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Newbie Checkin


ubertalldude
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Hello NPORA! Really glad I found this forum, and even more glad I found the Pathfinder to go with it!

 

I bought a 1992 SE V6 w/ 5-speed manual this past weekend off CL for $500 (unbelievable deal)

 

I've been watching a bit too much Dirt Every Day on Motor Trend's YouTube, and started to think it might be cool to get an offroad toy. From my experience driving the Pathfinder around a local vacant lot, I can see I got a real winner of a truck.

 

About me: I've been working on cars as needed ever since I started driving, slowly picking up more and more skills along the way (and a mismatched hodgepodge of tools to go with it) and it recently came to a head when I bought my first project vehicle, a 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 750 motorcycle. Now that I have that running in good shape, I plan to do a full tune-up and service on the Pathfinder so I have 2 running driving toys to bleed my wallet dry.

 

My Pathfinder is in pretty good shape considering its age, but at 250k+ miles it needs some attention. Primary courses of action are to do plugs/wires, all belts (timing belt soon, too), bleed the brakes, and an oil change. Later on I plan to change all the MT, TX case, and diff oils because I can't imagine they've been changed recently. I'll go ahead and overfill the MT oil per the TSB with some good GL-4 fluid, because my transmission isn't whining yet, but I don't wanna chance it. After that, toss a decent set of cheap knobby tires on it, and find some trails!

 

Anyways, let me know if there's any other things I need to do to get this bad boy back up to tip-top shape (for a 23 year old car)

 

Here's a pic of the Pathfinder towing my daily driver, a 2014 Mazda 3, on the 2 hour trip back home from buying it. 7ngvuzX.jpg

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:welcome: Sounds like you found a GREAT deal! Like you said, I would highly recommend going over the fluids and minor tuning to learn about the status of your Pathfinder's mechanical condition. Good luck on your project!! Here's a link to how I flushed the cooling system on my 92SE: Cheers!

 

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/41515-advice-on-coolant-flushheater-hose-inlet-hose-92se/

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Had to spend $20 on extensions and universal adapter to get that rear spark plug out, what a PAIN!

 

And, unfortunately, I found the rear frame has a couple pretty sizable rust holes, especially on the passenger side. I washed out the frame rails and scrubbed what flaky rust I could get off of there, and I'm gonna use some rust converter and undercoat spray to keep it from rusting further for now. 23 year old car, I live in Florida (a few miles off the coast, so not too much salt air, and no salt roads) so HOPEFULLY it won't get a whole lot worse. Any suggestions other than that? The rust holes are on the outer sides of the frame and are just big enough to fit a few fingers into, so they're not a huge detriment to structural integrity (for now)

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Not uncommon sadly. Frame rot is why my '95 sits by the shed as a parts car. Fixing it depends on your skill with a welder and the extent of the rust. My uncle welded a couple plates over the worst of the rust in my '95 to buy it some time but complained that the frame he was trying to weld to kept blowing through. They rot from the inside out so you can have thin metal in a lot of places before you see a hole. Mine rotted out in the sides and bottoms, especially over the exhaust pipe. Everything's fixable with enough MIG wire and steel plate but I didn't figure I'd be comfortable bolting on a tow bar afterwards.

 

And yeah, nobody likes #6.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Seems like you have done your research and are on the right track for your projects. I did a bunch of that last summer. I would definitely add that you should check your bushings, particularly the tension rod (compression rod) bushings. They tend to wear out and then the frame digs into the rods themselves. Mine were about half the diameter they should have been. There are a few threads on this issue and how to fix it. Overall all the rubber parts will be getting old, so take a look at them.

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This is what I have heard talked about as a great paint for rust issues after you scrape off as much as you can. Keep us updated.

 

http://www.por15.com/Rust-Preventive-Coating_c_11.html

I used POR15 on the frame of my Honda Passport and it seemed to work well (except that I couldn't coat the inside of the frame). I think it took a pint can of it for the frame.

Edited by maaakaaa
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You can use spray rust busters and make a tube or buy the frame kit to coat the inside I pressure wash all I can. Flood the tubing of the frame then let it dry a couple days and take rust reformer with a straw and washer fluid tube and go nuts.

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