Factory Locker Help

Post by **Beastmavster** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:33 pm

Got factory locker.....

Found fault in wiring (corroded) on plug mounted at rear diff area so cut away that and reconnected... althought the wires were both yellow so they're the same and the manual has different colours....

There's a solenoid noise now happening but still no light on the dash saying "Difflock Engaged".

Where to check now?

Post by **Gonzo** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:25 am

SuzukiViagra wrote:Where to check now?

Your head, for buying a Datsun

Post by **Daisy** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:14 am

Dont know anything abou them,

But with a 2 dollar supershit circuit tester, find out which connectors providing the live power from the switch and test it with turning the switch on and off.

Then swap connections the other way that were removed to test which activates the locker or not??

:?:

Just a thought mate...

TOM

Post by **CRUSHU** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:11 am

i also have factory locker, and sometimes the light doesnt turn on. on grass, in 2wd, i did a short burnout to check, and both tyres turn. i took it for a drive, and then the light came on. otherwise, put the lock on, and make a tight turn on bitumen. you will know if it is engaged or not.

Post by **GQ TROL** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:18 am

The factory setup doesn't allow the diff lock to engage if you're travelling at more than 10km/hr when you hit the switch. Can take the instrument cluster out and on the back of the circuit board the 10km/hr sensor is marked. Disconnect that and you're away.

Can also take a few turns of the wheel for it to engage. The dog gear in the locker has 4 teeth, so may need up to 90 degrees of rotation before it engages. The dog gear only engages by about 4-5mm so treat it nice. Doing burnouts on tarseal will shear the teeth off and it no go

. Also, watch the spider gears don't weld themselves into a single hunk of metal when doing the above mentioned burnouts

.

Cheers
Mitch

Post by **BOB_1** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:40 pm

My factory locker was fitted to my Mav after I got it, I couldn't be bothered with the factory wiring so mine has the factory switch clicking the solinoids with a couple of wires, and a non factory light running from earth, through the actuator and then to one side of the light, the other side of the light is connected to +, works every time. Not as flash as the factory setup but also can be locked at any speed. I have had the factory locker for about 3 years and havn't been exactly nice to it but had no failures.

Post by **ludacris** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:54 pm

Can locking and unlocking it at any speed if you have the clutch pressed in damage it.
I know that you said it hasnt failed you yet Bob but just trying to find out the limitations. Cheers

Post by **holeyhardtop** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 6:25 pm

while were on this subject mine is slow to unlock, can take up to five mins or so. any ideas on how to improve this as it is beginning to annoy me. ta.

Post by **Beastmavster** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:07 pm

I was testing last night has been in garage so about a foot each way movement might not have been enough for it to engage, so I was aware this might cause a problem.

I still thought the light would come on basically as soon as the switch was hit.

It can wait until tomorrow afternoon since I've just got home. But keep pumping the info through guys cos I'm sure Friday or Saturday I'll probably need it all and more.

Post by **madmel** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:23 pm

Mine takes about 100m for the light to go on and slightly less for the light to go off.

If you get someone to flick the switch in the dash you should be able to hear the actuator in the diff make a clicking noise.

Mel

Post by **Beastmavster** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:29 pm

Now that I've fixed the wiring at the diff end I can hear a click when the switch is activated..... but I think it's from the front near the vacuum tank.

At least that's what it sounds like from in cab. Will get someone over to assist on the weekend if things dont seem to work on the road.

Just to make sure... this will normally lock in 2WD, 4WD High and 4WD low? Or will I need to test it in 4WD without front hubs locked?

Post by **madmel** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 8:34 pm

Mine does not need to be in 4wd to lock.

Post by **CRUSHU** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:05 pm

i flick mine over in 2wd, cos it is easier than putting it in 4wd!!

