Pimp my Patrol!

[skiman]

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You guys may remember this Patrol from Rocket55's great build thread (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?28210-Rockets-Wagon). Well, I am now the proud new owner of Rocket's wagon and thought I should continue what he started. So here's my own build thread - Pimp My Patrol! :cool:

Comments, recommendations, suggestions, advice - always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I am an absolute amateur and have no real idea what im doing.

Wishlist


2" OME or 3" Flexi suspension lift (OME, SS, TD - still undecided). Decision made, went with 2" OME and ordered parts.
2.75" exhaust (Beaudesert or Redback - undecided). Chose Beaudesert
Steinbauer Chip
Fuel Manager Ready to fit
Lift Pump
EGT Block and Dawes Valve
EGT and Pyro Gauges (Redarc)
Scan Gauge II
Pillar Pod
Roof rack
Cargo barrier
40" Baja Design LED Light Bar (Dont think I can justify the cost after looking at other light bars)
Lightforce HID spotties (undecided)
Stereo/ Reversing Camera/ GPS. Thinking digi-options double din head unit.
Ipad/ Mobile phone RAM Mount Parts ordered.
USB charging ports
Chassis Earth Cable
Winch
Rear bar and tyre carrier?
Rear LED work light/reversing light
LED bullbar indicators
Bonnet Stone Guard
Dust Guard
Redarc Solar blanket 72w
Charging system for solar
Water tank and pump
Canvas Seat Covers (Sheapskin for the Mrs)
ARB Touring Awning 2500x 2500
Recovery kit
High Lift Jack/exhaust bag
Larger bonnet scoop or intercooler down the track
RFI Antenna upgrade (one for mountain work, one for longer range)
Fridge
Learn how to 4WD properly
Join a 4WD club. Joining Gold Eagle 4x4 Club




Camping/Touring List


LED lighting for the awning
4WD Maps app for the Ipad - MudMap or HEMA?
Figure out how best to use the roof rack
Find a solution for the chainsaw (Space case on the roof?)
Ditch the junk we don't need


05MAY15

The Canvas

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[Hodge]

Learn how to 4WD properly




Most important one on your list mate.



As for the rest, you need to ask your self, do you really need all / most of those and what do you intend to do with the Patrol ? Light touring here and there or you gonna hit the rough stuff every weekend ? Which leads to the next question, is there a budget? Or bottomless pockets?

[threedogs]

join a club ,
what ever you bolt on the patrol make sure its needed.
Try to keep the weight down, weight will kill any 4x4.

My other 4by had roof rack,,, drawers and I must say hardly used them,
its all weight, but definitely buy a Fridge .
Do you have a dual battery system??

do your suspension last after you have kitted it out then
they can tailor a system to suit the mods you have fitted

Dont think you'll need a high lift an exhaust bag may be better but thats later on

[skiman]

Thought I would start off easy with a signature Patrol bonnet guard.

Bought from Kloster Parts in Newcastle $90. This was more of a pita to install than I thought, but I was glad to break the ice :)

Before

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After

Better already!

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[threedogs]

Might want to look at a larger scoop too
IMO I think they look awesome

[skiman]

As for the rest, you need to ask your self, do you really need all / most of those and what do you intend to do with the Patrol ? Light touring here and there or you gonna hit the rough stuff every weekend ? Which leads to the next question, is there a budget? Or bottomless pockets?

That's a great question Hodge (and something i've been asking myself since I saw the price of some HID spotties. I came to the conclusion that I would keep an eye out for bargains, and wait till I came across a handful of times where I would have needed the kit (just to justify it to myself). So the wishlist is general. For example, I just grabbed a cargo barrier off ebay for $70 (rather than buying a new one for $500). Ill use that as soon as next weekend when I go camping.


join a club ,
what ever you bolt on the patrol make sure its needed.
Try to keep the weight down, weight will kill any 4x4.

My other 4by had roof rack,,, drawers and I must say hardly used them,
its all weight, but definitely buy a Fridge .
Do you have a dual battery system??

do your suspension last after you have kitted it out then
they can tailor a system to suit the mods you have fitted

Dont think you'll need a high lift an exhaust bag may be better but thats later on

Club! Great suggestion, thanks mate. Will see what's going on around Newcastle.

Roof rack - will definitely use it. Have a Mrs, kid and dog, no camper trailer (yet). Without the rack on my old XJ Jeep, we couldn't have gone camping (the way the Mrs likes anyway, lol). Want to go alloy to keep the weight down.

Has dual batteries already, so im gtg there.

Thanks for the good suggestions guys. Appreciate it.

