I've been plugging away as time permits.
I got the camshaft and journals machined. I cleaned up the block, the pistons, the oil pan etc. I put new rings on the pistons, honed the cyl walls and basically buttoned up the bottom end.
I installed that portion in the truck this past weekend and started connecting everything.. working from bottom up. By the way, installation meant I finally had to deal with the fact that I didn't leave the torque converter with the tranny when I pulled the motor. I was worried about indexing it, but I was able to figure out what exact position it was in originally using photographs.
*****Pathfinder/Xterra VG33E (automatic) engine pull note******
Repair manuals indicate that you need to keep the torque converter held in the tranny bell housing when extracting the motor. What they don't seem to mention is that the TC is bolted to the fly wheel and there is no apparent way to get to the bolts. If you remove the the engine to tranny bolts, remove the starter, and THEN remove the metal plate that sits there you can indeed access these 4 bolts. I didn't realize this until later.
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The heads are all back together (and looking sexy.)
Those will go in in the next day or so. I'm suddenly very close to finishing. Which is a slight bummer in a way. I've enjoyed my evenings in the shop wrenching on this thing with a beer in hand and the Cleveland Indians on the radio.
Wish me luck!
). My "double pathy enginge/tranny swap" is progressing, albeit slowly.
