I firmly maintain that my Nissan Pao is one of the most reliable cars I’ve owned – which I know isn’t saying much – but it suffers from what may be the worst luck of any car I’ve owned. I’ve hit two deer in the thing, and then after I got it back from the first repair, it came with a coolant leak from a hose that should have been replaced and then I dramatically (if slowly) found it had a faulty part installed that caused a control arm to part company with the rest of the suspension, causing more trouble.
There’s more thens, unfortunately. A bit after I got it back from the repairs for the second deer – almost exactly a year ago –, the transmission decided to lock up, likely because of my inattention to the transmission oil, which David publicly chastised me for not changing. There were signs, of course, obvious ones, the most notable of which was that the transmission started popping out of the odd gears when I let off the throttle. But, by that point, everything was already boned.
So, when one morning the shift lever refused to move at all, I shouldn’t have been too surprised. The transmission was boned. Like with everything on a car that was never officially imported to the country it now lives in, I knew getting parts would be a pain. My transmission would be especially tricky, because of the 31,352 Paos made between 1989 and 1991, 24,912 had the three-speed automatic, leaving only 6,440 with the five-speed manual, like mine. The manual is, I think, a vastly better transmission for this car as its 987cc motor only makes 52 hp, and that fifth gear makes comfortable highway cruising at 65-70 possible.
But, the same drivetrain was used in the Nissan Micra (K10) and that was a pretty common economy car in most of the world – just not the US. So, hopefully, I could source a five-speed from a Micra?
Finding one actually proved tricky, but I got lucky, because Pike-car-owners-essential-go-to Inkymole Motors out of the UK had a five-speed out of a Pao, just laying around! Because it hadn’t been tested since it was pulled from the car, I got it quite cheap, only about $400. A steal!
I ordered a new clutch, too (the one for a 1.2-liter Micra works fine, so that was at least pretty easy) and by the time it was all back together (all new gear oil, too – I learned my lesson) I was only out about $1500, total, labor, shipping, everything. That could have been far worse!
I asked for the old transmission back, too; these things aren’t exactly easy to come by, and I sort of suspect that if I can crack it open, the problem may be something that’s actually fixable. If can fix that, then I can keep this not-so-easy and yet crucial component around for the next time this happens, hopefully sometime around 2060 or so, when everyone will be desperate to get me to stop driving, anyway.
Look how small that transmission is! I think I’ve seen bigger pumpkins. It’s heavy-ish, but manageable. I think it opens with that sort-of ring of bolts that holds the actual box of gears to the part that holds the starter and mates with the engine there. I’ll try cracking it open soon!
Right now, though, I’m just thrilled to have my little Pao back. I still find it a joy to drive and use, and it seems to make people happy every time I take it out. I’ve only had it back on the road a couple days, and I’ve already been approached about it by three people. It’s like a little broadcaster of delight, roaming around and making people a touch happier for having encountered it.
If you can’t fix it, that’s still perfect: They can install the old, broken transmission in the car and let you “drive” to your heart’s content while not actually moving anywhere. You’ll be too senile to know the difference, so you’ll be happy and everyone else on the road will be safe. 🙂
Aww. That’s what cars should be: transportation that brings a big smile on your face.
“I’ll try cracking it open soon!”
What are the odds on the return of the chainsaw? Or is that just for batteries?
Right there with you on asking to keep serviceable parts, especially if they’re rare. I’m still kinda pissed at my mechanic for not keeping the old hood from my Quatrelle after someone smashed into me last year and insurance covered a brand new hood, grille and headlights. I could hammer my old hood back into relatively decent shape, and despite being old, it was actually an engine-specific part, as 1.1L models required more ventilation in warmer climates, so a vent was added where the license plate used to be (license plates being moved to the bumper in these models). It just so happens that while regular, non-ventilated hoods are still being made and sold for cheap, ventilated ones have been discontinued, and I wanted to preserve the one I had. Unfortunately my mechanic junked it.
Aargh I hate it when I miss the opportunity to share pictures of Quatrelles. Here’s the Before and After.
I learned the hard way that the transfer case in my WJ didn’t stop leaking because the leak went away.
The PAO is the Timex of cars. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Can we please prioritize getting Torch’s shitboxes (all of them) back on the road? Yes, that includes the RV.
YES! I’ve volunteered more than once to take a crack at the RV. Though, at this point I’ll probably need to wear a hazmat suit to enter it.
“Probably”?
Let’s take a moment and think about this Torch. The old transmission is potentially a block of unobtainium. Maybe store it intact (unopened) for future use. Much better to store it that way instead of in totes disassembled.
