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Hi everyone, I just bought this 2001 Pathfinder SE one owner car with 143,000 on the clock. I think I got a good deal on her for only $2500, interior is cloth but immaculate and she drives perfect! New to Pathfinders and can’t wait to take her on some light trails! -Roberto

The mudders got their first taste of mud in New Mexico visiting the SO’s family Wired up some fog lights to the front brush guard a couple days ago and I’m glad I did because we hit some mean fog in the way into ABQ

Thanks for the replies and suggested options. I finally successfully pulled the engine out today so very happy to make that step forward. I ended up dropping the front cross member which came out very easily (suspect the prior owner may have had it out at some point as the bolts were tight but easy to undo). I had already disconnected the front diff/axle assembly so when i dropped the front cross member, i was able to lower the diff at the same time (one large workshop trolly jack under the front diff and another standard one under the front cross member) so all came down ok.(That diff/axle assy is heavy!!). Once the diff and cross member were out of the way, i was able to get to the bolts on the flywheel/torque converter a lot easier and was a bit surprised/shocked to find them only finger tight, so likely a disaster waiting to happen if I hadn’t addressed that i suspect. I then made sure all areas disconnected and also made a temporary cross member to bolt into the mounting points where the back mounts of the front diff are so to support the front of the gearbox when i removed the engine. Looked to connect the engine hoist and had to try and find some places to connect chains. Apart from one location with convenient nuts on a brackets on the rear passenger side of the block, there wasn’t too much that was jumping out. Connected chains using the aircon and power steering brackets and then a strap around the drivers side manifold secured back to the front of the engine. i had an engine leveller on my hoist so as i raised the engine, i found that the height of the terrano was too high so I wouldn’t be able to clear the top radiator cross member with the sump. I dropped the sump as well as the oil pick while raised and still in the engine bay so as to get as much clearance as possible as i was limited by the height in my garage and the lift of my engine hoist. i probably didn’t put the engine hoist leveller close enough to the block so lost some span - next time the leveller will be really down tight to the engine so as to make the lift back in a bit easier. I will likely also look to either make some connectors/plates for engine hoisting or at least sort something that is easier to manage. I had also had stands under the front half of the body raised up so as to give me enough room to work underneath while prepping the removal but this also meant the whole body’s higher than needed for clearance for the engine removal. So, a bit of judicious jacking with extra blocks and lowering the axle stands to then lower the overall height to remove the engine followed. A bit challenging and added a bit of a heart stopper when one of the blocks on the jack decided to pop out and drop the body on to the stands - a bit unexpected but at least the stands where in the right place/height so no damage thankfully. So, back to the hoist, lift and seperate the bellhousing no issue and move a bit forward then lift. Now the clearance was tight even with the sump/oil pickup gone. The rear spacing plate got rotated to sort that and then the engine leveller adjusted to drop the front down and raise the back for clearance. Tight squeeze with the top of the engine hoist jib just fouling the garage roof crossmember so very fiddle and back and forth, twist and then finally out clear. Brought it out and mounted on a portable engine stand to start the strip down and rebuild. Engine bay clean and some general maintenance while all out. Might also replace the torque converter at the same time - seems a logical thing to do while I have the engine out. Thoughts? So, my findings from my way of removing the engine: The Nissan engineers had no clue as to post assembly engine removal work and should be sentenced to working on removing and re installing the Terrano V6 auto 4wd repeatedly as punishment. Purchase of some aviation ring spanners was a great assistance. The 14mm spanner was particularly useful to get to the two bell housing bolts at the top of the bellhousing and was worth the price of the set by itself. Aviation spanners are around 3 times as long a standard ring spanners- extra leverage as well as a lot easier to access some fiddly bolts. Swivel connectors for socket drives and a couple of extension swivel bars assisted in breaking the set of some of the bolts. In looking at potential re assembly, i am considering connecting the diff to the front cross member and make a jig that will help balance it to raise the whole thing up once the engine is back in. Hopefully the option to mount the diff/front axle and the cross member will work but that is a new chapter worry once the engine is overhauled. So, for now, engine removal done, start of the clean up and prepping for overhaul. All of the work to date and todays efforts to remove the engine were all single handed, so a bit challenging on that front as well, but generally ok. Won’t be a quick workflow moving forward but finally looking to getting it done and getting the beast back on the road and prepped for the 2020 trek rally Will update as things resolve. Cheers all.