You really love the 6 speeds, don't you FTE? XD I've been looking into them, I don't know if I'll be able to make it work. Around by me, there's not a lot of wrecked vehicles with 6 speeds and four wheel drive capabilities. Aside from the Jeep 6 speed, which is upwards of $1500 for a used one and has the same ratios as my AX5, just with an extra gear between first and second, there's not much else. I haven't had any luck finding the Frontier 6 speed you mentioned. I guess I could always get one of those NV5600's Dodge uses :D I'm still exploring all transmission options, so any input is appreciated.

Joe

Have you checked out car-part.com? I found a bunch listed in your area for as low as 300.00. The NV6500 is way too big. The Jeep trans is not the strongest unit, plus they are big $$$, probably because they have issues. The nice thing about the Nissin box is it has the best gear spacing and the largest spread between 1st and 6th. Also 1st isn't a granny low, so it's used every time. I know I harp about the 6spd a lot, but it really is the great equalizer that makes up for any shortcomings this little motor has.

Fte do you have the model # for the nissan 6 speed?

FS6R30 A They came in 06-up Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder

Quick update on everything. The weather has finally stopped being miserably cold and I was able to get some stuff done on the Kubota. I got the valve cover pulled and checked the valve lash and it was all in spec. Started right up (62* that day) after I primed the oil system because it sat for a few months. And then it snowed eight inches the next day. :dang: Fast forward to this week, I finally got a turbo pulled off a VW Passat and what a pain it was. Everything is in the way of the bolts. I snapped one off in the exhaust housing that I'll have to drill out, but everything else came out nicely. Minimal shaft play and the exhaust side is free of oil. I also went and bought another fuel bleed petcock because in my boundless excitement to first start the engine I ripped the thumbscrew off the valve. In my defense, it was a little stuck. The Carrier part number for that is 25-37593-00. I also contacted someone at Carrier and he was interested in my compressor, so hopefully that will free up some funds. :jump:

The thumbscrew twisted right off both of my engines the first time I tried to turn them. It looks like they're epoxied on there or something. I probably should order another valve, but I've just been using a pair of vice grips on it whenever I've needed to prime the system for the past 4 years.

Hey Red, good to see you're back.
That's what I've been doing, but I went up to the Carrier dealer to see if I could order some Kubota parts through them and they had the valve for $10 so I said why not. The majority of the shaft on my valve came off with the thumb screw, so I would have to take the nut off in order to grab the shift, and I was worried about backing it out too far and having the valve come out and dump fuel everywhere, which I did the first time.

I got a chance to work on the turbo today. I pulled the exhaust housing off and I think it's safe to say this turbo is done without some major work. There are a lot more cracks in the housing than I originally thought, as well as some sort of slag-type protrusion that ate into the turbine wheel. I'll put up some pictures tonight.

Joe

The flat spot where the turbine wheel rubbed the housing has a V shaped crack, and a crack running down the inside of the housing, as well as a wider crack on the inside by the exhaust inlet. I took it to a turbo shop and the guy took one look at it and said the head gasket probably went and dumped coolant into the turbo, causing the cracks and the whitish grey buildup, which I thought was just the turbo running properly. I'll have to try and pull the compressor housing off and decide if I'm going to rebuild this turbo or find a different one. I have been eyeing a g2052v off a 2.5 diesel VW transporter. Or a gt17. All China clones, but nice none the less.

Joe

Alternators
 

Question for everyone, the Jeeps have a weird looking black box terminal on the back of the alternator, which no one I've talked to can say with 100% certainty what it does. Has anyone tried to retain the stock Jeep alternator, or just cut the wires and ran the NPR one? If the NPR is the better way to go, which part numbers should I look at?

Also, I've been looking at variable geometry turbo's, does anyone know how the actuator is controlled on them? They look like wastegate actuators, but there's no fitting drilling in the compressor housing for the pressure line. I'm not sure if I can just do that or if I need to run something different. The turbo's I'm looking at are the g2052v off a 2.5TDI VW van, or a gt1749v off a 1.9TDI. Thanks

Joe