acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 (edited) So I've been looking for an older 4x4 that's small for ages, and for the life of me I just can't bring myself to buy a jeep. I've been looking all over the place and stumbled on this old nissan pathfinder that's for sale. its a 1991, its got 328000 km's (KILOMETERS, NOT MILES. just to be clear) V6, 5 speed manual tranny, new mass flow sensor and fuel pump, I don't know anything else. Basically, I'm looking for advice on this vehicle, what should I look for, what's going to break, what needs special attention, etc. Also, I have access to a 1989 nissan diesel pickup, I'm interested in swapping the diesel engine in. This vehicle will be a daily driver and weekend explorer, not planning on doing serious mudding with my main vehicle and that's all I can afford right now. choice one choice two distributor won't turn, best deal though. choice three PS. just FYI, my current car (1993 VW jetta TDI) just rolled over 600000 km's so I'm no stanger to high mileage. I'm just wondering since I've got a choice of three different ones here. Edited October 4, 2010 by acorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismothunder Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Just look for frame rust and try to find a 94-95 5 spd model(105,000mike timing belt interveils) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 Just look for frame rust and try to find a 94-95 5 spd model(105,000mike timing belt interveils) why specifically a 94 to 95? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle94 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 (edited) why specifically a 94 to 95? 93 and down had a 60,000 mile timing belt change interval. they switch from round tooth to square tooth in 94-95's or vice versa, some one else will come in on that part(square to round, VS round to square). Edited October 4, 2010 by SexJelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismothunder Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 93 and down had a 60,000 mile timing belt change interval. they switch from round tooth to square tooth in 94-95's or vice versa, some one else will come in on that part(square to round, VS round to square). Please forgive him,he's a bit slow(Joking) Pre 94 models had square tooth cams that needed to be changed every 60,000 miles,94-up had round tooth ones that needed to be changed ever 105,000miles 3.0 and 3.3's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 Please forgive him,he's a bit slow(Joking) Pre 94 models had square tooth cams that needed to be changed every 60,000 miles,94-up had round tooth ones that needed to be changed ever 105,000miles 3.0 and 3.3's. cams? are we talking about changing the cam shaft or swapping a timing belt? timing belt is time consuming (sorry for the pun) but possible to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle94 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 cams? are we talking about changing the cam shaft or swapping a timing belt? timing belt is time consuming (sorry for the pun) but possible to do talking about changing the Timing Belt. i still need to do mine also. ive read a few threads about changing Timing Belts, i just havent had the time(only car) or money to do it. there is even a video of someone changing on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 (edited) sounds cool. Can you swap the parts and convert it? or is that too massive of a job? biggest job I've ever done is convert an S-10 pickup truck to a full electric vehicle. and swapping transmissions in my car, and dropping out the power steering rack, just to get an idea of what I can handle oh, also I just found another ad for a 1995 nissan pathfinder V6 with a 5 speed too Edited October 4, 2010 by acorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle94 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Can you swap the parts and convert it? or is that too massive of a job? that i have no say in. ive seen it asked before, but i dont know if it was answered or what the answer was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 that i have no say in. ive seen it asked before, but i dont know if it was answered or what the answer was. so I'm gonna guess its a little more than just some replaced belt pulleys and stuff then. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 so I'm gonna guess its a little more than just some replaced belt pulleys and stuff then. Oh well. I've been told that the pulleys from a 94 or 95 will fit my 87 so yes you should be able to convert older trucks you are looking at by just swapping the pulleys. The second one you posted looks pretty good as far as mods go but if the distributer doesn't turn that means he broke the timing belt. And with these engines we have learned that if the belt breaks it will bend valves. All you would have to do is swap the heads or pull them and change the valves and it would be running again. All the regular mods we do in this forum are already done to it, you just need a roof basket. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 (edited) bent valves eh? I might have to changes the pistons then too if its really bad, which basically means a full engine overhaul. Lots of work, but I suppose it would be worth it. I live in Canada, where abouts can I get a new head, and new valves, maybe a cam shaft? I just realized that one with the mods is in smithers BC, thats several hours from where I am, a long way to go to get a dead vehicle. Edited October 4, 2010 by acorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 (edited) Welcome. There is a thread stickied here that has a list of things to look for. The ones I would be most concerned about when buying a pathfinder are: -Frame (known to rust but in bc probably a non issue unless its from somewhere like onterrible). -Timing belt - when it was last changed, if you buy one and they don't know, change it asap. It's not that hard and there are a few how-to's on the board. -Tension rods - These are the rods that go from the lower control arm to the frame. You can see them through the wheel wells if you look hard enough. If the bushings are not replaced when they wear out it will oval out the hole in the frame, wear the rod excessively and if it breaks it can be dangerous to drive. Not expensive to fix though. -Body rust - this is a given with any vehicle. -Check the condition/levels of all the fluids. -Check the transmission. If its an automatic, make sure all the gears engage smoothly and quickly. If there is any delay in Reverse, walk away or