mws

Heck yeah! Major B points for any damage incurred by rescuing Sheeps! But your truck looks great in the photos! I guess it's kinda like mine... Other than the passenger door being a different color with a chrome handle, the rest of it is "10 foot perfect"... It looks great as long as you stay at least 10 feet away. Any closer, and the dents, wrinkles, and chips start becoming visible! I took another step towards losing this past weekend... Since I had the front seats out, I cleaned the carpets. I guess my interior was originally grey.... And here I was used to calling it greyish brown... Coulda made a highly effective commercial for the Hoover carpet cleaner. The rig is probably 10 pounds lighter with all the dirt and dog hair it removed. And I have the Maxima seats fully installed. Sooooooo comfy....

Sorry, Slick. This is a contest you can't win.... Basic rules to beat me out (and I know someone wil!) 1) If all the body panels are the same color, you're out. 2) If your door handles match (chrome vs paint), you're out. 3) If you do not have body panels that show visible hammer marks, you're out. 4) If you have washed it this year, you're out. I may disqualify myself in the next month or two on this one... but for now, the road dirt and dust are still creatively re-arranged by the rain every couple weeks... 5) If you can't see duct tape from the drivers seat, you're out. Yeah, she looks borderline neglected. But darn good (I think) for just under 200K miles and under $3K total invested! I prefer to call it well used, but shy of abused.

The only thing that really affects emissions is the Cat. The resonator is a secondary muffler, usually tuned to cancel out specific frequencies of sound to pass sound level requirements. Removing it could increase pollution emissions, but it would be highly unlikely. Whether you need it to pass inspection depends on your state and the inspector. In CA, ANY deviation from the exact equipment installed by the factory is technically illegal. But in practice, I have never heard of anyone failing smog checks for changing to an aftermarket muffler or eliminating resonators. As long as the cat is there, there is some kind of reasonable muffler, and it passes the sniffer, they are passed. Of course, with the budget crunch, it would be a HUGE revenue generator for the state to start collecting fines for these technical violations.... Probably 90% of the vehicles more than 5 years are somehow violating the laws as written. DOHHHH, shouldn't have said that out loud...

OK, we've playfully bashed the sheep owners, the canucks, the 4 dr owners, the 2 dr owners, lets see.... how about northern vs southern hemisphere 4 wheeling? Mud vs rock? Or age bashing? Beat up dirty trucks vs showroom shiny? Somebody pick the next poor unfortunate saps to target? I'm in the north; Don't care much for mud; Old enough to know what's right, young enough not to choose it *; Beat up and dirty. Bring it on, I'm sure I can come up with some kind of snappy comeback! * Proper props to Mr. Lee and the boys...

Got a random Metallica disc in there for the (very rare) moments when XM radio is unavailable (deep canyons with walls on south side). XM is alternated between Fred, Ethel, and the reggae channel - except when my wife is on board when it gets switched to Top Tracks.

The idea behind them is two fold: 1) to add mass to the metal panels to change the resonant frequency to a subsonic frequency, so you can't hear the panels when they "ring" or resonate like a drum head - which transmits outside noise into the car just like a speaker cone. This is the primary mode. Another cheap trick to do the same is to just stick heavy stuff (washers, scraps of metal) to the skin using silicone. 2) Absorb the ringing or vibrating energy (damping). And it does work! Cars like Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, etc are loaded with the stuff... I did my Chevy van and the Pathy. It cuts road noise in half, most noticeable by the fact we can talk at normal voice levels. Of course, now the engine sounds coming through the fire wall sound really loud... I have never used any of the high dollar name brands like Dynamat 'cuz I'm a cheap bugger... MCM Electronics used to carry (not sure if they still do) a "non branded" asphalt based sheeting for about 1/6 the price of Dynamat. 1/8" thick, very dense asphalt based stuff, good strong adhesive. Gave off a slightly tar like smell for a couple weeks when it got really hot, but no odors after that. Just leave the windows down for a couple weeks. For the Pathy, I used a high density vinyl based product - PyleMat - that was on sale from MCM Electronics or Parts Express (don't remember which it was). It was less dense, but gave off no odor at all. Cost about twice as much as the generic. I used 3 large sheets (each about 20x30" or so) in the Pathy and it was under $100. You do not need to cover every square inch of the panel - just a big square in the middle of each panel will give you 90% of the effectiveness, and getting into some of the corners is really tough! I covered about 70% of each outer door panel, and then used most of what was left on the rear quarter panels (I have 2 door model) covering about 50% of the surface area there, again, with the deadener applied near the middles of the large surface areas for maximum effectiveness. I still have a couple square feet that will go on the rear hatch the next time I pull the panel off. I think it's well worth it. Adds about 10-20 pounds and costs $100, but makes it much quieter. The keys for an easy and successful install: - CLEAN the surface of the sheet metal very well before applying. I use acetone, lacquer thinner, or pre-paint cleaner. - Apply on a very warm day onto very warm sheet metal so the adhesive is super tacky and conforms well. - Lay the damping material in the sun for a while before applying to make it conform really easily and heat up the adhesive. - Spend plenty of time making sure it is pressed very firmly to the panels. I use a 1" wide roller. Pierce any bubbles to get the air out. - Wear leather gloves to minimize sheet metal cuts!

