Precise1

Yep, IIRC 1996 was the first year of the revised fill hole location, first year of the R50. That is my first one when I was parting it out. The second one is in better shape, but also currently bumperless... Rebuild info has been covered. I'm not going to guess the price because I have no idea what shop/labor rates are in your area, but I'd say removal/installation of the tranny alone would be at least 8-10 hours of shop time. If you have the tools/place to work and suitable experience, I'd think you could save at least 1/2 the cost of the job. Make sure to replace everything in the bell housing (clutch parts), replace (refinish) the flywheel and consider replacing the RMS. You can get great prices on factory parts from Rob Lacy (Alkorahil) who runs an online dealership department out of the Dallas/FT WTH area. Check the Classifieds/Services section for contact information. As MB said above, I'd look for a good independent shop to do the tranny work, and I wouldn't drive too much farther if it howls that badly, they could seize or come apart under load, and that would be bad... Have the shop save the damaged bearing set for you to check out, I think you'll be amazed at how badly worn/brinelled they are. I'm sure you can keep the old girl running quite a bit longer, the record that I have heard of is about 510k miles... When was the last timing belt change? B

4th gear is direct drive, 1:1 in and out, so I'd guess you have bearings failing. Changing the clutch won't solve the problem, but obviously have it replaced when the tranny is out for a rebuild, it is probably about due anyway. The rebuild shouldn't be too costly, but there is a lot of labor to remove/reinstall the tranny. You could cut the cost in 1/2 if you did that part... There is a TSB in the Garage/TSB section that talks about 'overfilling' the tranny with 5.1 liters of oil to prevent bearing starvation in certain circumstances; this is usually done through the shifter hole. Also, make sure only GL-4 gear oil is used to fill it (or a quality, compatible synthetic like Redline MT-90). These trannys have soft yellow metal bits that will be destroyed by GL-5 or 'back compatible' oils. Welcome to NPORA BTW. B

^This And I'll simply add that high speed off road is sketchy at best. Don't go there unless you are a pro, it generally won't end well... From what I understand, 1.5-2" is max lift before you start torturing the CVs. I haven't lifted an R50, so look through the R50 FAQ section to verify this, please. B

Yes. They did a good job with the drive train on these... B

The AC arms are the only ones I have seen that don't change the ball joint angle or aren't longer. They seem beefier, but when is the last time you have read about bent stock control arms? It isn't exactly a common problem... Why bother? Only a few times on the way to Baja, but I normally avoid it like the plague. I hate the LA area, but to be fair, I hate the SF bay area as well so it is nothing personal. Having 10 million of your closest friends swarming around you makes my skin crawl for some reason.... As for potholes though, it isn't all that great up here either. My mom lives in Petaluma, 25 miles away: http://napavalleyregister.com/news/petaluma-once-again-declared-pothole-capital-of-the-bay-area/article_5d6f8f00-8cfc-5c46-94c7-fe510213a2bc.html My point that I made above is that I can't recall the last time that someone bent a stock control arm. They simply aren't a weak point in the suspension, and you can install aftermarket poly bushings in them as well. If anything, the spindles might bend... For someone not to lift, not have access to an alignment machine, etc, I just don't see the point other than bragging rights. Yes, you are lucky to have the knowledge and access to equipment to mess with alignment. I have lifetime alignment with the local Firestone who seem to know what they are doing, but I suspect if you go in too often, they stop taking you seriously. I'm waiting to install my Sway-Away T-bars, ARB bumper with winch and cross drill the UCA spindles for cotter pins/castle nuts before it goes in next time. Longer bolts should probably be on the list as well... Thanks for the compliment! The paint is a bit more faded since the picture you saw, but this winter it is going into the garage for a lot of love, a good buffing and wax as part of it. My first WD21 was a burgundy 5 speed, and I miss it... B

Nothing wrong with the V groove either. Go ahead and pull one plug just to see how it looks and go from there. Yes, most Frams are garbage. I believe the Tough Guard is acceptable, but why bother? If you pay for synthetic, run a good filter. I'm not an expert on them, but Mobil, Bosch and Wix (Napa gold?) should be of sufficiently high quality... B

Nice clean paint makes it easier to spot problems, and hey, the kid has a sense of ownership now... I bet he is looking forward to driving it, and you to it being out of the shop... B

Good! I figured you got the wrong one... B

That is odd, because the front driveshaft shouldn't be spinning unless you are in 4wd, and the front CVs shouldn't be spinning since you installed manual hubs (and have them unlocked I assume). Simply put, none of the frond end drive components would be turning when you drive on the road so they couldn't be the source of a vibration. B

If it isn't too late, I'd seriously consider not installing the Fram and going with a Mobil 1 filter, or a Bosch at least. Frams are... less than desirable. There are threads on them here and check out bobistheoilguy.com for better info... B

In all honesty, the stock control arms are plenty strong and it is usually the bushings that take the beating anyway. If you put on aftermarket arms with different geometry and don't lift it, the ball joints might be at severe angles (aftermarket arms generally compensate for ball joint angle once lifted) and it might also create alignment issues as well since they tend to be longer IIRC. I'd argue against installing aftermarket arms without lifting it, I just don't see any benefit. Rather save the $ and replace the control arm bushings and especially the tension rod bushings which are often overlooked. B

