Ok, so I got struts and shocks. Took out a ton of the clunk, but not all of it. Curiosity got to me, so I ordered the Poly bushings. Tried to do it myself...wrong. I needed air tools, and electric impact just does not do those bolts justice. Shop had to cut out some of the bolts as they had fused to the sleve inside the bushing. So here is the cost I incurred:Shocks $40 Heavy duty Car Quest (Gabriels)Struts $130 Heavy duty Car Quest (Gabriels)Bushings from 4x4 $130Labor for Bushings $200Labor for Struts $130Total $630.00 Drives like a race car now! Hangs a turn well. Now I am able to keep it in one lane in a high wind too!Shew, but what a cost eh?Now I think I found a cracked exhaust manifold....still not got to the timing belt. UGH, I am begining to think Nissan built a pretty buggy truck really. I don't think Toyota's have these problems.I guess overall the truck was a good deal, just would have been really good without all these repairs. And now the manifold...I bet I end up with $1000 fixing that and doing a custom exhaust. Ugh!

If your under 100,000 miles the manifold is still covered under factory warrenty.

A little unknown fact about your model pathfinder. Most people do not know about this because the truck had not hit the street yet when it was discovered. In the summer of 1995 six of that model pathfinder where shipped to the united states to Nissans tech training center in pleasanton california. I was in tech school when they arrived so we got to do the PDI on them. We did that, brought them into the shop and left them to be set up for new model training. We were not in that class ourselves. Anyhow About a week later 5 of those first 6 R50 pathfinders were sent back to japan due to a serious internal engine problem with the pistons or the rods. Those would have been 96 model year pathfinders and they were right on schedule for the model year realease. Due to that MAJOR problem the entire production was stopped and the vehicle did not make it to the US till about February or March of 96 As a late year production model.

Ya know it is strange man, why do they put teflon coated pistons in just 3 cylinders? And the cylinder walls are sleved too I think. I read that somewhere. Must be a issue with tq or the degree of the engine's V shape. Sorta bothers me actually, having been around all those hp motors, I never saw that done...

that was the fix. I tell you though that problem they had back then never reared its ugly head later on with any engine failures. That fix apperantly took care of the problem. That was the first year of that engine and the pathfinder was the only one with it till 98 when the quest got it then in 2000 when the frontier and xterra got it.

this year is the last year of that engine it will no longer be used in any new models starting with 05 MY

This Pathfinder has 118,000 on it. You think they will slip it through? I am the 3rd owner. But it is ultra clean. What if I don't replace the manifold? Now? In a year?I know I must get the timing belt and water pump done. Those are next on the list. The undrivability of it forced the suspension to the forefront of fix ups. I was scared I would be dead if I did the timing belt first. You could not keep it in your lane in winds, hard to describe, it was all over the place, really a chore to drive it.

If I have to pay for the manifolds btw, I will wait until I can do headers. The thing needs more power bad. It is pretty weak. I figure give it some air and exhaust should make it vroom a little more.

I also considered a used manifold, but then you might just have the same thing again. So why go there...

the new manifold is an updated design not prone to cracking. I assume its the passenger manifold thats cracked. If you call nissan alot of times they goodwill stuff when its slightly out of warrenty and if its a known incedent it makes it easier.

Thanks, I think I will try asking nicely many times in many ways if that is what need be. It tis the passenger side and a known bug. So perhaps with a little persistance I might get a break. Maybe half off or just slide it in under warranty. I bet they have a ton of them sitting around for the recall anyways. But headers sound good too, just the cylinder deal makes me back off hot rodding this motor any. Might be governed for a reason...

I can hear the leak really, how can I inspect it? Take off the heat shield I guess? Freaked me out when I saw it has dual catalytic converters, bolted to the manifolds. Strange to me...ahh sooo.

You dont call the dealer you call nissan.Should be a number in your owners manual. It wasent a recall by the way. They just extended the warrenty to 100k on the manifolds.

Cool I will call them and approach it from that angle. A manifold should not crack. I bought a Nissan becaause I had heard they run trouble free, well no major problems for a long time. That will be my line. Thanks man.