Resbum

That's another good idea for mounting the temp sensor. I may go that route the next time I have things apart. This time I had so many other things to do that I went the simple way. An update on its operation. During normal fan "off" engine operation the temp gauge is exactly 1/2 way between hi & lo. With the fan controller set at 195* the water temp gauge creeps up to 2/3's, then the fan kicks on.

Over the summer I absolutely POUNDED my Pathy dragging in a 1.5 mile long fire break, and it took every bit I threw at it. So, over the last two weeks I showed it some major loving. Week 1: New front axles strut rod bushings upper and lower ball joints centerlink tie rod ends Flushed and repacked wheel bearings All new Nissan seals four way alignment power flushed brake fluid drivers side motor mount drivers side exhaust manifold currently waiting on the steering damper parts replaced the lower links for the rear axle passenger side window switch panel (my 75 lb dog likes to stand on it when his head's out the window. The knuckle head has twice rolled up the window on his head.) Week 2: Removed everything off the top of the engine cleaned out spark plug holes and top of block spark plugs ecu temp sensor distributor cap and rotor MSD coil swap t-belt, tensioner, water pump, cam seals power steering and alternator belts cleaned intake system from the air filter to the intake valves while the plenum and lower manifold were off. EGR delete because the valve was bad and I destroyed the pipe trying to get it off new PVC valve new radiator core with my old metal header tanks, everything got silver soldered. (This alone accounted for about a quarter of the money spent.) all new cooling system hoses rerouted those two stupid little hoses off the back of the plenum with longer high pressure fuel injection hose. I'd love to meet the engineer that had that brilliant idea. electric fan and thermostat swap (Look in The Garage area for build thread) cleaned every electrical contact and ground point I could lay my hands on. I still have the new battery cables to replace, and the parts are sitting here waiting til I have the time. I did a lot of other odds and ends, also. All said, I think the receipts are in the $2,000 range. I'm not going to add them up 'cause I really don't want to know. I do know that the Pathy deserved it after the pounding it took last summer. Resbum And this is why you should check the spark plug holes before changing your plugs Before cleaning After cleaning

Thanks, adamzan. Yep, for simplicity I've decided to give the Monroe a try. If it doesn't work out I'll go with something else and a bracket kit. Resbum

Thanks. You just stick the probe in the hose before you slide the hose over its fitting. Try and get some RTV along the wire, then clamp it as normal. It might take a second try to get it to seal, but once you get it, it won't leak. I've done this more than a few times and still don't get it every time. Tightening the clamp some more after a couple hot cold cycles will get a leaker to seal up I'd guestimate about 75% of the time.

Thanks for the feedback. Yep. I was going to use its specs to see if I could find a comparable Bilstein. If not that a Rancho. Most of the people here who mentioned them seem to like them. Resbum

Thanks. Unfortunately, I've had bad luck with Monroe products. How did/has it held up for you?

Instead of starting a new thread I figured I'll bring this one to the top again. I have an OE steering damper pin on the way. However, I'm having difficulty tracking down a damper that is known to fit without having to buy a bracket kit or having to pay for a bracket kit included in the price. Can anybody give me a part number and brand of steering damper for just the damper that is known to fit as OE for a 95 Pathfinder? Thanks. Resbum

