Slartibartfast

Ah, I see... and I'm pretty much out of ideas lol. The only spring kits I've seen were for lifting. Still got your sway bars on?

Think it's dead now.

I've heard that the wax-based anti rust stuff ends up trapping water, so I'd avoid that. Next time I change a fluid out I'll probably try the pump sprayer idea. It's a whole lot easier (esp. on a stock-height truck) to spray out the rails with the rear wheels or bumper removed. With the wheels off, you can get to the cleanout holes; with the bumper off, you can spray right down the frame rails. I don't wash mine out very often, but I don't take it mudding, either. (And Washington doesn't use salt.)

I haven't been in any newer vehicle that I thought had good visibility... I'm 6'4" and cars are apparently built for short people now. I can't see out of my dad's 07 Fronty unless I hunch forward like an old man, and my mom's Honda CRV is just godawful... the mirror is right in my line of sight, and the A pillar is so thick I have to lean forward to look ahead on left turns. It's probably a crash standard thing that'll come in handy when I can't see where I'm going and pile up against something. </rant> I'd stick with the Pathy and put a new set of shocks in it... unless it's sagging, I don't think the springs are to blame.

There's a bracket for the WDs (http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/33308-panhard-drop-bracket/page__hl__%2Bpanhard+%2Bdrop). I dunno if that would fit the R50 (I'm guessing not), but it could be a good starting place, or inspiration anyway.

My Pathy won't go out of park unless the key is 'on,' the brake is pressed, and the button on the shifter is pushed in. I've seen other cars with a 'shift lock' button next to the gear selector, but not on my Pathfinder... does the Terrano have one of those? Anyway, I can hear a little click from around the shifter when I press the brake, as whatever's holding the stick in place lets go. I'm not sure just what that part is, but it sounds like that's what's going funny on yours.

If it's cutting in and out, I'd check the wiring to the dead injector before replacing it. There might be a loose/corroded connection making intermittent contact.

I don't think there even is a code for vac leak... they may have seen other codes that they decided indicated a vac leak, but I've never heard of the computer knowing a vac leak when it sees one. Resetting the computer is dead simple... disconnect the battery for a couple minutes. Maybe turn the lights on/off, put the key to 'on,' just to make sure anything stored is gone. Then hook it back up and presto, it's got amnesia. I've never heard that about it resetting itself if driven at a certain speed. Check the codes yourself. There's a great writeup on here (in the how-to section IIRC). I have no idea what your mechanic is talking about, but it does sound iffy. The code will tell you which sensor is reading funny, and from there you can figure out what the actual problem is. My bet is that they bumped an electrical connection when they did the valve cover, and it's making intermittent contact. If the computer says there's a sensor or something that's wrong near there, maybe try checking/cleaning the electrical plugs and things around that side.

First issue... I think you can still get keys made to fit what you've got, if there's a Nissan dealer in your area. Or, if you've got both chunks of the broken key, challenge a local locksmith/hardware store to cut a new one. Second issue... yeah, the autos do generate a fair amount of heat. The heat degrades the fluid, which isn't good for the trans. An aftermarket transmission cooler is a very good idea, and has been covered quite a bit in the WD21 sections. IIRC you can even pull one from a Ford Exploder at a junkyard. I've never noticed a whole lot of heat from mine, but then my commute is about four miles... do you know what the previous fix involved?

Spent I don't know how long trying to figure out why the rear end squeaked like crazy if I messed with it while parked. Turns out, the emergency brake was on. Took it off and it's dead quiet. Starting to wonder if the e-brake cable is loose...? Also sprayed blaster on the torsion bar bolts... PO or somebody got into them, and it sits about an inch higher on the driver's side. This'll be fun.

To check the harness, I'd go through the service manual wiring section and try to figure out where the wires from the knock sensor go (presumably a set of pins in the plug for the computer). Then take a voltmeter, set it to continuity/ohms, and check each wire. You may need a few alligator clips or something to extend the little probes. I'm not sure how I'd repair the wiring harness... it would likely fail near a plug (move the plug, see if it cuts in/out). Some plugs you can pop the pins out and reconnect them... I've never gotten a Pathfinder plug apart that far, though. Maybe check a junkyard and pull the harness, or even just the end of it (and splice/solder it into what's there). I don't imagine the fuel spray would damage much (though I wouldn't leave it on paint for too long), but all the same I'd wrap a towel or something around the line when you disconnect it to catch any potential spray. It'll keep it out of your eyes and lungs too.

