gv280z

Manual transmission? It does great in first but shifting to second, when I'm guessing you've just about reached redline in first gear, right? So when you shift into 2nd gear the engine is bogging down, so it's not like the clutch is slipping and the revs are flying away, right? I think you might just want to go back to your basics: change your oil and filter, air cleaner, fuel filter, plugs, have your gear oil and diff oil checked, run a fuel system cleaner through there...is your truck carbureted? If so, your air fuel mixture may be off, your truck has enough power in first to climb the hill but not in second, going up in a higher elevation the air is thinner so you'd need to richen up the O2 in the carb. If you've got an automatic and fuel injected, it may be the throttle position sensor is out of whack, you'll need to experiment with it to find the right setting. Loosen the screw SLIGHTLY and make tiny adjustments little by little and drive it everytime after each small adjustment until it seems like it's getting better. I'm really just grasping at straws here, I don't really know if that would help or not....If you can get any result at all, at least thats a start, a lead to build on. It could be a blocked exhaust that only shows you a problem under an extreme load on the engine, who knows.

I think a compression check should highlight any bent valves you may have. If I were in your shoes and you find you've got several bent valves, I'd immediately start looking for a low mileage JDM engine, do not pass go, do not open the motor, I think it'd be much better off in the long run to just toss another one in there. So you've either got (don't frag me, I taking a stab in the dark here...) $500 - $700 for JDM engine, and labor to swap the motor, which for a mechanic I bet they'd prefer, unbolt and toss the one, put in the new and they're done..Lets say an even $1,000 OR you spend on parts to replace the cams (both sides) machine and rebuild both heads, replace head gaskets, basically it's a top motor rebuild, that's a lot of work. And while they're in there, it's also going to be timing belt, front seal, and water pump. Time, parts and labor on that will be equal to, if not greater than an engine swap. Just replacing the timing belt and front seal on my engine cost me $500 and there were no damaged parts to deal with.

No kidding, though it could just be the way his truck sits in his garage, it may be uneven or something, irregular elevation in the foundation. The inside edge of the tire should be severely worn at a higher rate than the outer edge but it doesn't look like it. You'll like those Coopers, I've taken mine through everything and they seem to hook up everywhere, beach sand, loose soft mud, wet roads, gravel...they do a pretty damn good job of living up to their All Terrain claim, and do much better off road than they've really got any right to. They're siped really well and are made of a long wearing composition rubber. They ride good on the road, handle well and have only started to sing a little bit now that i've got maybe 12,000 +/- miles on them, and they still look brand new. It sounds like you got a great deal at $130 ea, I think I paid like $160 or so at Discount tire for mine, don't forget you're probably gonna have about 60 or 70 in shipping costs so that'll negate your rebates and stuff, and then you've gotta find a shop that won't charge you and arm and a leg to mount and balance. If I were you I'd drive to to your local hood / barrio and pull off the road at a small tire shop, pay 'em 20 bucks. From what I can see, for me, that's the biggest drawback hurdle to overcome when ordering tires offline at a great price is the mount / balance / road hazard warranty, I don't know if any big name shops will honor an internet seller deal for when you need local help, I don't know how that works.

Are you kidding? I love the way my Pathfinder runs and scoots around fairly quickly but given the option, I'd have no trouble swapping out the complicated, heavy, shoehorned in, VG30 for the dead simple and straight forward Z24 engine that he's got there. Whatever he doesn't have in power is made up for in simplicity and ease of use, lightweight and probably a little better fuel mileage, I'd guess in the low 20s around town. That thing will probably literally run forever.

I'm jealous how clean and straight forward that engine bay / layout is, it looks like he could just about rebuild the engine right there sitting in the truck! Look how easy it would be to pull the exhaust manifold, but at the same time IT'S NEW!!! Hah! Thats the best part, it's not an old corroated nuts and bolts and miscellaneous parts you'd be working on from the early / mid 80s. How big would the power and efficiency deficit really be having a carbureted engine instead of computer controlled and mapped fuel injection with the repair headache that brings?