[skiman]

Might want to look at a larger scoop too
IMO I think they look awesome

HELL YES! Damn you threedogs. LOL. Added to wishlist.

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[rusty_nail]

nice work mate!!! congrats on the buy! i got to drive that troll around the block before you took it off rods hands, hes a nice bloke and really looked after it! welcome to the forum, hope to see you around here regularly mate!!

[threedogs]

what will fail first is probably the IC I wouldnt lash out on a larger one
as a tigged OE with slightly larger tanks will give you the benefits for $$$$
spent, and wont break the bank at $400 approx. I think from your Jeep you
do what most here do and find that remote spot, load up and go camping.
Cant go wrong IMO

A rear bar with swing away tyre carrier will protect your butt and keep the weight of the spare off the door
saving your hinges

[Rock Trol]

Like others have said, join a club and try and minimise the weight you add as it is your enemy. I did well on the first and failed on the second.

[Stropp]

Nice looking wagon mate, keep up the little bits and she will change before your eyes.

[skiman]

Haven't had much time to post lately due to work but have been slowly tinkering away with the project.

Removed the Uniden UHF radio and installed my Icom 400 Pro. Had to re-terminate some plugs and drill an extra hole to suit the smaller bracket.

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One thing that I dislike about the Icom is that you need to have the mic hook grounded for it to scan properly. This meant running another wire and fitting a conductive hook (which I wasnt keen for). So i checked for some mods and there was some mention about internally soldering the radio or the handset. Could not find any photos exactly what to do but after some probing I came up with this and it works! :smiley_thumbs_up: Forgive the dodgey soldering, I had to do it in my shed with a cheap portable iron. Also got around to researching how to remove that annoying long beep when you turn the radio on. Have subsequently ordered a programming cable off Ebay and acquired the software to make some long awaited tweaks.

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Next was the job to finish installing the LED front bar lights (same ones as Rocket55 had). The first was a royal pain in the arse because I went about it the hard way and tried to re-terminate a weather proof plug on the car. The 3 pin connector I got from Jaycar was shit and I wasnt happy with how the crimper was terminating the lugs. So i opted for a trusty solder joint and heat shrink that wont bear the effects of corrosion in an acidic muddy environment (at least not as much a connector would). Had difficulty snapping the damn thing into its housing after I mucked around with it, but Rod came to the rescue and told me how to do it :) First one took me 3 days, second took me 30 mins, lol.

Dodgey photo from the phone.
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I also finished attaching the rear dust guard. OMFG what a horse's arse that was. The instructions from Nissan were rubbish and I ended up putting it on my own way. Still undecided about this extra or what the benefit might be... surely they put it on there for a reason?

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And lastly, the tailgate extension which brings the rear door back so I can slide stuff out of the back without interference.

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Have also removed the rear seats and plan to pull out the associated seat belts.

Feel that I've really been tested with some hand skills this week and my patience has worn thin. I lost some screws, drove off with some tools still on the bumper, and generally not thinking straight. Every mistake has been a learning experience, I just hope the successes outweigh the hammer throwing. :rolleyes:

Now that I've sold my Jeep, it's time to start getting exhaust quotes, thinking about the suspension, and fitting the gauges so I can do the EGR Block and Dawes valve! :biggrin:

Oh, the Scan Gauge II arrived in the mail so I'd like to permafit that into the truck this weekend too.

[skiman]

Since putting in that tail gate extension, have been hearing an odd noise (like a click or a clunk) coming from the back door. Though I'd narrowed it down to the top latch but it's still there after being checked and greased. Need to sit back there whilst someone is driving to pinpoint the location. I haaaaate any kind of rattle.

Today mod was to install my Scan Gauge II.

I plan on installing the EGT and Pyro gauges into a pillar pod soon, so thought I'd better figure out how the cables run from the dash. I had no idea and after looking around the net for an hour, was non the wiser. Even looked in some Patrol manuals to no avail. Seems that when most people post a DIY thread, they just show the finished product... which kind of defeats the purpose of a DIY. So it was Threedogs and Megomonster to the rescue with some timely advice (Thanks guys!! :D ) and then some dutch courage to rip the A frame trim off.

Here's the A frame trim off after unscrewing the handle (i didnt even break it!). Plenty of room to route the Scan Gauge cable (and the other gauge cables in future!).

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Stuck my head under the dash, wrangled the Scan Gauge cable up and then tidied everything up with some zip ties. Have only got the Scan Gauge sitting there loose for now and will mount it with velcro onto a dash mat after the gauges go in.

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Spent 20 mins configuring the new Scan Gauge and reading the manual. Think it's going to be a great tool and trip meter!

