Precise1

Ahh, well, good points all around... I remember canceling a sale on a reman starter years ago. It was 'rebuilt' with about the same process as you described. It was clean, but thats about it. Just looking at in the box at the parts counter, I told the guy "I don't want that crap" and walked... B

Ok, maybe I'm confused, but if it is a wasted crank bearing and it has play and suddenly you are leaking oil, isn't likely that that it is the rear main seal ?? B

No, you shouldn't have to drain any, but you will spill some, so be prepared. I don't believe there is a drain plug, I think you have to pull the pan, which doesn't want to come all the way off due to clearance issues. This is just what I remember reading. Depending on how old the tranny fluid is, you may just want to do yourself a favor and replace it. Does anyone know if it is ok to disconnect a cooler line and fire up the truck to pump the fluid out ? Will it get most of it out ? Will it hurt anything to do this for a minute or two ? Automagic ignorant here... B

Now thats something worth following up on. My '95 doesn't have any frame rust, but I know plenty of you people out there do. Take a few minutes to write a letter and spend a few stamps. It may well work to everyones favor ! Thanks mucho luv !! B

Well, this morning I did find a NOPRA mass email... In my junk mail box... DOH !!! B

What in the world are you rambling on about ?? EXPLAIN !!! REFRAIN !! CONFORM !! CONSUME !!! Sorry, got excited... B

LOL, thanks for sharing guys... This way I'm not the only traction challenged idiot ! Yeah, you can use it to get tricky at LOW speeds and off road, but I have no desire to experiment on the road with traffic at normal city speeds !! Good. If you don't know when it has been done, put in some fresh oil, but make sure it has LSD additive !! 3qts of "nissan approved LSD". I can't remember what I put in now. I think it was GL-5 80w-90 with LSD additive. It's not expensive and if you take care of it, it just works better/lasts longer... B

Glad you are OK DSM. I understand how you feel though, but self blame to a point is good. Helps you remember... Don't take it too far though. Down hill + ice= few options. Other than what sped you crest at, but I'm sure as hell not going to second guess you. I recommend moving to where it does not normally snow, it's much nicer... B

Single will work fine, but duals would be more fail safe if you wire them independantly. What fan(s) do you plan to use ? I hear the ford taurus fan fits well, but I don't know which years... I'd have to search... B

LSD=Limited Slip Differential... It has clutch plates in it which lock up (or try to) when torque is applied. This means you can get power to both wheels unlike an open diff where it is just 1 or the other. If your LSD is in good shape, you will bite with both wheels when you step on the gas. A definite plus when you need traction. It doesn't help much if one wheel is totally off the ground, but I understand applying the brake will help it hook up. Way better than open diff, not as good as a locker but far more street friendly. Still, I don't dare stomp on it taking a corner in the rain; I pirouetted across in intersection turning left once when I first bought the truck, thank god it was open and mostly empty ! Once I lost traction with both wheels, that was it. Didn't hook back up till I was damn near stopped. Good news is my LSD hooks up well and with the MT and motor running strong, I can look like an idiot any time the the traction isnt perfect. It even tries to break loose on crosswalks... B

Ok, just had a stupid idea for those "long haulers" in the out back. You could easily put 5 jerry type cans on the tire carrier (without the tire). It would take a little bracketry, but nothing crazy. Then you could have a locking bar to hold them in place and cover the openings... That would add 200 lbs to the carrier, but I think it would handle it. Hell, I knew a guy who had his BMW GS1000 motorcycle rigged to carry 4 jerry cans... B

Yes, but if it is something that can be answered in a sentence or two, there's no real harm either. He'll get up to speed. There certainly is no harm taking 1/2 hour to play with the search function... B

Wow, do you live on the east coast and work in a salt mine ? Depends if you are more about comfort and features or offroading. Certainly nothing wrong with a 2002 !! B

While I'm sure someone has done otherwise, the only upgrade I'm familiar with for the Pathy's is the quest alternator... B

My experience with my last 2 Nissan trucks is that they have very efficient cooling systems, ie. Greater cooling capacity then is 'required' for the motor. Thats just fine by me and going the other way is dumb, but it does mean for those of you in the land of ice and snow that your truck isn't going to warm up quick, if at all really The cardboard trick is better than nothing, probably work very nicely in conjunction with an electric fan, especially if you can manually shut it off. I though block heaters were used up there on the tundra ? B

