[dan ahern]

I figured this would be something different mainly cause I am in Ireland and these Y61 Patrols here are starting to get super rare.I am going to update here on my current Y61 and future projects.I will be working on any Nissan 4x4s here and other makes but mainly Nissans and the Y61 trolls.
So to start....
It's a strange feeling for me going from a bulletproof almost 600k 2004 well minded Patrol (well documented in the ZD30 section over the years here) on all it's first day parts inc diesel pump and then going to this 07 one in this state of neglect😅 talk about a shock to the system 🤣 this thread will show you just how reliable and unreliable Patrols can be dependent on owners and level of care taken.
So it starts when I found it sitting outside a business premises a year and 3 months ago,the owner couldn't get it restarted and with only 280 k onboard it had already suffered an injection pump failure.This was only going to be one of the issues with this very neglected Patrol and Fast forward to now today and I can tell you that this lovely looking patrol was going to be a minefield of problems for me and a lot of work and my labour/time to put it right.Had I had known the amount of work it was going to be I might have passed it by 🙈(Not really) 😅
I have been on this forum sinse 2008 which is a long time and have posted about all my Patrols over the years mainly on the ZD30 section. So I feel one of my Patrols (daly driver) deserves a thread here,and I feel this experience with this Patrol makes for a good story.
I have four Patrols now but let's keep on topic for now on this 07 one.😉👍
Well this one has the full black leather heated interior and all the usual extras inc sunroof and ABS etc.
It's a long story and a hell of a lot of work (still ongoing) so I will start it and update it when I can.Here are a few pics from home.We are in the highest point here in west limerick (1200ft above sea level) we get a lot of snow here in the winter considering it's Ireland. 
Greetings from Ireland

Dan

 

[RickGQ]

That's a good looking, all black, Patrol. The leather interior is amazing!

 

[dan ahern]

Thanks Rick!
Wait till you hear the gory details along the way on this thread and all the work I had to do 🙈😅 is worth it though. Patrols are getting hard to come by now and once right nothing can touch them for power and reliability.
Next on my menu here is a cylinder head change.
Just waiting now to hear back from the engine shop as I sent a head away to be pressure tested. They will skim it too, check valves and all the other stuff etc looks good no cracks apart from one small one to a glow plug hole which are normally harmless.Weather or not they will condem it for this reason remains to be seen,I will wait to hear back from them,this week hopefully.

For around 500e I am Hoping to get head back ready to go with a head kit / gaskets etc.
Pic of head before I sent it. Coolant and other miscellaneous items for the rebuild not inc in price.
I will removing/ refitting head myself,as of now I'm still driving Patrol and its pressurising the cooling system badly.
I have two expantion tanks fitted (My own idea) to help with coolant levels but I have had a few overheats regardless. Just got caught out with coolant levels on longer trips, she never went full red on the gauge but high 3/4 ways! She is blowing white smoke,so this job needs to be done fairly soon. It only overheated due to a partially blocked radiator after trying a coolant leak fix to buy me some time as I say I need to wait to get my parts before I can start job.Them so called "magic" In a bottle "miracle leak fixes" are at best only temporary and rarely if ever work on a turbo charged engine.Just too much pressure Yes it got rid of the smoke but it clogged radiator too (Hence overheat) but as I say it's buying me some time.So I unclogged rad and she's good again.( I mean circulation is good again)
It was only always blowing coolant to overflow( head gasket) then after a few overheats and one bad one (up near start of red line on temp gauge it possibly cracked head(& white smoke followed soon after) or just ruined head gasket more!?time will tell when I pull it off!

I have sent this head away to the engine shop which I removed from another spare engine I have,No warpages or cracks as I say it looks good👍

 

[Marko_SJ]

That Patrol is stunning as you say. On another note how good are tippers? My white walrus spends a bit of quality time with this big beautiful girls.

 

[dan ahern]

Hi Marcus,

Thanks 🙂 I was just reading your thread here actually just earlier and love your Patrol too👌
My tipper trailer is old circa 1988 but it has a full galvanized dipped chassis and was a one off custum built firewood trailer from Germany.
It has a very large ram and can lift serious weight.Large hubs and wheels too. It is an indispension make!
I bought and restored it (motor/ elecs) etc to it's former glory.
A german company here near me who specializes in Landrovers "Stryker Landrovers" bought it back from Germany with them a few years ago and my brother was first to get it and he then sold it to me.
No modern trailer I could buy today for it's size could measure up to this(least what I could buy here in Ireland) hence why I continue to use it.
👍

 

[45/70]

Love your work Dan.