Because it is no longer PC to bash any other minority or social group! And history has shown some of the best humor requires HUMOROUSLY bashing some sub-cultural group. It's nothing personal. At least not for me!

BASTARD! But well done...

I have the proper tap (no need to ask, you know why!) and would be glad to loan it to you if you pay shipping. I'm in NoCal. On the positive side, my Pathy was one of the few vehicles I DIDN'T have to use the tap on. I've used it on many other vehicles, but the Pathy'a ORIGINAL sensor came out very easily and cleanly when I changed it a couple months ago....

Are you referring to replacement ECU's (at least $300) or the "one wire wonder device" that sell for under $100? The one wire wonder devices work very well if you follow their instructions to replace spark plugs at the same time as installing their wonder device AND your old spark plugs were shot. Of course, you get the EXACT same results if you just change spark plugs and don't install the device! Do the math to see how effective the device is....

Something to keep in mind: Oil viscosity is not a "constant". There are slight variations from brand to brand, formula to formula, and even batch to batch within a given formula. Maybe you just had a slightly "thinner" batch of oil that time around. So I wouldn't get too excited with small variations from lot to lot. If it remains a lower than you're comfortable with, try some other brands of oil.

I'll venture a couple guesses... The light comes on when the switch is activated, and the switch is mounted somewhere on the brake handle. I don't have a schematic near me, but I would guess it would be a ground switch so there is only one wire to run down to the switch. I'd bet: 1) The wire is slightly pinched somewhere and the insulation is cut through, but the copper conductor is very close but not quite touching a piece of metal right next to it. When turning right, something flexes a tiny bit, just enough to make the conductor touch which provides a ground path for the indicator light. 2) The switch is loose or misadjusted. Placing my $.02 bet on 1)....

Yup, the shape of the bottom half of the air cleaner makes me think I would stick with the stock air cleaner can. But only the can. Everything else would need to be fabbed to be watertight. The stock setup is anything but sealed! The piece to transition from the big oval opening in the side of the cleaner to some kind of round piping would be the most annoying to fabricate. Living where I do, I don't do any deep water crossings, so I will not volunteer to be the guinea pig this time around. Besides, I like having the warm air duct working for those cold mornings!

Since I plan to do some exploring out in the desert and hate getting stranded and eaten by vultures, I am spending my idle hours planning how to be prepared. What to do when stuck and there is no one else with me to pull me out? Well, I picked up my dad's 35 year old Hi-Lift and some new chains and winch kit and lots of rope and tree saver strap and recovery strap and shackles and.... But what if there are no trees? Like in most of the desert? What to pull against? I've heard about digging a pit and burying the spare with the pull rig attached to it. But frankly, that sounds like work! I have also seen the Pull-Pal. Brilliant! And an excellent solution for snow and sand! (www.pullpal.com) Not cheap, but it is a brilliant idea. But, it does take up room. Room where I could store an extra 12 pack of barley pop to enjoy around the campfire. While driving this weekend, I came up with a double whammy idea.... The stock bumpers on my '87 are not very robust and I'm not sure if they would stand up to the Hi-Lift. Soooo.... How about making my own anchor, similar to the Pull-Pal. But make the main bars ALSO serve as a rear bumper? Picture a replacement bumper made out of 3 sections of square tubing, one above the other. Two are full width. One is approx 2.5" inside square, one is 2.5" outside and slips inside the other. The third piece of the "bumper" is only about 2' long and becomes the upright that attaches the plow blade to the long arm. When the anchor is needed, the three pieces are unbolted from the bumper brackets, slipped and bolted together to make an 8' long bar with shackle on one end, and then a bracket bolts to the other end to hold the upright that holds the plow blade. The plow blade and brackets would normally be stored inside the truck. I am also envisioning other forms of attachments for hooking under/over large rocks. It would take a few minutes to unbolt from bumper brackets and bolt together, but still much faster (and less work) than burying the spare tire! What do you all think? I will start doing some analysis to size materials and fasteners. I'm thinking I will design it to withstand 10,000 lb loads.

