88pathoffroad

Yeah, it's more of a "think around the obstacles" type of task than it is hard work. Mine's waiting for $$ so I can replace fluids, gaskets and install headers at the same time is all, I took out the other one I had in a couple of days easy work. A tranny jack or cradle would be a big help on this one, the trans/t-case combo is HEAVY!

Everything is bolt-on, but you gotta change EVERYTHING that goes with it. Lots of little parts and pieces to contend with. More of a PITA than a problem, though.

It should be fine anywhere up there near where it was. Just don't stick it inside the rad fan shroud or anything silly like that.

Not "common", but it happens often enough to make it a noted occurrence. The steel they used wasn't top grade and they didn't rust-proof it enough, so anything that stayed inside the frame (water, dirt, salt, sand) usually started rusting it away from the inside first. Most people just don't do anything to the underside of their car often enough to notice that it's rusting away beneath their butt silently. Undercarriage washing and degreasing is a must if you live in a salted road area, then oil treatment or some other type of rust proofing should be done to deter rust.

And you wouldn't notice much difference if the t-case were stuck in 4HI, as unlikely as that seems to me. The front end would pull more and make it harder to steer, that's for sure. If your steering is shot, then it would toe your tires in against each other when you hit the gas and really make for some scary steering on the road. Oh, and don't drive(much) on concrete or dry pavement in 4LO(or make tight turns), it stresses the drivetrain too much.

Remember the ones Jim got a long time ago that faded out in like three weeks? Mine went from black to brown in one week, then it faded out so bad you couldn't read it anymore.

I dunno if the dash gauge thing is going to work. They're almost completely different, aren't they? You might just try finding a sending unit(revolution sensor) from a parts store or junkyard(who knows?), then dropping that in instead of the mechanical one, if they can be interchanged. You'd need a new wire or two, but that's a short run fron the trans to the ECU.

Yeah, I really don't think you'll need hydraulic steering, it'd just be more to plumb in and get in your way later. You've already got the bigger, beefier steering box(87-90's usually got the wimpy ones) and lots of people run stock Nissan steering with an SAS. I think bumpsteer is actually a lot better with a solid axle, because with the stock steering's design, both tires can and will push each other different directions(up, down, in and out) at the same time under power. With a solid axle you only have to contend with the side-to-side action you get when spinning the tires on a hillclimb, etc. Steering stabilizers are your friend! If/when I get a SAS project together, I'll be running two SS's, just to keep the tires in line.

Pulling the radiator is for safety reasons. Dinging it up on the inside cause that's where your wrenches are is the issue. You don't want to have to replace that as well, do you? I don't think they have a "kit" for that project per se, but they should know what needs to be replaced and be able to procure those things for you fairly easily: Water pump Timing belt tensioner Belt Cam seals (2) Crank seal (1) Coolant bypass hose(if needed, or if applicable) Cylinder head temp sensor(if applicable) Drive belts (if needed) Radiator hoses(if needed) The t-case isn't bad at all! The fill plug is on the back side with lots of room, IIRC. A tube on the end of a squeeze bottle of gear oil is all you need. Takes a while, so be ready for that. Wheel bearings are pretty much all the same in our design. Remove old bearings, clean out innards, grease new bearings and install, then tighten the nut to whatever torque they reccommend, give the rotor a spin a few times back and forth(which seats the bearings), then loosen the locknut all the way. Re-tighten very lightly, until the bearings are fully seated and allow the rotor to turn freely without binding up after one spin, but not so loose as to be able to feel a looseness or wobble to the rotor/knuckle. Or so loose as to let it spin more than a half revolution with one tug of the hand(it shouldn't spin like the Wheel Of Fortune). That's pretty much what you're looking for there. The locknut tool is a tough one, I hear that a 1/2 ton Chevy locknut wrench/socket works if you grind off two tabs and bend the other two inward a bit with a hammer. Those can be found pretty cheap and easily at most auto parts stores. I haven't experimented with that one personally, though. When I do I'll let you know.

Or just unplug your TBI's incoming fuel line, attach a long hose to the fuel filter then dunk it into a gas can and hot-wire the fuel pump relay so it stays on till the tank is empty...

Printed on a printer? It'll fade out in weeks. Better buy more than one.

Most any alternator can be made to fit with the right brackets, but it'll be a custom job if it's not too close to stock. No idea on yours, I have no pic or anything to go on. I've seen one other guy with a alt/welder setup and he likes it fine. Somebody on the nissan4wheelers forum, I think.

Damn, you're a busy guy Martin. Sounds like a good weekend!

So the ECU can calculate fuel/air ratios along with input from the TPS, MAF, O2 and coolant temp sensors...

You'll need to charge the battery and let the fuel lines fill up. The pump will prime for a few seconds, then shut off when the key is turned on. Do that a few times and then crank it some more, the lines should pump up in short order.

What size tires are you going to run, and what gear ratios? Do you mean hydraulic steering or did you want to adapt a Chevy Hydro-boost setup? I don't think hydraulic steering is a good idea unless you want to run 38's or go with a fully locked front. An early Bronco or 80's Wagoneer D44 are the best choices AFAIK due to width issues. The Broncoes were already coil-sprung and the Jeeps are leafed. The Jeep axles are easier to find 'cos hardly anybody messes with Wagoneers if they want something reliable, heh. You can build a D44 beefier than you'll ever need with cro-mo axles and whatnot, but it gets spendy as you can probably well imagine. I believe you can simply mill, drill and tap the knuckles for hi-steer if that's the route you want to go. There are lots of options out there. Gotta make sure there's clearance under the oilpan first, though. I think that's a choice you'll want to make after the IFS is gone and the new axle is in place so you can measure.

Dude...the SES light will come on if the gas cap isn't tight enough, and for a million other reasons. It doesn't necessarily mean that something's horribly wrong with it. If it still starts and runs fine, then just drive it and have the codes checked. They can reset the light for you at the same time if you really want it off, but that doesn't mean it won't come back on eventually.

Now you've got something to really work on! Welcome to the two-door club! *shakes hands*

Someone needs to pay more attention to the underbody with a pressure washer and degreaser before taking pics. If that represents just the outside of the frame, you're in for some real welding and cutting to get it rust-free.

A diff locker works in 2 or 4WD. There are manual hubs for your year Pathfinder, yes. Look harder. The centerlink is the main reason for steering looseness, but all the steering components have a reputation for getting loose, so check everything.

New fluid *could* help, but it won't fix anything that's wrong with it internally.

"Drivetrain"? Where? Pics?

Nope, cause it unlocks the torque converter. That makes it slip more which heats it up more.

3 5/8 quarts if you want to be specific. I'd go with 4, it won't hurt it.

Hahahaha... Rami, change the fluid if you can. Sometimes that'll bring it back up to snuff. Also, run a TCU error code test to see if it has any stored. There's a how-to in the How-To section, IIRC.