lgranch

It has been 3 days what is the verdict on teh seal and the motor?

I am corrected by Luvmypath. I did that I never have seen an east coast 1995 without atleast some rust and now I have been proven wrong. Since the frame came out of a VA yard I feel that my statement is still pretty close Luvmy path, you are the only person I have ever heard of that has changed their complete frame. Anyone else out there?

k9sar, You do live in the Philly area, possibly you may have a small advantage. I would check behind the rear axle and in front by the steering box. The data I have on the subject says that Nissan started to use more reporcessed steel in the early 90's. While they did not like the inclusion in the steel fo rthe body panels they believed that there was no problem in frame members and axles and crossbeams etc. They also were basing their research on Japanese and west coast data. Obviously this was a big push for them to gain a greater share of the new offroad/SUV market. They already had a good reputationin the truck line. For 96 they changed again to "reduce cost" by eliminating the frame in favor of unibody. What I do not have any data on is the PU tucks.

Ok Luvnmypath, You are the only person I have ever known that had the entire frame changed. I remember your post from when the job was done. The total cost was about $3000. Does anyone know someone else who has had a frame transplant?

OK K9sar you just got my attention. I know you have been around Pathys a long time. How do you get the pan off without engine removal? I tryed, but I guess I was too stupid to figure it out. The oil pick up prevented me from moving the pan far enough to get it to clear front diff. Please explain more completely. This is something important to know and understand for me.

I have examined close to 100 pathfinders in the last 2 years. I live in Cleveland and these Pathys are all east coast units to my knowledge. The rust problem with the frame started in 1990 and progressed to 1995. Each consecutive year got worse. You can find 90 and 91s with no rust still. 1993 are rusted thru at about 25% level. Then most of the 94s are rusted thru. I challenge anyone to find a non rusted 1995. I have NEVER NEVER found a 1995 that did not have atleast a small rust hole thru the frame, or already been repaired. All of the frame shops here in NE Ohio know about the rust problem and very few will repair them, because "they will not accept the liability". I suspect that southern or west coast pathys do not have the extent of the problem. I can send about 2 dozen pics of different pathys to Nissan and I am lazy (Precise1) but I just might do it.

I bought a new radiator support fo my 91 for $28. This is a price from a company called Certifit. They have offices all over. Look them up on the net.

lots of miles with body and frame rust should have been about $500. They are around NE ohio for that price all the time. I have clean 95 5 speed with some minor frame rust that I'd let go for $850 not problem.

ok like precise1 i have no idea what this post is about. I received no email, no messages so it is a mystery to me.

According to the factory manual that I have access to thru this forum, the frames are all the same from 1990 to 1994. This manual was published in 1994 so I think it is safe to say that the 1995 frame is the same also. The frame part number is 50100-60G00 and the price was $1695 in 1994. I do not know if you could have ordered one in 1994 or not. This price included all of the cross members. The book also stated that the install time was 28 hours. I am not so sure that that number is correct. There was a woman who use to post on this forum that had the frame changed on her Pathy. She provided pics and everything. Her total cost when completed was $3000.

Steve-o What is your reference to only 90 to 92 frames being the same? My data would indicate that 90 to 95 frames are the same. I have a 91 and a 95 and if there is a difference, (except that 95 frames rust and 91 frames don't) I can not find it. Yes there are a couple of holes in different locations, but I would believe that they are completely interchangable. Now as far as swaping frames I would not waste the time. With all of the Pathy's fro sale on the east coast it would be much cheaper to find one with a blown motor or tranny and us it as a donor.

You can replace your VG30I with lots of different choices.... wrong. Unless you want to change out the computer and the wiring harness you are stuck with a VG30I. You could also change out the intake for the carburator. Now a potential problem with JDM is that you will have to change out compoents also to match ou pathy. A good rebuild kit will run about $650 and takes alot of time. Junk yard motors have the problem in that you do not know what you are getting. You did not say what the issues were nor did you say auto or 5 speed. These could influence you decision.

The mark on the crank gear should be there. There is no mark on the oil pump housing. That is a myth started by Nissan..... I have never seen a mark on any oil pump housing on any of the 90 to 95 VG30Es I have worked on. Even the new replacement oil pumps do not come with a timing mark. So the only way to be sure of the proper crank position is to measure TDC on teh #1 cyl and go from there.

Ok people, I have had many VG30Is apart and multiple VG30Es apart and I have no idea what this tech is talking about. Could this be in a VG33E? (1996 up) I have not taken one of those apart yet.

Most of the additives to pass smog that I have investigated chemically "fix" CO and NO and do nothing for HC. They usually work by masking the CO and NO so that the test can not read them. I do not know how you mask HC. Slick you have been given two conflicting opinions. too lean and too rich. I would vote for too rich, but why? This could be a MAP giving the ECU a bad reading and causing the injectors to push too much fuel. There is an injector seal in teh intake that maybe could cause and air leak. I doubt that a bad injector is going to push too much fuel. Now if you believe the too lean camp then a bad injectors is possible. Sorry I can not be more help

This is strange to me to blow high HC and not NO. Usually high HC means a bad tune, burning too much fuel or burning it poorly. I have tricks to pass on bad NO and CO but not many for bad HC. Usually the hotter the engine the lower the HC. I could be mistaken but I think the O2 sensor will not do anything with HC adjustment. Have you checked the EGR for function that could screw up a HC level. My problem here is that SLick you are competent around motors. I am sure that you have checked all the obvious stuff and now it is a quirky problem.

