bylzebub

I'd love an update on this with pics if you got the time. I have to do mine soon as well. Good luck!

Sweet, thanks for the exact pitch. Is that a hardware store option or a Nissan parts department thing?

Well I got one out of the two plugs found and installed today. Turns out the internet knows everything. After a bunch of searching I came across a forum with a guy that stated late 2000 VW Touareg and Audi SUVs have oil drain plugs that fit the proper threads for the ERG hole. That happens to be M24 x 1.5. I called 3 parts shops looking for a plug and one specialty fastener store, nobody had anything 24mm, 22 was as close as I got. So after calling my local VW dealership I tracked down the plug. Good news is it does fit, bad news is it cost me $20 for the plug and $4 for the freaking crush washer. Dealerships are the devil. The brown sludge is just copper anti seize so that plug comes out easy if it needs to. I forgot to measure how long it is but less than an inch. Best of all it looks like it was made for the header. So header was the correct term, sorry Mike, those are the pacesetter headers, my manifold rusted out. Actually I just got the exhaust all finished too, deleted the cat and went 2 inch the whole way plus the biggest muffler I could get to make it as quiet as possible. Truck sounds pretty amazing now. I'll update here when I find a plug for the T V V and EGR block plate.

Just got my truck back after installing my new headers and exhaust. The only thing missing is a plug for the EGR, my exhaust guy had a plug for the O2 sensor. My old header was completely rusted and I couldn't get the old EGR pipe plug out. I ended up cutting the tube and plugging it with JB weld for the time being. So I need a plug for the new one anyway, and while we're at it I'd like to plug the intake side as well where that plastic "tree" piece comes off and has 3 vacuum line attachment points. I don't know the name of it or what it when too since I deleted those lines on my Weber 32/36 install. Let me know if these plugs are a known thread and size. I'll get pictures tomorrow if this doesn't make sense. Its a pacesetter header if that matters. On a side note, where is the proper place to install a Fuel/air sensor and gauge? Thanks!

Good to know, looks like I'll be going delo 15w-40 next oil change and see what happens. Do you still change it every 3-5k miles? I feel like a couple of you sage 720 types with all this insider knowledge need to do a 720 best practices page and keep it at the top. Would certainly help me a lot.

After I purchased a 2 ft long iron pipe from home depot for a cheater bar, that fill plug twisted right off with no issues. Of course the real fun started after I took off the drain plug. . . I'm hoping that those are only chunks from my 5th gear but only time will tell. The oil was very dirty and had plenty of very fine shiny metal flake in it. I tried taking a picture of it but the camera would only capture the reflection. I changed this oil approximately 10 months and 5000 miles ago when I first got the truck and there was one little piece of metal on the magnet then. The next photo is just an oil sample from what came out vs new. I have no experience with how quick gear oil gets dirty but probably not this bad in that amount of time. Oh and I found GL4 85W90 at NAPA. Tried 2 other parts stores before that one, everything seems to be GL4/5 now. Fun fact, my service manual calls for GL 5 in the differentials. GL4 is only for the transmission. As I was under the truck though I found what I thought might be a reason the oil is getting so filthy. Keep in mind I'm no mechanic but I don't understand why a transmission would have a giant open hole leading to the clutch. I had hopes of 4x4ing in the truck but one rock in there could really ruin a day I'm thinking. Correct me if I'm wrong but that white thing in the rectangular hole in the side of the case is my clutch. The arm going in there would have to be working the pressure plate or something like that. Wouldn't water or rocks really make a mess if they got in there? Is my transmission missing something there that it should have? Anyway my plan is to run the truck in gears 1-4 for now and try and track down a transmission to replace or rebuild for the truck. This one feels like a ticking time bomb now. Anyone in the pacific northwest have a transmission for me?

You guys have been very helpful, thanks, hopefully I'll post tomorrow what falls out with my fluid after I go get some GL4.

I was only looking into this for the sake of doing some transmission work, I don't want to the pull the engine except to get back there and fix that 5th gear. I'm really starting to wonder if when I changed the gear oil when I first got the truck and undoubtedly put in some GL4/5 oil it didn't mess up my transmission more. . .

