darkflounder

Replaced the broken driver-side power window regulator with one from a 93 at the Pick-n-Pull. Got her smogged (barely passed, possibly the catalytic), registered and put the tags on her. Been driving her with plates 6 months past registration, thought it was finally time. Later today, if I have the time and sunlight, splicing a new end onto the antenna cable so I can pick up am/fm again.

Either you all are magicians, or I'm an idiot. On my '91 4WD Auto, there is just no way on God's green earth that the starter could go out down by the bellhousing, out the front over the crossmember, or out through the wheel well. There was just no clearance around the half-shaft or through all the trans cooler lines. Finally had to pull the exhaust manifold out to pull the starter out through the top. Thank God the manifold on that side is easy to get to and easy to remove (as opposed to the driver's side, done that once, don't want to do that again). And bonus! I finally found that oil pressure sensor wire that has been unplugged since I got the truck. It was tucked between the starter and the block. So now, I've got a functioning oil light. But thanks for this thread. Nice to know I wasn't the only one having to deal with this issue.

Just got back from the dealer. My 91 is covered and the parts are ordered. There was also a recall on the release button, so that'll probably get replaced also. Free on parts and labor. According to the parts counter, I'll probably be getting the last brown driver's side belt in the country. And since it's almost 20 years old, I doubt they'll be manufacturing any more. So, if you even think your belt isn't working perfectly, take it in and see if you can get your free belt.

AGAIN???

Thanks. Guess the Haynes manuals aren't perfect. Though, still better than Chilton's.

91 WD21 4wd Auto Third owner, not sure if/when the axle/transfer/tranny fluids were changed, so I'll be changing them over the next few weeks. First up, the axles. Don't have the original owners manual, so I've got the Haynes. According to the specs, it says to use API GL-5 10W40. 10W40??? I know that can't be right, not for the axles. 80W90 is what I was expecting. Can someone just double-check my work? I know I'm right, but you can never tell what those sneaky Japanese can do.

Hey all. I'm definitely interested in going out some weekend. My 91 is currently a daily driver (commuting between San Mateo and San Jose), so I can't be too rough with it.

I did my driver door the other day. Here's my two cents... Put the yellow and white plastic bits into the lock assembly first, then feed the rod through. It may seem a bit cumbersome, but it's definitely a lot easier than trying to push the plastic tabs into the latch (and possibly damaging them and making you go back to the dealer to get a new set of plastic bits).

I'm just so happy right now! Had to post about it! My previous car got totaled (not my fault). Girlfriend had a 91 PF that had been sitting in her carport for two years and she just wanted to get rid of it. It started and appeared to have just a few problems. Body straight, no rust, and with a good interior (badly in need of a cleaning). So, for the cost of paying the back registration, it's mine (about $500). Turns out the problems the truck has are common problems. Broken exhaust studs, door locks won't unlock from the outside, fuel and temp gauges won't work. Tried extracting the broken studs with the heads still in the truck. One misdrilled hole and a snapped extractor later, go for plan b. Pull the heads and fix the studs outside of the truck. Turns out I had broken studs on both sides, so it made sense. After two days of cussing and snapping drill bits and one more snapped extractor, finally get all the exhaust studs replaced with new ones from Nissan (the twin turbo studs). Got the truck back together last Friday and the truck starts on the first crank. Spent two days finishing up, chasing down an EGR engine code (turns out to be just plugged), fresh gas, new fuel filter and off we go to the smog station. Sitting in the smog station waiting room, suddenly hear this horrible sound and see smoke coming from my truck. Turns out the tech hasn't put the truck onto the dyno wrong and the left rear tire was rubbing against a metal plate. The tech gave me the impression he was going to blow it off, but once he saw me pull my phone out and start taking pictures, he immediately says he's going to spring for a new tire. So, after the smog test (which it passed first time, yeah!), he sends me down to Firestone to get the replacement tire. Since I needed to replace both rears anyway, just sprung for the other tire and got them both done. So, a PF that sat in an automotive coma for over two years has been brought back from the grave, thanks in no small part to this wonderful community. Thank you all.

