Simon

Lol. Reading is key. I didn't see it in the original post, and I skimmed the responses. I fail.

Bypass the factory cooler if you haven't already. Chances are that's why your original transmission failed. Buy the biggest cooler you can find, and hook the lines up to it. Plug the factory ones in the rad.

Replace all the plugs at the fusible links. On one of my trucks, I ended up hacking them all off, and wiring to the + terminal with a marine style hookup. https://www.fishntech.com/jr_battery_terminals.php

Awesome work Steve!

I'm not 100% certain, obviously. But it just REALLY looks like it, and I seem to recall the same issues with Packie88's truck. I could be way off...

His WD21, I believe, is SAS'd and, I'm also assuming, used to belong to Packie88. Not exactly daily driver friendly.

Yeah, the 2000-2004 is very similar in configuration and design to the WD21 Pathfinders. They're good trucks, if a little slow, and thirsty. But overall they're very reliable. The 2005+ Xterras have proven to be reliable as well, but with a few more issues, some of which could be quite serious. If you're looking used, make sure there's no engine noise, sounding like a rattle. This is typically the timing chain guides are worn due to oil starvation. The repairs for which is very expensive. Other than that, the automatic versions had some issues with rads leaking internally into the transmission cooler (or vice versa) and coolant would end up in the transmission, essentially killing it. The solution here is an external transmission cooler, bypassing the stock one. Just be sure to check the transmission fluid of any perspective purchase, and make sure the transmission shifts properly. Otherwise, they have WAY more power than a WD21, better mileage, and would be more than capable of filling the needs you've outlined.

Drill it out, and use a nut and bolt. It'll work fine. I'm not sure if the newer dizzy will work on your truck or not.

Which may be when he got it. That's the issue with tattoos....somewhat permanent.......

That's terrible news.

Keep the Tx10. Unless you're going with crawler gears there's no point in changing it out. They're a good case. The WD22 came with them as well, so if your donor is an Xterra, you're good to go.

Yeah, everyone has got you covered here pretty much. The + to the WD22 are better aftermarket support, (still nothing on Jeep or Toyota) a frame (and this one isn't swiss cheese) and the feel of a WD21. It drives very much like my WD21 Pathfinders did. For the R50, it's way more comfortable on the road, though, I hate the seats. It's got coil suspension, which I always see as a plus. Flex out of the box. Pezzy has wheeled her R50 anywhere the WD22's in our club have gone.

It was a cheap aftermarket friction plate that failed. The $1100 bill was from a dealership. All Nissan parts, and labour. That was CAD as well, when it was worth far less than the USD.

It sounds like throwout bearing to me as well. They can last a LONG time doing that. It may not be a big deal, until it starts doing that with every gear change. I had mine going out for a year before I did the clutch. I had the clutch replaced once, in an emergency, as one of the friction plate screws popped out, and jammed against the pressure plate. Essentially, I couldn't take the truck OUT of gear. I limped it to the dealer and they replaced the clutch for me. $1100 all told. This was 5 years ago.

^^^^ Absolutely right. Cap those suckers off. It's not imperative, especially with a brand new rad. But if 10 minutes worth of work and $1 worth of caps cause you to loose all your coolant one day, you're going to be PISSED!

Try manifold paint, or even barbecue paint.

Yep, find a PPG store. They can put any of their products in Aerosol cans for you.

It's the transfer case binding because the tires are spinning at different speeds when turning (inner front tire will spin at a different speed than the outer, and the rears) It'll do the same thing going forward if you turn sharp.

Relax, they were kidding with you. When you title the thread "shrooms" you should expect nothing less.

Man, you talk about service interval. That's considered maintenance. A timing chain doesn't have a service interval. I never said they don't wear out, or don't break. But if they do it's a repair, not maintenance. Timing belt replacement is part of regularly scheduled maintenance. You're mincing words to try to suit your nonsense claims. Knock it off.

How have you come to the conclusion that yours has the 3.3L motor? I've never heard of that in a 2002 R50. If you do, in fact have a timing belt, don't be fooled by a timing belt that appears to be in good condition. The defects in them due to wear can be hard to see. If you're not sure if it's ever been changed, and you're near the interval, change it out.

Why do you think you have to service a timing chain as a part of regular maintenance? Nowhere, be it the FSM, or Owners manual is there any mention of timing chain maintenance on a 2002 Pathfinder. You're spouting crap as facts again. You're getting very close to having your posts put on moderator approval because of this stuff. Knock it off. ANY part will fail given an infinite amount of time/mileage. That doesn't mean it becomes part of a regular maintenance schedule. There is a difference. Unless there is a suspected problem, the timing chain is left alone.

Thanks Dowser, that is what I meant. Nefarious: If I hit a rock with my driver's side tire, the tie rod ends, 2 connections on the centerlink, as well as the pitman arm, are all going to take the brunt of that force before the stabilizer. THAT is where the damage is done. The transfer of force across the centerlink would be minimal in comparison, even without the stabilizer. If the hit was hard enough to do that much damage across the centerlink, the steering wheel would be ripped from the driver's hand on the hit as well. In this case, yes, the stabilizer would help absorb some of that energy before it hits the passenger side components, but the driver's side would still have taken a far worse beating. Shocks do not dampen the stiffness of the ride of your vehicle, so your comparison is wrong. They dampen the bounce. Take your shocks out of the back of your truck, and go for a slow drive. The ride won't be more harsh. It'll be more bouncy. The springs do far more to determine ride harshness than the shocks. The shocks serve to stop the momentum of the bounce after you hit a bump. Ever seen an old Caddy going down the road? The shocks were set with such light damping (relative to the weight of the car) that the things would bounce seemingly forever after hitting 1 bump. Yes, a stiff shock can cause a harsh ride, as they dampen with more force (quicker) to stop the bouncing. But the stiffness is determined by the springs.

It only cuts down on vibration that the driver can feel. All the vibration generated by the tires will still transfer through all the joints. It MIGHT decrease transfer from one side of the truck to the other, but even then, I'd be inclined to think that's minimal. And while you're right, it's not supposed to do anything for the actions that break parts, that is what we're dealing with here. The stock steering system will hold up for years, just fine, under normal circumstances, on a stock truck. We're looking for something stronger, that can take the abuse of lifting/wheeling where the stock system leaves lots to be desired. From what I'm reading here, it appears that a steering stabilizer is being touted as an integral part of the system, and I don't see how it improves anything other than driver feel.

Theoretically, yes. You should be able to press them out. They're not ball joints,in the traditional sense, but spherical bearings. Something like this: http://www.mcmaster.com/#spherical-ball-joints/=grb6og Best bet, though, would be to contact Grassroots 4x4 to see if they'll work with you on a replacement. They may knock a few bucks off the cost for a return customer.