98Pathfinder

hello, im new to the board, a guy is selling a 98 pathfinder se 4x4 fully loaded for 1800 bucks...he said the motor has 211k on it and it needs a headgasket...should i pick this up and try to tackle the headgasket myself (im an average mechanic type guy) or should try to find a junkyard motor, freshen it up and throw in there? how hard is it to replace the headgasket and how hard is it to replace motor, replys asap please!!

Animal

Hmm, $1800 for a 98 sounds like a good deal even with a blown head gasket, but is that the only thing wrong with it? Do you know this guy? Well enough to trust his word? If so, even if you had to pay someone to replace the head gasket, it would be a good deal. I'd say replacing head gaskets and replacing the engine take about the same skill level, the first is easier and cheaper. If you're not sure of what you are doing, you should get some help froom someone who does.

If it were me, I'd remove both heads and have them reworked (replacing both gaskets in the process). You'll probably want to call around for what this will cost before making the leap.

Tim55

I just got through pulling the heads on my 1993 Quest to replace a bunch of broken exhaust manifold bolts. All in all, the job wasn't bad and I consider myself to be a reasonably knowledgeable and fairly well equipped mechanic, but far from a professional. In my case, it's a spare vehicle so I wasn't pinched for time.

Fyi - the Head gasket set cost me $45 on e-bay. Throw in the Haynes manual, 12 grade 8 exhaust studs, permatex, cap, rotor, spark plugs, timing belt and tensioner, case of beer, and I still came in under $300.00 for a job the dealership wanted over $3,000.00 to complete. I pondered having the heads machined before re-installation, but decided against it. I saved $160.00 by not having them flattened and pressure tested and they still work great.

If you tackle this, here's a few pointers....probably mechanical basics....but things I found helpful.
(1) Mark every electrical and vacume hose connection to the point of obsession. I had 38 locations where I had to disconnect wire connectors and hoses. I marked everything with a white paint pen so reassembly wasn't difficult.
(2) Expect to break most exhaust studs you encounter. This is true with most vehicles, but a near certainty with Nissans. Removing the broken studs was surprisingly easy once the heads were removed.
(3) The Haynes manual had several very large print warnings saying not to re-use the head bolts, but I talked to the Nissan techs at the dealership and they said go ahead and re-use them....just torque them at the high end of the specs. Apparently, the danger is the bolts streching, not sapping.