ask for a reduction on the price. If it is a 5 speed make sure it doesn't make any noise in any gear. Also make sure the throwout bearing doesn't howl at you when you push the clutch in. Lastly ask for any maintenance records if the owner has them. Edited October 4, 2010 by adamzan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teixeira Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 i'm assuming you're from northern coastal BC. I noticed this one 1995 pathfinder in vancouver looks like it's in very good condition with some maintenece work done and an external tire carrier (they give you lots more cargo room) yes, adam has covered most of the points to pay attention too. If you do choose one with an automatic tranny, check the color of the fluid. If it's super dirty or super clean, make sure you give it a good run through the gears to make sure it's solid. As soon as you get it home, get yourself an external transmission cooler and bypass the factory cooler imbedded in the the radiator. there are lots of good articles on here about how to do it. Also, make sure that the exhaust manifolds are firmly seated. The v6 engine is notorious for breaking manifold mounting studs because the heads are aluminum and the manifolds are cast iron. You will know if they are leaking because you will hear a ticking noise that may go away after the motor heats up, and you should also be able to smell exhaust under the hood. If the heat shields are off the manifolds, you should be able to see if there are any broken studs. there are 2 studs for each port. I would stay away from the second 2 trucks you posted in your links. the second one looks a bit beat up and probably has a dead engine, and the third one doesn't look like it was taken care of and had a huge stereo installed. the first one is a bit dirty and high mileage, and you don't know the repair history. If you do the timing belt on your own,(which many people do) it will cost you around $350 for all the oem nissan parts (water pump, tensioner, belt, coolant hose, gaskets). If you let a dealer do it, expect to pay between $1000-$1200 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 that's a lot of really good information! I still haven't heard back from the first pathfinder owner, the one I'm going for. Its in a really really nice area of town, so that might be a bonus, but I'll write down this stuff to look for. I'm actually hoping on rebuilding the engine next summer when I switch to my bike for primary driver, in the winter I just want something that can run for the time being. Also mentioned in the diesel engine switch I'm interested in. Also, I'm not coastal BC, my profile says central northern BC, in the Prince George area (pretty much the middle of the province) the 1995 in vancouver is a very long drive away, and I really would rather have a manual. I learned with a stick, and find I like it better, even for offroading. I'm not planning on immidietly putting in big lift kits of oversized tires. I'd like to stick at or near OEM sizes so I don't have to worry about speedo gears. The most it will see is forest access roads and some light deactivations (for now) and a whole lot of snow. I've been seriously considering the Hankook dynapro ATM, or goodyear wrangler duratrac. Basically whatever has the best snow performance. But that's another discussion, so don't worry about posting on that here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 Crap. The guy sold it last night, that's why he never got back to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 I still think the 2nd one is worth looking at if you are handy with tools. It has headers manual locking hub, 5 speed, 33s and already lifted. My pathy was running when I bought it but I drove 4 hours one way with a 20" trailer to pick it up. I'm glad I did, it showed alot of neglect. The timing belt was so loose it was slapping on the cover. It probably wouldn't have made the drive home. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 if the second one wasn't 6 hours drive, I would be extremely tempted. I'm capable, I'm just worried how much it will cost, as I have very limited extra money right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Welcome, looks like you have most of the info you need above. Good luck on your search! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawzzy Posted October 6, 2010 Share Posted October 6, 2010 Welcome there fellow Canuckian...good luck with your search for a Pathfinder...really amazing little rigs. Youll find everything you need to know round here, and some stuff you dont...LOL Tye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acorn Posted October 6, 2010 Author Share Posted October 6, 2010 (edited) for the sake of comparison, say I look at a Jeep Cherokee. What would be the reason go get a nissan over that vehicle? I found a Cherokee with no rust in the same price range. Added bonus if you don't already know, the jeep Xj (cherokee 1986 to 2001 I think) was the last cherokee with solid front and rear Dana axles edit: ...I still want a pathy xD Edited October 7, 2010 by acorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der_Vier Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 why not an R50? You get the wonders of a unibody (gag) and its still purdy sexayy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawzzy Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) for the sake of comparison, say I look at a Jeep Cherokee. What would be the reason go get a nissan over that vehicle? I found a Cherokee with no rust in the same price range. Added bonus if you don't already know, the jeep Xj (cherokee 1986 to 2001 I think) was the last cherokee with solid front and rear Dana axles edit: ...I still want a pathy xD the independent front suspension on the pathyfinder was designed for more ON road handling...a solid axle is more benificial OFF road for tuffness and increased articulation (flex) Also the multi link rear suspension on the pathy was an engineering marvel of sorts in the early days..I dont think its changed much either. I dont have any personal experience with the cherokee...a friend has an older one he BEATS the YKW outta all the time, and its his daily driver!!! Dont tell anyone but...i knda like the looks of those year of cherokees, especially beefed up with tires etc!!! Thats just my opinion...im not an expert! Really i dont know anything!!! But I love my PATHFINDER MOST! Tye Edited October 14, 2010 by Hawzzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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