Aonghus

Loving all this info! I see what you mean with the tstat on the cool side. So that must change the "when it's fully open" part of the thought process?

Just so I make sure I didn't lead you astray: The rear rubber oil pan seal attaches to the aluminum RMS housing which can be removed from the block with 4 (I believe) bolts. If your oil pan gasket is leaking elsewhere of course you would want to remove the pan and replace the gasket but there's no need if it's just the curved rubber bit beneath the RMS housing.

Update: We replaced the old fluid in the 92 Pathfinder MT and put HyGard in a couple weeks ago. Drained and refilled using the full hole on a flat surface first. Then drove it up on ramps on the passenger side to tilt it far enough to get a the full 5.1L (5.4qt) in. And that worked! For future reference we needed about 10 inches of lift on the passenger side and it was just right. Similar to my little car, so far I'm impressed with HyGard. Much smoother on cold mornings (a few days in the mid 20s F) and most of the notchy feeling going into 2nd is gone. I've also noticed we can downshift into 1st while still rolling slowly, had to make a complete stop before. Again, it seems really smooth and *feels like it accelerates a little smoother or more freely. Overall a more pleasant driving/shifting experience. With the old fluid (whatever it was), on cool mornings before moving, the idle would increase a fair amount when the clutch pedal was pushed in. That seemed to indicate a fair amount of resistance in the transmission when the clutch was engaged. Now I'm the same conditions the idle barely changes at all, almost imperceptibly. So far so good. We'll see how it does as the weather warms up. Being this fluid is used in massive tractors under heavy loads in the heat of summer I tend to think we'll be ok but it's also an unconventional use. The Toyota is easier to service so I plan to drain the HyGard and take a close look this summer and I'll give another update here.

That's correct. It's a rubber seal that should come with the RMS kit, along with some RTV to seal the edges. We recently went through all this with my son's '92. It was a bugger job than I anticipated and yeah some if those bolts are a royal pain! Easiest thing we found for the top bolts on the bell housing was stacking multiple extensions and reaching them from a couple feet back. A couple of the bolts were easiest to get to through the wheel wells. Side note, and I wish we'd done this, it'll probably be easier to replace the trans oil while it's out so you can more easily tip it to the side to get the proper amount in. Unless you're has the fill plug at the correct height, the 92 does not. Looking forward to an update!

Thanks guys. So if you look at the offerings on the PDF at this link https://gabriel.com/sites/default/files/tempfile_pdf/Gabriel_Load_Carrier_Shocks_Flyer.pdf There are a few options that are very close to the collapsed/extended specs for stock Pathfinder shocks. I would think possible travel could be close to stock. I'm wondering, mostly about the front since the torsion bars are adjustable, if these would have a progressive effect. If they provide a little lift on their own, a guy could back off the torsion bars a little bit to maintain either stock or leveled ride height. And I would think "normal" driving would feel similar but would stiffen up as the torsion bars were more engaged on a larger bump. As for the rear, it seems like the main opportunity might be if a guy was carrying extra weight in tools for instance... Also I'm not knowledgeable enough to know about the different codes for the top and bottom mounts. ?? Well, I'm not sure if/when we'd give these a try but I'm intrigued by the idea anyway. I stumbled across some old model Pro-Comp shocks for the front for extremely cheap for the front of my son's rig so we're gonna try those out for now. This is probably a back-burner issue unless he gets a bug in his bonnet this summer when he's making good money. I'll let you know if we try them out!

To follow through... I put John Deere HyGard (standard, not Low-Vis) in my 2000 Toyota Echo this week and have done a little driving around town so far. Initial impressions: it shifts really nice, the stick moves more freely in neutral, it *seems like the car accelerates a little more "freely." It's been quite warm this week but we're getting another cold snap so I'll get a chance to see how it feels on an actual cold morning. The oil I drained out of the transmission looked decent, it wasn't utterly filthy or runny or milky. I have no idea what fluid it was or when it was last changed to be honest. It was obviously much thicker than the HyGard but I didn't know if it was spec fluid or regular 90 weight or what. It was also low, drained out 56ozs and poured in 72ozs before it dribbled out the hole. I've owned this little car for about 5 years and put over 40K miles on it so I'm pretty familiar with how it feels while driving in various conditions It's all seat-of-the-pants at this point but I'll say I'm pleased with how it feels. My son is gonna try it his Pathfinder and I'll report back again. His is grindy going into 2nd when it's cold so that'll be a good test.