For anyone who's putting one in and wants to know what the Diesel Type setting is for a ZD30, its type A.

Think ill pay a visit to Opposite Lock tomorrow and book in for the Beaudesert 2.75" zorst. :p

Happy Friday all - time to take the edge off the week! :1062:

[skiman]

Bought a new Miller cargo barrier off Ebay for $330 this morning! Stoked. Figured that would be a good mission for Sunday afternoon. Since i was working in that area, I pulled out the rear seat belts as well.

Had a hell of a time re-fitting the original cargo barrier screws because that damn nut plate under the grab handles slipped out. Took me an hour of solid cursing to get those two screws back in.

Dont ever remove these bastard things unless you absolutely have to.
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As it turned out, I didn't need to remove much of the trim in any case. You can access the rear belts by pulling the upper and lower trim a little.

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I hate working with trim. Always think im going to break something. Managed to do ok though and learnt a trick to remove the trim plugs and place them on the trim before pressing it back into place (rather trying to slide the trim back into place). Like so..

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With some help from the better half, we managed to jiggle the barrier into place, removed the extra steel traps that didnt fit anywhere, threw some washers in with the mounting hardware and presto..

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So much space! Just wanna fill it with camping gear and get away :)

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Dog still unimpressed...

58101

[dads tractor]

Bought a new Miller cargo barrier off Ebay for $330 this morning! Stoked. Figured that would be a good mission for Sunday afternoon. Since i was working in that area, I pulled out the rear seat belts as well.

Had a hell of a time re-fitting the original cargo barrier screws because that damn nut plate under the grab handles slipped out. Took me an hour of solid cursing to get those two screws back in.

Dont ever remove these bastard things unless you absolutely have to.
58097

As it turned out, I didn't need to remove much of the trim in any case. You can access the rear belts by pulling the upper and lower trim a little.

58099

I hate working with trim. Always think im going to break something. Managed to do ok though and learnt a trick to remove the trim plugs and place them on the trim before pressing it back into place (rather trying to slide the trim back into place). Like so..

58098

With some help from the better half, we managed to jiggle the barrier into place, removed the extra steel traps that didnt fit anywhere, threw some washers in with the mounting hardware and presto..

58100

So much space! Just wanna fill it with camping gear and get away :)

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Dog still unimpressed...

58101

What happened to the second row guys ?

[Rocket55]

Coming along nicely Skiman, won't be long and I won't recognise it anymore.

[Rocket55]

PS. Was it a miller or Milford barrier you got? The mounts suit a Milford barrier.

[threedogs]

The rear cargo area seat belts I just tucked into the top slots, worked a treat out of sight too.
I have an Icom 440 with remote head, No drilling holes , the main part is mounted under the dash
and the hand piece is mounted on the centre console via double sided 3M tape.
Coming along very nicely.

[skiman]

PS. Was it a miller or Milford barrier you got? The mounts suit a Milford barrier.
Ahhh, you're right mate. Its the Milford. I think I'm going to try and find some shorter counter sunk bolts for the bottom straps. Those big knobs stick up under the carpet and cause wear.

Cheers for checking in mate. You raised the bar ;)

[skiman]

The rear cargo area seat belts I just tucked into the top slots, worked a treat out of sight too.
I have an Icom 440 with remote head, No drilling holes , the main part is mounted under the dash
and the hand piece is mounted on the centre console via double sided 3M tape.
Coming along very nicely.
You know, I did consider that AFTER I took the damn things out lol. In the end I justified it to myself as a learning experience, 2 less things that will rattle, and a 1kg weight reduction! LMAO

I like those remote units and have seen plenty installed. Think I'll go that way next time. I sat a lot closer to the radio when it was mounted that way in my Jeep. Heaps more room in the patrol and I have to reach over. First world problems lol. Will reconsider options when I start to run out of mods. My next radio upgrade will be a couple of RFI antennas (1 high dB, 1low).

[skiman]

Next mods on the list are the OCAM roof rack and exhaust and EGT and Pyro gauge.:thumbup:

Also got chatting with a guy who had a great patrol parked at Jaycar (as you do) and he asked if I had a fuel management system /water detection unit... I drew a blank & then he explained why he had one and the cost of fuel pump replacement! Sweet Louise.. I had no idea. Will add it to the investigation list. So many things to consider.

[threedogs]

Is it a water separator style filter, do your homework
as I think some dont suit certain TD motors

[Rocket55]

Ahhh, you're right mate. Its the Milford. I think I'm going to try and find some shorter counter sunk bolts for the bottom straps. Those big knobs stick up under the carpet and cause wear.

