Formally Introducing the Siberian Patrol

After 6+ months of asking for advice and help to get my ride road-worthy, I figured it's now time to do a formal build-up thread.

I began my search for a rugged vehicle last May (2015) when I knew that I would be moving to a Siberian village which is accessible only by airplane or winter ice road. After much research I had narrowed it down to an 80s series TLC or a GR (GU) Patrol. The TLC is readily available here, but carries a premium price tag, and after even more research I decided to go with the Patrol.

So, $10k later, I became the proud owner of a 1999 GR RD28ETi with a very clean interior, Kenwood 2M ham radio, factory suspension and 33" Khumo mudders - pretty much completely stock.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/28.jpg
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One of the first mods was to swap out the old GU taillight a for some more modern LEDs with a proper reversing light on both sides. http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/34.jpg

After that it was off to the Nissan dealer to have them run diagnostics on the engine and check the suspension and drivetrain - basically give it a good once-over. There I found out that my "good condition" Patrol had a lot of surprises for me and it wasn't as clean as I thought it was.

The short story is that for about a month they had it in the shop replacing many bits and pieces - all the universal joints, rear main seal, rebuilt the front calipers and completely rebuilt the front end with new kingpin bushings, seals, driveshaft, wheel bearings, etc.

After all of that, when I went to pick it up, they told me either the injectors or the pump wasn't working properly, but they didn't have the equipment to due a full diesel diagnostic (not uncommon over here). So off I went to find a diesel specialist.

At the diesel shop they ran a compression test and found that all the cylinders were operating on the low end of the tolerances, but the #4 cylinder was even below tolerances. Outside of pulling the head, there was no way to know what was causing the low compression, so I decided not to mess with it (in hind sight, I should have done it right then).
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/35.jpg

They also told me I needed to rebuild the injector pump because it was waaayyyy below specs in its output pressure. So I had them go ahead and rebuild it. After another 2 weeks they still weren't able to get the pump right. They would put it on the stand and it would work, but when they installed in on the engine, it wouldn't work properly. Now this is a highly specialized Bosch/Denso service center but they couldn't get the electronic pump to work right. Finally, we decided to swap out the electronic injector pump for a mechanical one - which also meant running a throttle cable to the accelerator and doing away with the factory fly-by-wire acceleration system.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/36.jpg

Well after the fuel pump and injectors rebuild, I noticed a nice increase in power and driveability, but I wasn't completely happy with it. The engine still seemed to idle rough and I was getting a combo of blue and white smoke at various times - even at idle.
https://vimeo.com/157467735

So back I went to the diesel specialist and they told me they couldn't do a complete tune on the engine because of the low compression and because the turbo was also showing low pressure. So off I went to find a turbo specialist.

In the meantime, in preparation for winter, I had a 5Kw Webasto pre start circulation heater installed which would heat and circulate the coolant for 30 min - thus eliminating cold starts even at -40C.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/37.jpg
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You can see the Webasto tucked away neatly under the hood.

I managed to track down a turbo shop and got them to pull my turbo and check it out and they said that the turbine shaft had been scored and pitted because it spun a bearing. So I was out for a new turbo. I replaced it with another factory spec Garrett turbo - opting not to change the size.

Well after the turbo replacement, I thought I was in the clear with my mechanical problems. My Ironman 2" suspension lift had been delivered by this time and I was itching to get it installed. I opted for the medium-duty 400kg constant load springs in the rear and 200kg for the front and foam-cell shocks. I booked it for the install and when they put it on the lift, I discovered that the front hub dust seals were completely shot.
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These were the ones that Nissan replaced not just 2 months prior - so needless to say I wasn't pleased at all. Finally tracked down some original dust seals and we replaced those and got the lift installed and the ol Troll was riding nice.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/41.jpg
BEFORE
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/42.jpg
AFTER

I was riding good for a couple of weeks - all was going well, until a parking lot incident ripped off a rear flare and revealed a whole lot of rust damage in the wheel well and fender area.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/43.jpg
Upon further inspection, I found even more rust holes. And not just holes, but craters. And to top it all off, someone had tried to patch it up by using expanding foam to fill the holes and glue the flares on. Well. It was off to the panel beaters to see what we could do to fix this new found issue.

They were unable to find new body panels to replace these, so they wound up cutting about 2.5" off both rear wheel arches and rear quarter panel and half of the running boards and they welded in new metal to custom fabricate the needed panels.
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Another 2 weeks and she was back from the panel beaters better than ever. Couldn't even tell what had been done.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/48.jpg

In the meantime, I had picked up a few more mods and bits that I was anxious to install in preparation for a trip up the winter ice road here in Siberia.

SaaS boost and EGT gauges
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/49.jpg

New Yokohama studless winter tires
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/50.jpg

4 snow chains
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/51.jpg

A pair of combo driving lights
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/52.jpg

And I built a storage unit and place to tie down 5 Jerry cansin the cargo area. This is temporary until I get a long-range tank installed and a permanent drawer system built.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/53.jpg
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/54.jpg

After all of that, I was ready for the first trip up the winter road in mid-December 2015. I'll be doing a full write up on the trip in another thread, but suffice it to say it was quite the trip.

On the way back from the +3000km round-trip, I noticed an oil leak and my oil level was really low. With no place to stop for repairs before home, I filled the oil and made sure to check it frequently until we got back home to the city.