Post by **Woop** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 12:49 am

Check using a mulimeter or test lamp, check that you are getting power to one of the solenoids on the passengers side of the engine bay. With the ignition on, and difflock switch disengaged, one of the solenoids should be active--the other inactive. This is because the system uses vacuum to keep the actuator on the diff disengaged. Switching the DIFFLOCK switch on, deactivates that solenoid, and activates the other one, supplying vacuum to the actuator. Switching the DIFFLOCK switch to off, does the reverse of above, sending vacuum back to the actuator, down the other hose, disengaging the carrier. The electrical cables attached to the actuator only operate the DIFFLOCK lamp in the instrument panel.

If there is no power to the solenoid, check the lockout unit behind the dash is connected properly. IF all's ok, check that one of the solenoids itself isnt burnt out,as this is a common problem with one being active all the time the ignition is on. Normally if this is the case, once you engage DIFFLOCK , you cant disengage it. Check the vacuum tanks and valves are connected properly. Check that you are getting vacuum at the actuator by disconnecting the hoses with the engine running.

Nick

Post by **JemmyBubbles** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 7:41 am

I have just whacked in a Factory Locker rear end into my shorty. Well actuallly Todd at Binskins 4wd in wauchope did and they did quite a good job. They even fabbed up a nice big fat ole bash plate for the diaphragm that aint gonna break any time tooo soon..

The old man and I wired up the vaccum lines....

My sparky mate also hasn't connected the light indicator yet which is kind of annoying.

Has anyone done anything to improve these things. In another thread a chappy was talking about turning the thing into a short stroke air ram.... :roll:

Just thinking out loud. When I had the diff housing out and was playing with it, I could suck on one of the lines and a turn of the pinion flange would result in the thing locking, likewise for the other line. What I mean to say is that it was unlocking and locking quickly if adequate vaccum was supplied quickly enough..... ??

Is that why the things are slow....?

Post by **GQ TROL** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 7:44 am

They even fabbed up a nice big fat ole bash plate for the diaphragm that aint gonna break any time tooo soon..

Any pics of the bash plate available??

Post by **swbpatrol83** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 9:57 am

my solenoid on the firewall is stuffe. Any one got a cheap replacement idea?

Post by **Beastmavster** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 5:42 pm

Works good, but yeah a bit slow to engage....like 100m as someone said. Need a better vacuum tank arrangement methinks

Still... if you dont mine having it on for long periods offroad (and having had a welded diff i can't really see it being an issue) then I guess it's great

nice to know it was basically a really tiny thing wrong with it.

Post by **davejb** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:24 pm

Solenoid pack on my mav would engage but not dis engage. Checked all the electrics ect, all that side was ok. ended up chucking the OEM solenoid assembly and fitted a Mack pneumatic valve in its place. Wandered around the wreckers and found a plug on a Skyline that fits the Mav wiring loom. Joined the coil wires from the Mac valve to the Skyline plug, and its a factory plug in arrangement that can be swapped back at any time.
Now it takes a short distance to engage and disengages almost instantly.
Mack Pneumatic valve cost about $100.

Dave

Post by **holeyhardtop** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:40 pm

dave,
this is excellent tech exactly what i need. any chance of telling us what the 'mack pneumatic valve' came from [i assume a mack truck] or part no etc and where to get? if its no trouble. ta.

Post by **Woop** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 12:52 am

Holden Camira VDO vacuum solenoids can be used but need a bit of work to fit as they are a bit bigger. The Hitachi solenoids that are used are pretty common in a lot of other Nissan cars--with a bit of work, its possible to remove the faulty solenoid from the block and replace it.

Nick

Post by **Beastmavster** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:49 am

Dave,

Quicker activation and deactivation would be great. Love some more info.

Post by **bazzle** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:49 pm

You cannot make it come in or out any quicker than vaccum applied. And it wont go in unless clutch gear teeth in line (can take 1/4 turn of one wheel), so may never come in if no slip or diff action happening.

Bazzle

Post by **Beastmavster** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:55 pm

Well then turn that steering wheel and it comes in quicker

Post by **davejb** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 10:23 am

Ok guy's
The valve was bought from Pneutec 03 9879 6499 in Ringwood, Vic
Phone number is 03 9879 6499 ask for Damian
Part number is 45A-GCI-DDBA-13A
You have to plumb it up backwards, ie vacuum from engine to the exhaust port of the valve, A and B ports to the diff lock actuator and a silencer / filter on the pressure port to keep thr crap out.