Cheers for checking in mate. You raised the bar ;)

Thats what I did. Pretty sure they are just a 10mm x 1.5 bolt. I just took one out and took it into Bunnings and screwed it into one of the nuts there to get the size, then just bought 2 bolts to suit. About 40mm long I think, same length as the threaded section of the one you're using now :wink:

[skiman]

Nice. I'll add that to my weekend todo list Rod. Cheers mate.

Threedogs, was chatting to the nice guys at opposite lock this afternoon and they recommended a dieselcare water trap/ filter. Will give them a call tomorrow and ask about microns and flow rates.

Also spoke with dudes at ARB about a 3" OME lift kit. Did not expect a quote for "$3800 plus engineering otherwise it's illegal". :-O. Plus a comment that they wouldn't sell me the parts so I can do it myself! Dafuq?!

[Rocket55]

Hahaha ARB = Australia Ripoff Barstards.

Sorry mate, I shouldn't laugh. :redface:

Search for suspension on here, there's stacks of advice and options to consider.

[rusty_nail]

Next mods on the list are the OCAM roof rack and exhaust and EGT and Pyro gauge.:thumbup:.

check out mcnally gauges mate, i got one from them after Mudski suggested it. they do a real nice Boost and EGT gauge in one, the Boost is shown by the needle and the EGT is shown on a digital readout on the bottom of the gauge. i mounted mine on my steering column, and its real neat and doesnt get in the way of anything.

[skiman]

Cheers rusty nail (great name btw! ;) ). Those are nice gauges, but I've already ordered a redarc gauge pack and pillar pod from Mark at Extremelimits 4wd. He did a great package deal for me :D

[skiman]

Received my full length aluminium roof rack from OCAM Industries on Friday, so that's been my mission this rainy weekend. Took a week to arrive from Melbourne and everything was very well packaged.

Started working in the garage but realised the truck wasn't going to fit in there with the rack. Hasn't even been lifted yet, so it looks like i'll be relegated to the drive way for any future work :-|

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According to their video instructions, it should have taken me 1 hour. Has currently taken me 4! Just cant seem to get the last part of the puzzle right - the cover plate. This is the part that's supposed to hold the rack to the roof gutter. Am finding that due to the design of the cover plate they bite into the side of the roof gutter when screwed in! :furious:

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Also had to retap some of the screw threads in the brackets as they refused to accept the screws - mostly just full of paint. Makes the assembly frustrating.

A trip into Clark Rubber and $8 worth of flat thin rubber fixed the gutter issue. I added some thin protective rubber to mount between the plate and the gutter. :smiley_thumbs_up:

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Job done! Look forward to putting it to the test.

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[LaughingBeagles]

Nice post mate and good tips too. Thanks for sharing.

By the way, how's the garage clearance now? :D

[Hodge]

Looks nice mate!

[skiman]

Cheers guys. Yeh I'm stoked with it. Surprising what a difference the rack makes to the general appearance :)

[skiman]

Next mission is the pillar pod and gauges. Received them from Extreme Limits Offroad last week all nicely packaged and he even threw in a couple of stubby coolers :cheers:

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2015/05/307.jpg

Have to admit, this mod is making me a little nervous. Never played with boost tubes and under dash wiring before.

[Rocket55]

Haha nice work Skiman! Although it must be the day for it as my last bits turned up today.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j396/Rocket5555/Build%20Pics%20Patrol/18EC10E9-BBC2-4C25-B13D-3F370373F6B5_zpsgbb3pr8h.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/Rocket5555/media/Build%20Pics%20Patrol/18EC10E9-BBC2-4C25-B13D-3F370373F6B5_zpsgbb3pr8h.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j396/Rocket5555/Build%20Pics%20Patrol/9545C8A8-8746-413C-A0E7-4B2C212BA888_zpsnw8ehqvd.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/Rocket5555/media/Build%20Pics%20Patrol/9545C8A8-8746-413C-A0E7-4B2C212BA888_zpsnw8ehqvd.jpg.html)

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j396/Rocket5555/Build%20Pics%20Patrol/94891485-9F8B-4E76-ABE7-C0EEB97F17A8_zpsmgu3drox.jpg (http://s1083.photobucket.com/user/Rocket5555/media/Build%20Pics%20Patrol/94891485-9F8B-4E76-ABE7-C0EEB97F17A8_zpsmgu3drox.jpg.html)

[skiman]

Managed to sneak in a little time on the truck this afternoon. Got the Redarc gauge wires through the firewall and started planning out how to run the wires in the engine bay. Getting them through that rubber bung on the firewall was a pain in the arse!

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Zip tied it all up until it's ready for routing and connection.

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Also took off the engine shroud in anticipation of putting the MAP spacer adapter in for the boost line.