 

[dan ahern]

Thanks 45/70

I am seeing some great threads on here.
I suppose better late than never me checking this place out. I'm a stubborn old git,too lazy to ever leave the ZD30 engine section 🤣

 

[MSJ]

Nice work Dan. I love seeing motors being given a new lease of life.
How was the chassis and body underneath? Looks super clean from the pictures.

 

[dan ahern]

The chassis was very good on her but I pretty much changed everything else under it.
I may aswell give you a list of what I changed!

*Front pan hard bar/ bushes
*Rear pan hard bushes.
*Front drag link and damper.
*Front king pins/ wheel bearings and inner hub seals.
*Alternator.
*New bosch battery.
*Starter.
*Rear solid drop link conversion and all other drop links.
*Trailing arms and radius bushes.
*Brake pads.
*Injection pump overhaul.
*New cylinder head& gasket (Next on list).
*Power steering pump.
*Drivers side door hinge.
*New Radiator.
*New water pump.(This wasn't necessary to be fair,I changed it anyway)
*New rear shocks.
*New belt and tensioner.
*New lower front drivers side spotlamp.
*Aircon pipes need changing and a regas(on my to do list).
*Replaced rear caliper as one was seized.
*Front locking hub as one was installed wrong by last owner and it broke drivers side and was rattling.
*Replaced Intercooler with a custom welded one as it was leaking bad.
*New key reader,magnet on key & ECU as imobilizor wouldn't let it fire up!!.
*Rear wheel studs both sides.
*New Denzo Glow plugs x4.
*Wiper main arm assy under panel as it just snapped one day.

Last auto electric guys who were trying to get it going had ECU removed and let it outside under bonnet when they were done and either forgot about it or were just too lazy to put it back,long story short it was all wet and no good when I went to use it🙈 Also they were messing with keys and readers in the hope to get it started but it was the pump that was the issue,they left the key reader go missing so I just changed them out.
I'm not sure what the hell the last two owners done with this Patrol but they should be banned from ever owning one ever again🙈.I have owned and seen my previous Patrol going to almost 600K without 1/4 of these things failing so I'm not sure was it a Monday morning factory build or was the last owner just stupid👀
Only thing I was lucky about was I have a few other Patrols for parts!

Probably a lot of other smaller things I'm forgetting. It may not sound like a lot but in the space of one year and only 180k up it's a lot of labour and time🙈
Ohh and I painted all the chassis too!.
Needs more work done,I think rear coil springs next as it's getting a little rough the back end.

 

[dan ahern]

The only good thing about this Patrol was I bought it for a fraction of the price they are making here so maybe it's worth all the work and my time!
I will update when I get head back🙂👍

 

[MSJ]

Makes it even better then! The prices of these really fluctuate over here. I went to view one last year, a 6 cylinder from 2000 I think. Rusted to death. You could put your fist through the door sill and into the wheel arch. Suspension mounts and frame was a mess - and the bloke was set on £3,500 😂.
Then on the other side there are ones like yours with 100-120,000 miles listed for over £10k.
Sounds like you've got a nice find👍

 

[dan ahern]

Cheers MSJ👌

Ok I got some great news and not so great news today. Good news is my head tested perfect,they done a de-coke to relieve the sticky valves, A very light skim and pressure test and it's all good. They are happy with it. So for a grand total of 430euros I am getting my tested head back and a full head kit. A steal I reckon👍
Bad news is I sent away my torque wrench to get calibrated and it is a 210 nm Teng tools version. Basically it's somehow F**ked and not able to be calibrated. I am bummed because it had a built in angle gauge on the top of it too!
So I am getting a new torque wrench a better brand but It won't have the angle gauge which is a shame.
So I guess will I just have to cheat the two 90degree turns of the bolts and mark them..🤔
Any tips??

 

[AndrieK]

So I guess will I just have to cheat the two 90degree turns of the bolts and mark them..🤔
Any tips??

Angular torque gauges are simple pieces of equipment and relatively cheap. You can get a good one here in AUS for $20.

You're overthinking this. Just go buy one.

 

[dan ahern]

Hi Andriek,
Yes but the issue is we are in a lockdown here and now places are shut,I can travel as my work is deemed essential but most places are closed at the moment and I can't find anything like that.
Ebay I spose? But then that takes forever to come now with this Brexit thing. The last items I ordered took a month🙈
Also for the two final 90degree turns can I use a long breaker bar or does the length of the breaker bar matter so much?
Yes I'm overthinking it now 🤣

 

[AndrieK]

Hi Andriek,
Yes but the issue is we are in a lockdown here and now places are shut,I can travel as my work is deemed essential but most places are closed at the moment and I can't find anything like that.
Ebay I spose? But then that takes forever to come now with this Brexit thing. The last items I ordered took a month🙈
Also for the two final 90degree turns can I use a long breaker bar or does the length of the breaker bar matter so much?
Yes I'm overthinking it now 🤣

Ooh yeah that sucks...

