Project: Unicorn

[Timrich]

Man you been busy! Those welds are lookin good! One of these days I'll learn to weld.

Sent from over there...

 

[Prime]

Yeah. That looks epic. I need to weld.

 

[Xado89]

Looking good man. Welds came out pretty good looking. I actually Am liking the purple and blue scheme, lol.

Sent using highly technical equipment involving satelites and space and nerds.....lots of nerds...

 

[xterraminator]

SASXA, love your truck. I see you have been spending some time doing this for awhile. Looks like a great build. The transfer case idea you did at the end, would love to have that. I just started my sas this last month and have alot of work ahead of me. I know who to PM if I have questions!

 

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

So what will the NP205 put your crawl ratio at? You are definitely helping lower your COG with adding it Those boogers are heavy! I was looking at eventually getting some crawler transfer case gears, but I may opt for a second TC instead. It's DEFINITELY easier on the wallet I am guessing. Those gear sets are outrageous.

 

[SASXA]

Final crawl will be somewhere around 60:1, the plans with this was to run the tx10-205 till I could at one point put crawler gears in the tx10 or run a tx10-205 married set-up and use a lomax kit in the 205 to bring it to 3:1. That or I end up just buying an atlas and running one of those. This just happened to appear and so far I'm $200 into 4:1 ratio including case.

 

[SASXA]

Here's my shifting set-up for the second case, it's not the best but it'll do till I get a real double transfer case set-up.




Everyone always talks about arm rests, well I have arm rests and leg rests!


Well, what started out as this:


Soon became this:





Also lost something.


And here's my shifting set-up, going into high and coming from high is tough because I'm not moving but it'll be like going into low when I can actually move forward, I still have the powder coating covered up so I don't scratch it while I mock up the center piece for cutting.


Seats with harnesses, I'll get a better pic of those tomorrow morning.


I'm now working on figuring out what CV flange to buy for the 205 since I'll be going to a CV driveshaft, I have slight angle problems. 23" long driveshaft, 22.5*, 14.5* u joint operating angle. Time for a CV I guess. Yota cv u joint set-up at the t case so I can get a good angle out of them, 1350 CV's don't have great of an angle, and 1350 u joint down at the axle.

 

[Xterrafauss]

..........just.......


I........


/drool

 

[Timrich]

Damn man! Its all coming together! Nice job!

Sent from over there...

 

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

Awesome! So what are you doing about the gas tank? Shortening it or are you going to be swapping in a Pathfinder gas tank?

 

[SASXA]

I'm going to be picking up a pathfinder tank tomorrow to play with, I'd like some knowledge on it but can't find any build threads that have done it and being new to nissans I'm in for an adventure. Right now though, I've finished up most of the interior, waiting on relay for E Fans that will be in tomorrow and paint to dry. In the mean time, I put the center console bezel back on for fitment to make it pretty.


There's 2 nasty holes from when I had the rear ARB so I decided to get rid of them with a little metal.


This should work.


Nah, I need a backing plate, 5/16th's should work right?


Nope, I'd rather have some thinner metal.


Perfect! Just needs a little paint and I'm good to go!


As for my harnesses, here's some better pictures.


Stowed Away



Then I got to my gas tank... the Start


The second cut!


Bending!


I didn't get anymore pics after this one I guess, I'll get more pics tomorrow when I get back to working on it.

 

[Timrich]

Sweet!

Sent from over there...

 

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

Nice! I have heard of people doing a Pathy gas tank swap, but, like you said, there is almost NO info out there on how it's done. I know T-Ray has done it, but that's the only one that comes to mind. I know he posts on Pirate some. This is really the only thing I could find about his gas tank, and it just mentions it. http://www.nissantrailriders.com/forum_old/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1430

I eventually want to do a gas tank swap as well so that I can go with a 4 link setup with coilovers in the rear, maybe as soon as next winter, but most likely next summer.

 

[SKAVYNGR]

I want to say that someone JUST started a Pathy Gas Tank swap on either here on Expedition Portal under the Nissan Category. I was thinking this as well.

How much of an increase do you get in mpg for the switch?

 

[SASXA]

I'm actually not looking for better mpg's or a longer range, just looking to get the gas tank out of the way of my new driveshaft set-up. It'd be a lot easier to just tune out evap and put it in the back behind the gas tank and raise it up some through the floor.

 

[xterraminator]

Build looks good. Someday I will get a second transfer case once my build is done. Love the pics.

 

[SASXA]

In all honesty, if this 205 hadn't just fallen into my lap for the big big price of free, I wouldn't be doing all this work. I'd get a tx10-300 adapter and run one of those. I can get dana 300's for $100 a piece. Word from the wise, don't do it this way unless you're balling on a budget and have most of the materials at home. I can fab up most things is the only reason I'm doing this and most of the steel was free, I'm only out gaskets and seals and 2 mounting kits I'm stealing parts from/

 

[SASXA]

Weldin on a gastank! Pro! All I got done today, rained so the junkyard was a miss-fire. Anyone do sheet metal work and have any tips?

 

[Timrich]

Looks good to me!