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Still unsure how to connect the gauges to the Light Controller module - am considering a small terminal block inside one of the gauges boxes to keep it neat and then mounting the gauge boxes to the inside footwell wall with a big patch of velcro. More investigation (and time!) required.

Also have no idea which coloured wires run off the ignition, park and dimmer wires. :confused:

[skiman]

Gauge install continues this afternoon. Slowly but surely!

Today's mission - splice in the dimmer switch wires and mount the programmable push button screws to the pilllar pod.

4 bolts and a screw to get the bottom plastic shroud off.

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Next was the right hand side shroud with the dimmer switch in it. This pulls off with a little pressure from the bottom. Then it's a case of pulling the instrument cluster shroud out a little and then pulling the rest out.

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Here are the two wires I need to splice into to make the Redarc gauges dim. The blue wire and the pink wire.

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I've never done this before, so an autoelec will probably roll over in his grave somewhere. Watched a youtube vid and seemed like the best way to go. Cut the wire, add some heat shrink, wrap the wires longitudinally for mechanical strength, do the same with the wire to be spliced in, solder, check continuity, heat shrink.

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Be patient with solder so that it gets good flow and a shiney solder joint. Don't overheat, don't mess with it while it's 'wet'. Clean it afterwards. Heat shrink over the top, rinse repeat for the other side. I moved the joint higher on the pink wire so that the terminations wont be on top of each other.

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Check continuity from the plug terminal to the end of the wire on your splice connections to make sure you have good electrical connection. Then pray that it all goes back together like it was at the beginning! lol

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Lastly, i drilled two 7mm holes for the gauge switches into the pillar pod.

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This whole gauge install seems like a big job, and it probably is... but one little patient step at a time and ill likely save a couple hundred dollars visiting an auto elec, and learn something new!

http://puu.sh/i3t5m/13b8503524.jpg

[Rocket55]

Nice work mate! Some good pics I can follow when I get around to doing mine.

You're becoming quite proficient at this stuff now, soon there'll be no stoping you :)

[skiman]

Thanks heaps mate :D It's not without the pucker factor i assure you lol.

[LaughingBeagles]

Great stuff Skiman, easy to follow mate. Thanks a bunch.

[Dman2603]

We'll done ski man!! Very well put together!! Just out of interest did your gauges go straight into the holes of your pillar mount? How well does your pillar mount actually mount? Do the holy shit handle holes line up? Only reason I ask is I used a double pillar mount from the same company & figment was pretty terrible!! Colour match was also pretty bad!! But at the end of the day nothing a Stanley knife won't fix & it is cheap so can't complain too much!! But just curious if you had to sand & trim or if everything just fit like it should of? Cheers mate!

[skiman]

We'll done ski man!! Very well put together!! Just out of interest did your gauges go straight into the holes of your pillar mount? How well does your pillar mount actually mount? Do the holy shit handle holes line up? Only reason I ask is I used a double pillar mount from the same company & figment was pretty terrible!! Colour match was also pretty bad!! But at the end of the day nothing a Stanley knife won't fix & it is cheap so can't complain too much!! But just curious if you had to sand & trim or if everything just fit like it should of? Cheers mate!

Thanks mate. :) I've only trial fitted the gauges into the pod. One was a tight interference fit and needed some manipulation to get in (but it stayed there when fitted), the other was loose and just slid in. The loose one will need some way to anchor the gauge in the hole... maybe a little Sikflex around the inside edge. Trim colour matched seemed ok at a glance and I havent tried fitting it with the grab handle yet - hopefully today. Will post an update as I progress. I have a full weekend to myself so hoping to make solid headway. Thanks for stopping by mate! :smiley_thumbs_up:

[skiman]

Seems like slow progress, but I took my time today and kept on chipping away.

Today's mission was to wire into the 2A fuse holder onto an ignition power line and tidy up the power loom. Would have got more done but I ran out of heat shrink! Grrr.

Chose to run off the Ignition 2 power line as it ran to a 10A circuit for the aircon. Dug around on the circuit diagram and then went looking for a yellow and black wire (the power side of the aircon fuse). Removed the interior fuse and relay panel (which is held on by three obvious screws.

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Fortunately, there was only one yellow and black wire and it looked like a decent gauge, so that must be the power line. I removed the plug from the fuse panel and then checked that I had 12V on that terminal when the car had ignition on - which it did! All good. Used the same procedure as yesterday to splice in a fuse holder that will hold a 2A fuse.

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One thing I realised (a little too late) was that the fatter gauge wire would take more heat to solder properly. This meant that heat travelled up the wire and started shrinking my heat shrink! Still managed to get it over the joint in the end, but just thought id mention so others will know better. Wrapped the loom back up with eleco tape to keep it all neat and refitted the fuse panel.

