Precise1

I see what you are saying 88, and yes Mr P, once you know what is 'correct' you're ok. BUT you can't get a good reading with the engine running so thats out. Oil level is to be checked a few minutes after running to let most of any oil that will drain down do so. If you have the extra capacity oil path, when you shut the motor off, that will also start draining so when would you when to check it to 'calibrate ' the dipstick. Not to mention you never know if your lines and filter are completely filled when its running. It's this ambiguity that I'm wondering how to get around. I want to know, down the mililiter !! Um, just kidding. I guess the best way is just to do the math on the system you installed, add that much extra, and call it good ? Bernard

I highly recommend you get in touch with diesel boy !! Good luck. Bernard

Virtually everything I have read, here and elsewhere, is very specific to use only gl-4 NOT gl-5. I've decided to believe a 95% concensus. Every autoparts parts guy (without looking anything up) told me "just use gl-5". I decided NOT to believe them. I asked one of these yokels if that was what he put in his Pathfinder MT ? He said "um, no, I have a Blazer2 automatic..." I said "Piss off then..." gl-4 is harder to find but it is out there, just call around. Thats a real good point somethingcool; never thought about that. Besides, then you have 1 less different oil type thing sitting around. Bernard

??? LOL ??? Yes, that is where it would be if someone hadn't pulled it off. But then, I know how shift my 95 anyway and mick2 has a 97.... B

Um, well, 3 feet of 1/2" hose holds around 1 pint (if my math is correct) plus one 1 pint for an oversized filter. If you have this set up and put 4 quarts in your motor, then start it, assuming you fill the lines and filter with oil, your engine is now running with only 3 quarts in it which could effect lubrication. Not something I would want to do... The dip stick isn't very helpful in this situation unless you work it out and re-graduate it for operating conditions. Or were you joking ? Bernard

Good write up MM !! I like the idea, and I'm sure I'll do it soon. My question is about the appropriate oil level, especially if you go with the ford filter. More oil is good up to the point where you start blowing seals; with the 'normal' amount of oil specified, in this set up you will actually be a little bit low at operating condition. What is the happy balance ? I guess you could calculate the volume of the length of hoses+'oversized' filter difference, but does any one know from experience? Maybe I'm overly concerned, but I'm also an aircooled VW buff so I'm familiar with deeper sump, oil cooler atachments, etc. The biggest mistake is that people add this to increase oil capacity and cooling, but fail to to take into account the greater oil path volume and actually end up starving the motor and killing it sooner than if they left it alone. I know its apples and eggplants but the principle is the same. Technically it would also apply to after market auto tranny coolers, but with 8+ quarts it probably doesn't matter, but then, with larger diameter hoses and greater capacity coolers, who knows ? Feel free to slap me down if I'm being silly... Bernard P.S. Didn't I read an entire thread about what garbage Fram is or am I loosing my mind ?

@!*%e !!! mick2, I'm sorry. I read everything you described but was too stupid to notice the '97 part. Here I thought I was helping or something... Thanks for the patience and good humor; I should have payed better attention. I dont know crap about the 96+ models... My only suggestion is buy a 95-. I know, not very useful. Again, sincere apologies.... Bernard

Hey there Sirus. 'accidently ended up getting my 94' Pathfinder (XE-V6) vandelized' ? As opposed to on purpose ? Sorry, couldn't help my self. Don't feel alone, some twit broke off my driving lights last night... While I haven't done this myself, I went out and looked. I have a '95XE so they are probably identical. If you open the rear you will see 3 screws through some trim on the side of the lense which is covered by the hatch when closed. Looks like that has to come off regardless, so remove it. If this doesn't expose some screws, then look inside the truck where the rear of the assembly would be. There is a plastic clip door; remove it. You now see the rear of the entire light assembly and 3 nuts. Looks like these hold in/together the assembly. A bit of a hassle, but it keeps people from walking up and unscrewing you lense; instead they have to break a window ! FYI, there is a lot of room in that space, perfect for a cargo net, road flares, a kilo of your favorite substance during border crossings... JUST KIDDING !!! Good luck Bud. Bernard

