1994 Pathfinder Build

[MUDFINDER]

Nice looking winch bar bro let us know how you get on, would love one for my terrano. How you getting on with the engine dramas?

Thanks man! Still have a lot of work to do, but will post progress photo's as we're getting on! I haven't made too much progress with the engine.. Haven't even attempted to get the old one out yet.. I'm really not looking forward to it to be honest haha.. I've done heaps of RB conversions for friends of mine but this bloody thing has so many vac lines and other bits on pieces. Probably looks more difficult than what it actually is I have however sussed myself a replacement Vg30 and have got a turbo and manifold from a vg30dett which i will start to chop and re-weld the flanges so they fit to the single cam head on the vg30. They appear to be exactly the same but the flanges are opposite.. The Dual cam exhaust flange is / \ / \ where the single cam exhaust flange is \ / \ / bolt spacing and flange size don't differ so it's just a matter of cutting them and re positioning them the correct way!

Ran into some issues with my snorkel yet again originally i was told it was going to be three weeks, which it ended up to be longer... THEN when it arrives, i find out it doesn't fit after i have cut all the holes in my guard... I then found i was supplied a D22 Navara one, not a D21 terrano/pathfinder one, which would explain why it doesn't sit nicely on the guard or even look like it's going to match up closely. So with a bit of pressure i have managed to return it to the supplier and get my money back on it.. I'm now left with a guard that has a gaping big hole in it, so if anybody has any front fenders for sale give me a buzz I'm just going to make a custom one of of alloy now and save myself the $500 for a safari one

[MUDFINDER]

My new rear bar to replace my rear bumper turned out as i expected! so stoaked!!

can't wait to get it fitted up! Will upload more pictures once fitted and some of the front bar & progress as we go along huge thanks to Zak, EDGAR FABRICATION

[MUDFINDER]

Finished product

[MUDFINDER]

Prepping the truck for paint this has got to be the most mind numbing shit to do..... I really, really dislike sanding.. Getting there though

[MUDFINDER]

Rear bar is complete and now fitted

[MUDFINDER]

Making very slow progress with the truck at this stage! Forgot that it's Christmas coming up so the money i had set a side for the truck ended up getting used on other bits & pieces But nevertheless it's getting there.. I bought myself a GT3540 (AR70) dual scroll turbo. I'm currently stripping & replacing little bits & pieces of the new engine.. Replacing a few gaskets here & there as well as replacing the exhaust studs and trying to get the manifolds all bolted up! Seems to be never ending.. Have so much on the "to do list" i can't see the truck being back on the road anytime soon. Well, until the new year at least.. I'm trying to track down a external waste-gate, it's going to be bloody tight for space

The photo's don't really do it any justice, but the turbo is pretty big!

I've sized it up roughly in the engine bay and to be honest i'm not entirely sure it's going to fit very easily As for my front bar on the truck, it's about 50% complete.. Should have it done and mounted this coming weekend so will post an update on that.


Scored myself some new front fenders too! $80 for the pair at Zebra-U-pick out in manukau which i thought was a pretty good bargain...

[crazyclark31]

Have you checked the sizing for the turbo against the motor? Just going by visual sizing it looks rather large. Might struggle to spool it up?

[MUDFINDER]

Have you checked the sizing for the turbo against the motor? Just going by visual sizing it looks rather large. Might struggle to spool it up?

Yes i have! It's only a gt3540, i was initially going to run a gt3582 which is still suited to the size of the engine but has a larger exhaust housing i believe. Figured that a slightly smaller turbocharger would be better because i want it to spool up easier. It is however, still a very large turbo but there isn't any reason it shouldn't spool it up easily

[Crash bandicoot]

It'll spool it.... but when it brings in the power vs rev range will make or break its drivability

[BlakeNZ]

a 3540 and a 3582 are the same size turbo BTW.
the 3582, is a more modern name, reflecting the 82mm diameter of the compressor wheel.

[MUDFINDER]

a 3540 and a 3582 are the same size turbo BTW.
the 3582, is a more modern name, reflecting the 82mm diameter of the compressor wheel.

Ahh, interesting.. i was not aware of that. Ohwell, suppose we will soon see how it performs! I'm getting a aftermarket cam made so that will assist somewhat with it spooling up early in the revs & i'm not going to be running much boost so it shouldn't be an issue!

[coxsy]

that intake scroll is the same size as mine only boosts to 10 psi max

[MUDFINDER]

that intake scroll is the same size as mine only boosts to 10 psi max

They are capable of a whole lot more than 10psi though.. all depends on what size spring you run in the wastegate or what size actuator etc. I'm only planning on running 10-15psi though

[coxsy]

the waste gates set at 12 psi ,in this configuration it has never got up to that pressure, but the truck pulls like a school boy so I be happy

[Crash bandicoot]

10 will be plenty for what was originally a N/A engine, any more you risk Run on issues from to much compression or fuel starve on boost.

[MUDFINDER]

the waste gates set at 12 psi ,in this configuration it has never got up to that pressure, but the truck pulls like a school boy so I be happy

Fair enough!