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Then finished the fuse job by soldering the other end of the fuse holder onto the Redarc ELC light controller.

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Finally tidied up the power loom with some spirap because it was looking like a rats nest!

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Next thing I looked at was the park light power circuit (which is the last connection the light controller needs). Kicked myself because I probably should have done this whilst I had the fuse panel off! But after digging through some more circuit diagrams, I realised that the park light power line is the same blue with black trace wire that I wired across the dimmer switch previously. Confirmed this with the multimeter and was getting 12V when I turned the park lights on. Happy days! :) Here are the circuit diagrams if anyone wants them.

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Tomorrow's jobs...

1. Get some more heat shrink
2. Attach the power loom to the light controller
3. Run the sensor wires up to the A pillar
4. Run the internal and external temp sensors from the A pillar through to their positions
5. Trial mount the pillar pod and then fix the gauges in their final positions with some Sikaflex
6. Complete the vehicle connections from the dimmer, power, park lights and earth to the light controller.

7. Read up on how to change the major filters (air, fuel, oil)

[skiman]

Had the 2.75" Beaudesert exhaust fitted yesterday. Stoked! It's the first of the major engine mods that are planned. I got the high flow cat with mine and it certainly sounds throaty. The installers, Opposite Lock, had issues with a stripped bolt on the heatshield, so I guess they must have got the grinder out, because there was heaps of swarf left on the firewall when I was having a look at home! :mad: Not only that, but they found it too difficult to install my the oil pressure and water temp sensors for the Redarc gauges! So the gauge delay continues.

Exhaust difference - definitely feels a little more powerful and my scan gauge II was telling that the engine is running 2 degrees cooler.

Out of curiosity - does anyone know if the ECU needs resetting after installing a larger exhaust? Im not sure if the reduced back pressure, cooler temps etc would affect the fuel mapping and all the magic things the ECU does...

[LaughingBeagles]

Great info Skiman, keep it coming mate.

[skiman]

Big weekend of Patrol work. Gota say that i'm feeling pretty stoked that I managed to accomplish these jobs - especially when several of them were considerably out of my comfort zone.

The Gauges

Finished the wiring, looming and fitting of the gauges to the Pillar Pod. Turns out I didn't need the sikaflex on the inside because the steel clips that I thought were there to hold the cables down, were also there to keep the gauge mounted against the outside lip of the holes. /facepalm

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I removed the wadding from behind the old pillar trim and used it to wrap the cables and the top of the pillar pod. Felt this would help to prevent rattles and protect the wiring a little.

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The ELC and Boost adapter box were fitted up against the firewall with some velcro. The soft flexible side on the wall and the teeth on the back of the boxes.

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Next was the boost sensor adapter/spacer that sits under the MAP sensor

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And finally, the pillar pod with gauges went onto the A pillar. I had to modify the pillar pod by cutting off a corner so that it could fit in the forward section of the dash. Stanly knife and some sandpaper did the job. There was much swearing putting the grab handle back on. From what I could see, the pillar pod holes were slightly off centre and weren't allowing the screws to go in. Spent way too much time struggling and cursing before calling out to the Mrs for an extra set of hands. 5 mins later with some brute force it went in.

For anyone wanting to do this themselves. Make sure you fit the door rubber seal before you fit the pillar pod - otherwise, its a PITA to get the rubber lips into where they belong.

I hope to God I never need to pull that thing off! LOL.

Finally, it was hold your breath time and setup the gauges.

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The top one is red because the Oil Pressure and Water Temp sensors are not fitted (hence the gauge is reading an alarm state).

I opted for the additional temp sensors on my gauges. One for cabin temp, and the other will either be for the fridge temp (coming soon) or outdoor temp. The included instructions were good, but setting the gauge ID's for both was tricky. It looks as if the connected purple wires (communication link) are interfering when you try to setup the individual gauge options. Each gauge is supposed to have its own ID and this needs to be set before you can get into the other options.

Another thing that caught me off guard was the EGT sensor wire. They tell you how to wire the connector, but no what orientation it goes into the adapter box. Initially, my EGT gauge was reading 0 at idle. But after I took it for a spin, I guess it must have gone over the lower indicating level and it started showing the EGT's. Mine were showing a healthy 450 or less (all on flat HWY driving).

To finish this job, I need to work out how/who can mount the oil pressure sensor.

For the water temp sensor.. im thinking of using one of these

58650

[Bacho86]

Nice work skiman, thanks for the detail write up! Will definately be using this as a reference when fitting my gauges.