Wow! That is a fine lookin Pathfinder! Looks great Roy, how long did this entire project take you? Does this model have coil springs in the front? Or does it still use torsion bars? It was hard to tell in one of your pics, there's a shock in the pic right next to a coil spring with what looks like one of Fleurys HDPE coil spacers, was that on the rear? The lift looks fantastic. You guys over seas have such a completely different engine and driving dynamic than us with your Z24 engine and carb setup in a 2000 SE year model! Haha! I love that. I like your wheel and tire combo too, looks great. How do those Bighorns ride on the road, are they rough and very loud? Outstanding truck Roy, I know you're a proud Papa just now.

This is a great idea! Really nice work Guy! I like it

Nice to have you back Kyle, good looking truck...what size are the tires? I like how they look.

Mods this thread should be pinned so that New users could see it, it's a great thread and I'm not just saying that because of Danger. However I do have a bit of a Danger update for you guys, though it's not what I'd been hoping for. Unfortunately, I somehow accidentally deleted a lot of my pics from my phone, which had a bunch of great Danger shots included. I do have some good ones though and you can see how much he's grown. And he has been snipped as well. He's doing great by the way, he's pretty much asserted himself in our little 8 building community, when our shop is open, he is free to range and he goes and says hi to the neighborbors and car builder guys laying under their vehicles he walks up and lays down and hangs out with them. One day he brought us a freaking beautiful girl back to the shop, I guess she'd found him and checked his tag and brought him to our shop..that was nice He is a BIG cat...and solid, man...he's a fighter. We play wrestle with him a lot and we'll throw to the couch and he'll immediately bound right back and wrap himself around our arm and bite the crap out it. If he's on all fours and you try to take a swing at him, he raises up and absorbs the blow, catching your arm with his paws and he hangs on! He probably weighs a good 15 lbs it would seem. At this point He'll be 8 months old on Oct 14th. We estimate his birthday to be Valentines day, Feb 14th. My buddy Daniel and I just can't help being stupidly overwhelmed and in love with this cat, it's the damnest thing I've ever experienced.

Wow! That's great man, nice free white Pathy, just needed a little maintenance, helluva deal! It's a Rescue! Hah! Man, that Pathy is gonna LUV you!

Damn Precise, you're not just a Machinist, you're more like a Scientist. You can't just lift the lid on that little snippet of information shown there without having a vastly greater understanding knowledge of surrounding field of physics, math and science. Wtf dude. Who just built the tuner, Nefarious? You and My1Path and Nefarious should collaborate sometime on some random stuff and see what comes out of it! Holy crap.

I'm on the worn CV axles train. You only hear it when the hubs are engaged because that's when the cv axles are turning, and clicking. I've got a bad one I need to replace too, you can even hear it on of my videos.

Wait, isn't that like asking for the key ingredients of explosives from the Mythbusters guys?

Hey guys I've got a winner winner Chicken dinner here for you, right up you guy's alley, it's a rusted out classic just dying for some attention like what you guys do, for $400 bucks. 1964 Toyota landcruiser roller with engine and tires. http://houston.craigslist.org/pts/4678427274.html

Changed my alternator, holy crap what a PITA! First time I've done this repair on the Pathfinder and I learned a lot how to do it a little more easily next time.

Did an 88 still have a carb on it? I guess because it's not a US model it could huh...I don't have any experience with this but I like what Kingman had to say about that high idle circuit..that's good stuff.

Jay,I owe you an apology, I am sorry for being harsh and making your truck my business. It's not any of my business how and at what rate you do the mods you want to do on your truck you eventually buy. This post has been bothering me, so please accept my apologies. I guess I was speaking solely from my stand point, and what's right for me and my outlook, and that's not cool. I hope you can fulfill all your modification dreams whenever you can and have fun with it :-)