+1 vote for it being the rear drum brakes

Thanks for the post and the part numbers.

Well, here's what I did about this today. After some very thorough cleaning (involving some degreaser and pipe cleaners), I filled in the hole with some J-B Weld. After letting it sit overnight and cure, I'll put some sealant on the new exhaust stud and start re-assembling the engine. I know this isn't a permanent fix. But if I can get 10-20k miles out of it, I'll be happy. By then, if a leakage problem arises, I'll be in a better position (financially speaking) to properly fix the issue. And I'm replacing all the exhaust studs with new studs, washers and nuts from Nissan (turbo engine studs mentioned elsewhere on the site). I am worried the exhaust manifolds have warped (they were driven quite a while with broken studs and leaked). Any idea how much it might cost to get them planed?

Well, I did it. I did the big bad no-no. I was drilling a broken exhaust stud for an extractor and I accidentally kept drilling and into the water jacket. So, the big question. Can it be fixed? I can access where I drilled into the jacket. It was the lower stud, so I can easily access it. Can I mix up some J-B Weld and fill the hole with it? I've used J-B Weld before successfully, but never inside the water jacket. And it's a small hole (1/16 drill bit). Please, let this be a relatively easy fix.

Ok. Why?? What difference does it make if you can see the tailpipe or not? Granted, I live in California. We've made an entire industry out of meaningless and ultimately destructive regulations (eg: CARB).

Thanks for the part numbers, but the prices were different at my dealer. Granted, it's in the heart of the Silicon Valley, so I'm not surprised. Nissan 14037-V5005 Lock Washer for manifold studs 3.76ea Nissan 14039-W1500 Nuts for manifold studs 2.32ea Nissan 14065-V5004 Manifold Studs 5.18ea

OK, I'm rapidly running out of motivation to take the top-end apart. So, anybody got any tips on getting the left-hand exhaust manifold out of the vehicle? I can't figure out how to get at the inside two nuts on the manifold flange. Can't seem to get at them from above, and the axle is blocking them from underneath. Maybe from the side, through the fender liner? At least the two broken studs are at the front of the engine, so they should be easier to get to. They do appear to be snapped flush with the block, but it's difficult to see with the manifold still in the way.

It's currently stock height, but I'll look into pulling out the fender liner. If I can get a good angle on the head, I might end up going that route and save myself some time. I did find out that the girlfriend had the timing belt replaced within the last 30k miles or so. So, I should be ok on that for the time being. Maybe I'll deal with tearing down the top end when I can get the heads rebuild. I see you're in Cal City. I grew up in Ridgecrest, but right now, I'm up in the bay area (San Jose). Hope I can find some good 4x trails around here like I had down in the desert.

First, a quick introduction. Not only am I new to this board, I'm new to Pathfinders. Just got mine this past weekend. Girlfriend had the above mentioned 91 4WD automatic. Had an exhaust leak and wouldn't pass CA smog, so it's been parked in her apartment complex parking space (covered) for the past two years. My car got totaled in an accident, and she offered me the Pathfinder for free. Just had to pay the past registration (never had a non-op) and get it running. Dropped in a new battery this past weekend and drove it home (with the legal temp op permit), about a 35 mile trip. Apart from the exhaust leak, it drove very well. Got it home and realized that it wasn't the cracked exhaust manifold as I thought, but a busted exhaust stud. After some searching, I found this board and realized that it's a common malady of the Pathys (as well as the non-functioning fuel/heat gauge and the power locks unlocking themselves). So, here's my plan. Gonna take the top-end of the engine apart. Replace the exhaust studs, the timing belt and all the top-end gaskets. I'm not familiar with working on the Pathfinder, so is there anything I should be on the look out for? Any tricks or tips? I figure after the back registration, parts and tools (need a new torque wrench anyway), I'll have a grand into it. It's got almost brand new tires, very good interior (just needs a bit of cleaning), no rust (at least, that I've found yet) and about 150k miles. I'm assuming I got a good deal, but I'd like some validation.