If it is the same as my '87, it is mounted into the ventilation plenum. This is the large black box behind the glove box that contains the heater core and A/C core. The bottom of this plenum actually hangs down a couple inches below the glove compartment and you can see it when driving. To get to the blower resistor module, remove the glove compartment and then the vertical metal plate behind it (4 bolts and 2 screws on mine). You will see a largish white 6 terminal connector plugging into a squarish metal cup doohickey recessed into the upper right front corner of the plastic box. That's it! It's up high enough that you must remove the glove compartment and metal plate. Remove the connector, take out the inner two screws securing the resistor module inside the cup and remove the resistor module. About 3 minutes work once you figure out how to get those $*^#$ hinge pins out to remove the glove compartment. The resistors (3 of them) will have values of only about .6 to 1.2 ohms each. They are large wire wound resistors, about 1/2" long and 3/16" diameter. They have a single bead of ceramic material applied to one side to dampen vibration, but they are not fully encased. Most of the resistor wire is exposed. And one will be glowing red hot during operation at speed level 3. These resistors are passing up to 30 amps! They get realllllly hot, which is why they are mounted where they are - the fan cools them as it uses them. Kinda neat idea, actually. There is also a soldered thermal overload safety contact buried down inside the module between the resistors. That's what failed in mine - and my suggestion of the first thing to check in yours. If the resistor pack gets too hot, the solder melts and the contact opens up - and then the only switch settings that work are off and hurricane force. Sound familiar? For my '87, the part number was 27150-06J01, and it cost me $14.96 plus a couple dollars shipping through North Texas Nissan. It was a special order. I'd be surprised if it changed between '87 and '92, but I don't know. Check with your local dealer or call NTN to see if the PN is the same. A Standard Motor Products RU-207 is also supposed to be a generic replacement, but I couldn't find anyone who could get one... they appear to be discontinued. Fortunately, the Nissan part was about the same price from NTN! My local dealer was more than double. Root cause for mine failing: The previous owner lived up in the pines, and over the years enough pine needles entered the ventilation system until the plenum box was full enough that the needles were touching the resistors. One day, she turned on the fan and after a few minutes, the vents started doing their best fog machine impression. The local firefighters said it is a very common problem - and not limited to Pathfinders or Nissans. So vaccuum out the plenum box while you have the resistor pack out.

Thinking out loud... I wonder why Rancho is selling a "universal" damper in the kit rather than using the Monroe damper with a red paint job? Has anybody compared them side by side? Does the Rancho version use a larger rod or body or have different damping rates? Just curious... (For those who didn't know, Rancho and Monroe are both brand names owned by Tenneco, and I sure there is some amount of cross badging of hardware)

My sincere thanks to 88! Using the listed part numbers, I ordered the stock pin from North Texas Nissan, a Monroe damper from Rock Auto, spent about 1/2 hour rummaging through my spare bolt supply, and DING, we have dampage. Very nice improvement when driving on rough roads. THANK YOU for taking the time to share this info with us!

I don't know for sure.... but in looking around in there, it doesn't look that hard to figure out something. It appears to me we could just disconnect the duct where it connects to the air cleaner and instead run a pipe to around the front of the M/C and through the fender?

A single Sony Xplod 10" in a .7 ft3 box powered by a 13 year old PPI 2025 amp left over from a previous over the top system. Only 100 watts in bridged mode, but loud enough to preclude talking and give a nice back massage. Loud enough for this old audiophile.... Shockingly effective sub setup for under $100! The box is contoured to fit over the right rear fender well, snugs up to the rear of the seat, and is only 7" wide - about 1" wider than the fender bulge. So I lost very little space. And it comes out be unscrewing two knobs. Although the garishly trendy 5 sided design is useless and ugly, the latest Sony's do appear to be an exceptional value. Rubber surround, beefy construction. Very tight and accurate sounding enough to impress me. My old 240SX had about $5000 worth of high end hardware with Stillwater subs, and it didn't sound any better. A bit louder, but the subs weighed at least 3 times as much and took up 5 times as much space...

Like many things, you don't NEED it. It is just there to minimize articulation during street driving. In other words, it keeps the body roll to a minimum. Without it, the body will roll back and forth more during cornering, so your handling will suffer some. And seasickness can become a factor! And, excessive body roll will increase your chances of a rollover in aggressive or evasive manuevers, especially if the vehicle has been lifted at all. That's all the negatives I can think of.

I'm up in Chico. I am currently fitting out our Pathy for some desert exploring (kinda get a kick out of seeking out old mines, ghost towns, and hot springs!). This spring and early summer we plan to explore the High Rock Canyon and Surprise Valley above Black Rock, and maybe go find a few more Pony Express stations off of 50. Would you be interested in heading out Nevada way? And my wife has not yet been to Bodie or Death Valley. Not 4 wheelin' trips per se, but fun weekend jaunts during the mild seasons!

