bmoops Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Hi All, Beware… this is a long intro so proceed with caution. Just joining the ranks of all you Pathfinder owners. I purchased a 92 SE 5-speed with the sport package (I believe) for a mere $200. Needless to say, it’s in dire need of some tender loving care after 282k hard kilometers (175k miles). It’s really a project for myself and to teach my 9 year old about how things work… or don’t work. Here is a list of the issues along with any repairs I’ve performed (so far). 1. Infamous corroded floor Pulled the seats out and replaced the floor with galvanized sheet steel. Lots of rivets, lots of cutting and lots sealant in a days work. Problem is finding a place to bolt down the single front bolt on the center anchor of the seat backs. Any suggestions besides welding in a member across the entire cabin to simply hold down the seats? I still need to reinstall the center and driver side seat belt clips so they’re moved back onto more solid ground. Total cost ~$25. 2. Rotten radiator Removed and replaced with a nice one from the local junkyard. Total cost $35. 3. Passing emissions standards for British Columbia High NOx and high hydrocarbons. As luck would have it, the previous owner had installed a new muffler, CAT and O2 sensor within a year of selling it. Replaced the mass flow sensor from the junkyard (after checking the donor VIN online to make sure it passed emissions). Still failed. Discovered the ECU post here and will stop wasting money and simply diagnose the problem. I expect it’s the EGR valve. Total Cost $25 (so far) 4. Starter motor The starter is a little hit and miss. A couple of times I could not get the motor to turn over so I tapped the starter to get it to work. Bought a starter from a junkyard (nearly new AC Delco) but have yet to install it. Total Cost $25 5. Headlights One light only at times and sometimes no high beam setting. Again, junkyard purchase of a replacement switch but have not installed yet. Total Cost $15 6. No Gauges except speedometer Discovered the post here about the faulty voltage regulator. I will spend the ~$5 at The Source (formerly Radio Shack). Total Cost ~$5 7. Oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs Total Cost $50 8. Spare tire clunking I will try the 3 in 1 oil daily for a few weeks to see if it goes away. 9. Frame Corrosion When replacing the floor I noticed there is pitting on the frame. This could be the one big cost. Is it best to weld on a support plate over the joint? Total Cost ??? 10. Uneven rear tire wear The rear tires are significantly worn on the inside. Need an alignment. Never done it before but it would be a good learning experience for me and the kid… maybe. 11. Sport suspension There is a switch on the center console for switching to sport suspension but the switch does nothing. Not sure if it’s worth fixing. 12. Rocker panel corrosion I don’t want to replace the rocker panels. Has anyone tried an easier (not so permanent) fix? Still need to check the exhaust manifold and tension rod bushings. Grand Total to date is $200 plus $180 in replacement parts. The engine runs really nice and the steering is also quite stable but with a little sway. So far this site has been a wealth of information. Great work everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctpathy Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Welcome to NPORA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandShark Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Welcome to NPORA bud. That sport suspension switch does work, but you probably can't feel a difference because the shocks are completely worn out, or maybe have even been replaced with after market shocks and then the switch wouldn't be hooked up to them. As far as the rocker panels, I've seen a couple threads on here about that. I think I remember someone using diamond plating, you may have some luck using the search feature. Lets see some pics of the truck when ya get a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Even with the repairs you got a good deal. Welcome to NPORA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 That is a great deal. Welcome. For the frame I would take an awl (spelling?) and check for holes, then you'll know where exactly you need to weld plates on. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zibi Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Good to see another BC rig on here! Where abouts are you from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 to the family! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftpup Posted May 29, 2008 Share Posted May 29, 2008 I'm paying far too much for maintenance?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janolopsen Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 to Npora Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithk Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Welcome fellow BCer, we have offroading trek on June 14th if you are in the Chilliwack area. Just scroll to the Western Canada section for the latest updates and details. Hope to see you there and welcome to NPORA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eglaisi_91pathy Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) BC's population is sure forming here! Frame rust: as above take an awl (correct spelling) or screwdriver, or pick hammer and lightly poke/hit the areas in question. If it easily goes right through, you have problems. If only little spots go through than it's not too late. Best way would be to sand blast, but you may not have that option. A wire wheel on an angle grinder will pretty much do the same job, just takes longer. After that, prime it with a good quality self-etching sealer primer (non-sanding). Throw some good quality paint over top of that, some undercoating over the paint and your at par or better with factory. Rocker rust: Cover it up! But stop it from spreading more before you cover it. Basically same idea as the frame, grind until you get into good metal then prime it. After that you can find a piece of aluminum or galvanized steel and screw or rivet it over top of the entire rocker lengthwise. I did mine with a stone guard topcoating, but it gives you an idea. That's probably the cheapest way to stop it from rusting more and still making it look decent. Hope this helps. Edited June 15, 2008 by eglaisi_91pathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zibi Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Got to remember, frames generally rot from the inside out so even if it seems pretty solid you could have some potentially bad rust problems. Good to deal with it as soon as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerranoNZ Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Welcome to the family 10: I would have to guess that the fronts have been put onto the rear (With old wear showing) The rear cant be adjusted. 11: Forget it and just bolt in a set of after market shocks like Rancho or Procomp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russianfront Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 BC is maybe the best place to be a wheeler in the world. So many places to explore! So many nasty roads! Now that the government is letting old logging roads fall apart there is a an endless supply of places to wheel quite close to the big city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doughboy Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 BC is maybe the best place to be a wheeler in the world. So many places to explore! So many nasty roads! Now that the government is letting old logging roads fall apart there is a an endless supply of places to wheel quite close to the big city. .... hmmm... maybe some of us western washington guys should go and meet up with you BC pathy owners and you could show us around lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now