I forgot about your motor mount question. In an 87 you should be golden. For some reason on my 95 they decided that the nuts did not need to be welded to the frame so you need to try to get a wrench on them. On your rig, just take the mounts off the frame and pull them with the motor. Put them back the same way. You know you are lined up when the holes meet. Hey is this an auto or manual?

Should not be a problem. It just pan, oil pump, and oil pickup. Be sure there are two different oil pumps one for teh 2 wheel drive and one for the 4X and no I do not know the difference. One the outside they look the same.

No problem going down in years. So a 94 motor in an 87 is fine. You will just have an extra sensor or two. The problem comes when the ECU is looking for something that is not there. Exhausts manifold will fit on all years they just use different holes in the block. The intakes for the VG30I and VG30E just use different bolts. The I version bolts are shorter than the E version. You just use the right bolts for the intake. I am sorry that I missed that the chassis was an 87. This is a good swap. 88 said to put in a VG33E... that is a good swap also. I went a bit different by boring out a VG30E to more than a VG33E. Now I still have a problem in making the wires all mate up properly because I used an 88 block to go into the 91. Wiring takes time, patience, and some talent. I believe that I only possess the last one.

I have a 91 with a VG30E with a knock sensor and a 95 with a VG30E with a knock sensor. Or do you mean you removed the knock sensor? The knock sensor is located in the valley between the two cylinder banks. It can not be seen or felt without removing the intake. (I guess someone with small hands could reach and touch it) Is this a special 95 model like a non US version. I can not imagine a California reg pathy not having one when the rest of the country does.

This I have done. 89 and earlier are VG30I blocks. 90 to 95 are VG30E blocks. The differences are subtle but there. For one thing the VG30I block does not have a knock sensor and the VG30E does. Your ECU would be out there looking for the knock sensor, so you have to give it some type of signal. But before you think you will just add a knock sensor, take note that you are going to have to mount one on the block by drilling a hole in the block. Maritimeman helped me find a location and everything is fine. As far as bolt patterns and heads and bell housings everything will fit. The Exhaust manifolds are different between the two, but the right set of holes are in both blocks. Obviously the intakes are different and you ahve to run the injectors for the ECU. Gasket sets will list as different, but that is because of things like the intake being different. You buy the gasket set for the VG30E motor. While the motor mounts themselves are not different, how they attach to the frame is. No problem here, but I do know that a 95 is a real PITA with the motor mounts. Finally you did not say which tranny you have. I was stupid. in an auto tranny you can pull the motor and leave the tranny behind. In a manual tranny the tranny needs to move first. All the "perfect" pathy experts knew that I discovered that the first time I tried to a motor from a manual tranny pathy. I have done it many times with the auto before that. Hope this helps.

Holding the engine still with a std tranny is no problem especilly with a new rebuild like yours. Now for the rope trick: Take out the #1 spark plug (thats an easy one) Crank the engine by hand until the #1 cylinder is on its compression stroke. Then feed a nylon rope down into the spark plug hole when the piston comes to the top is can not compress the rope and you will have a secured crank to work with. obvious you have to back the pistion off to release the rope and remove it. I have done this 100s of times on all different engined and atleast 12 times on a VG30E with no problems. This if for torquing the bolt. To remove it you just do the same only with find the right pistion stroke with the engine turning in the wrong direction. Remember once the bolt is loose you still have to turn the motor over to install the T belt properly. My suggestion here is to remove just the pulley leaving the belt gear in place reinstall the bolt with washers to take up the slack. Turn the motor over until top dead center on the #1. The pully marks should line up and mark the crank gear now. If anyone has ever found a factory marking for the crank gear speak up. Then use a belt that is marked with cam line ups and it is easy after that.

For everyone else out there, this is why you have a separate tranny cooler. Now the costly part of this repair is not the tranny. A good used tranny should be found for less than $900. The problem is the installation. This is not a short job and a tranny shop is going to want atleast $65/hr and that is the bulk of the $2500 on the quote. I won't sandbag you the job is tough, but not complicated. The tough part is the weight of the tranny and transfer case. If you really have no frame rot on the pathy and you live east of the Mississippi river then your pathy is one in hundred. In its present condition with a bad tranny its value is about $1000. If the frame is rotted then $500.

Winter is starting look like it is coming to NE Ohio. I have 2 WD21 Pathys in the driveway that need shelter so that I can finish them (head gaskets & finish a motor transplant). My garage has all on my kids tools in one side and a 55 Chevy 2 door hardtop in the other side. I need to find a winter home for the Chevy ,but around here the storage guys want $70/month. I am just trying to find dry storage not a service bay. I am getting realling depressed. I know that any day the local village cop will come by and tell me I have too many cars in the yard. (He stopped my kid because his front license plate was on the dash and not screwed to the front bumper) Tell me everything will be alright or come and get a pathy or just something..... I HATE winter. :oops:

I think this pathy is trying to kill you. I have one the same way. Right now I have 2 down in the driveway. Anyways- I have changed many T-belts. My suggetsionis that you just change it period. You have gone this far with the pathy and the tranny was an adventure the T-belt will be a walk in the park. As for the cam seals- sometimes I change them and sometimes I don't. While they are not expensive they are hard to get on correctly. If you push them on too far then you just have to destroy the seal to remove it. If they show signs of leakage them I always replace them. This is time to examine the water pump for replacement and the big item is the bypass hose. It is buried at the front of the engine. If this little hose lets loose you are done. Post what you are going to do. Oh I thought I heard something faint in the air around Cleveland on the 23rd. Was that you yelling?