Sent from over there...

 

[dhyde79]

I want to say that someone JUST started a Pathy Gas Tank swap on either here on Expedition Portal under the Nissan Category. I was thinking this as well. How much of an increase do you get in mpg for the switch?

Ok, call me crazy, but why would a different SIZE (or shape) of fuel tank get you better economy??

 

[SASXA]

I mean, it's actually a fair question, bigger tank, less mpg when full because of weight or just a general distance thing, what's the xterra tank? 19.4 Gal? A 21 gallon tank is another 30 miles for me.

 

[dhyde79]

I mean, it's actually a fair question, bigger tank, less mpg when full because of weight or just a general distance thing, what's the xterra tank? 19.4 Gal? A 21 gallon tank is another 30 miles for me.

Don't know what a gen1 tank is, gen2 is 21 or 22 (maybe 21.25 I think?)

Regardless, moving to a bigger tank shouldn't effect fuel economy that much, if a couple gallons of gas is enough to notably change your economy, having a passenger should outright butcher it... Just sayin...

 

[SASXA]

This is true. I know the only reason I'm actually doing a tank swap is clearance, not big into the mileage thing since it's not a DD.

 

[dhyde79]

This is true. I know the only reason I'm actually doing a tank swap is clearance, not big into the mileage thing since it's not a DD.

I'm with ya...if going to that trouble why not fuel cell it instead?

 

[SASXA]

Fuel cell I'd have to buy and the one I'd like the most would be expensive, I'd rather just cut my floor and do my own fab work to make a pathfinder one fit, got a buddy that will tune out my evap so I can get rid of it at the same time. I'm cheap and know how to use a welder and grinder to help being cheap.

 

[Xterrafauss]

Fuel cell I'd have to buy and the one I'd like the most would be expensive, I'd rather just cut my floor and do my own fab work to make a pathfinder one fit, got a buddy that will tune out my evap so I can get rid of it at the same time. I'm cheap and know how to use a welder and grinder to help being cheap.

I couldn't resist.....

/meme threadjack

 

[SASXA]

Boom.

 

[AZhiAZiAM]

Fuel cell I'd have to buy and the one I'd like the most would be expensive, I'd rather just cut my floor and do my own fab work to make a pathfinder one fit, got a buddy that will tune out my evap so I can get rid of it at the same time. I'm cheap and know how to use a welder and grinder to help being cheap.

couple places around here make fuel cells for a decent price... i looked into it for a runner.

 

[xterraminator]

How about get a square Stainless steel tank made up and re-use the fuel sender unit from your truck? I will be doing this when I get to that point. Just a thought.

 

[SASXA]

I have a buddy that would make one, but the costs are so off that it'd be more money efficient to run the pathfinder tank, he said he'd do a 20 gal one that can use all my stuff for $400. Don't have that type of money while I'm in school.

 

[Timrich]

Check CL for a stainless steel one out of a boat. Might be able to make that work too.

Sent from over there...

 

[SASXA]

Got me a pathfinder tank, $20 with sending unit. Haggled at closing time. I'll let it vent for a day or two then patch it.

 

[SASXA]

Small updates,
Got rid of EVAP.


Started playing with the fuel pump and sending unit, decided if I could make a free fitting work I'd run the xterra pump, if not I'll grab a path finder one.





Then I cut my floor.


I'll take the cross member out tomorrow, anyone know what this piece of steel is for?

 

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

So the tank you bought didn't have a fuel pump with it? I'll be watching this tank swap closely. Now, once you finish it up, are you going to raise the floor or add another floor over the tank so you can still use the cargo area? And then are you going to remove the one crossmember and add in one in front of where it was and one behind? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just really interested in this.

 

[SASXA]

Whoops, forgot the new crossmember picture. I actually added one in right behind the one I'm cutting out, it's thick c channel I had laying around. I made it so I can still keep my stock bumper, right now I'm going to see where the tank ends up, if it's still too low I'll cut the floor and remake it higher up. The tank didn't come with a pump mostly because the pump was like 40 and I would much rather not use the one that it came with, the one that was in the tank when I got it was pretty bad and the connectors were corroded to hell for some reason.

 

[xterraminator]

That last picture where you ask what is that for. I had the same question. There are a few things under the frame that I still wonder what they are for.

So are you going to put the evap unit back in? I have some questions regarding this. I will start another post on this.

 

[SASXA]

Evap is staying out, I'll be getting a buddy to trick my ecu into thinking I have it still so it doesn't mess with the engine at all.

 

[SASXA]

Cross member!


Story time, so I cut a hole right? Right, cross member was in the way. So this:


Became this! I also cut the hole a bit bigger to fit the fuel pump without issue.


Now I know what you're thinking, that's an odd shaped hole. Yes sir it is and I'll patch it.


Boom! Tank is in! It's angled down because the jack it was on wasn't square and it kept falling, it will sit 100% flush with the frame rails on the bottom.

 

[Timrich]

Man you are making some headway on this thing! Good work!

Sent from over there...

 

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

Awesome! I'm guessing a nice hefty gas tank skid is in the works once everything gets figured out?