Bazzle you are correct you cannot make the actuator engage the diff lock any faster than the vacuum will operate it.
But the responce time has changed from some time today to almost instantly. You still have to wait for locking mechanism to line up before it will engage.
The ARB will always engage faster due to the greater number of splines on the hub and ring

Dave

Post by **holeyhardtop** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:35 pm

sensational feedback dave. thanks for the guts on the part no's.

Post by **JemmyBubbles** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 8:44 am

Howdy,

I aint got not digital camera handy....but will get photos of my funky new bash plate soon. It is basically a big bit of 5mm thick tube that has been cut down the middle to make a shape slightly larger than a semi-circle. It hugs the actuator and

Now listen to my problems hahaha...

Basically I am having problems getting the diff lock to engage. What appears to be happening is.. during the "on" operation the vaccuum that was going to the disengaging side of the chamber is being held there due to the "off" solenoid being closed. In effect what is happening is that both sides of the chamber are being supplied with vaccuum, thus cancelling each other out ??. For interests sake I have disconnected the outgoing line from the "off" solenoid in the field and the diff lock engages freely, yet obviously can't disengage.

If venting from the off line helps the on operation to work and vice versa, how would one go about doing this.

Do you understand all that ?????

I was playing on stocko yesterday and was switching the thing to on, waiting 10 secs for vaccuum to reach the actuator and then driving left/right etc etc.. I then removed the outgoing line from the off solenoid (which made a nice sucking sound), releasing the vacuum and then flicked the switch to on. The locker engaged almost instantly.

I need to vent the used vaccuum...

Any help would be great...

Jeremy

EDIT...

Oh yeah I might add that the guy from the wreckers gave me two solenoids from a pajero locking diff. Both are normally closed. Do the Nissan ones have an exaust/blow-off valve of some description. I would imagine if they didn't it will be a constant battle between which line has the most vaccuum as to what happens ie; engage/disengage.

I am also looking at a possible solution from a yanky pneumatic company. THey have 2,3 & 4 way vaccuum solenoids with exhaust valves and vaccuum generators that require 70psi of compressed air to generate a lot of vacuum very very quickly. Apparently this company can also make you a replacement actuator judgin some of the pics and descriptions of applications their products are being used for.... MMMM So you could make it an air operated actuator if you really really wanted to, or if you break the current one I would be talking to these folk

http://www.parker.com/ead/cm1.asp?cmid=257

Could be interesting...

Post by **chimpboy** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:32 am

JemmyBubbles wrote:I was playing on stocko yesterday and was switching the thing to on, waiting 10 secs for vaccuum to reach the actuator and then driving left/right etc etc.. I then removed the outgoing line from the off solenoid (which made a nice sucking sound), releasing the vacuum and then flicked the switch to on. The locker engaged almost instantly.

I need to vent the used vaccuum...

I haven't had a close look at the Nissan valve unit yet, but the way this type of valve normally works is that it switches between vacuum and open air ie "vents" the vacuum. Otherwise it wouldn't work (kinda like yours!)

In other words, it shouldn't just switch between "open" (to the vacuum) and "closed", it should switch between "open" to the vacuum and "open" to the atmosphere.

Are you sure something isn't clogged up? I'd be looking carefully at the unit on the firewall.

Does it DISengage properly? If so, then your "on" side is obviously venting as it should, so check what's different between the on and the off side.

I don't think you need a pricey yank unit for this, there are 12V vacuum switches around for bugger all.

Jason

Post by **bazzle** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 9:48 am

Its a change over vac switch. Vac on one way to hold on, other way to hold off.

Bazzle

Post by **JemmyBubbles** » Tue Oct 05, 2004 10:17 am

After reading a bit more about the pajero rear locker it is actually air operated... But I don't see how the solenoids would be any different... I am wondering if perhaps there is a right and wrong way to have the vacuum lines connected to the solenoids... :oops:

There can only be 16 combinations gonna go play some more... and take a photo or two me thinks..

yay 100

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