Not to mention you can boil a battery that way, and thats not funny. I have literally seen batteries that are puffed up like a baloon; I don't have to explain the fun you will have if it were to burst. Don't be lazy, make this a priority ! Bernard

LOL, I have an idea of what you mean, but you had it worse... I put a clutch in mine, and it was a long chore. Not particularly hard (other than the tranny/transfer case unit being about 1/2 the size of the truck) but labor intensive. As for the T-bars, with a MT you have to drop the cross member anyway and the T-bars don't want to come loose until you loosen the bolts for the front spline bracket, then they fall out LOL. Can't imagine trying to work through the starter hole !!! Yow, nice design !! Good job and hats off !! Bernard

Ok, I went and grabbed the manual... Personally I always use skrillaguerilla's described method; thats the was is stated with my previous 720 PU. The manual says you can shift on-the-fly into 4H at speeds up to 25 mph (40kph). you can shift back to 2H at any time at any speed (clutch not required for manuals) BUT autolocking hubs will not disengage until the vehicle has been moved backwards AT LEAST 3 feet (1M); I'm guessing with stock tire size (personally I reverse until I hear the click/ping and the light goes out). With that said, there is no benefit to shifting out of 4h on-the-fly as you have to stop and back up anyway. Personally, I highly recommend following skrillaguerilla's directions. If nothing else it is more gentle to the components and will work every time. FYI for the auto tranny... 4H-4L or 4L-4H: stop, put tranny in N, depress transfer case lever and move it to 4H or 4L. DO NOT leave it in N. If you do, and have resulting dificulty/grinding when attempting to select 4H or 4L, shut off the motor, make gear selection, and restart the motor. DO NOT place transfer case in N and attempt to shift trasmission into P ! 2H-4L: stop, transmission in N, depress transfer case lever and shift smoothly to 4L. NOTE, this may not work. If not, shift to 4H and follow directions to shift to 4L. 4L-2H: Same as above, but reverse transfer case shift lever direction, same note applies. This may seem like a lot to remember, but if you go through every case scenario, it ALL works if you 1: STOP, 2: put transmission in N, 3) shift 1 gear selection at a time (transfer case N is not a gear) 4) when you finally get back to 2H, back up. Maybe I've beaten this to death, but wanted to cover all the bases and be as clear as possible. Enjoy your 4x4 ! Bernard

I had a bogging, dying issue before with both a Plymouth Fury and a Nissan 720 PU. Both only did it on steep inclines, and it was the fuel filter. Thats the first thing I'd check. Good news is it's cheap and easy. Good luck. Bernard

I just happened to have my skid plate off right now so I went out and checked. This is a off a '95XE FYI. There are 6 M6x1.0 by 15mm long bolts that hold it on. Depending on how you drilled the holes out and as you said there is still some bolt remnants in the holes, the threads may be fine. Personally, being a machinist, I would try to remove the rest of the bolt (at least enough to get a tap started) and chase the existing threads. If not, you need a bolt with root thread diameter of over .24". That pretty much leaves you with 5/16-18 as the next size although depending on the thickness of the material, you may want to go with 5/16-24. I'm assuming you'll use standard as it is more readily available, otherwise M8x1.25 is the answer. While self tappers work, they usually make nasty threads that may bugger up or strip out if you remove the skid plate often. I suggest doing a proper drill and tap for what ever size you go with. As for getting at the lower bolts, well, jack it up or use a pit. Hope this helped, let me know if there is anything else. Bernard

Um, don't know what model you have; are the 96+ years 4 wheel independant ? Regardless, I think its the CV's. Mechanic (at a shop I recommended LOL) told my GF her vibration was from bent rims(on a honda civic, but the principle is the same). BS, I said, and drove it 2 miles up and down the freeway, took it back and said 'look at the CV's!'. Proof is, vibration only happened at higher speeds, speed somewhat increased the severity/frequency of the vibration, it was much more noticeable on acceleration (when the CV's are under load/strain), lesser vibration maintaining speed, and reduced when braking. Usually steering/bushing issues will only be affected by speed and driving/road conditions, not acceleration/maintaining speed. Thats its in 4x4, at high speed, worse during accel when I know you have some CV's turning tells me they are binding a bit. You have provided little discription, and I have not driven the vehicle, but from what you say CV's are the first thing I would check/replace. Tranny mount issues are possible, but I have not run into that so I can only guess. I had my tranny out recently in my 95MT and know I have 1 of the 2 tranny mount studs broken off, but do not have and vibration issues. Not to beat a decomposing horse, but year/gear/model/mod information is helpful to garner an accurate guess. Let us know what the cure was. Bernard

88 echo... P&. P&..P&.! B I'll call ya tonite...

