'89 hardbody clutch interlock switch issue?

[VAfrontier]

Hello all, I just registered here after doing a search for Nissan forums. Looks like there's lots of knowledgeable people here that can probably help me out. Sorry for the long message below. I don't normally send out messages this long on any forum I'm a member of, especially as a newbie as I am here. I did this purposely in hopes of answering some of the questions ahead of time that I'll inevitably get.

I've got an '89 hardbody, Z24 engine, 5-speed stick. The body is getting rough, has 174K on it but it still runs strong. I put on a new starter and battery back in March. Two days after installing the battery, the engine would crank real slow as if the battery was dying. The following day while getting gas, it wouldn't crank back up at all. I waited a minute, pushed the clutch in and it cranked normal. I don't have a battery tester so I drove back to Advance Auto(where I bought the battery) and had the battery tested. The guy said it was good. He even tested the alternator(I installed a new one about 6 years ago) and said that read normal too. I asked if I could get another battery(for peace of mind) and he installed another new one. Even with that one I had periods of really slow cranking. But for the past month and a half it's been starting fine. Until last night(5/30). It wouldn't crank initially, so I let off the clutch pedal, pushed it back in and it started fine. But I went to go out today(5/31)it wouldn't crank at all. I've tried all day and it won't crank.

I checked out the clutch interlock switch(I believe that's what it's called) to make sure the clutch pedal lever was pushing the switch button in all the way. That's when I noticed that the plastic piece that's inserted in a hole on the pedal lever(and contacts the switch and depresses it) was missing(a lot of the plastic in my truck is dry rotted from heat/age). Technically, I shouldn't have ever been able to start the truck. But the switch isn't perfectly lined up with the middle of the hole in the pedal lever so what I've been doing for the past month and a half(when the truck has cranked with no problem) is I have been pumping the clutch pedal a couple of time before turning the key. I realized today that by pumping it a couple of times, there's a hair of sideplay in the pedal lever and the edge of the hole just barely makes contact with the switch button(just enough to allow the engine to crank up before the switch button slips off the hole's edge). I attribute the truck's slow cranking to the pedal lever not depressing the switch button all the way(missing the plastic insert). I unbolted the switch bracket for better access and used my finger to depress the switch(while pushing on the pedal lever a bit to release the other clutch switch). It still wouldn't crank. So I read some internet postings where guys would bypass the interlock switch on their cars and trucks. I unplugged the two wire connector from the switch and inserted a small piece of wire in the connector as a bypass. Still wouldn't crank.

So here I am. I don't know what to do next. I understand there should(?) be a clutch interlock relay that could be bad. But I don't have a factory maintenance manual. All I have is a Chiltons manual for '89-'91 Pathfinder and Pickups. It doesn't mention anything about an interlock relay and the only mention of the two clutch pedal lever switches is in a diagram. Oh and I found a nylon insert for the pedal lever hole and the lever now depresses the interlock switch like it should. One other thing, when I turn the ignition key to START, all I hear is one click from some sort of blue "relay looking" thing that's plugged into a socket on top of my fuse panel(lower lefthand side of dash). I popped it out to inspect it but as I expected, I couldn't determine what its used for or whether its working properly(and I'd prefer not to run out and buy all kinds of new parts to swap out with the existing ones in hopes that I can luck into fixing the problem- I'm in between jobs right now and I can't afford to waste money). I also hear one click from somewhere under the hood on the right side of the engine compartment(it doesn't sound like it's coming from my starter/solenoid). So that's one click from those two areas for each time I turn the key to START. All my dash panel lights come on as usual, I hear my fuel pump buzz as usual, and all other lights work too. So I'm pretty sure my battery is fine( did put a charger on it but that had no effect). And I don't think my 3 month old starter is bad. I mean, it started fine one day and the next it won't even crank.

Any thoughts guys? Again, sorry about the long post. Thanks in advance.

VAfrontier