MY ENGINE IS IN THE MACHINE SHOP!

Welcome back to the Nissan VG33E engine series! In this episode, we take you behind the scenes into the machine shop, where the magic happens. Join us as we walk you through the meticulous process of rejuvenating the VG33E block for the silver 2000 Nissan Xterra.
First, we visit Tim's Machine Shop, where the block undergoes a transformation. Witness the thermal cleaning process in the oven, followed by the steel abrading in the shot blast machine, leaving the block looking as good as new. We then machine the block deck surface and hone out all the cylinders, ensuring perfection in roundness and straightness.
Back in our shop, we showcase the freshly painted, decked, and honed block, ready for assembly. Marvel at the attention to detail as we inspect the cylinders individually, ensuring a precise fit for each piston. We also provide a side-by-side comparison of the primary cooling channel before and after our porting process, revealing the incredible improvements.
But why go through all this trouble? Discover the root cause of cooling issues in Nissan Xterras, as we highlight the drastic difference between the factory setup and our enhanced cooling channel. This episode is not just about power; it's about longevity and addressing the common problems that plague these fantastic trucks.
Join us in the journey to resurrecting the Nissan Xterra, making it more powerful, efficient, and resilient. As we strive to achieve half a million miles on this truck, we share our findings and methods with you, aiming to revive these incredible vehicles that are often seen broken and abandoned.
Don't miss the chance to be part of the transformation! Like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on our Nissan VG33E engine series. Let's bring these Xterras back to life, one engine at a time!
Here is the original article I found on MotoIQ! It talks about the issue with the center cooling channel and is the first of any evidence I ever came across in my research.
motoiq.com/Eng...
/ technicallymatt
/ technically_matt

[@wesallen4228]

Wonder if Nissan knew about the heat problem with the back two cylinders? Engineering wrote it off.

[@Technically-Matt]

Nissan may have known about it. I have another video coming out soon, that shows a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB), discussing a molybdenum coating they put on certain pistons at the factory, I think due to cylinders being a bit tight and operating too hot.

[@MrShroomcloud]

Subscribed. I've been wanting to do this to my 2000 X as I think it would be a fun project. It now has over 350k miles and is pretty tired. What was the relatively small amount of money that the shop charged you for the work?

[@Technically-Matt]

Hey! Thanks for subscribing!! I'll have to dig up the receipts to be accurate, but drilling out the center cooling channel (done at a larger heavy industry machine shop) was about $75. I think that machinist since retired though, so I will have to find another solution for that - for another one - and I will expect to pay a bit more now. The rest of the machine work was about $180 to bore/hone the cylinders. Resurfacing the block deck was about $120. Cleaning is probably the most expensive part of the operation. Simple hot tank washing costs about $60, but f you also want to use the thermal cleaning process to bake the block and finish with a steel abrading process, it costs a bit more. I'll have to call and find out what I pay for that. It leaves the blocks soooo clean, and ready for fresh paint, but the preparation for that was a bit of work for me. I'm getting ready to post another video about getting the oil gallery plugs out so you can safely put the block in the steel abrading machine (I refer to it as the shot blaster in the video). I ended up having the machine shop help me remove a couple plugs the first time around. I had broken several drill bits trying to drill holes so I could get special stainless steel screws into the plugs, so I could yank the plugs out with a slide hammer. :). I'll update these notes when I determine that additional cost for the thermal cleaning oven and the steel abrading process. 👍

[@4to20ma6]

I am rebuilding mine. How do you get the wrist pins out ? They have snap rings. Can you change out the pistons onto the rods with a little heat. ? Nobody will do machine work, and if they do, it will take 3 months at least.

[@Technically-Matt]

Hey! They can be a bit stuck. You will need to remove the snap rings first though. I've tried removing just one snap ring from one side, and then trying to push the pin to that side, but I was never able to get that to work. I've always had to remove the second snap ring also. And, yes...you can absolutely use heat. A lot of times it makes it much much easier. I use a small pan of boiling water to heat the piston on the rod when I'm removing pistons from the rods (if the pistons have been installed for a very long time). This always helps. I know I have a video clip of that process, that I will be putting into a video soon, but perhaps I can share that with you ahead of time if you want to see that. Also, I hear you about machine work. I've struggled in this category too. Finding a good machine shop it tough these days. It seems to be a dying art form too. Not many young people interested in learning the skill I suppose.