Yes, but forgive me if I take more then one person's opinion before I jump into something like pulling my entire engine. Since everything shifts fine except into 5th what are your thoughts on leaving it as is and possibly running a heavier weight gear oil for added protection? I obviously don't know transmissions very well but its a theory I was thinking about. Sounds like GL-4 is a must though and my closest auto parts store is all GL 4/5. I'll be looking around for some straight GL 4 I think.

NM, found this. . . http://hubpages.com/autos/Changing-the-Clutch-on-a-NissanDatsun-720-4x4-Pickup# From what I've been reading, it really sounds like pulling the engine/trans is the way to go on these trucks.

So disconnect the Transfer case, drive shaft and engine bay junk and it should all pull right out?

Well I spent about an hour trying to get the fill plug out. Luckily I was smart enough to try that one first before the drain plug. Anyway its not budging. Anyone got a tip? I'm gonna take it to a shop on Tuesday probably and get a good impact wrench work on it. My compressor and impact driver has no juice. Can someone drop a pic of the speedo pinion? I think I found it but to me it seems like its more on the top of the transmission and would therefore need quite a tilt to drain out that way. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong but I decided to just drain everything when I ran into the fill plug problem. On a side note I'm looking for theories on a particular sound I assume is related to my transmission. When the truck first starts up there is a slow rhythmic knocking sound, if I push the clutch pedal in it goes away. How hard is it to drop the transmission in the 4x4 truck. Seemed fairly extensive from looking at everything while trying to get that plug out. Has anyone done a transmission walk through yet?

Thats sweet! I was hoping I wouldn't have to sit the truck in the meantime. Reverse works fine, its really just 5th. I fully planned on draining the gear oil and seeing whats in there, forgot to mention that. Changing every fluid the truck had was one of my first projects when I got the truck so that oil isn't old. Are you saying I shouldn't drain ALL the gear oil and just remove the oil behind that last adapter plate through the speedo pinion? Whats the recommended gear oil weight for these trucks? If I remember correctly I think I used synthetic 75W-90, also in my transfer case. Thanks for the quick reply! its nice finally having a place to ask these questions.

Just read this whole thread. . . got to the end and. . . :confused: I was really hoping to see that thing buzz down the road in full glory. The work was amazing! I wish I had a tenth of the shop skill and talent you do. Bummer you are selling it but toys are toys I guess. As a small request in the future. . . not all of us are shop geniuses so "how-to" guides on any of these mods would be much appreciated for the rest of us mere mortals. I'd especially love more detail on deleting the emissions stuff, and cleaning up the engine bay like you did. I loved that. Thanks for the thread and journey though. That is one sweet truck.

Hi guys, been lurking here for about a year since I got my 720 (1985 720 ext cab 4x4) and finally signed up for the forum. I've got a couple topics with questions but the latest and most pressing issue right now is my 5th gear just started sounding bad. . . like an impact or jack hammer are having a nice time in the tranny every time I shift into 5th. All other gears are great, smooth, no issues. No popping out in 5th either, it just developed a good racket and vibration. The more throttle in 5th the louder it gets, if I back off so does the sound. Pop it back in 4th and its not an issue. The main questions I have: 1. Whats most likely going on in there? 2. Am I safe to run the truck in the other 4 gears in the meantime? (I hardly need 5th and could easily go without if thats safe) 3. Are we mostly likely talking a new tranny or would a rebuild fix this? 4. What other transmissions are options here if I need a replacement? Just in case it matters, so far I've replaced the carb with a weber 32/36, replaced the water pump and I'm about to throw on some pacesetter headers cuz my exhaust manifold has a descent crack. I thought maybe the knocking sound was the exhaust leak but its definitely a 5th gear issue. I do have a knock sound at idle tho since installing the weber. Anyway all help is appreciated. I tried getting some answers at the Nicoclub.com but I think that 720 forum is dead. Thanks!