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Thanks. That increases the odds of damage to the cylinder walls, valves and head. I've started a complaint with the BBB. I'll try the states DA tomorrow, but this is Maine. Now if i still lived in NY, those guys were like consumer pitbulls. I used to love to hear headlines about spitzer, that guy was awesome. He went after anybody and everybody, and won. He made too many enemies though. that's still a guy i'd want in my corner in a fight like this. We'll see what happens. I plan on trying to have the dealer rescue the friggin screw and put it all back together. If he can't I'll have AAA bring it home and try myself. Change the plugs and PCV, replace the intake, and run it till it dies. Either way i'll have to buy a new engine, might as well run this one into the ground while i hunt for another. Problem is, if i go this route, and in the end get Nissan to submit, I won't get anywhere. I'll have done the work myself. If i have the dealer do it right, and then lose the fight, then i'm out a ton of money to the dealer. Not sure how i should progress yet. Pete

I love Helicoils. They were actually invented for manufacturing to increase productivity and strength in aluminum. I can't remember where i read it, but it's claimed that if their installed properly they're stronger than the original threads. Something about being stainless, and dispersing the stress along the entire hole. I haven't used them for a head, but i would, that's my .02.

As expected, Nissan told me to go rub off. The bitch, upon hearing that i believed this to be negligence and not a materials or workmanship issue offered me the number for the BBB. So funny. Anyway, can anyone confirm absolutely that these are screws are brass please? My odds will greatly improve if that is the case.

Sorry, thought i read somewhere it was august 2001 they started the vq35.

So the service guy call today at 930am. Says his tech believes it might be a power valve screw (like he didn't hear me yesterday when i told them to start there) and said it would cost $250 to take off the intake and verify. I said go for it, it's what it's there for. I ask who's gonna pay for it if it is. he said contact nissan, gave me the number, and i did. He said he'd call back and let me know what they found, never did call me back. Talked to a customer rep with nissan who took my info and problem down, and said someone would contact me tomorrow after contacting dealer and evaluating request for "financial assistance". I called the dealer back at 4pm and yep, number 3 cylinder is missing a screw, so they took out the plugs and tried to fish it out, no luck. So, he said my options were, leave it there and hopes it burns out, said it's already allot smaller than it's supposed to be, or remove the head and get it out (the $3000 dollar 22 hour option). So that's what i've got so far. I'll keep you all updated as i hear from nissan. I'm not holding my breath there. I guess my next call is to the Attorney general of my current state and the state i bought it in, but i don't hold allot of hope there either. The service guy said he believes nissan will claim it's out of warranty and not their problem, which i might buy if this was a wear item, but come-on, it's not even close. It's loctite on a friggin screw. I bought japanese hoping to avoid the domestic type issues. Anyway, if you have a 2002 vq35(first year with the engine i belive), get going, don't procrastinate like me, and get those screw tight. I wonder if they got their heads out of their asses and did it right after that? Maybe everyone with a vq35 should get going on this. Better safe than sorry. Pete

Ahh, got it. The screw made it all the way through the exhaust!? How the heck did it past the cat? That's Crazy. Anyway, the dealers service manager claimed he has only seen the problem once on a altima (or was it maxima), and never on a pathfinder. I assured him the screw problem is happening, all over the country, and he just shook his head in doubt. This is not going to be fun in any way.

Well, it's done. I've dropped it at the dealer. first time i've had to have someone else work on it in 2 or 3 years. I feel like a failure. Some one else's hands are on my girl.

Just checked the oil level, it was down about half a quart or so. Sound dosn't seem like it's going away. Pretty noisy. Sounds like our Volkswagen Turbo diesel. Not good. Wish i knew for sure what is was before the dealer gets it. Does seem just like yours though. oh, and didn't see any smoke from the exhaust, some morning condensation for a min. or less, but then it was clear.

Always loved you rig. A great color. Makes me wonder if we should have a Pathy RIP section. Lately, between trade ins, blown/hydro locked engines, and crashes, seems needed.

If you "feel" you should be there, then you should. Family is family. There's always work for the willing, but generally not a second chance to do right by the ones you love. My .02

Thank You! And as for our moms, i like to freak people out when i find out their birthdays by counting back 9 months and figuring the day they were concieved. I'll go, oh, you were conceived in February, that must have been a fun valentines day lol. Have you noticed how many november birthdays there are? In my case, in november, my parents school had a homecoming dance, and well, here i am. People just don't like seeing how human their parents are... thanks again. Pete

Welcome!

Not that it's for my truck, but i have some observations. Well, for steel, 3/16" is great, but 1/4" bent right would work well enough. Shackles are a huge plus. I like the T-slot idea of simons too. License plate light/bracket is a great one, I found out what a pita that one can be the hard way. Gas/highlift/tire carrier is really handy too, if you can maintain decent clearance. I wouldn't think it would be to hard to produce a model with a swing away, and one without. They can be produced as two totally separate components easily enough. I jealous you guys have yet another option i don't for my R50 LOL. Good luck getting this done Slick.