I'm not exactly sure what plug you are talking about, but is it one of the burp plugs for the cooling system? Sounds like you have it covered regardless... B

Just a FYI for everyone: when measuring body height, measure all 4 corners (at the wheel) to the center of the body crease. It is the only stable reference from vehicle to vehicle... Also, when adjusting height, remember that raising the front will raise the back some, so when reindexing T-bars or just cranking up a saggy front, do that first and then check out the rear. It might be that no real lift is needed back there. Obviously, before and after numbers are what it is based on, so make sure to get good readings on as level a ground you can use. Write them down, trust me on this... B

Both are good motors, with the VQ having about 25% more power, a timing chain VS T-belt, and some plug coil pack issues. I find the VG is adequate for the stock vehicle, but if you lift it and put on larger tires than the 30" stock, I think the extra power of the VQ would be desirable, especially if you live in hilly country. That said, the VG will get slightly better mileage and can be beefed up a little with CAI, VG30 stock/euro/stage 1 cams and cat back type exhaust package (Borla to mention 1)... The chassis is virtually identical, only the cosmetics are different, and unless you are a leadfoot, I suspect either would be adequate (especially if you mod the VG33). I'd focus on a clean, no rust, low mileage vehicle with a good price and snap it up, regardless of motor. You aren't going to win races with either, so focus on everything else first... (we have a 1999.0 R50 SE that is loaded, comfortable, and runs flawlessly at 180k miles) B

Funny how people will change a timing belt and leave the seals/tensioner alone... I go in and change EVERYTHING, if I plan to keep the vehicle, that is. It isn't that much more work or cost, and who wants to wonder where the oil is coming or change the T-belt AGAIN when the water pump fails... Two points: I didn't see thermostat bypass hose on the list. Make sure to change it when you are there, it is a biatch to get to otherwise. The 1993.5 on up timing belt with the rounded teeth are rated to 105k miles, not the 60k of the square ones, so don't change it prematurely. Congrats on having one of the few WD21s out there that have less miles than mine. If it doesn't make it to 250k+ miles, your son either flogged it to death without maintenance, or crashed it. I hope for neither, and seeing another 500k Pathy on the forums... You do know about overfilling the tranny? 5.1 liters is recommended, check out the Garage/TSB section for the thread. B

I lifted my truck's suspension about 2" for under $100, added a 2" body lift for about $100, added SuperLift UCAs for about $150, paid about $100 for my ARB bumper to be modified, and have a set of Sway-Away bars to install that I bought for about $150. A Pathfinder lift does not have to be expensive at all. Some kits can be nice and complete/convenient, but then you find out that they won't sell some components or bushings separately. Do your homework before you dump $1k, and it doesn't have to be that way... B

So, once again, have you contacted this guy? http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/18653-genuine-nissan-parts/ B

^This! The speedo in my first 1995 failed (as in didn't work at all) for years, regardless of checking the screws, connections, etc. Since it was a 5 speed, I just ignored it and drove by gear and RPM. I bought my second 1995 with a failed tach (as in didn't work at all), and swapped out the tachs so I would have one good cluster and one dead cluster. When I reinstalled the dead cluster into the old 1995, the speedo started working flawlessly. Figure that one out! I recommend you get another gauge cluster from a junk yard or part out and play alphabet soup to get a working set. B

Have you checked with Rob at FactoryNissanParts.com? http://www.factorynissanparts.com/parts/1990/Nissan/Pathfinder/XE?siteid=214081&vehicleid=92780&diagram=3615072 A pricey item, but if you need them, you need them... B

Really easy.... Have a cup of coffee in the morning, look at it, grab a wrench or two and have it changed out in 1/2 to 1 hour. B

Your cold starts are way different from my cold starts, no ticking here... B

Yeah, I can't think why to do that (odd ball fixes aside). Drain it well, fill it up... B

I'm a sciency kind of guy, and one of the keys to life is to learn; to keep learning. Kids these days with the internet are so lucky, I would have had to look this up in an encyclopedia/text books or go to the library... As for the oil, I agree with most of the posts, go with 5-30, synthetic is fine (even if it is just Mobil 1) unless you live in a major desert, then run 5(10)-40 synthetic in the blister months. I have a WD21 that I run 10-30 Valvoline semi-syn in (106k miles) and a R50 that has Mobil 10-30 in it (180k miles), and I'm considering going back to the Mobil 1 5-30 to see which it likes better on start up. Both work fine, but I'm trying to stock as few different grades of oil as possible, so finding something that all the cars like would be nice... B

So you are talking about the residual heat... Interestingly enough, the issue doesn't seem to be the material, but the design of the plugs. Copper actually has a thermal transfer rate almost 5.5x that of platinum (398 W/(m K) VS 73 W/(m K)); copper plugs have a large electrode and the the platinum have small ones, so it seems the small platinum tip is what allows it to cool sufficiently between firing. That makes more sense now... http://www.roymech.co.uk/Related/Thermos/Thermos_HeatTransfer.html B

This makes me wonder what the stock bolts are... B