ANYTHING can be done with enough effort and $$$! Sounds like this one was minimal effort and $, according to the Canadian... You would need to install a solenoid, fabricate the linkage, connect it to the stock linkage, run wires into the hatch, and add a switch (or use an extra channel off an alarm).

Most objective engineers believe so. Some of us are quite convinced that was 95% of the cause. And unfortunately for Firestone, their tires appear to have been SLIGHTLY less tolerant of gross neglect and abuse. Of course, Ford's upper management and attorneys would prefer you believe otherwise... And they sure snookered the media!!! Too much heat WILL cause overheating, delamination of cords, and increase risk of blowouts. The faster you go, the more heat. The less air pressure, the more heat. The greater the load the more heat. BTW, running tubes will increase heat generation, and the general rule of thumb is to decrease the max speed rating by 1-2 categories when using them.

Just a couple facts to keep in mind: - 99% of those "blue" headlights get their blue output by using blue tinted or coated bulbs. Standard bulbs, just like a non-blue bulb. Why do they produce bluish light? Because the blue coating ABSORBS or FILTERS out a bunch of the non-blue lightwaves. In other words, the basic laws of physics make it impossible for them to produce more light.... If you start with the same amount and filter out a bunch, you have less light, not more. To counter this, some companies tried hotter burning bulbs so they come close to the original output. Downside: They have a mere fraction of the life and are very fragile. - Despite all the marketing claims, you see worse with blue light. The low level receptors of the human eye are actually more sensitive towards the yellow end of the spectrum... Don't believe me? Check out what people whose lives or income depend on light. How many race cars do you see with blue lights (discounting HID equipped cars)??? If you watch, you will see many of the smart guys running very yellow lights. Funny, that... One current exception is on race cars running HID lighting. HID lighting is awesome as it is much more efficient than incandescent. Much more light produceed per watt of energy consumed - and much less heat produced per watt consumed. Unfortunately, the HID technology is still a bit on the blue end of the spectrum. The first generations on exotic cars were almost purple (which started this whole blue fad), but the technology is evolving to more effective temperatures. Xenon is just an inert gas. HID's use xenon in the capsules, and the lights were sometimes called "Xenon HID lights" because it sounded exotic and cool. Some creative cheesy light bulb marketers realized they could substitute xenon for halogen (another inert gas) in regular incandescent bulbs and sucker millions of people into buying them because people wanted to believe the xenon was the secret to the brighter light of the HID's. It wasn't.

I replaced the O2 sensor last night, and I am impressed with the difference it made! The rest of the story: I bought my '87 pathy with 177K well maintained easy commuter miles. It drove fine, but not impressively. Within a couple days, I determined that there was a problem with the thermostat - she never warmed up fully. So I get a new thermostat to swap in. Pull the TS housing (WARNING: The Chilton book is WRONG when it comes to the location of the TS - true tripe!) and hmmmm..... there was no thermostat at all! Evidently some knuckle dragging "professional" forgot to put it back in after a repair (I know the owner, and they had only "professional" mechanics work on it). It had been several years since anyone had been inside the engine that far. New thermostat = much better. She warmed up, and finally idled under 1200 rpm. Ran the ECM through all diagnostics and everything checked out fine. Took it in for smog check, and she failed emissions at idle. Fine at cruise. Grumble grumble. Since it had been running in "cold engine" enrichened mode for so long, I figured the cat was likely sooted up. Pulled it out - yup. Black as night in there. Installed a new Dynomax Super Converter (only $59!) and 2.5" exhaust. Ran better, but still had a couple quirks: - Kinda stumbly when cold - Would miss and lurch when accelerating under 2K rpm - blipping the throttle resulted in minor stumbles and backfires and a bit of an rpm surge right as the throttle was released. Classic sign of lean. - Yawn inducing performance. Not having driven a good pathy, I had no benchmark to compare. Now I know the V30 is a rather low performance little V6, but still... So - it had been years since a good tune up. New NGK plugs and wires, Bosch cap and rotor, Bosch fuel and air filters. - Ran a little better, but still the same symptoms. Although Mode 1 & 2 testing of ECM indicated the O2 was functioning properly, I decided to replace it anyways. It had never been changed, and it seemed that the rich exhaust condition could not have done it any good. If the cat was sooted up, then the O2 sensor had to be getting fluffy too. Unbelievably, the old sensor came right out (I had been soaking with PB for a couple days). Wow! Stumbles went away, backfires gone, revs much quicker. And it pulls noticeably harder! Seat o'pants dyno says at least 20 lb-ft in the midrange. The accleration induced yawning was significantly decreased. Moral: Even if it tests OK, a new O2 sensor may make quite a difference! I now understand first hand why it is suggested they be changed as part of routine maintenance. Now to get it smog checked again.