Is that the one with the Rubbermaid story? I've seen that. Also a good read is the "United States of Walmart", that was a nice litte summery of our mess. I guess to me, i can sit back and blame corprate greed all day long, but i think, that in order to truly get a hold on the problem, we all have to look in a mirror and start the changes there. Call it human nature, contribute it to social engineering by marketing firms, call it whatever, but we've voulentarily enslaved ourselves with our hunger, our addiction for possesions. And we'll turn a blind eye to our neihbors and fellow citizens to secure "MORE" for ourselves. It's risen to the point of our economy being a religion gone wrong. But like I said earlier, then we can get into discussions of Morality, ethics, and even the ideal population figure for a sustainable society. Another great read on our current state would be "Deep Economy". Some interesting thoughts in that book i seemed to find value in. Economically, this country historically created (with obvious exceptions, i'm summarizing) a health economic cycle. For Example: Agriculture was our economic base for a while- Farmers employed people from community, who sold product to retailers, who sold product back to people within the community, who worked for farmer. Health sustainable cycle. Next we moved to manufacturing: Compay employed people from community to make product. Company sold product to retailer. Retailer sold product to customer, who got money from manufacturer (employer) healthy cycle. Money revolves. Stays in community to be recycled sorta. Now: Walmart (for example, not the only "villan") sells product to people, people not making enough money use credit. money leaves community(country), and does not return, except as low paying retail/CS. In this cycle, the money will eventually run out, there's nothing generating sustainable wealth for the masses (middle class). Sorry my example sucks. I usually use a picture to explain myself, but i don't know how on the forum. Point is, money generates money for a community. If the money leaves the community or country, where will the money come from? Chinese peasants aren't able to afford our products. India either, don't forget their participation in this.

Trust me Grim, i get the economics. It's the politics that scare me. We're playing with a tiger in a paper cage. It's a short sighted reality. Also, in my opinion, your reply seems a bit over simplified, so i'll respond in same. If we bought american, then americans would have jobs, to in turn buy american products. Prices rise, wages rise. Healthy, sustainable cycle. Now, the money leaves, and never comes back. Problem is, top 1% of the pile want larger profit margins, therefore, labor being largest cost in any production model, find cheaper labor (third world). Build up middle class of consumers in third world, payroll costs increase, find cheaper labor, repeat... Next, traditionally, American products were sought after world wide for their quality (and still are, by brand name, just not production origin), so the dockworkers would be busy...exporting, as would the truckers, trains, yada, yada. Please don't dance into the tired argument that unions ruined our country, if that's where your tempted to go. Greed ruined this country. Consumer greed, wanting everything for nearly nothing, and corporate greed, seeing people as digits. But then we can get into ethics, morals, and social engineering. I don't really want to go there, not enough time in my blue collar day. Just wanted to point out that a country that still has ICBM's pointed at us, and reportedly building several new diesel submarines a year to say the least, now have unchecked economic control, because we wanted cheaper tv's.

So, i'm on the phone tonight with a sales manager at 4WP ordering some wheels for my pathy, and we get in a discussion about my Arb Sahara that's 4 months late. He tells me how their company is in a bit of a bind because "90%" of their manufactures use China to produce product. Well, China's shut down a large percentage of their factories over the recent couple of months trying to stem the pollution for the Olympic games. As a result, 4WP for example, is very behind in getting product to customers. Sorta a State Mandated bottleneck. Not a huge deal for off road parts, but i wonder how many people besides me wonder just how much power we've sold to a third world communist country? Seriously, i don't believe the Cold War is really been won or is even near over. But now, wow, what leverage they have, if they choose to use it. Which i can't imagine they wouldn't when the time suits them. Oh well, rant off.

LOL!

LoL, now when your on the highway and honk the horn, does your truck go "Mooooooove over" ... uhhh, sorry about that (pete crawls back into his hole)

Alright, thought i should post this for the forum. I was trying to figure out if i needed a Hi-lift adapter that arb sells for their bull bars, for my long awaited Sahara bar (ordered from 4wp in april, still don't have it). Couldn't find anything definitive on the web, so i contacted Buddy King, sales manager for ARB USA via email. Long short is, the "earlier" air bag compliant sahara bars (ours) should not be used as a lifting point. The mounting brackets were not designed for verticle lifting. yes, they can be used for winching, but not lifting. I was shocked. I hadn't heard that anywhere before. Still getting mine, but only because i'm already in this deep, hope this might help someone else if they're shopping for one. Pete

Yeah, last week as a matter of fact. Ordered the Pacer surface mount hoping to bend up the mounting lip for some extra clearance and get some better coverage for my swampers. Sorry to say, that they're not worth drilling into your body for. They provide no extra coverage over stock. None. I mocked them up, realized they just didn't help any, and returned them. I plan to just remount the stocks, perhaps modify them in some way where the lip is to get more clearance. As for more coverage, i can only offer you this. There's that rubber lawn edger stuff that you can get at a garden center. I've seen on some forums people use that to extend their flares. Not the greatest option, but what else have we got? I already emailed bushwacker for their extended flares, seeing as they already make the street style. All i got back was the generic " we'll forward your suggestion to the appropriate department". Maybe if more of us emailed showing an interest? Good Luck. Let us know if you find anything. Pete

Hey Thanks! You just made my day! Now i wonder if i'll be able to make their "Pocket" or "Cutout" work. The holes in those are already drilled in the flare. How do the ones you installed mount exactly? Are they supposed to mount to factory holes? Sorry for all the questions, i haven't dug into how my OEM's are mounted yet, and after running my TSL's for the first time this weekend, i realized i'm gonna need to do some work. I only need a couple more inches probably, and love the look of their pocket style, would love to make that work. Thanks for your time. And Great looking ride. Real sharp wheels, too nice for me though, i'd hate to take them off road. Why did you have to replace your oem flares? pete