Any reason why you didn't install the redarc battery guages as well?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hodge]

Awesome writeup mate. Mine is pretty much an identical setup, except I have the old Autron branded gauge.
One of my pillar holes is now just bare I will be watching with interest how you do you water/oil setup as thats what I'll be doing next.

[skiman]

Nice work skiman, thanks for the detail write up! Will definately be using this as a reference when fitting my gauges.

Any reason why you didn't install the redarc battery guages as well?


Thanks for the kind words mate, appreciate it :)

RE: the battery gauges, I've already got a couple of digital units sitting on the centre column. Previous owner (Rocket55) did the hard work on that one. As much as I like more gauges, I couldn't find a reason/need to install another one.

58667


Awesome writeup mate. Mine is pretty much an identical setup, except I have the old Autron branded gauge.
One of my pillar holes is now just bare I will be watching with interest how you do you water/oil setup as thats what I'll be doing next.

Thanks man. So you have no grab handle on yours Hodge? Im a short arse and really missed them when they weren't there. That will be even more the case when the 2" lift goes in, lol

[Hodge]

Thanks man. So you have no grab handle on yours Hodge? Im a short arse and really missed them when they weren't there. That will be even more the case when the 2" lift goes in, lol

I do mate. Here is a quick photo of my as I type this.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=58673&stc=1

[skiman]

I completed my first servicing on a Patrol yesterday afternoon! :icon_victory:

I had a diesel Hilux 20 years ago and had a hell of a time changing the fuel filter on that. Even the NRMA guy couldnt start it afterwards. So that part of the servicing was nerve wracking for me haha.

60,000km

Air filter was straightforward

58676

Oil filter was ok too. I used the instructions Rod gave me and it was relatively mess free. I didnt realise how much 8.2 litres looked like in my oil pan, and was lucky it didnt overflow. Note to self - buy a bigger oil pan.

This is the hose you use to drain oil from the little drain pan underneath the filter.

58677

Looks due for a change (and no i didnt stick my hand in the oil lol)

58679

Dont forget to put this little plastic piece into the replacement filter.

58678

After hours of reading forum posts about which oil, I decided on Penrite Semi Synthetic HPR Diesel 5 5W-40. I really wanted a full synthetic but couldn't find one that was highly recommended and met the manufacturers specs. Mobil 1 came close but it doesn't look good in some of those oil test articles I read. I based my final decision after reading an article that I think Chaz wrote.. (which i cant seem to locate atm, but will link when I do). Will see how the Penrite goes. Happy to listen to any recommendations you guys might have too.

58680

Last was the fuel filter.

Here are the instructions I used and after following this, I barely spilled a drop of Diesel and the engine fired up first go :D Below is my slightly modified version.

Fuel Filter

1. Remove the hose from the outlet side of the bulb and seal off to prevent dirt ingress and fuel spillage (this is the one toward the outside of the engine bay and goes to the filter). Disconnect this hose from the bulb end and leave the hose attached on the filter assy. Swap that hose to the new filter when it's removed for easier access.


a. Drain filter at side mounted drain port into a thin bottle, retighten drain. An old Windex bottle fits in there nicely. I couldn't get any fuel to run out, but I found out later that was because I didnt unscrew it enough. This step is redundant in any case if you're careful when removing the filter.

2. Disconnect remaining rubber hoses and seal off.
3. Remove filter mounting bracket by unscrewing 2x holding bolts.
4. Lift & rotate assembly to access bottom mounted sensor plug.

a. Carefully remove the wire retaining spring that holds the sensor plug in place.
b. Clean plug contacts.
5. Lift unit out & replace filters and swap out the hose from step 1.
6. Reposition unit to connect sensor plug.
7. Bolt mounting bracket in place.
8. Refit 2 off small return line rubber hoses.
9. Prime hand pump:-

a. Loosen fuel tank cap.
b. Squeeze hand pump bellows.
c. Block rubber hose outlet of pump with thumb.
d. Allow bellows to expand which will draw fuel from tank. e. Release thumb & squeeze pump bellows to check for fuel.
f. Repeat b,c,d until fuel appears
g. Connect this rubber hose to filter inlet.

For me, this only took 2 or 3 pumps by hand before fuel was flowing.

10. Prime filter:-

a. Squeeze hand pump bellows.
b. Block filter outlet with thumb.
c. Allow bellows to expand which will draw fuel from tank & push fuel through filter.
d. Release thumb & squeeze hand pump bellows to check for fuel.
e. Repeat a,b,c until fuel appears.
f. Connect fuel pump rubber hose to filter outlet.
11. Tighten all bolts and try an engine start.
12. If engine idles tighten fuel tank cap and go for a 10km spin to exorcize any more air.

