87BeachCruiser

My1path- how much would you like for the fan clutch, if Tungsten is taking a pass on it? I suppose I need a new one if the fan turns at a constant (fast) rate even in the freezing cold and I'm hearing that 'jet airplane' noise intermittently on start-up, and the truck is taking forever to warm up. Came in to search the topic and saw this thread. Do you think I'd be better off just getting a new one?

Ahh I see the answer to my question, I wasn't thinking quite right. Sorry for jumping in on your thread.

I don't understand this: "Backfire is almost always caused when your thermostat is not functioning properly." Just got a new t-stat (along with t-belt, water pump, etc.) on my new (to me) 87 Pathfinder and now it runs like crap. I have a long list of things to look at before I blame the thermostat though...

Hey all, searched around this site and Thule, and can't quite figure out what I need. I have an 87 with the factory rack, so I think I need either a 450 or 450R (Crossroad) to attach the load bars to my factory rack. It looks like the R is wider and more oval (for new Nissans with those crazy space age looking bars), and the regular 450 is what I need, but then again maybe the R just stands for rapid mount and they're the same size.... I was hoping someone with a similar Thule setup could chime in here (buying sight unseen online). Thanks.

Excellent, thanks.

Quick question (I'm at work and the truck is not) for liftgate supports on an 87, the glass are right and left specific but the supports for the whole liftgate are not R&L specific, correct? Great link, prices are less than Amazon, anyway. Thanks.

Mainly fish and fowl but there was this one redhead.... Thanks all, you may be right about the trailer, I'll look into it and report back.

*&^%$#@!. Just wrote a whole ten paragraph post and accidentally hit the back button. Bummer. Ok, start again.... I just got my new (to me) 87 Pathfinder on the road Friday. After driving a bit this weekend, I think I need to have some work done before I take it off-road. I plan to drive this vehicle on the beach mostly, but I'd like it to be able to handle some light trail work as well. Either way, if I have to have the park rangers tow me off the beach it will cost a small fortune, so I'd like to make sure I don't have any suspension/steering linkage/other failures while I'm out there. So I'm looking to you guys for a basic list of everything I should have checked and replaced before I go off-road. My thanks in advance. I'm getting a lot of ugly noises up front, especially when turning. I had the vehicle up on the lift and there's significant play with the front wheels, I guess I need new ball joints. Upper/lower/both? How do you tell? I'd think checking and replacing the tension rod bushings is a good idea. My front end sits noticeably lower than the rear- should I have the bars adjusted? Seems like a simple operation. I also think I'm experiencing this problem: "Front End Clunking/Squealing Noise When Turned To Lock Steering stops keep the front wheels from being turned past a certain point. The steering stops are built with plastic caps, which can fall off or wear out. When they do disappear you have metal-to-metal contact between moving parts. The result is when going over bumps, with the steering turned to lock, such as when turning across curbs, you get a nasty sounding and feeling squealing/clunking. The solution is to grease the stops and contact areas, or to replace the plastic caps. There are four of them, two in front of your front wheels and two behind your front wheels. They are easy to find and grease without raising the vehicle. Another source of front end squeals or noises are the front differential crossmember bolts. Over time, the bolts can loosen, allowing the crossmember to shift slightly every now and then, causing noise from the front end...sometimes alarmingly nasty sounding. The fix is to re-torque the crossmember bolts. There are four bolts to re-torque, two on each side of the front crossmember. They are easily accessible from the front of the vehicle without jacking it up. I don't have the exact torque figures on hand, but simply cranking the bolts tight with a 1/2" drive ratchet worked for me." Hopefully this will be obvious when I get the vehicle in the air. I plan on taking it to the mechanic this week and go over the underside of the vehicle with him looking for trouble. In addition to what's mentioned above, any other items I need to inspect/replace? Anything you'd just go ahead and have done on a vehicle with 170K miles? Shocks are good (according to the bounce test, anyway). As you may have guessed, I'm not much of a mechanic once you get past basic tune-ups, etc. Plus I have no garage or driveway (city livin') and lack more advanced tools (like a press), so I'm somewhat at the mercy of my mechanic (he's a good guy, though) and I'd prefer to get everything done at once. Thanks again.

Yeah, the brake lights work fine, and when I turn on the headlights the marker lights come on as they should and cease being related at all to the brake pedal. I don't really care about this, although there are definitely times when you're pulling in somewhere and don't want any lights in the front of the car.... guess I could just use the hand brake, but still, it's the kind of thing that will annoy me.

Hey y'all, I have a strange happening in my new (to me) 87- when I hit the brake pedal the front marker lights (parking lights on the side) light up. Not sure what could be causing this (everything is stock on the vehicle except the radio). I suppose I'll start by checking and replacing all fuses, bulbs, etc... but I was just wondering if anyone else had come across this, if it's some sort of safety thing indicating I have something else out (I do have one high beam out), or if it's perhaps a quirk I'll have to deal with on a 22 year old vehicle. There's a bunch of threads discussing re-wiring headlights, etc., that I need to sift through here... great site.

Yeah by tranny fluid I should've said gear oil... I've got the 5 spd. Thanks all!

Hey y'all, new to the club, but I've been lurking for a couple days researching my new purchase- a 1987 Pathfinder. Vehicle is in great condition, just had it up on the lift. Gonna need some front end and exhaust work before long, but other than that it's very clean, no rust, new brakes, tires, timing belt done within last 10K or so. Got a good deal on it too. I'm not much on trail riding, haven't had a 4WD vehicle in a long time, but this will be my beach buggy for fishing around New York and Long Island. So thanks for the great site and all the good info, I'll be stopping in from time to time. First mission is gonna be figuring out this tranny fluid issue y'all got me worried about (although it shifts smoothly and noiselessy right now) and getting some lights on that brush bar.