Oops, did I get that acronym wrong ? B

"You have a car not a canoe." LMAO, good point ! My questions would be up stream, down stream, across, or still water ? I'm morally opposed to getting stuck or drowning a vehicle, so I'll always get out and walk or probe before proceeding. My thumb rules... Moving water: if you have trouble wading across, so will your Pathy. Depth, current, and bottom consistancy all apply. Still water: 3 feet deep and you are pushing your luck. Slaughter a chicken while wearing a goat's head and dancing around a bonfire naked (chanting is advisable). Procede with water crossing, hoping 1 chicken was enough. Muddy water: don't guess. Get out and find out ! I carry a cheap telescoping fishing rod 6'+ and use this to check things out if I cant see the bottom. Then, if I was to drown, I can sit on the roof and see if the fish are biting until someone comes along to pull my sorry, stupid, drowned carcass out. Rami may have some specific insight on this Bernard

Hey javven. Brake pads/shoes themselves are no big deal, but if you need rotors or drums turned it is a little more work, not to mention leaving the truck jacked up. You will need snap ring pliers and 6mm allen wrench (I believe) to remove the rotors. Depending on age/condition sometimes you should replace the wheel bearings if you have the rotors off.... It really depends on how bad things are and how far you want to go. If you know anyone with an indicator, you can check runout on the rotors to determine if they need turning/replacing. Do you get pulsing in the brake petal when you apply it ? Thats a dead give away. Other things you will need are a few cans of brake cleaner (also a pan, and some sort of goop container), a length of hose (rubber, etc) for bleeding the brakes, and a buddy to step on the petal for you. Oh, and a manual... If you dont have, buy ! Aquarium stores usually have a nice selection of cheap clear tubing, so you can see the dirty fluid/air bubbles when you bleed the system. One of the major plusses of working on trucks in my book is room and ground clearance. When I work on my GF's honda civic, I'm usually swearing before I pick up any tools... Bernard

I want the stabilizer, and could use front shocks... May as well just replace the rear also at $20 each. Any feed back on the brand ? I'm assuming these are stiffer than stock... LOL looks like I'm beefing up the Pathy faster than I planned Bernard

Hey MM, here is a good article describing how to do a basic P&P yourself. http://www.sa-motorsports.com/diyport.shtm Like I said, it's about breathing and farting... Bernard

Sorry mzxtreme, that doesn't read like I meant. I believe you. I have only had my Pathy 3 months and am no tranny expert. I had just literally 'not heard of it' which is no great suprise. When you mention cooler, are you refering to an auto tranny ? Any info you find is worth sharing. Bernard

Hey 88. I have a 95. The way you say 'if you really want one' makes me wonder if they are useless... My application is occasional GP, mainly so I can carry extra or something that wont fit inside. What is the stock weight rating ? Do they only mount to the sheet metal ? Will an 87-89 mount to a 95 ? Which is better ? Obviously I haven't done my homework here... Yes, I want a roof rack, no, I don't know if I want a stock one now. Anyone have info/input ? Bernard

I say forget the cosmetics, CAM it !! Get that 3.0 breathing and farting well, and I bet you will be glad you did. Bernard MMM, port and polish would go well also...

I'm guessing they are defective factory seconds... I'm not sure I need anything like that, so I bought 4... These things have 1001 uses. darn dog aint getting loose any more, thats for sure !! Thanks for the tip mzxtreme. They were on my 'need to purchase some time' list, and thats a HECK of a good price. Too bad they are in Ca, I had to pay tax Bernard

Hey chapter. You need to read this... http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2621 Seems appropriate and simple enough. I did it recently, but have not had the truck long enough to vouch for the cure. I'd try it before pulling the tranny and having it drilled though. I'd never heard of that one mzxtreme.. Bernard