Slartibartfast

Yes, open diffs are one wheel wonders. LSD adds a friction clutch to sort of lock the two sides together, but still has enough slip to take a corner on dry pavement. A locked rear diff is like not having a differential at all, but a straight axle from one wheel to the other, like a slotcar. Some people just weld the gears in the open diff together, permanently locking it; you can turn a locker on and off, so it's either fully open, or fully locked. I have LSD in mine (came that way). The only downside I've found is that it's a little tail happy in two wheel drive on ice (whole rear end drifts sideways due to both tires spinning), but that's my own damn fault for not having it in 4x4 on ice. If LSD was an option for yours, check around any local junkyards for similar-vintage Pathfinders. If the rear axle has an orange sticker on it that says "LSD oil only," it's LSD. I don't know if the Pathy rear ends come with different gearing, but if so chances are a ) it wouldn't be the end of the world or b ) you could swap the ring gear from your open diff onto the LSD diff. I'm not an r50 guy though so don't quote me on that.

Sounds like you could just cut and swap the plug ends from your 91 door, if they're color coded the same way.

A tire will hydroplane on water... maybe a timing belt will, uh, mudroplane?

Finally got the patches for the frame cut! Much grinding/welding to come...

I read the codes from mine the other day, dead easy, and pulled a code 55 which I was very happy about (means all clear). I read what towncivilian linked to, printed it out, put it in the glove box just in case. I did end up removing the seat, just to make things easier (and because I discovered lots of french fries lurking around the computer). Didn't even take that long, and I can't figure out most digital watches.

Put green duct tape around where the rubber for the t-case shifter should be... should last until I get around to snagging an old tractor tube. The Nissan dealerships don't even have the rubber piece in their books.

Exactly. I haven't had my WD over about 75, it's all two-lane highway out here and I really don't trust it any quicker. Brix, you are a braver man than I.

Hmm... I'll have to try that. It was bugging me so I went and checked... and yes, there is a difference! I hadn't tried rocking it by hand. ahardb0dy's right, don't mind me.

All the switches on the console... so you've got (best case) fog lights, alarm, shock adjuster, rear hatch popper, and heated seat controls. If it doesn't have heated seats or fogs the holes will be covered with black plastic blanking plates. There's a lot of things this could be. I'm sure there's a fuse somewhere that deals with them. Also, try pulling your console (not too tough, open the top, pull the rubber sheet out of the bottom, and undo the two screws; then there are a couple more screws up by the shifter) and see if they're even plugged in. IIRC there are a couple in-line fuses under the driver's seat, pretty sure they're for the ABS or the alarm though. I've never properly tested my alarm, because I don't have the keyfob to turn it off. But everything else (fogs, hatch, suspension) works. When I got it some noob had tried to rewire the fogs, so my dad had to re-do the wiring to them. Yours may have the same problem. (Do the lights in the suspension and fogs switch light up?) Also keep in mind, the suspension isn't a huge difference. I can sort of tell what mode mine's in, but with 16 year old shocks, there's only so much it's going to do. Never mind, wasn't testing properly.

IIRC one of the two-door guys (Morningwould?) cut the top from the back half of his Pathy. It actually looked pretty legit. Or... pure dune buggy... put the mechanicals under a Bug body. Can't hunt the undead without a permit.

Wicked cool. Thanks Silverton.

My occasional fantasy with mine (for if the body somehow gets totalled, and I somehow have the skills, tools, and money to do this before my dad makes me buy something sensible) is to pick up a 30s or 40s lead sled Studebaker or Cadillac or something, then put the Pathfinder running gear under it, with truck tires, and either leave the faded stock paint or do it up in Hammerite. Maybe SAS it while it's torn apart. Bolt up some nice MTs on black steelies. Then cram a turboed VG33 or something under the long hood and replace the chrome bumpers with steel plate, welded up to mimic the shape of the chrome. Maybe add a few louvers to the hood for an intercooler or whatever, give it a few Road Warrior touches, and put a zombie hunting permit on the dashboard. Shotgun rack is optional, but encouraged. ... I've clearly put too much thought into this.

To go back a few posts... you said the light goes out after you've been driving a while. I assume that this driving is highway, and at speed... suggests to me that the problem either occurs during acceleration (but not when holding speed) or before the car has fully warmed up. Of course, I have no idea what that would point to. Also, is the engine acting up when the CEL's on? My understanding is that when the MAF goes out, the engine sputters and coughs black smoke and generally lets you know that something is horribly awry. If the only symptom is the light coming on, maybe something else is acting up and posting your various codes. And while I'm pretending I know what the hell I'm talking about... any chance you've got a bad seal on the gas cap? My friend freaked out and thought her Pontiac was breaking down because the CEL came on, turned out she just hadn't screwed the cap in. Having somehow never forgotten my cap, I don't know if Nissans do the same thing.

Adapters would push the trans back... or push the engine forward. Assuming the adaptor's not a mile thick, you'd just have the motor mounts to mod (probably a fair amount of work, but at least you wouldn't be doing it while lying underneath). You have to pull the engine either way, right? I'm sure the engine bay has a spare half inch up front.

Is the computer setup any different, or just plug it into what's there? If my auto goes out I know what I'm putting in.

It's tough to make a patched frame as strong as original, especially if you don't know the extent of the rust. I won't be able to tow with mine even after we weld up the sides of the frame, because the back half (above the tail pipe) is iffy too. (When I get a welder of my own, I'll tear further into it, but for now I'm depending on my dad's money and my uncle's welding, and they're both tired of working on this thing.) Mine looked a little flakey too, until I started beating it with a hammer. Then the flakes fell off and revealed holes and sixteen years worth of dirt... I had to pull the wheel off to find the bad stuff. Definitely check it out before you buy. The outside looks pretty clean, though.

Rascal vs. Pathfinder. BEGIN.

Just stumbled across this. http://www.instructables.com/id/Find-an-exhaust-leak-without-burning-your-hands/ Worth a shot.

My WD's front pump went out a while back. Turned out that the bushing at the top had seized up. A few minutes with pliers and steel wool, and a little oil, and it's worked since. Didn't cost squat, and I got to prove my dad wrong (he said I needed a new pump). Sounds like yours is a lot tougher to get to than mine, though. Be careful siphoning out the fluid. It tastes horrible.

Gotta love those quality OEM fasteners. The bumper bolts on my 95 are the same way, bust 'em off and put new stuff in. But yeah, your rad support... has seen better days.

You can get a sort of ghetto exhaust repair putty, my dad tried it on mine before having it done properly. Put it around wherever you think it's leaking. If that stops the leak... temporarily... then you've found where it's leaking.

Yeah, the VG30 is the stock Pathy motor (three liter six cylinder). I didn't know jack about Nissans either, until I found this site.

Mine always smells like gas... I figured they just did that!

Close, you linked to the album. If you mouse over the picture, four boxes appear below it. Mouse over the lowest one, click it, and it'll say 'copied.' Then just post the code. Like this: IMG http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n498/briandrum1/98%20PATHFINDER/Pathyrustbumpr3.jpg /IMG ^^ It looks like this, but with brackets around the IMGs.

I picked up a can of rubberized undercoat, it's basically just spray-on rubber. It should work pretty well so long as what's under it is dry and clean, otherwise it won't adhere well or it'll trap moisture. Maybe hit it with pressure sprayer, then let it sit for a few good hot days before laying the rubber. (I haven't looked into oil treatments, IIRC some of the guys here use them.) Good to hear it's not rusted out. Every time my dad finds me working on mine, he says, if you found more rust, I don't want to hear about it.