When I got back, I saw more oil leaking around the #1&2 cylinders and the intake from the turbo.
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Well I took it to the shop and we searched some more and found oil leaking on the back of the engine - all signs pointing to a blown head gasket. They pulled the head and found out, not only why there was an oil leak, but also why the #4 cylinder had low compression. Turns out at some point in time a glow plug or something must have broken off and fallen in the cylinder because it was scored and pitted and the head surface was slightly warped and pitted as well.
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So now it's not just a head gasket that I am needing, but a complete engine overhaul - a full rebuild. Thankfully we were able to find a replacement head off of an RD28 non-turbo engine and had it machined to proper specs for the RD28T.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/60.jpg

The block was pulled, sleeved, and machined to factory specs, all new pistons, rings, lifters, etc. The mechanic installed hydraulic lifters when he reassembled the engine, which soon turned out to be a problem. After driving it for a week after the rebuild, it didn't have the same punch and power in the low end as it did before the rebuild. Thanks to the input from many here, I had the mechanic recheck the lifters and, sure enough, several had collapsed and I was losing power. So back in the shop for lifters and tapper adjustment, only this time he put in the standard lifters with shims.

Now, she's running like a champ. I installed a boost controller and wound the boost up to 15psi under full load and 7psi cruising at 100kph. A few other mods made it in along the way - GU 3 headlights and side markers, a catch can, Tough Dog steering damper and EGR blocked.

Now this is how she looks today - ready for any terrain and challenge.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2016/03/61.jpg

Now the next question will be "What's next?" Well I've got a list of future mods that keeps growing, but here are some things planned for the future:

Custom 3" exhaust and intake
Snorkel
Sub-tank and long-range primary fuel tanks
Steel bumpers front and rear
Air compressor in rear cargo area
Custom drawer system
Offset steel rims

...and whatever else comes up along the way ;)

Well done mate good job. Just 1 thing. The steering wheels on the wrong side:tease:

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Originally Posted by growler2058

Well done mate good job. Just 1 thing. The steering wheels on the wrong side:tease:

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I guess that means I can't drive over and visit you blokes in Australia [emoji12]


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

Great effort mate. can't wait to see your winter pics!!

love your work mate! awesome write up and its nice to see your tackling all your problems. hows the 2.8 go? its pretty common that they do heads i think?

FYI, you can definitely still drive left hand drives here, you just need a special permit so come on over and well show you what a "Real" winter is hahaha, it is just about to begin =P

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Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD

Great effort mate. can't wait to see your winter pics!!

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Thanks, MudRunner. It's been a long time coming. Winter pics will be up soon (I hope) :wink:

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Originally Posted by rusty_nail

love your work mate! awesome write up and its nice to see your tackling all your problems. hows the 2.8 go? its pretty common that they do heads i think?

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The 2.8 goes great now. This is my first Patrol, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. I'm pleased with how she pulls. The 2.8 and the ZD30 are the most common engines over here. It's almost impossible to find a factory TD42, although I have seen quite a few swaps from the ZD30 to the TD42. The RD28T can blow heads, but not as commonly as the early ZD30s. The damage had been done on mine long before I got it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rusty_nail

FYI, you can definitely still drive left hand drives here, you just need a special permit so come on over and well show you what a "Real" winter is hahaha, it is just about to begin =P

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Well, you blokes also drive on the wrong side of the road, so I'm not sure I want to chance it over there :tease: Actually my first 2 vehicles here were right-hand drives. At the time, the used car market was booming with imports from Japan, so there was a plethora of right-hand drives all over the city. The market has shifted a bit now to more European model imports, so it's becoming less common to find them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SiberianPatrol

I guess that means I can't drive over and visit you blokes in Australia [emoji12]


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

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I think you could if you hung a left-hand drive sign on it. When are you coming over?:)

Well done Matt you've thrown enough $$$ at it getting it to where it is now.
Now its time to get out and enjoy your minus 30-40 degree weather
BBrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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Originally Posted by mudnut

I think you could if you hung a left-hand drive sign on it. When are you coming over?:)

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I'll just borrow one of your Patrols while I'm there ;)

Seriously, I'd love to visit the land down under sometime but that would be quite a bit in the future.


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

Quote:

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Originally Posted by threedogs

Well done Matt you've thrown enough $$$ at it getting it to where it is now.
Now its time to get out and enjoy your minus 30-40 degree weather
BBrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

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Totally agree. Now it's time to start enjoying the Patrol.


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

awesome write up mate

well done that man

Hi Mate!
As a mate from your hemisphere I know that some guys changing :animierte-smilies-f RD28 to the QD32 or even to the some from Mercedes (OM603TD - 3,5 ltr).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0kFW6eMglQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RroG9l-MB-U

I've seen quite a few different engine swaps on YouTube - even a few to a BMW engine. But I didn't have the time or the resources to do a swap this time. Maybe next time something goes I'll be able to do something a bit more substantial. I'd love to drop in a TD42T but those are hard to find over here and expensive.


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

had to post here in the minus 10 thread way too hot and muggy in Melbourne at the moment.
Ahhhhh feel better already lol

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Originally Posted by threedogs

had to post here in the minus 10 thread way too hot and muggy in Melbourne at the moment.
Ahhhhh feel better already lol

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I'll take my -20 any day over hot and muggy. ;)


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SiberianPatrol

I'll just borrow one of your Patrols while I'm there ;)

Seriously, I'd love to visit the land down under sometime but that would be quite a bit in the future.


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

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Mate if you ever do get here we'll put on a big gig for you. Woodfire pizzas at AB's, sure he wouldn't mind lol, a nice sample of Nisshead's home made moonshine and then a few days up in the high country here.
Good work on the Patrol mate. I have a friend looking for a Patrol and he cant afford a td42 GU, doesnt want a GQ or a petrol motor so im trying to talk him into an RD. If read a few reports on people getting them going quite good.

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