Are you new to this website? Of course it’s going to get disassembled and stay that way.
The Pao is back, back again
Check it, don’t wreck it, let’s begin
Party on, Auto people let me hear some noise
J Torch in the house, jump jump rejoice
There’s some parts over here, some parts over there
Find a 10 millimeter, prolly lost somewhere
These three words when you’re gettin’ greasy
Whoomp, there it is.
Nice!! (I saw the headline and immediately thought that readers would be instructed to tell a friend.)
Especially given the byline–we expected something Shady.
Torch always struck me as more of a Tag Team guy over Eminem.
Well, except for that Human Centipede Car thing. That was very Slim Shady.
“I’ll try cracking it open soon!”
Why not drain what’s left of the fluid and see how it looks, maybe send a sample off for testing?
Gonna go out on a limb and assume that any samples of fluid would have to be scraped off the internals of the transmission anyway. Also, “fluid” may be too generous for whatever’s inside that transmission.
Then flush it with some solvent and see what comes out. If that turns out to be enough glitter to cast into a whole new gear its not worth keeping around even if it is rare.
I dunno, if that glitter is mostly destroyed gears, it may be worth getting shiny new ones and having the transmission rebuilt. These manuals must be very rare in the USA.
Overnight from Japan. Done.
I mean, sure that’s the easiest option, but probably not the cheapest; what I proposed was precisely as an alternative to going with that option – especially now that there’s uncertainty regarding global trade. It really sucks, normally you wouldn’t need to go that far for a manual from an old Micra: the vast majority of the ones sold here in Europe were manuals. But things definitely seem to be souring between the current administration and the EU, and now there’s 25% tariffs sort of on the horizon for us as well. Who’s to say trade deals with Japan don’t go out the window soon because some bizarre shit went down in Trump’s mind?
Nice work Jason. I’m glad that the Pao is drivable again!
Coincidentally, I have also been working on the xB’s transmission, another vehicle David chastised you for neglecting. Honestly it wasn’t that bad – the magnet in the transmission case was pretty fuzzy, but I didn’t see any significant metal chunks or shards. There was some wear on the gears, but at 235k miles I expected to see much worse.
I ordered some replacement input and output bearings from Rockauto but they shipped me the wrong ones, so it is getting new gear oil and that’s it. Hopefully the new clutch, flywheel, and throwout bearing will help too. If they don’t, the transmission will just be noisy and that will be that. Hopefully I can make the next Autopian meetup and you can see it again!
I’d love to see it again! I’m so happy you’ve given it this new exciting life!
Every time I’ve ever pulled a magnetic drain plug out of something it has been fuzzy. As long as there are no big chunks on it I take that to mean it’s just doing its job.
Friendly warning that Nissan did not go asbestos free until 1994. I cannot speak to that particular model, but if the transmission is original, there is a chance the linings contain asbestos.
Don’t worry, Torch will chainsaw it open and send asbestos fibers everywhere.
Are you speaking of the gaskets?
Brain fart. I was actually thinking about a clutch even though I typed transmission. Any gaskets, brake linings, or clutch linings are potential sources of asbestos. Although anything he actually encounters is probably chrysotile, which is less concerning than other fiber types. Probably should worry more about the chainsawing batteries full of acid, as another poster mentioned.
When are the deer kill marks going on the fender?
Three more and you’re an Ace!
Kung Pao Venison?
That actually sounds pretty good…
This car is a Far Side cartoon waiting to happen.
Oh, deer.
Yay! Watch out deer! The Pao is back and it’s coming (slowly) for you!
I’m really surprised at the high number of automatic trans units built vs manuals.
I thought in that era, automatics were much more of a USA thing.
Although it sort of makes sense that these are primarily city cars.
You forget it’s the Nissan BusPass that also does weekend trips to the beach. It’s a commuter, not a weird Miata fighter.
Yeah Japan liked their automatics too. Not as much as here, but the majority of JDM stuff I see is auto.
Under no circumstance are you to touch that old transmission unless you are fully committed to fixing it and putting it back together!!!
It is currently perfectly packaged for long term storage much better (fully assembled) than it is in pieces and/or in plastic totes in your garage or basement.
Speaking as someone who has a storage unit and half of a garage full of random car parts, I emphatically agree.
This sounds exactly like the kind of excellent advice that Jason will not follow.
Agreed. I just cataloged 15 totes full of parts for two trucks a weekend ago—and that doesn’t count all of the larger I-don’t-fit-in-a-tote parts shoved up in the garage attic. KITS: Keep It Together, Stupid