My Rebuild Continues- This time VK56 swapped.

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DRTMaverick

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Enthusiast III

1,183
Corvallis, OR, USA
First Name
Tyler
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Perry
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22197

Not sure if many of you followed my last thread about how I wrecked and rebuilt the xterra. That went well for awhile but the old engine that was rolled in the original accident kept having a random misfire as well as other issues that I couldn't track down. I even replaced the entire fuel system from injectors to rails, spark plugs to coilpacks. I think something in the valvetrain got messed up.

That wasn't enough to end the rebuild though- I decided to source a VK56DE engine from a 2010 titan/armada/qx56 as well as the same year transmission.

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I took my old vehicle and got it into there.

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She's doing well, I had to track down a few things from a transmission leak from the dipstick/fill tube due to the wrong gasket to a small coolant issue that seemed a lot larger than it was (had the wrong pressure caps on both radiator and reservoir for the swap).

Other than that it's been relatively trouble-free, I have solved those leaks and I have had no check-engine lights except at the start when the throttle body position sensor and pedal position sensor didn't want to work (replaced both and haven't had a problem).

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I did also recently upgrade to 35x10.5R17 tires too, finally rockin' 35's!


I'm headed out on my first real roadtrip (since I've deemed it trouble-free over the past couple of months of short 50-100 mile trips) for New Years 2024/2025 down to Fort Bragg CA from Corvallis, OR for some fishing. I'm going to try to hit up USAL beach as well as drive from there to shelter cove and then from shelter cove to ferndale if the roads are clear/open. I'll bring my chainsaw.
 
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Smileyshaun

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Happy Valley, OR, USA
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You’re gonna love those kendas , one of the best tires I’ve ever owned . Would have them on my frontier but diddnt want to shell out the money for wheels at the time
 

DRTMaverick

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Enthusiast III

1,183
Corvallis, OR, USA
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Tyler
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Perry
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22197

So how was the fishing?
The fishing was horrible lol, I had a fun time though just didn't really get any bites. Fished Noyo Bay and some of the beaches near it but there was really only a single day of safe ocean fishing to be done.

I want to learn how to steelhead fish because they're running and apparently every river on the coast is running.


We did have a caliper hang up and I had to do emergency brake repair in Crescent City, CA. Thank god for 4x4 recovery groups on Facebook, someone offered me their garage to do my repair in.
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You’re gonna love those kendas , one of the best tires I’ve ever owned . Would have them on my frontier but diddnt want to shell out the money for wheels at the time
THey are already hands down far superior to the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. I tried two sets of Nittos and as much as I wanted to love them I never did. They just didn't do great in the wet, they aren't as aggressive as they need to be either. Plus too wide. I'm loving the 35x10.5's! There are roads I drove that I would have needed 4wd with the Nittos and I didn't even have to air down the Kendas let alone put it in 4wd and still maintained better traction. I highly recommend them!
 
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Smileyshaun

Rank V
Launch Member

Member III

2,779
Happy Valley, OR, USA
First Name
Shaun
Last Name
Hoffman
Member #

4799

The fishing was horrible lol, I had a fun time though just didn't really get any bites. Fished Noyo Bay and some of the beaches near it but there was really only a single day of safe ocean fishing to be done.

I want to learn how to steelhead fish because they're running and apparently every river on the coast is running.


We did have a caliper hang up and I had to do emergency brake repair in Crescent City, CA. Thank god for 4x4 recovery groups on Facebook, someone offered me their garage to do my repair in.
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THey are already hands down far superior to the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. I tried two sets of Nittos and as much as I wanted to love them I never did. They just didn't do great in the wet, they aren't as aggressive as they need to be either. Plus too wide. I'm loving the 35x10.5's! There are roads I drove that I would have needed 4wd with the Nittos and I didn't even have to air down the Kendas let alone put it in 4wd and still maintained better traction. I highly recommend them!
ya aired down to about 8 and they do a incredible job of floating on snow