92 Pathfinder

Post a pic of your ride, tell us where you're from, what vehicle your Path replaced, etc etc.

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VStar650CL
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby VStar650CL » Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:55 pm

ajphilipp wrote:
Sat Feb 05, 2022 2:43 pm
Yup. good idea.Thank you, I did not think of that nor did my mechanic scheduled to do the work mention it. Most mechanics not interested in doing the injector swap, one quoted me $700 not including parts. I passed on that. Found OEM injectors for about $85 a piece and I finally found a mechanic willing to do the injector swap scheduled for 3 weeks from now.
I'll have to search if OEM fuel regulators are even still available. Not sure mechanics will do the work with out certified OEM parts which i understand.
Just had an '02 in the shop last week with exactly that problem. Intermittent long crank and rough running after startup, turned out to be a regulator with a holed diaphragm. On a ride that old, I'd definitely recommend replacement.


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VStar650CL
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby VStar650CL » Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:07 pm

Your regulator should be p/n 22670-88G00 which shows up unavailable, but RockAuto shows three different aftermarket alternatives, all in the $45~50 range. There are numerous listings on eBay as well for as little as $16.

ajphilipp
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby ajphilipp » Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:28 pm

VStar650CL wrote:
Sat Feb 05, 2022 3:07 pm
Your regulator should be p/n 22670-88G00 which shows up unavailable, but RockAuto shows three different aftermarket alternatives, all in the $45~50 range. There are numerous listings on eBay as well for as little as $16.

Thank you. Will buy an aftermarket one and present it to the mechanic. Hate to take the plenum off and not do something like that. Can't wait to fix this thing. The smoke on startup is driving me nuts. Can be kind of embarrassing when neighbors see it. :D
It does stop after a few minutes when engine warm, but puts on a little smoke show. Thank you again VStar650CL.
While this is in waiting, will shift attention to an old Ducati air cooled L twin that needs some attention.

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smj999smj
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby smj999smj » Wed Feb 09, 2022 6:15 pm

The original equipment injectors were Hitachi, which Rockauto used to sell. I've used Autoline remanufactured fuel injectors on my VG33ER and on a Stanza KA24DE, as well as on a Toyota, and never had any problems with them. I don't see why a mechanic would have an issue regarding the brand of injector, but don't expect them to warranty the labor to replace one of them if it should fail; that's typical with most shops dealing with customer supplied parts. The job, itself, is pretty straight-forward. Usually, the hardest part is dealing with the hoses under the intake that have turned to concrete and getting the Phillips head screws out that are used on the injector cover. I usually sprayed them with a little P-blaster and carefully tapped them loose using an impact driver like this: https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7769 ... lsrc=aw.ds&

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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby ajphilipp » Fri Mar 04, 2022 4:27 pm

Update:
As noted above, the issue was rough idle and excessive white smoke on cold start. Latest mechanic ruled that it was not a head gasket issue due to doing 2 block tests that came back with negative results. In addition, its not overheating and coolant level has not gone down in months.

He suspected the injectors. So we swapped the injectors with expensive OEM Hitachis's.......and the result was no change.

He now thinks maybe its the catalytic converter but is not sure. Suggested it go to a muffler shop for testing.

At this point, i'm throwing money at stuff and nobody really knows. I never suspected it would be so hard to diagnose this thing.

ugh.

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VStar650CL
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby VStar650CL » Fri Mar 04, 2022 5:28 pm

Did you ever change the fuel pressure regulator? You might also disconnect the injector drivers from the ECM and ohm the wires to ground. If there's a low-grade short in any of the driver wires it won't hurt the ECM (the outputs are open-collector) and the ECM probably can't detect it, but it will at least keep the injector on for longer than normal, if not sticking it wide open whenever the ignition is on.

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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby ajphilipp » Mon Mar 07, 2022 8:10 pm

Another quick update and reply

Did you ever change the fuel pressure regulator?
>> Yup, thank you for the recommendation, had that changed with all injectors.

Here is the update:
Mechanic performed another block test. After 30 minutes of waiting, the chemical changed color indicating head gasket. So, this is particularly interesting since he did two block tests earlier, which he said for 5 minutes then 10 minutes and each passed. Once we did a test for 30 minutes than it failed slightly. Imagine my response when he told me that. :shock:

So alas, after spending a big $$$ on injectors that may not have been needed, I'm now facing a head gasket swap....which I must do since I don't want to pass this problem down to a future owner.

Will all of this be worth it? I'll be pretty deep $$$ into this pathfinder and not sure what the value will be. If you see the pics, its an extraordinary specimen for the era...but hard to know when to draw the line.

Thanks to everyone contributing perspectives to this thread. Easier when you can share the high's and low's.

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VStar650CL
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby VStar650CL » Mon Mar 07, 2022 9:43 pm

It's hard to justify not repairing any car these days if it's in superb shape. Prices are nutty even for fixer-uppers, but not nearly as nutty as they are for healthy old specimens. When you factor in the risk of potentially buying someone else's headache to replace it, I'd say do the work.

