Kingman

Yes.

You won't get rid of the knock unless you rebuild or replace. You might mask it with that thick goopy crap so its less audible, but its still there.

It is purely mechanical. The transfer case directs power to the front differential, the CVs turn, and when they turn the hubs engage locking the front wheels. If the front driveshaft is turning but the CVs aren't, there's a disconnection somewhere in the front differential. Sounds like you may need a new one or pull it out and repair it if possible. Could also be that both inner joints on the CVs are busted so the disconnect is there. Check if the flanges themselves (where the CV axles bolt to the differential) are turning.

If its a stock manual rig it has one right behind the clutch pedal arm. Its a small black plastic part with a rod sticking out. Should have a blue electrical connector.

WeatherTech is also 100% made in the USA!

Sounds like typical thermostat getting stuck open.

Coilovers to do away with the torsion bars...

Burn it out with a torch man, it'll be fast and easy. Put some tinfoil in the fender wells to act as a heat shield and have at it. Less than 5 minutes and a wire brush, the new ones are ready to go in.

You're going to want to take a die grinder and clean up the ports on those Doorman manifolds. The castings are disgusting. I spent a long time getting them smooth with many different bits when I did my friend's on her Xterra. The factory gaskets are MLS, I prefer those.

So it cranks AND turns over (same thing) but won't start* Have you ran the codes yet? Is it getting spark, fuel, and does it have compression? Have you checked for codes? Don't just start throwing parts at it blindly, that almost never ends up in your favor.

Did you bench bleed the master before installing it? Very important. Also, did you bleed the dampner if its still hooked up? If that's all good and you're sure there's no air in the system, then look in to adjusting the rod per the FSM. Some of the aftermarket master cylinders have a rod that isn't cut/threaded right so the adjustment can be a royal pain in the ass.

Plastic is the new trend across the board, its cheaper.

Oh yeah, what year is your Pathfinder?

The MPFI manifold flows a bit better especially at lower RPMs. If I remember correctly, the Z31 harness reaches to the glovebox area so you could Mount the ECU to the backing plate behind the glovebox, however you won't be able to keep it. The guy with the VG30ET does have a build thread here somewhere.

Honestly, if your engine is still good keep that in there and put the MPFI and turbo set up on that. You'll be much happier with the power from a boosted 9:1 engine over the stock turbo 7.8:1. '84 blocks have different motor mount bosses as well so modifying the Pathfinder mounts is needed. Fitting the Z31 intake is a chore as yo need to cut the firewall for clearance... using an MPFI Pathfinder intake is a better option, longer runners for more low end torque however you don't get as equal of air distribution to all of the cylinders. Upgrading the fuel pump is a must as well, don't think the stock TBI pump can keep up with the demands of a turbo engine. The stock VG30ET turbo and manifolds will not fit in the engine bay without some pretty serious work. A member on here used a modified upside down manifold to mount the turbo up high to clear the frame and steering gear. As far as wiring goes, its actually pretty easy. Mostly like a car stereo with constant and switched power, grounds, and a few other connections that need to be made to the chassis. Xenonzcar.com has FSMs downloadable for every year of the Z31 and we have FSMs on here as well so you can compare wiring diagrams. You'll be surprised how similar the Z31 and TBI harnesses are, however the Z31 harness is not long enough to reach the factory Pathfinder ECU location under the seat.

Damn straight!

Base timing Kyle, the ECU takes it from there.

Made sure everything was still dry inside and put another air freshener in it. Thinking about hitting up the Salvation Army or Goodwill for a dehumidifier to keep in it so it doesn't turn into a mold factory.

Move crank to 43 teeth between the LH timing gear and the crank, reassemble, and enjoy. I'm sure you know, but left-hand means the driver's side.3 teeth may not have bent anything, only way to tell is correct everything and run it and do a compression test.

Yes, the transmission will work. The only real difference is the transfer case shifter which is the one to use if you have a body lift.

Many vehicles have problematic EGR valves, even when they were running perfectly fine. I haven't seen inside a single TBI on a Pathfinder yet where the EGR port in the manifold wasn't clogged or close to it.

When I said remove the belts one by one, it was not to check the belts but to check what the belts are driving.

When its dead cold, remove one belt at a time until the noise stops. Did you replace the bypass hose when you did the timing belt?

Yeah 10/4 I use gaskets and the Permatex as well.