Seeking advice on modifications

[Guest ReyXLP]

I have a '97 Pathfinder SE 4x4 5 Speed.

 

I would like to get more horsepower out of the engine.

 

From the research I've done, some options are:

 

Air Intake Upgrade (+ 5 hp)

Computer Upgrade (+ ? hp)

High Performance Cams (+ 15% hp)

Throttle Body Spacers (+ 5 hp)

 

Can anyone recommend high performance exhaust systems and headers?

 

I'm also looking for the following upgrades:

 

Front & Rear Sway Bars

Rear disc brake conversion (mine are drums)

 

Any advice or information on this stuff would be greatly appreciated.

 

Many thanks from the newbie...

 

- Rey

[88pathoffroad]

I highly doubt you'll get 5 HP simply from a TB spacer on the 3.3, but hey, do what you like. On the air filter/intake: JWT Pop-Charger, or K&N, or Stillen, or make your own.

 

So far, there are no headers made by anyone for the 3.3 or 3.5L Pathfinder. Cat-back exhausts are available from Borla and Flowmaster, I believe. Do a Google search and start looking, you'll find something.

 

You could try Stillen for swaybars, but I don't know if they make any for Pathfinders. Are you looking for upgraded swaybars, or replacements, or what?

 

Rear disc conversion...well, if you found another 96-99 Pathy with rear discs in the junkyard, you could presumably swap all the parts over, or the whole rear diff, if the gear ratio is a match for yours. Nobody's done a disc conversion as far as I know, but several people with 90-95 Pathfinders have simply swapped the rear axle from an SE Pathfinder into their XE. Pretty easy bolt-on job.

[Guest ReyXLP]

Thanks so much for the information!

 

Most of those mod ideas come from looking at performance parts on sale at www.4x4parts.com -- I am a total newbie and have no idea if they will perform as advertised or not (i.e. +5 hp from throttle body spacers.)

 

I will look into cat-back exhausts from these companies you suggested.

 

I want stiffer sway bars to remove some body roll for better highway/street handling. I replaced my oem shocks/struts with Koni Sports Adjustable and have been very happy with them -- same comfort but better handling. I don't want the ride any harsher, so I figure the sway bars are the next thing to look at. I will look into Stillen and see what they have.

 

With the rear axle swap suggestion, do you think I'd run into any problems with compatability of the differences (if any) between the ABS system for the rear drums vs. the ABS for rear discs? Also, do you have any idea what a fair price would be for a salvage rear axle in good working condition?

[88pathoffroad]

I have no idea on the ABS question, but I would think that the wiring would be the same. *shrug*

 

Fair price on a 97-00 Pathfinder axle? Meh. I haven't priced any newer parts like that, but an axle from an older Pathy would prolly fetch $200 minimum, and you'd have to pull it off the wreck yourself. A newer axle would probably be three or four times that much, considering that a brand new one from Nissan will run into the thousands.

[DJ Dank]

Throttle body spacers, after much discussion on the AC message board, are a waste of $$$ on Pathfinders. For a direct port injected engines, the "swirling" of the air, which they supposedley do, have no effect on the performance is what I've summed up from their discussions. Just a marketing ploy to buy their product IMHO.

 

There's a guy on the AC board JGricci, who has Stillen headers but I know for a fact that Stillen discontinued production on them. I don't think they were a successful venture on their part.

 

I know that if you want to do a rear disc coversion, there are kits out there available but they are lots of $$$, in the thousands. AND you also LOSE your ABS capability. I've read this from many sources.

 

I know that Stillen makes/use to make a sway bar for the R50 Pathfinders. If you have any luck finding one, let me know.

 

And one last tip, which I'm sure 88pathoffroad will agree with me on. Don't buy from AC(4x4parts.com). Don't get me wrong, they are a plethera of valuable knowledge and info, however they charge outrageous prices for their products. Not once have I seen a product and thought to myself" wow, thats a good deal", its more like the opposite, "you gotta be kidding me? You want HOW much for those lift coils?" :oops:

[big_johnson]

As for the computer upgrade, it's a lot of money for a bit of horsepower. Because the VG33E is naturally aspirated, there is no turbo or supercharger to up the boost on, so the improvement won't be huge. A computer upgrade may add a bit of peak HP and alter the Fuel/air ratios, but for $300 something dollars it may not be worth it.

 

On the exhaust, you should be able to just buy what muffler you want and have an exhaust shop weld it in with whatever new pipes you want. Thats what I'm doing, I got a dynomax and I'm having a shop weld it in with an exit pipe. Total cost including muffler should be about $140-160.

[97SE]

On the air filter/intake: JWT Pop-Charger, or K&N, or Stillen, or make your own.

None of these offer a full system right? The K&N is just the drop-in, and the Pop Charger doesn't appear to be a complete system...MAF connection, spacers, etc....the Stillen I couldn't find anything on. So, is there a complete cold air intake system for a 97 pathfinder?

 

SJ

[XPLORx4]

...is there a complete cold air intake system for a 97 pathfinder?

 

SJ

Nope. See reply in other thread.