Suppose it won't be too hard to try and make one...? At least 90° is easy to measure.
Dunno, maybe I'm overthinking it now... Not sure what will happen if some bolts are 89° and some are 91°.
If you're doing it with "the naked eye", a longer breaker bar would make it easier to judge 90° as long as it doesn't bend, so don't go putting a piece of tube over the end to extend it.

 

[dan ahern]

Good advice there Andriek👍
Yes I think I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and buy one online. I have already found one in Ireland actually so it won't be so bad. I prefer accuracy and not to take any chances. It's already a lot of work.Not the kind of job for any corner cutting.

 

[dan ahern]

So my head came back today and I'm well impressed 👌 it looks mint now. They gave it a fine de-coke 😉
I am very impressed with the head kit though...just wow!
Head bolts preoiled in the bag,every gasket down to the timing case and turbo,even the throttle body gaskets and rocker cover gasket which I didn't think would be in it to be honest.
Best part though was seeing all the injector Orings and copper washers too and injector line seals!
Head gasket looks right and the head looks pretty now😄
So right now it's snowing heavy today here,I'm just waiting now on my torque wrench and angle gauge and me and the Patrol will be going on Hollidays to the shed for a few days😂
A pic included of my other Patrol project too it's just waiting on a diesel pump. The engine is healthy and will run on easy start. That's a job for another day though.

Dan

 

[dan ahern]

Some more..pics in no particular order! I went and bought two new rear BFG KO2 AT 275/65/17 today and am now 430 euros lighter😂 Look at the value I got out of the old ones though 😁🤣(see above pic)

 

[dan ahern]

Ok just another small update here!
I picked myself up some goodies for this head change job.
A new 210nm Draper torque wrench,this one they tested in shop for me before purchase so I'm happy with that.Also got my angle gauge and other bits and pieces I might need.
For the final 90degree turns I will use this slider bar and maybe a short extension pipe on it.
I need to return my other torque wrench too as it never worked! Teng tools,I will email them and hopefully get a refund.
All in also far the budget is still nice and low!
I got a good degreaser too and scraper too with some 200-800 grit I will play around with on the block. May not even use any grit on it a good cleaning and scraping might do,I will see.
All ready to go now but I'm lucky I have another block here in the shed and old gasket and a bad cracked head so I'm going to practice on that now first to make sure all is good with my torque wrench / angular gauge skills😂
Ohh,got some copper grease too for the head bolts BUT these boots came pre oiled which was nice! what are your thoughts on adding a little copper grease too?🤔

Ready to go now,just waiting on the right moment to start job.👍

 

[dan ahern]

Ok I had to buy another torque wrench.The first new one I just got started at 40nm up to 200nm,so that meant I needed a smaller one too.
Like I say it's very very handy to have a spare engine to practice on.
Lastnight was -5degrees here and a storm,a good night to be in the shed working on it😅
So I got testing the torque wrenches,the small one I'm very happy with but the big one I'm not sure yet.The smaller one seems to click off throughout all the lower values right up.

So my evening went something like this,I went to the local tool shop in the city(lucky I had other important business there work related anyway so I could be there legally during lockdown) I picked up everything I needed and went home to the shed.This is one big tool shop,they have litterly everything.
The first way I tested the new big torque wrench wasn't a complete test but someway accurate for a slightly smaller test.
I basically torqued a bolt to 40nm, upon going to 50 saw a twist in the bolt and an audible 'click' the next time I would see bolt movement would be 80Nm which I feel just ain't right.
So I took it back to the shop to exchange it for another (long day of driving 🙈) they obliged no prob in the shop,I came home and this time with the new smaller torque wrench too and tested the big one again and it reacted the same way on the same engine bolt 🙈 these hold ups,what can you do!!😐 However,a good test for the small wrench and the larger ones lower values were Both wrenches clicked off at 50NM together and anything below that which looked good.
Today,I need a few more tools,small bits so I am going to get a thread chaser set and clean the threads.
Maybe this could be the issue with the larger torque wrench?? 🤔 The block is gone very rusty from just sitting there and some bolts were refusing to even thread regardless of a good oiling. I air compressed the threads and degreased a good few times but maybe it's not enough.
I feel the large torque wrench is accurate low down at up to 50NM and seems to be accurate up higher too,I tested it on a few other bolts inc a wheel stud and it seems good above 80nm.
I will clean the threads out on this old block and see how I go with further practice.Maybe that could be effecting my torque values.

Handy to have old engine for this😆👍
When I feel my torque wrench is accurate I will practice full sequence on this head before even touching my own Patrol.