Ok, this may be outside the box, it may be an old idea that's already been ruled out, or it may just be a dumb idea. But I'm intrigued so I gotta ask. What do you think about these shock+spring combos from Gabriel? I've never used them so I'm just an internet jockey going by reviews and creativity at this point. Here's my thoughts: We have an old vehicle. That likely means sagging or weakened springs. It also means diminishing options for replacement or lift components. Most of the reviews for these Gabriel Load Carrier shocks indicate 1.5-2 inches of lift, or at least restored ride height, among with improved handling and stability, etc. Maybe this is an option, relatively cheap if a guy already needs shocks, to gain some lift and support and take some strain off old components. I'm wondering if the torsion don't need to be cranked as far to level a rig, or if these would raise the rear end just a bit, which may be back to stock height. I'm concerned about a harsher ride but I don't know. Any thoughts or experience? https://gabriel.com/LoadCarrier

After a good wash. The paint is pretty bad, I think it's been rattle can touched up a few times. But the body is remarkably straight, one dent in the rear bumper and a simple in the front if the hood. Removed the bent up roof rack and took this picture so we could noodle on a design for a custom roof rack. It's sloped down in the front pretty good, we've since adjusted the rotation bars to sit close to level. Well... An unknown server error limits my upload to 51kb so I'll try to get this and the next pic uploaded another time...

Figured I'd post a couple pics and try to chart what's happening with the Pathfinder. Here's the day we brought it home late last summer. The drivers door was the only functional door at the time. Lots of little things to do and a few big things!

Sorry to hear about your ride, dang. I appreciate the input, I'll look them up.

I was hoping to find some shock recommendations in here. So I guess I'm bumping this thread.

Any updates Frenchy? Looking into shock upgrades in particular for my son's 92 XE. Curious what you've discovered in a quest for a better ride.

Sweet! Thanks! I'll crawl around under there and see if I can find those parts. I don't remember seeing this things when we were putting a new clutch in but I wasn't looking for then either.

Is the clutch damper the little doodad on the firewall with it's own bleeder? I don't *think this rig has ABS, it's an all manual XE with very little in the way of bells or whistles...

Thanks guys, that's super helpful. The window mouldings is something we need for sure. I'll test the injectors before pulling and see I'm able to get the whole injector harness some way or another. I'll double check what year those Pathfinders are for some of that other stuff. Good call on the relays too, there's a bunch of those out there. And I'll ask about taillight assemblies, front corner assemblies too while I'm at it. The vacuum hoses were in great shape when I was out there last so we have a stash of those now, also grabbed the rubber bumpers for the hood and back hatch, didn't charge for any of that. I think I'll get one of the rubber intake boots if it's in good shape. The yard here seems to be pretty reasonable overall. Some things seem more expensive than I think they should be but that's true for about everything these days.

This doesn't sound like exactly the same symptoms but may help... At the end of this thread, sunroof drain was not routed right. (The main part of that thread has nothing to do with this.)

(Did some searching and reading but didn't find the answer I'm looking for.) My local wrecking yard has two hardbody Pathfinders in reasonable condition. Both are automatic, ours is a manual, so there's some limitation on certain swappable parts. Questions: Are the fuel injectors the same for all 90-95 vg30e engines? Are they the same for both manual or automatic? Should I get them to have on hand? What price might I expect to pay? (Haven't asked the yard yet) One of the rigs already has the upper intake plenum removed so those injectors are easy to get. They are pink, which I think is regular OEM stock injectors? I read something about a paint color code on the injector that should all match? Some other things I'm thinking of snagging to have on hand as spare parts since these rigs are getting harder to find: - Wiper switch/lever (but is it possible to swap with one that has intermittent wipers when ours does not?) - Headlight/blinker switch/lever (same question, can I use one from a rig that has cruise control when ours does not?) - The various valves and solenoids from the upper intake plenum - they're easy to get off that rig right now ... Assuming they're the same for both manual and automatic... - Other things like the windshield wiper motor or windshield washer pump or heater blower... etc... distributor... What parts would you have on hand that are getting hard to find?

Thanks Adam! Our Tahoe takes a 195F stat if I'm not mistaken. Like you said, still well within normal operating temps. I think we'll give it a go when we do the water pump and timing belt. At that point we'll also flush everything and put new coolant in and hopefully get a decent idea on the health of the cooling system. It looked "clean" through the radiator cap but you can't see very much there. It seems like this rig was decently maintained in stock condition. Nothing is modded or upgraded but it's more or less in good condition considering its 311K miles. So here's hoping!