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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby ajphilipp » Sat Apr 02, 2022 7:29 am

Update: Pathfinder due to get head gasket next week. Was talking to my neighbor and he asked 'You getting the heads machined and leveled?" I replied," No idea".
He noted that that is usually the main culprit for head gasket issues. But the mechanic scheduling the job never mentioned anything about machining heads, he just planned to swap the gasket. Pretty sure he does not do machining work.

Anyone know if I am approaching this incorrectly? Should I be planning to do the machining? Is there risk in swapping gasket but that doesn't really solve the root cause?

Thanks for any opinions in advance.

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smj999smj
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby smj999smj » Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:27 pm

To do it right, the head9s) should be sent out to a machine shop and checked for cracks and have the deck checked for warpage. In most cases, it's usually not a bad idea to have the head resurfaced to ensure a clean, flat surface for the new gasket to adhere to.

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smj999smj
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby smj999smj » Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:28 pm

To do it right, the head9s) should be sent out to a machine shop and checked for cracks and have the deck checked for warpage. In most cases, it's usually not a bad idea to have the head resurfaced to ensure a clean, flat surface for the new gasket to adhere to.

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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby ajphilipp » Tue Apr 26, 2022 12:21 pm

update:
The story continues as the mechanic shop completed a head gasket replacement. They noted that the head appeared unwarped and that the old gasket showed signs of gaps and needed replacement

Result: Still white smoke coming out of exhaust. They cannot explain why. They noted that perhaps something else in the block was the issue. they did not appear to see any cracks. They said that with all the work I did that perhaps a replacement of the short block would be good. (I dont' know what that really means or make sense)

They are going to do another block test today to validate the work.

Well. I can't afford to go any deeper I don't think. I suppose I'll have to find a buyer who wants to take it the last tenth of a mile.
Ultimately, it is a super clean 92 XE with new timing belt, distributor, plugs, injectors, all new belts, new valve cover and new head gasket work done. New brakes as well. A rare find for gen 1 pathfinder

Thanks to the community for suggestions and advice. My dreams are slightly dashed at this point

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palmerwmd
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:49 pm

ajphilipp wrote:
Tue Apr 26, 2022 12:21 pm
update:
The story continues as the mechanic shop completed a head gasket replacement. They noted that the head appeared unwarped and that the old gasket showed signs of gaps and needed replacement

Result: Still white smoke coming out of exhaust. They cannot explain why. They noted that perhaps something else in the block was the issue. they did not appear to see any cracks. They said that with all the work I did that perhaps a replacement of the short block would be good. (I dont' know what that really means or make sense)

They are going to do another block test today to validate the work.

Well. I can't afford to go any deeper I don't think. I suppose I'll have to find a buyer who wants to take it the last tenth of a mile.
Ultimately, it is a super clean 92 XE with new timing belt, distributor, plugs, injectors, all new belts, new valve cover and new head gasket work done. New brakes as well. A rare find for gen 1 pathfinder

Thanks to the community for suggestions and advice. My dreams are slightly dashed at this point

Is it still failing the test for water/oil mix?
What does he coolant look like?

You have so much value in this vehicle why not just drive it white smoke on startup notwithstanding.
Sorry if I may have missed it but do you have any drivability issues?

ajphilipp
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby ajphilipp » Wed Apr 27, 2022 9:29 pm

palmerwmd wrote:
Wed Apr 27, 2022 6:49 pm

Is it still failing the test for water/oil mix?
What does he coolant look like?

You have so much value in this vehicle why not just drive it white smoke on startup notwithstanding.
Sorry if I may have missed it but do you have any drivability issues?

Thanks Palmerwmd
Is it still failing the test for water/oil mix?
>> The oil has shown no evidence of mixing and seems fine. Strangely has never shown any signs of mixing.

What does he coolant look like?
>> Coolant is perfectly green and unblemished. The level is also still at the top of the radiator showing no volume loss signs.

You have so much value in this vehicle why not just drive it white smoke on startup notwithstanding.
>> I've thought about doing that but am unsure whether the smoke is a symptom of damage and that will ultimately lead to engine failure. But it is a good question, because when it drives, it drives well. At low speeds and even cruises along on highway. Temperature gauge never exceeds halfway on the meter.

The only drawback is the smoke appears on cold start is accompanied by a wickedly toxic smell, so for the first few minutes as it warms up it is hard to stand beside the vehicle. Once it clears about 5 minutes in, it is okay. This can be embarrassing in public as it can overcome folks nearby.

Thank you for your feedback.

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palmerwmd
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Re: 92 Pathfinder

Postby palmerwmd » Thu Apr 28, 2022 12:04 am

I'd drive it for a while.
With that much money spent and how nice it looks.
Most people are not car savvy enough to realize the white smoke (didnt look so bad in the pics) may stand for signifying issues.
I do not think your prestige will suffer especially as this is a really cool vehicle IMO and people realize classic vehicles like this may not always be in perfect condition.

If you ever do decide to sell it please out it up on this boards in the classifieds section and also on our parent board nicoclub.com
That way it goes into the hands of an enthusiast.

But i would totally keep it and drive the heck out of it.
Eventually the real cause will reveal itself.


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