JamesRich

I nabbed an xterra rack for $20 to put on my pathy. It was missing the basket and wind deflector but I will keep looking for that. I will have to shorten it for sure (didn't think xterra was that much longer than a pathfinder) and maybe narrow it some. It was mounted the way GrimGreg mounted his with just the pop rivet style nuts. Once I removed the rack I could push the threaded holes up and down so I know there was no cross member under them. This will be a future project for after I get the front end squared away. James

Guys while searching about the tension rod (compression rod) I found a post that said this bushing needs to flex and the polyurethane bushing were too hard for this area. They said that by not being flexible enough it would cause the compression rod to eventually break. Then the tire buries in the fender and locks up. I will have to search again to see if I can find it again. If I remember right this persons did break and he spun around in the middle of the road. His compression rod could have been worn badly from the previous bushing being bad for to long and he didn't mention that. James

Cool guys thats just what I needed. It's like the old chevy pickups had but you couldn't open the chevys to regrease them. I see you have vinyl mat instead of carpet in your truck. Did you change it or did some come factory with a mat? James

Can someone take a picture of their factory jack preferably in the holder? My truck didn't have one and I'm going the scrap yard to get one. They just have a big pile of jacks none are left in the trucks. Once I know what it looks like I can pick one and go try it in a pathfinder to see if it fits. I searched but couldn't find a pic. I did find the Nissan speed jack idea though. His video links were down so I could't see them. MY1PATH must have been bored. I think I will try it too! James

Most auto part houses will loan you tools. You put a deposit with a credit card, and when you bring back the tool they credit your card back. I know auto zone does this around here. I agree with changing all of these things when you tear it down but the oil seals aren't really a beginner job. What I usually do is drill a small hole in the face of the seal and then screw a screw in to it and pull on it with pliers to get the seal out. Just be careful that the drill bit doesn't jump and hit the cam. Then to put the new one in you will need a large socket or anything round the size of the seal but preferably slightly larger that will also fit over the cam. Just drive the seal flush with the head surface not deeper than that. Good luck you will enjoy it. James

I can't say what happened from your description but if it would have bent valves it would not run at all. If you never changed the timing belt you do need to check that first. A stretched timing belt will let the cams go out of time and run like crap. Mine was showing 35psi of compression on one cylinder before I changed the belt, it was stretched so bad it was slapping the cover. to my defense I bought it like this I would never have let it get that bad. Make sure you read the tutorial very well and pay close attention when you are doing it. Maybe even print them out and have them with you when you work on it. A person that does not know what they are doing can screw thing up really bad. But with the knowledge on this forum anyone that can follow directions can do it. You cant even get info this good from shop manuals, the pictures make all the difference. Hell we are guys we don't read we like to look at pictures. James

Guys I hope y'all knew I was joking about the "traitor" in the title. I know it had to hurt to give up his play toy. Personally I think the wife would have had to just drive the pathfinder for a while till we found her a new vehicle. I am just getting into playing with pathfinders but I have a Suzuki boulevard 109 that I ride every day to work and anywhere else I can have an excuse to ride. If I had to give it up I would probably cry like a baby. So anyway I didn't want to upset anyone, especially the member that owned it, I was just making a joke. And 88 thanks for the links, I always try to search but I'm not good at it, mostly because I don't have much computer time. James

It had a light bar, looks like it got ripped off somewhere along the way. Pieces of it are still bolted on. Anything else I might be interested in removing from his old truck? Does anyone remember the story with his rear springs, were they from a jeep or some aftermarket lift kit? I figured he might have just cleaned them and painted them red. James

I think this would help more on a throttle body motor because the sensor is so close to the throttle body and the crap that comes in thought the PCV. On a port injected truck the sensor is far from the engine so it doesn't get dirty. I will try it as soon as I get a chance. James

I went to the pick a part in Baton Rouge Louisiana today and found this in the cash for clunkers section. Then I walked around the side to the back and found this! Some one from here doomed a pathfinder to death! (One that had to be in running condition to be accepted for the cash for clunkers program) First they locked up the motor, and within the next month it will be crushed. Did someone get that rope yet? It had a body lift and a pair of springs that were not stock. They were painted red so I don't know if they were after market or from a jeep but they weren't stock, so I nabbed them. I made a pretty good haul; I got quite a few parts from a 94 model for mine. I even found one in the regular section with rear disk brakes and LSD. I got an xterra luggage rack for my truck. I will have to cut it up to make it fit but nothing I can't handle. I may have to go back for the axle but worry about changing from drum brakes to disk. All you change is the axle or do you have to change the master cylinder too? Any way my brother and I had a blast raiding the yard but I couldn't believe someone from here would doom their truck to death. I'll bet their wife made them do it! James

Thanks man, I look forward to having lots of fun in this truck. From what I've been hearing on this forum and others these trucks run forever and go through almost anything. The main place I will be wheeling is my hunting lease. I wont have to worry about rain anymore when I'm hunting 5 miles away from the camp. James

A bent tie rod was the first thing I looked for but I didn't think about the compression rod. You were right on the money, part of the rubber bushing is missing from the back or nut side. It doesn't look like it moved that far forward to cause the toe problem but we will see after I change them. This is why I join forums, when I have a problem someone usually knows what is causing it. You guys are great! Thank you Precise, that was precise info! Now I bet none of the local part houses will have the bushings. James

