My First X...

Leon Faulkner

Test Drive
Hello all. My name is Leon and this is the story of how I became an Xterra owner.

My GF always talked about how she wanted an old Land Rover or Jeep or older off road style vehicle. I'm not a Jeep guy!!! So about a week ago we saw an Xterra in a parking and she says...."I've always like the Xterra's", to which I replied, "I know where there is one that has been sitting in someone's driveway for months and hasn't moved. I drive by it everyday on my way to work." The next day I stopped by the house on my way home, after a short conversation and $400, I now own a 2004 Xterra. Pictures are as it sat when I bought it.

The good...
1. It's not a Jeep
3. Minimal rust. And for upstate NY that's a huge plus!!
4. The GF is excited about this project and even offered to put money into the fix it "budget".

The bad...
1. Doesn't run. Don't know why yet. Guy said "It turns over but won't start. No idea why and didn't want to mess with it."
2. Interior is rough in spots. Someone spilled a bunch of paint in front passenger seat, shift knob is all apart and rear cargo mat is stained badly and stereo area is all apart.


I have yet to turn the engine over in this thing. All I did was pull onto a trailer and unload it in my driveway. I had another "project" in the garage that I am going to move out and get the X in there before I start messing with it.


Xterra1.jpg Xterra2.jpg
 

Leon Faulkner

Test Drive
Welcome to XN!

Check the distributor. They're notorious for no start conditions.

How many miles?

Hope it doesn't have a shot timing belt.



Check the distributor for what exactly? Do you mean replace cap and rotor, or is there something specific I should be looking into?

It has 170K plus so I imagine the timing belt will need to be replaced.
 

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
Pull the cap and check the rotor for play. It should only rotate, not wiggle laterally. If there's any non-rotational play, the bearing is shot. You can either press in a new one, or replace the assembly. While the cap is off, try to start the engine. If the rotor doesn't move, then you have a broken timing belt.
 

Leon Faulkner

Test Drive
ok, so pulled the distributer cap this weekend and it is not turning. In fact I couldn't even turn it by hand, not even a wiggle. Plus I broke off one of the cap screws in the distributer. So that didn't go very well. I guess I'm going to start searching through the engine swap threads and see who's dropping what into these things. I can get my hands on a complete running 5.3LS with harness, transmission and T-case for $300 and I am certainly crazy enough to give that a try..... stay tuned.
 

kirk

Butterfly King
Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
Allen, Texas
Welcome! Glad to have you! Plenty of good Xterra advice here!


Before you go nuts, check your local CL for JDM motor importers. I paid $1200 to have a running imported motor installed. Done in 3days.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
ok, so pulled the distributer cap this weekend and it is not turning. In fact I couldn't even turn it by hand, not even a wiggle. Plus I broke off one of the cap screws in the distributer. So that didn't go very well. I guess I'm going to start searching through the engine swap threads and see who's dropping what into these things. I can get my hands on a complete running 5.3LS with harness, transmission and T-case for $300 and I am certainly crazy enough to give that a try..... stay tuned.
You're cranking the engine to see it turn, right? Not just trying to turn it by hand?
 

Leon Faulkner

Test Drive
Before you go nuts, check your local CL for JDM motor importers.


Just curious, what is the benefit of going through a JDM import versus just getting a used motor from a local wrecking yard?



You're cranking the engine to see it turn, right? Not just trying to turn it by hand?


Yes. Using the general "an engine needs air, fuel and spark" to fire up thought process and assuming air isn't an issue, I first squirted a little gas into air intake and cranked it over. No fire, so that means no spark (generally speaking). So then I pulled the cap (breaking one of the screws off in the process). Cranked the engine and asked my son to watch if rotor spun. It did not. At which point before I put the cap back on I thought I would try to give it a little spin by hand, you know just for shiats and grins, and nothing. Not that I expected it to spin freely but thinking if the timing chain was broken I might be able to spin it with a little force.
 

kirk

Butterfly King
Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
Allen, Texas
Just curious, what is the benefit of going through a JDM import versus just getting a used motor from a local wrecking yard?


Yes. Using the general "an engine needs air, fuel and spark" to fire up thought process and assuming air isn't an issue, I first squirted a little gas into air intake and cranked it over. No fire, so that means no spark (generally speaking). So then I pulled the cap (breaking one of the screws off in the process). Cranked the engine and asked my son to watch if rotor spun. It did not. At which point before I put the cap back on I thought I would try to give it a little spin by hand, you know just for shiats and grins, and nothing. Not that I expected it to spin freely but thinking if the timing chain was broken I might be able to spin it with a little force.


For me, it was a cheaper route. Plus the motors are all typically less than 60k, they install it and gave me a 6 month warranty. I couldnt have gotten that at a wrecker.

But if you can find one at a yard, and do the labor yourself you could probably save big money. I dont know if your yards guarantee the motors to run. Mine usually have 30 days on them I think.
 

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
It's geared to the bank 2 cam, so good luck turning that by hand. Def sounds like the belt is toast. While an interference engine, several have just swapped the belt with minor ill effect; not enough damage to warrant major repair. If nothing else, $100 and an afternoon may lead to a working truck.
 

kirk

Butterfly King
Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
Allen, Texas
It's geared to the bank 2 cam, so good luck turning that by hand. Def sounds like the belt is toast. While an interference engine, several have just swapped the belt with minor ill effect; not enough damage to warrant major repair. If nothing else, $100 and an afternoon may lead to a working truck.
This.

Worth a $100 gamble IMO
 
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