It isn't too hard to rig some sort of lockable strap or bar for external mounts. Gas isn't THAT expensive that it needs to be bank vault secure. I personally prefer to keep gas out of the interior of the vehicle... B

Yes, you are absolutely correct, that would be better. Simon pretty much covers things with his explanation, but no, the angle is steeper than it needs to be, but not by too much. The bottom bend where it levels out again is about 2" farther forward than it needs to be. mws is on the right track with about the only way one could reduce the angle more, but I think you can only go so far with that also as you don't want to go too low and due to the front valance you can't shift the mount points too much farther forward. At least, thats what I think; remember, my truck is bent up front and doesn't have a lower valance on it yet... There is 1/2 stand off block in the front, but I also had to make a 3/4 stand off for the rear mount to clear some components as this skid plate is a bit wider than the stock one. I have been in discussion with JJ and he made a good recommendation which, combined with a variant of what mws sugested, would reduce the angle about as much as is feasible. I didn't want tackle it on the first prototype, but it would actually make the forming easier. Basicly, the front wouldnt have a bend, rather the plate would rise up in an angle to (and slightly past) an angled front mount (looking like this \_ ). I'd leave the stock mount points but maybe drop it another inch. This combined with having the bottom bend farther back would be the best it would get. The current bend is about 50 degrees from horisontal. Trig says the best possible scenario could achieve 35 degrees, but in reality, I think I could gaurentee a 40 degree slope max. Still, that would be much better !! This being the first one made, I'm pretty happy with the results, but of course there is room for improvement ! Thanks much everyone for your input and suggestions (and praise ), thats exactly what I want. Keep it comming, don't be shy. B

Sorry it didn't work out, but yes, sometimes it's best just to walk away from it. Didn't sound like such a good deal. No worries though, something else will turn up soon, they are common enough. B

Get a Pathfinder specific one. There are also electronic copies of the FSM floating around... Ask REAL nice, and someone may send you a copy. B

Do you own a manual yet ? Get one. Chiltons has exploded views of things (including the front end) with labels. Spend 15 minutes under the truck while looking at the diagram and you will have a detailed understanding of what things are and basically how they work. B

I think option #1 from after the cat would be your best bet... Just have them weld in a flange so it's just a bolt in and hang set up. 1 hour per year max to deal with... Good man, thats 1/2 the reason I bought a Pathy !! B

Yes, do it right... Sorry, I have no idea but I assume it is straight forward. Hey Martin, take a few picts and do a bit of a write up... It may help save some people $ and encourage them to do it themselves. You rebuilt the clutch MC ?? Why ? As far as I can tell, they are identical to the one on my 84 D720 and that cost about $25 1 year ago for a replacement. Seems like the kit and time isn't worth it to me... B

I'm assuming you mean normal driving when warmed up ? Maybe when stopped at a light ? Not rich exhaust when you first start it ? Some detail is usually helpful. Ok, you smell gas. That would mean you have a gas leak. It could be at the seal for the fuel pump its self (in the tank, there is a removable port in the floor of the cargo area under the carpet), the metal gas line into the engine bay, the flex line to and from the fuel filter, and lastly the lines around the fuel rails themselves. You will have to look, smell and attempt to isolate where the smell is comming from. Outside, underneath or under the hood is required. B

I believe Simon has the right approach, and the possible culprit. Especially when it is cold and depending on how old and crapped up your shocks are, it may be stiction of the piston/shaft. I have witnessed this before. Regardless, have your head under the front end and have someone of same or greater mass hop in. Go from there... B

The only thing I could find is the Idle-Up solenoid valve "An idle-up solenoid valve is attached to the intake collector to stabilize idle speed when the engine load is heavy due to electrical load, PS load, etc. An air regulator provides an air bypass when the engine is cold in order to increase idle speed during warm up (fast idle). A bimetal, heater and rotary shutter are built into the air regulator. When the bimetal temp is low, the air bypass port is open. As the engine starts and current flows through the heater, the bimetal begins to rotate the shutter to close off the air bypass port. The air passage remains closed until the motor is shut off and the bimetal temp drops" Thats all it says with no pictures. You may want to pull the rubber hose leading into the throttle chamber, and inspect it's operation and perhaps clean it, they get crapped up and stick sometimes. When it is all back together, I'd check for intale leaks at suggested, but everywhere, not just the manifold gasket. I prefer to use WD-40 for this, I've had good luck with it. B