You might also check the wiring around the transfer case and trans.

Never having done engine work, I'll stay away from that part... except to say that working around all the stuff you'd be working around would be a serious PITA. If the handle's not doing it, and it's not locked... only thing I can think of is to remove the plastic cover on the inside of the door, but I've only ever done that with the door open. IIRC it just clips in there. If you can get it out, you can reach into the door and pull on things until the latch opens up.

Stupid question... how does the rad get blocked up?

Try to cut out as much of the flaky bits as you can... all the crevices hold water. Is it close to any of the important bits (seat belt mounts etc)? When I found the holes in mine, my dad had a local junkyard cut a couple floor sections out of a junker, and my uncle welded them in... worked great. Of course, while we were waiting, I took some sheet metal from a kerosene can and attached it with sheet metal screws! Kept most of the wind out, anyway. Make sure it's bone dry before you apply the foam, and it'll probably hold.

That rings a whole lot of bells! Whatever you do, can't wait to see it.

Yup, the round-dash WDs (94, 95) have electronic speedos... everything earlier has a cable. Seems odd that they'd bother for a two-year thing, but then I guess it went on longer in the hardbodies. So... it popped a VSS code, you replaced the speed sensor, no change? Still sounds like a wiring issue to me... like with MAFs, seems like usually when the code comes up, it's not that the sensor's broken, it's that the plug is corroded or a wire is busted off. The computer only knows what the sensors tell it... if it gets weird/no readings, it assumes the sensor is bad.

The air conditioner runs off the engine, so it makes the engine work more. The more gasoline it uses, the more heat it generates. The same is true of the power steering pump and alternator, but you can't turn those off. (Also, the condenser coil for the AC, which cools the refrigerant, sits right in front of the radiator.) I've never heard of a radiator failing to radiate heat. The bad radiators I've heard of either rupture or slowly leak... I've never heard of one stop working in a way that didn't involve physically breaking and throwing coolant everywhere. If it didn't do this until just now, unless it's losing coolant somewhere, it's not a bubble... all I can think of is a stuck thermostat.

LOL seems like to get pretty much anything trail ready, you'll put in more than you paid for the base vehicle. Unless you're doing it all yourself... and even then. The R50 is (from what I've heard) just about par with the WD21 as far as performance. The Xterra is WD22, so, just about the same as the WD21, except with different engine options and a leaf sprung rear instead of a five-link like the Pathies. I've heard good/bad either way with leafs vs links. The bigger difference is that the R50 is unibody and the WD (either of them) is body on frame. Translation: the Xterra can be body lifted, the R50 cannot (though the subframe drop does pretty much the same thing, at least for the front end). My dad had an early Xterra. it was gutless, plasticky, and not very comfortable... I'd be inclined to stick with what I know. Besides, in the kind of shape it sounds like your R50 is in, you probably wouldn't get a whole lot for it... so you'd end up paying a lot more out of pocket for the Xterra.

Sounds like something bad or loose in the injector wiring. Given that they all cut out at once, I doubt it's the injector harnesses, but I suspect that they come together at some point for a common ground... which is likely loose or corroded. You can download the factory service manual (with full wiring diagrams!) from here: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/pathfinder/1995_Pathfinder/

Yeah... sounds like something's buggered/bent. How do the link mounts look? Maybe check against the measurements in the FSM? (I know the WD fsm shows measurements for the frame, does the R50 do the same for the unibody?)

Copper oxidizes blue... and then doesn't conduct so well. If the wires aren't busted, try spraying a little tuner/contact cleaner into the plug. I haven't heard about an MAF harness kit, but you could probably lop one out of a junkyard truck.

Both flashing determines what mode it's in. I copied these directions a while ago, probably from a pinned 'how to' on here... I printed it off, and keep it in truck. It's on here somewhere but reposting it will save a search. Again this is not my writeup...

Mounting wenches over a brush guard is usually inadvisable... too many sharp edges. I don't think I've ever heard of a Pathy running on natural gas. Is that common in Brazil?

Not that I've ever done an engine swap... but yeah, I'd imagine it would. One driveshaft instead of two, no transfer case to worry about, and no worrying about clearing the front diff. On the other hand... I'm not sure quite what the point of a 2WD Pathy would be. But then, it snows here.