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If the coolant is not leaking, and there is no pressure, then I would replace the radiator cap. I also would pressure test the system to make certain that there is no leaks. The rubber parts in automobiles really don't store well. After several years of just sitting it is common for hoses to split or crack. Also critters like mice love to chew on wires and rubber. The oil vapor that is run from the crankcase into the intake through the PCV system tends to condense everywhere in the intake system and a couple years of sitting combined wit the dust that finds its way in will become quite sticky and can cause valves in the intake system to not operate properly. People don't realize it, but just sitting and never being run is really hard on automobiles.

Are these type of swaps uncommon or am I not looking with the right keywords or something? Would such a swap be too excessive in cost and function for what the Pathfinder is capable of and can already handle with the preferred VG33 swap? Only reason I ask is because the thought popped up out of curiosity one day as I was browsing the web for different types of engines with their general info/common problems. One thing lead to another and I eventually stumbled onto some article recommending V8 engines worth swapping for off-roading (for any 4WD-capable vehicle in general mind you, not specifically geared toward the Pathfinder). It got my gears grinding a little harder and begun to peak my interest in swapping out my VG30i engine down the road eventually, but it made me ask the question of whether a V6 or a V8 would give me more opportunities to access certain trails or just let my Pathy have more utility (better towing handling, increased towing capacity). Most topics I've pulled up both here on the forum and elsewhere on the web seem to favor the VG33 engine and variants because of it's relative ease of installation and specific component compatibility with the VG30 engine family. As for the performance difference, I'm still clueless. But I've yet to come across posts, articles, blogs, vlogs, videos etc. from people who've swapped anything higher than a V6, although that's not to say that I haven't seen some suggestions thrown around like an LS swap or something similar. Sent from my SM-J727T using Tapatalk

^Mr. Reverse pretty well covered it. Check the cap, pressure test the system. I pulled a cap off a friend's car once and found most of the rubber missing. Go figure, the coolant was low, though luckily it hadn't overheated yet. I suspect what you've got is a slow leak, which caused low coolant, which in turn caused the overheating you had before. The idle bump is interesting, but I don't know the R50 idle air system well enough to guess what it might be trying to do.

I got mine from amazon for 18.99

This is 100% true. You're best off finding a low mileage transmission out of a first generation Xterra and swapping it in. They bolt up, and are bomb proof. AFAIK, just the wiring harness needs to be extended, and the vent tube moved. I paid someone to do mine. Most autos got the 4.6XX differentials and the manuals got the 4.3XX differentials if you're using the rear diff, you better use the front diff as well, different gear ratios in the front and rear when you engage 4 wheel drive would be EPIC bad.