Dave WM

I presume the electric assist that fits under the dash then? Remember make sure you get that dash push as far back on the frame as you can, you want the side edges to extend enough to fit behind the door molding. The holes for mounting the dash are oversized to give you some wiggle room. Removing the dash turns out to be not that big a deal, the engineers at Nissan that designed this car really did us all a favor.

I would recommend you just put in the trans with the existing diff, try it. if you are unhappy then you can go with a lower diff. I wanted to be able to cruise all day at 80 with a low rpm as long as the engine was not struggling. This was so I could make my long distance (pikes peak) trip. Truth is the engine in stock form is so forgiving it does not really matter. I have to remember to put it in 5th for 80 since the sound is not objectionable either 3K or 4k RPM. May have a lot to do with the exhaust note, The stock setup is very quiet with no resonance to deal with. If you have an aftermarket setup perhaps there are RPMs that could drive you batty with 12-14hr drives.

the wire harness could be fine but for the splices. I think it has a lot to do with how the car was stored. If it was garaged for a good part of its life it maybe fine. Just need to take it slow and work the issues after a good visual inspection.

I run the 3.54 diff and the late model .745 transmission. Its a little tall, 80mph at 3k so if you have a lot of hills you may find yourself shifting into 4th now and then. Here it flatlandsville I generally get into 5th once I get over 65 (about2400 rpm) as long as I am not climbing. Its great for open highway 80mph. A 3.7 or 3.9 would let me use it more often around town but generally speaking with the torque of the engine being so good, it does not really matter much. I did not really notice the taller 1st gear, but again I have no hills to get stuck on in a start while inclined.

I don't like that cork, looks like it could chip off, small piece gets in there and fouls one of the holes. I just used some oil resistant gasket maker, like rubberized paper.

If you have not done it already, you should hookup the heater hoses, then pressure test the system. You should pressure test the system just because its a good idea to find other issues as well but it will certainly help find leaks.

Unless the heater core is plugged up completely then there is prob something else that would account for no heat. Now if the heater core is leaking they it def needs to be addressed. there are options other can suggest that can be made to fit that are not Nissan, and are commonly available. OR you can pull the core and take it to a rad shop that should be able to repair it. IF the core is not plugged or leaking I would think you should start by confirming the rest of the system starting with proper hook up of hoses, then function of the various valves and the hook up of the various doors inside the plenum that direct the air flow thru the system. The FSM is good at explaining all the vacuum servos/doors/control levers etc...

One last thing to consider, and I consider this an item that ALL L series engine owners should consider. Look a the timing chain guide on the tight side (thermostat side) next time you have the valve cover off. if you see grooves worn into it from the chain, do yourself a favor and replace the chain guide (as a minimum, check the chain for wear and replace that too if needed) but really just replace that guide. On my long trip, the guide must have been worn enough to allow the chain to rip into the metal part and tore if off completely. I got lucky, the guide fell harmlessly down inside the timing chain cover, but I consider that just luck. Its not too difficult a job to do, can be done with the engine in the car (remove the rad for access, relocate the compressor if needed but keep it connected of course to not vent Freon). replace both guides and tensioner would be best practice, and the front seal of course. I would look at this with any engine with 100k or more miles. Its a few hours if you are only replacing guides and seals, don't even need to remove the chain if its not worn.

this is me messing with an unknown status engine.

Number one thing would be that fuel tank, and the steel line can rust up (fuel and brake). Lots of problems can be traced back to poor fuel delivery. When I got an engine that sat for a long time, I did the marvel oil in plug holes, drained old oil out, new oil in, plugs out spin engine (if not stuck) and watch the camshaft spray bar to make sure oil pressure came up. Plugs out lets it spin faster to help with the oil pressure check. I also pour some assy lube on the cam shaft before cranking. You may need a new water pump if the anti freeze was not drained, the impeller can rust badly. Something to watch out for is the nuts are often seized and can sheer off easy making a simple job a all day affair. T stat and water pump are typical maintenance items that can break bolts and ruin your day. There are lots of techniques, most include some form of shock and heat approach. Nothing is sure fire, but if you just manhandle it with a big wrench you will surely tear off a few. Use of PB blaster and heat from a MAP gas torch is a good starting point. I like to tap them pretty firmly to shock the rust bond then tighten a bit before trying to loosen. Good luck and get some pics.

That tall 5th is indeed nice, have fun!

I was leaning towards Romulan

yes it does! http://www.crosshatchangle.com/

having never done this, it seems to me one of the main things to do would be to never rotation while not moving, exit with it running perhaps to make sure. I suppose you could try to calculate the freq if you can figure the RPM at a fixed rate. IIRC you are shooting for a 45 degree angle down and up, for the cross hatch. Nice to have a spare block to practice on. Sounds like something I need to grab at the JY. boatswain

I have often wondered about how folks determine this. I presume after after the 1st few stroke you can see the pattern and adjust, then you just try to be consistent?

what's the frequency Kenneth?

go for it!

I am holding out for a turbo, spouse would not be pleased with another engine, so I gotta make it count.

you will know if you need the sealant on the WP bolts after you run it. I did the exact same thing as you, new bolts, sealant on gasket (thin high tack, blue aftermarket gasket), and I had a persistent leak on the bottom long bolt. I had success with WP replacement no leaks before but that was using the crummy old bolts that had left over junk on the threads. I think what happens is the coolant gets past the treads (and the antiseize) travels up the bolt in the nice gasketed seal cavity, until it get to the end of the line under the bolt head, and from there it leaks. I tried it twice thinking I had missed something, finally stopped after I applied some white thread sealant (not lock tight or antiseize but actual thread sealant) to the bolts that go though into the block. That is what finally stopped it. who know it may have corroded up and stopped on its own, the leak was minor, like a drop forming on the outside under the head of the bolt, wipe it off and it comes right back kind of deal. I used OE new bolts.

nice and clean. Hope you used the sealant on the water pump bolts that go into the water jacket.

I like my amp meter. :) upgrade to a amp meter :) I love that word upgrade, I hear it so often when talking about old cars.

not me, they went were fine when I got them back (took my working ones to a marine shop). and the went right back in service. I did have a few I got at a JY that were beyond recovery at least with my primitive self cleaning techniques (soaked them in PB blaster while applying a 60hz low volt ac to try and vibrate them loose, they were rusted solid. Maybe a professional cleaning would have done something but I never got that far.

def a good idea to send extras, no doubt one will be off so a match is easier to accomplish with extras. When I had mine cleaned I too got a report, one was about 10% more flow rate than the rest (they were about 3%-5% the same AFTER cleaning). I did not have any extras at the time to match to. Some of my plugs are a tiny bit darker than others, so maybe that is a factor, but not enough to worry about. One thing you may want to do if you are so inclined, market them (the injectors) so you know which reported flow rate goes with which injector (the will prob have a tag on them). That way for future reference you can read the plugs and see if indeed the color matches the flow rates.