I worked as a mechanic for 16 years so it was just like another day at work but my hands are too big for some spots, like trying to take the nuts off the fan hub. But that was the only hard part. Also the service manual shows a mark on the oil pump housing to line up the crank pulley with. There was no mark on mine. The belt comes with three lines on it to line up with the punch marks on the crank and cam shaft pulleys so it worked out. My belt was so loose it was rattling on the cover. Changing the belt made a huge difference in how it runs. Its alot smoother now. I was concerned about that too. The guy I bought it from didn't know much about it he had just bought it in October. He didn't know much english either. Upon inspection I found that the hood and passenger fender have been replaced. It doesn't look like it was hit bad because the header panel wasn't changed it was just bent back a little. I did find some rust behind the front wheel on the driver side and along the top of the windshield but not really bad. It has a crappy paint job they didn't fix the rust just sanded and painted over it. They even painted over the stickers that were originally along the bottom. at least it looks good when you stand back. Later I will paint it a satin OD green, I will just have to build myself up to it because painting sucks. James

Because I just got it two weeks ago. Brought it home from Houston on my trailer. Gave it the once over, and changed the timing belt. I drove it around a little and it really drives like crap, the sport suspension switch works and helps out alot but i knew something was not right. I checked the toe in with a tape measure and it has 1 1/2" of toe it! I cant figure how it got like that, none of the steering parts look like they have been touched in a long time. I bought it from a mexican, i guess he just kept putting tires on the front. Work is busy right now and hunting season just ended but I will try to get it going this weekend then maybe find some mud. James

Finally snapped a pic of my new to me pathfinder. 87 SE V6 5 speed 107,000 miles My wife fussed me because the tires were muddy. I told her I'm sure these guys are used to seeing muddy tires. James

I'm going to hit some scrape yards this weekend and see what I can find. Yesterday a hit a local one in Lafayette. They had two pathfinders, an 87 and a 96. They were picked pretty clean but the 87 had a roof rack but it is a little ruff. I know where its at if I cant find better. James

So how do you tell if you have a LSD from just nosing around underneath? James

Thanks for all the reply and welcomes guys. Y'all have set me up with some ideas now I just need to raid some scrap yards. We have a local pick a part and I think there is a big one in Baton Rouge, I'll have to make some rounds. I already tested to see if I had a LSD while I was testing the clutch. Only smoked one tire. (No I haven't grown up yet) On my last post I meant your idea was the least destructive not most. Lol! You had to put nutserts in to bolt the racks down? I had hoped that there would be a nut tack welded to the body supports where the rack would bolt up if it had one. A guy on clubtitan put armada racks on his Titan. When he pulled the headliner down it already had nuts welded to the roof supports, so he just drilled through where the nuts were. A Titan never came with roof racks but apparently the roof supports are the same for the titan and armada. Oh well it didn't hurt to hope. James

Thanks for the links, I had heard of using springs from a jeep but didn't know the details. My only concern is won't it ride like crap with springs from a heavier truck. I am a machinist, if I lift it I will probably just make a set of aluminum spacers with a pocket for the spring. But I won't go more then an 1" or 1 1/2". There are guys in our lease with the little Japanese trucks that do ok and one suzuki samurai. I have all of them beat with ground clearance already. A locking rear differential will help, any poor man fixes for that? (other than a welding machine) My freezer is full of deer and the wife is bitching so if your house was closer I would be knocking on your door! I wasn't sure if they had stock racks, I think your idea is the most destructive. I will have to find a set of stock racks to put on mine and go your route. If I want to take the basket off it won't look like its missing something. I already have an air tank I made from a large aluminum forklift propane tank that I could use if I needed it, but if I add tanks to the bumpers I will install an electric air compressor somewhere. I have already made air tanks out of 4" exhaust pipe for a low rider and don't understand what kind of accidents you could be talking about. James I have been searching for a pathfinder forum with good guys that have lots of knowledge and aren't afraid to answer a question, and I think I found it. You guys seem like a great bunch! A little info on myself; I worked as an auto and diesel mechanic for 16 years until I screwed up my knee. After two surgeries and it not getting better The doctor suggested a career with less heavy lifting. So I went to school for machining. So now at 40 years old with my mechanical experience and ability to cut iron and fabricate I'm ready to cut loose on this pathfinder as much as my check book (and wife) will allow. I'm also a Nissan man to the core been owning Nissan's since 89. My regular ride is a 06 Titan, wife drives an 01 Quest, and now the pathfinder.

Yours looks like a pretty simple design, I'm not set on them being air tanks it was just a thought while I'm building. Are you climbing a tree stump in that second picture? Thats wild! Your truck looks awesome but I don't want to go that radical with this one i won't even lift it. I will be squeezing through some tight spots where I go hunting so I will have to do some trimming and I don't want to have to trim too high. We don't have any deep mud holes to go through but that is why I want the winch. If I do get high centered I can drag it out. How did you mount your roof rack? I'm guessing drill through the roof and a support member from the inside and bolt it down? James

I just got an 87 for a hunting truck and would like to dress it out for the woods. Has anyone put custom bumpers or a roof rack on a first generation pathfinder? I would like to see pictures and suggestion on how to mount a roof rack and different style bumpers. I have been welding for years and should be able to fabricate all of these parts. I want a winch bumper for the front and a rear bumper with a receiver hitch incorporated into it. Possibly even air tanks in the bumpers. So anyone have pics of their ride? James

You are lucky, I looked for a while and then finally gave in and paid $1800 for an 87. It only has 107,000 miles and is really nice shape, almost everything works even the factory alarm. My gas gauge doesn't work either I need a new sender for the tank, anyone know where I can get one? James

everyone forgets about the 87s. Just because we are considered classics doesn't mean we are not important! Lol! Anyone know where I can get a pdf owners manual or service manual? James