Uhhh....Hi Jay, this isn't really, uh...hmmm....This list you've got here, your dream Pathy, this would be probably be about the 4th year of ownership that you'd get all this work completed. Since you don't yet own a Pathfinder, you don't realize that (atleast for us here in this forum) you don't just throw a bunch of equipment on your truck to make it cool. Your truck was born Cool at the manufacturer when it was built. Don't get me wrong, we all love mod work, but it's not brought about by going down a laundry list of items. It's an evolution, it's like a Child, and as you get to know your truck over the years you start to learn what it needs, and what it doesn't need. It's not a normal 4x4 offroad truck like a lot of others where you have to throw a bunch of crap at it to trick it out. We are talking about a Nissan Pathfinder, not a mud boggin chevy or ford, not a mudslut toyota, it's in a class of its own. I suggest you slow down a little and find a truck to start with that you can buy in good condition and first learn to appreciate what made it great to begin with. Take it off road, use the 4 wheel drive, go on a trail ride with your kids / various family members, go camping with it. A Six inch lift, on these trucks is kinda rediculous and not really typical. Most guys do around maybe 3" suspension and probably an inch or two body lift, and with our hubs and spindles, I personally have a hard time recommending any tire size over 33" because of the weight, and all the stress placed on the steering components, drive train and wheel bearings. You can go hard core with yours if you want and do a Single axle swap but those guys that do that are VERY mechanically inclined, and very experienced with shop / work space, tools and buddies to help 'em get the job done. For me, a Husband and dad in a suburban house in Anywhere USA working 50 hours a week with only a driveway and a neighborhood street in a Deed Restricted community, an SAS is out of the question...never going to happen. My wife would be screaming at me, "where is our truck we used to take trips in and get the groceries with, HMMMM?????" You're going to have to find all your information yourself, do your own research. No one is going to want to help you with your list you threw at the wall to see what would stick. I don't mean to be rude, it's just not how the game is played. Buy a truck and post up some pics and maybe start with a set of 31" tires, go from there. Get to know the forums and check out some other rides. That's how you play.

wow, yea I'm glad you guys made it through that one in tact without incident. Kinda reminds me of Galveston..similar deal. Hopefully atleast one of you guys was packin heat. Next trip you guys take, you should go north and check out the Pacific Northwest..Awesome awesome awesome.....

That is so cool. I'd like to know how to do body work like that but its always terrified me. That's one aspect of automotive work I've never had any self confidence in and drive to put any effort into is body work.

I like the wider, deeper set rims on the later model R50s, which I don't really see a lot of very often...hmmm...see if I can find a pic... I think this is what I'm thinking of: This is actually a 2002 model, but I just love the overall *look* of it.

Damn Karmann, that was amazing. I'm glad you and your buds were able to make that trip. There is one thing I'd like to hear more about though, PLEASE tell us about Myrtle Beach!!! Haha! I've lived my entire life, (with the exception of 4 years in Seattle / Tacoma Washington, which I loved and miss fondly), in Houston, TX and surrounding areas. My town is not pretty and we do have that spectacular 100 % humidity with high heat here during the summer. We've got the inner city areas here, but also middle city areas, all around town and they're all crime, drug infested and generally not nice places to be. So, in a lot of ways I think some people and / or outsiders could easily consider Houston a Hell Hole. I'm used to it, in 9 years I've driven over 300,000 miles in this place criss crossing from every place to every place imagineable. When I was in Basic Training at Camp Jackson at Columbia, South Carolina some people would occasionally get a weekend pass and run over to Myrtle Beach, I never did, but I can imagine with the young army privates there, it can probably get pretty ghetto and raucous, I'm guessing there was an abundance of rap/hip hop culture and small minded ignorance?

Hey Cowboy, are you using the "paste" option from the menu bar? It's right ----------------^^ there. Click that and it opens a window, then you paste your link into that window and hit enter. You don't need to lift to run 31s, unless you have a base 2 wd model, and even then I'm not even sure a lift is needed.

okay...well, this is looking up..riding the slow conveyor belt of Vehicle Action just got a little faster. At the end of this one, there's truck work waiting..instead of a log saw

both of my converters look exactly the same, one not smaller than the other. Even though it's obd1 won't it still put a check engine light on, which will fail your inspection..right?