleeding.

Note that there is not a hydraulic brake light switch any longer in the system. I've had so much problems with these switches on my other old cars, and have been replacing them with electrical switches activated off the brake pedal, so will do the same on the Patrol.

The plan for next visit to set up hoses and bottles, and gravity bleed the brakes first. Then, if I can get my brother to help me (be the "pedal pusher"), we can finish the bleeding.

Hopefully there are not any leaks that can't be fixed by tightening up the fittings a little.

[Esteban]

The work done with the brake lines looks tops! Congratulations.

Something to be revisited from time to time to get ideas.

[r1lark]

Thank you Esteban for the kind words. The work will be tops as long as there are no leaks! I'm still worried about the original junction blocks, but I did use the best of the ones I had.

[r1lark]

Went yesterday to my Mom's, and worked on the Patrol. Filled up the master cylinder with Dot 4 fluid, and had planned on letting it gravity bleed. But the neighbor kid was home, they had teacher workday so he was over asking if he could help. Sure, I got some important work for you! Explained to him what to do, and did the bleeding, and he did a good job for a 7 year old. Ran a fair amount of brake fluid thru the system but did get all the air out. Was kind of weird, since I had backed all the adjusters all the way off per the Nissan shop manual, there wasn't much of a pedal. Was a little concerned until I remembered the adjusters were backed off!

Did have some leaks, so a number of the fittings had to be tightened. Some of the original junction blocks needed a lot of tightening, which I was afraid of. When I left, all of the fittings looked good, but we will see what we have when I go back next week.

[r1lark]

Happy Thanksgiving to all the forum members in the USA. (I checked, and while a handful of other countries and areas celebrate a Thanksgiving holiday, none of them are on the same date as in the US.)

We are going to my Mom's for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Unlike earlier years, she doesn't cook a big Thanksgiving meal any more (she's 98), so we bring food with us. While we are there, it will give me a chance to look under the Patrol to see if any leaks have shown up on the brake line fittings. I'll take my wrench just in case and do some tightening if needed..........just don't tell my wife!

[RiverPatrol]

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. 98!? That's amazing!

[r1lark]

On the way home (wife is driving). Two fittings were weeping just a little bit, but no brake fluid on the ground. This was at one of the original junction blocks that I was worried about. Tightened both of them up, cleaned with brake clean, and wiped dry. Will check next week when I go back, but will take the replacement junction block that I found just in case. Will adjust the linings and hopefully will have a good solid pedal.

Next thing to look at is a pretty good oil leak on the engine. After running the engine, it drips a pretty good sized puddle under the back of the engine. At first I thought maybe a rear main seal, and it sure might be, but it looks sort of like the oil is coming down the rear side of the block on the drivers (left) side. I haven't studied the parts manual, but there is a piece back there that is maybe part of the road draft tube setup (??) where oil is leaking, or maybe it is coming past the rear of the rocker cover gasket and running down (I did have the rocker cover off checking for stuck valves and reused the old gasket). Or maybe leaking from the block side cover gasket? I'll have to borrow my brothers pressure washer and clean that side of the engine really well.

Another thing I thought of is, if it comes off pretty easily, is to remove what looks like the lower clutch inspection cover, maybe I can tell if the rear main seal is leaking by looking in there.

Any advice on where this oil could be coming would be much appreciated, so I can plan my next trip's work.

[r1lark]

Anyone have any ideas on my oil leak described in the post above?

[Esteban]

Anyone have any ideas on my oil leak described in the post above?

I once had a good oil leak at the rear of the engine, that was caused by an improperly sealed plug of the camshaft, after the bearings were changed during a rebuild (it's the only instance when you'll take this plug out). If oil comes out at this plug, it will drip inside the bellhousing and not to the sides of the engine. I don't think this could be your case.

Almost impossible to see this plug normally, since its location is covered by the bellhousing and the flywheel. In fact, to correct it, the shop dropped the transmission, clutch assembly, took the flywheel off, cleaned everything around the plug and applied some epoxy glue around the plug.

Like you suggested, a good pressure wash cleaning will be in order.