I emptied the contents of the fuel filter into a container just to see what came out. Plenty of crap in there and no water.

58675

Also emptied the Provent tube and found this sludge. Better than in my container than back in teh engine!!

58681

Was first time emptying the Catchcan tube so not sure what to expect or how much, but was surprised to see water in there. Is that normal? :confused: Probably condensation, will keep an eye on it.

Lastly, I reset the ECU since it had new air filter, fuel filter, new exhaust etc. Not that the truck was running poorly, but I reckon this should help her run better :D

Here's the ECU reset procedure I used. Not sure if it's right, or whether it worked.. but I did have to re-enter the radio security code etc.

Reset ECU

1. Note your radio code and odo readings
2. Remove positive terminals from all batteries.
3. Step on brakes for 10 secs. Leave car to sit for 15 mins.
4. Refit battery terminals

One other thing, I have Scan Gauge II permanently fitted. It wouldn't turn on after the ECU reset for some reason. I fixed it by disconnecting it from the OBDI plug, starting the car, turning it off, reconnecting, and then letting it do its communication link setup again.

[skiman]

I do mate. Here is a quick photo of my as I type this.


Ahhh.. gotcha. Sorry mate, I misunderstood what you said.

[skiman]

This got fitted last week! :D

58956

Do i notice much difference? Not really.
Do i think it was worth $1700 fitted? Not really. Hard to tell before and after with the chip. The exhaust was definitely noticeable as the wagon stayed in the lower gear for longer. But with the chip, i was told I would notice a similar result.. ie, more lower end torque.

The last thing im going to do for engine performance is have the EGR block fitted, along with the Dawes setup. And then ill get it dyno tested and tuned, and be done with the engine mods I think. Perhaps the tuner will tweak the Steinbauer settings. I just dont want it blowing smoke.

Fitted the 2500 x 2500 ARB Touring awning.

Had difficulty using the Rhino Rack foxwing brackets that ARB recommended for me, because the OCAM Industries alloy roof rack that I have has 32mm tubing on the bottom and an ARB roof rack uses 28mm tubing!

My solution was to use stainless steel hose clamps instead of u-bolts. I also needed to drill a hole 50mm above the bottom hole on the bracket (as the awning bolt spacers are 50mm apart).

58959 58960

Very happy with the awning and how she sits.

58961

[skiman]

I'm happy to report that I used the Patrol in anger (ie 4wd and off road) for the first time last weekend. Got away for some camping with the family and managed to try out the new Oztent RV5 and to see how our camp setup is changing with the new truck.

Stock suspension - man did she SAG! That's with the back section loaded, RV5 on top with some camp chairs and sleeping gear, and without 2 teens in the back and the Mrs in front. Pictures attached for future reference (as the 2" lift is due to go in over the next couple of weeks). Still working out whether to go medium or heavy duty springs... :-/

58964 58963

Other observations

4WD transmission shifts. Struggled getting into 4W High and back into 2W High. Kept grinding gears. Had the Mrs reading the manual trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Managed to finally get it after shutting down the engine and then restarting. Must be something wrong with my technique.

There is a chirp noise coming from what sounds to be the right hand side A pillar. I thought it may have been the gauges I installed, but after opening the drivers window, the sound seemed to be coming from outside the vehicle. It could be the airbox or associated hoses, as when I changed the air filter last weekend, i noticed a similar chirping when i was manipulating the air hoses. Will check it out. Sound was only evident on dirt roads with heavy corrugations.

Dash rattles when cold. Noise disappears when everything has warmed up. Going to disregard and check that screws are tight when I put the RAM mounts into the centre console.

Fan belt squeals after water crossings. Noise disappears after a few minutes driving. From what i've read, this may be a common thing with ZD30s. But will add a new belt to the to-do list and check the pulleys, wheels and bearings when changing the belt.

Rock lodged in brakes. After a water crossing, I heard a screaching that sounded like a rock caught in the pads. Stopped and checked all the wheels and found nothing obvious. Drove again, sound was still present along with some clunking. Stopped again and had a closer look, still found nothing, rotors had no marks on them and nothing caught up under the car. Drove again, it made another clunk and sounded like it dislodged. Drove home with no other issues. Read here that stones can get caught in the rotor guard and it's best to remove them entirely (http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/general-patrol-discussion-17/remove-disc-brake-guards-who-has-done-95526/). Will add that to the to-do list.

[LaughingBeagles]

A really great thread mate.

[vfamily]

did you ever get your steinbauer working properly

[muz muz]

It does look good. ??legal???