[MUDFINDER]

Front bar is slowly coming along!

[MUDFINDER]

Been hard at work on the truck over the past couple of days.... Have so much to get done but am slowly but surely getting there. I had begun prepping the truck for paint a wee while ago & have slowly been chipping away at it now that it's in the garage. Today, I finished the paint & am pretty pleased with how it turned out!

Take a look & let me know what you think!

If anybody is interested... I am looking at doing cash jobs soon for paintwork. This isn't my first vehicle that i've done either. I have a Toyota surf & another terrano to do but could possibly book something in for the new year if anyone was interested. Merry Xmas guys!

[MUDFINDER]

Quick update on where i'm at with the truck! paint is all complete and turned out real nice! Im bloody stoked with it!

I'm now in the process of putting all the bolt on accessories onto the new engine.. Running a 38mm external wastegate with the GT3540 turbo, venting to atmposphere ofcourse with a 11psi spring. I've got a 500hp BOSCH internal fuel pump with surge tank and TOMEI fuel pressure regulator, vg30dett turbo injectors, new dual core alloy radiator & am looking at a oil cooler & relocation kit as the oil filter is rather awkward to access in behind the right exhaust manifold. Little unsure how the factory ECU is going to handle it all, so have a few other ideas in mind if it's not going to.. Possibly look into a LINK ecu of somesort

I thought it would have taken a whole lot longer for it to come together but it is coming along alot faster than what i thought! I'm thinking im going to have to invest in a new clutch at some stage shortly so will look into a H/D while the gearbox and engine is out

[MUDFINDER]

It looks kind of funny on the engine stand, but it's going to fit up perfectly once it's in the engine bay!

just need to change the orientation of the compressor housing and then plumb it direct into the intake manifold!

[Sheepy]

What are you doing with the fuel system and tune? Your not going to run an intercooler? While you have the engine out I would be looking to replace the head gaskets with steel ones, they will cost you about $400 and will give you a little more reliability. they are a prick to do in place on a VG.

[lax2wlg]

Also the factory VG30 exhaust manifold studs loosen/break with age which gives that annoying ticking sound when cold. They all seem to do it.

[MUDFINDER]

What are you doing with the fuel system and tune? Your not going to run an intercooler? While you have the engine out I would be looking to replace the head gaskets with steel ones, they will cost you about $400 and will give you a little more reliability. they are a prick to do in place on a VG.

I've got myself factory turbo vg30dett injectors, BOSCH 500hp internal fuel pump with surge tank setup & tomei fuel pressure regulator. I'm a little unsure about the tune at this stage, thinking of getting the factory ecu chipped as it's possibly going to be the easiest option & having a road tune done (haven't made up my mind who's going to tune it though). I've been rather un-decisive about running a intercooler setup or not... At this stage, I'm really limited for space in the engine bay as I've now got a larger radiator & the winch is mounted further in towards it. If i was to run a intercooler, I would probably look at mid-mounting it if i were to run one but the only issue with that is that it will eliminate space between the engine and radiator for the fans... I could possibly fit a small one just in behind the front grille as i'm not running the factory bonnet latch so that has allowed for a little more space. Couple of options for cooling it... Smaller electric fan or water squirters..

I can imagine they would be a c*nt to do in place.. I'm wanting to do it once & do it right, so i will definitely be doing the head gaskets on it while it is on the engine stand!

[MUDFINDER]

Also the factory VG30 exhaust manifold studs loosen/break with age which gives that annoying ticking sound when cold. They all seem to do it.

Got myself a new set of manifold studs through pitstop!!

[skidmark]

I personally would really be looking at intercooler if your going to be running 11 psi, on a NA internals,going to have to drop in let air temp otherwise you'll really have to pull timing out as it comes on boost.. maybe a water to air? I've got no room for air to air on my surf but got a water to air on mine.

[MUDFINDER]

I personally would really be looking at intercooler if your going to be running 11 psi, on a NA internals,going to have to drop in let air temp otherwise you'll really have to pull timing out as it comes on boost.. maybe a water to air? I've got no room for air to air on my surf but got a water to air on mine.

Are they pretty efficient? i've never really heard anything of them.... Any chance i could see how yours is setup?

[skidmark]

I haven't really used mine apart from the on the dyno, but there's a few others around using them also the old Subaru ones. I have a radiator in front behind my winch and a about a 10 liter tank in the back . I think there's more pics in my build but

[MUDFINDER]

I haven't really used mine apart from the on the dyno, but there's a few others around using them also the old Subaru ones. I have a radiator in front behind my winch and a about a 10 liter tank in the back . I think there's more pics in my build but

2014-12-31 09.34.21.jpg

I've now sussed myslef a smaller intercooler that i will run.. Quick question for you all though.. Can i use my heater lines as the water feed/drain lines for my turbo? Obviously the block on these don't have the standard coolant gallery holes capped off like the oil galleries do?

[skidmark]

That's all I've done on mine.

[MUDFINDER]

That's all I've done on mine.

Did you use the cold start lines that run through the throttle body or the heater lines through to the cab?