Dragster started a thread last week about engine cooling and opinions about running an electric fan. I happened to be in the middle of a bunch of other work under the hood, and had decided to go to an electric fan while in there. His thread kinda prodded me into grabbing a few pics and showing how i do it. This isn't about electric fans being better or worse than mechanical fans. I've run both, and will continue to run both. Each have their own merits and shortfalls in differing circumstances. Each of us has to look at our own needs to determine which is best. I mounted the fan in the shroud. I happened to have a 20" X 20" piece of 6160 aluminum, so I cut it into a ring the diameter of the shroud opening. I then cut a 16 1/2" ring out of the middle of that. Rough up this shroud where the ring meets it, then lock it in JB Plasticweld. One tube made enough putty to secure it in eight places. Great stuff, just as good as the original for metal. Put everything together, trim off the extra and get this. Next I calibrated the thermostat to kick on at 195* and it consistently kicked back off at 185*. This is something you can do over morning coffee. That's when I did it. Take your time and enjoy the process. I have no faith in temp controllers that use electronics. This good ole fashion pressure switch type is just about bullet proof if you take the time to dial it in. Nothing against electronic controllers, but why add added complexity when about 90% of us don't need it. I also installed a new Nissan 170* thermostat in the engine. Once it's dialed in I have marks at 170*, 190*, 200*, and 212*. The red dot is 195*, where I set it. Then some RTV and electrical tape to somewhat weather proof it. This time I inserted the probe into my cooling system at the bottom of the metal pipe between the thermostat housing and lower radiator hose. I was originally going to insert it at the top of the pipe, but there wasn't enough room before it hit the thermostat inside. Installed in the truck. The controller is mounted on the shroud just below the upper hose. A note about the wire between the probe and controller. Do not kink it. It's a pressure line, not an electrical wire. I didn't have the grill on the front of the truck. When I hot-wired the fan on to test it, the flow was strong enough to suck my sweater up onto the front of the radiator. Works for me. I hope this gives people some other ideas besides mounting things directly to the radiator. I've done it many times, but it always gives me the willys to tamper with the radiator. Resbum

It turns out my Pathfinder is one of them. I wasn't going to bring it up to avoid any confusion, but since you did, I will. When I first lifted the lower intake off the engine I was like, "What the #$&*?" A very rusty dirt filled hole is all that was where the KS should be, and I couldn't find the wiring pigtail for it anywhere. Also, there was no KS in the couple other places most people relocate them to, either. I then started Googling for more info. I found two references from people who said their Pathfinders didn't come with one. One of those people specifically said he had "... the 1995 Pathfinder SE, with auto trans", that didn't come with one. At that point, knowing that's exactly what my Pathfinder is, I carefully inspected the wiring loom. I even unwrapped the tape and looked inside the plastic protector sleeve that covers the wires in a couple spots. Originally I had thought a previous owner had cut the KS pigtail off, but I couldn't find one sign of any tampering with the wire loom, and there's not one bit of evidence that the factory loom has ever been messed with before I messed with it. With 40 years of wrench turning under my belt I'm now 99% sure my Pathfinder left the factory without a knock sensor. Resbum

Yep, unfortunately. There's a fair amount of info from people that relocated it to a more convenient spot. There's also quite a few people that say theirs hasn't worked for years and they've just ignored it if the rig is working.

Thanks for the casting info. I was eyeing that very thing as I was cleaning. I didn't mess with it, but now I know. I have a VG33E block (blown head gasket), and the adapters to use all my 30's externals on it. When I build it up for the swap I'll definitely open those castings.

Thanks for the answer.

Dang, I wish I'd known about that drop down kit. As for controllers, stay away from electronic ones. I go with a good ol' fashion one. I'm old enough that I've used the basic electromechanical ones for 30 years without one failure. Something like the Hayden #3653 is all most of us need and there's no electronics to fail.

I currently live most of the time on my off-grid property in eastern Oregon. However, I come up to Tacoma about every 3 months for a week, or so. If the day trip falls on when I'm up north you could count me in. Resbum

I need some advice from long time VG mechanics. I'm currently doing a bunch of engine work that needed doing. Yesterday I got the new timing belt, water pump, and cam seals in so the front of the engine is down to the block. Also, over the summer I drug in 1.5 miles of fire break out across the eastern Oregon high desert. Because of that my whole engine compartment, and all the hidden areas on top of the engine is also filled with vegetation pieces and other debris . I'm not going to pull the spark plugs until I take off the intake plenum and clean out the holes around the spark plugs. I have all the Nissan OEM intake and plenum gaskets and everything else needed to do an R & R to the top of the engine. So, here's the question. Once I have the plenum off it's literally not much work to pull the lower intake manifold off and inspect/replace the hidden rubber coolant hoses, and knock sensor. I have a new Nissan OEM knock sensor sitting on a shelf. Is it worth proactively replacing the knock sensor while the top of the engine is tore down, or not? Thanks. Resbum. Oh, and is there anything else you VG old timers feel is worth doing while I've got it tore down?