Thanks Adam and FirstGen, super helpful info. I'm gonna try this HyGard, picked up a gallon today for $33us. It's a touch lighter than the Redline MTL (9.4 vs 10.4) or about the same as the Pennzoil version of Synchromesh. If it works great I'll stick with it. If it gives me grief in low temperatures I'll try the HyGard LowVis (7.4cSt I think) which is very close to most ATF options. Not sure why I'm nervous about running ATF... I think just because they're both high mileage transmissions... But anyway I'm all about experimenting so we'll see! I'll update here when we have some miles on it.

I did a search but didn't see any reference to the 192° thermostat from Motorad, link below. I've gathered these vg30e engines like to run a bit on the hot side and there's quite a few examples of the 170° thermostat causing some issues with running . It seems the 180° is preferred. But is 192° even better? Anyone have experience with it? Once it's open at full operating temp it shouldn't make any difference which one you have. I would expect better warm up with the 192° or better for short trips around town or better on cold winter days... All input welcome! https://motorad.com/part/268-192/

I tried to pick up a gallon of Hy-gard yesterday and John Deere shop was closed. I'll get some tomorrow. I'm planning to try it my own commuter car, a 2000 Toyota Echo 5spd, before my son tries it in his first and only rig. Both vehicles have around 300K miles I'll update this thread with what we learn.

Hey thanks that's helpful experience! We live in NE Oregon where temperatures vary considerably. We'll usually get over 100F in the summer for a bit and sub-0F in the winter for a bit. Coldest I've seen here is -22F and the hottest was 112F. There's usually several weeks in the winter when doesn't get above freezing at all. That factors into my consideration for a lighter weight transmission fluid. Whatever is in it now is notchy going into 2nd when it's cold in the morning. I'll check out the specs for the Redline MTL and see what I can find. EDIT: Redline MTL is 10.4cSt That's great!

Thank you sir!

Well if you want to go down the rabbit hole with me, how about John Deere HyGard? It is GL-4 rated, and designed for very high pressure and torque applications in modern hydraulic tractor transmissions. In these applications it serves as both a transmission gear oil and a hydraulic fluid. The standard Hy Gard is 9.4cSt. It contains wear reduction additives similar to MT fluids. But I can't find any specific information for a true manual transmission, it just seems to meet all the right specs. It's $32/gal locally or $134/5gal. The LowVis version (7.4cSt) is being used in auto transmissions by some of the Cummins diesel guys, I'm gonna try it this summer in my 2nd gen Ram 2500. Users are reporting excellent/firmer shifts, grab, and long life and cleanliness when changed. I have a PDF but it's apparently too large to attach.

For the sake of gathering info on this topic, here's a link to some of the most thorough info from the BITOG forum with all the tested and dedicated manual transmission fluids grouped by kinematic viscosity at 100°C or the rough average operating temperature. In case you want to follow me down the rabbit hole. As I understand it,75w-90 GL-4 fluid was originally recommended for these manual trannys but that was later revised to 75w-85. However all these dedicated MTF/MTL options didn't exist back then, in 1993 in my case. So, here's what I know at this point, I think: - 75w-90 is ~14.5cSt, original spec - 75w-85 is ~12cSt, revised spec - There has been a trend towards lower KV fluids over the last 20 years, improve, shifting, better flow in cold temps. - The advances in additive packages makes lower KV fluids possible without sacrificing high temp cushion and lubricity - API GL-4 is a necessity, not GL-5 or 4+ or whatever else, especially in an older trans. So it seems to me, going by the info I've gathered, something in the 10cSt is probably where I want to be, slightly lighter weight than the 14.5cSt 75w-90 originally recommended and close to the 75w-85 revision. If I can find it, which is proving a little difficult. ATF is in the 6-7cSt range and seems too thin in my case but I can understand it may be great in a freshly rebuilt MT. If that's what a builder recommended then definitely go with it. Valvoline Synchromesh is the ONLY GL-4 MTF option I've found in my town and it's currently $9/qt at O'Reilly's. I cannot get my hands on a standard 75w-90 GL-4 fluid locally. At ~9.2-9.4 cSt the Valvoline Synchromesh is a touch lighter than I'd like but it's available locally and relatively well priced. So I'll give it a go and report our experience. The good thing is this old Pathfinder isn't yet a *needed daily driver so it could sit for a bit if it doesn't work well and I still need to special order Redline MT-90 at $20/qt.