Well, just got the bad news: My problem was the water pump originally. Unfortunately when it went and the engine overheated (for the third time now in the last year) the transmission got hosed up and needs to be replaced, along with the transfer case.

So: Water pump, $300, transmission, around $3000 I'm told.

And to top it off, he said he's really worried about the engine. Its very termpermental to heat, and since this is the third time now something has busted and its overheated, I could easily sink $4000 into fixing it, and then find out the engine is hosed as well.

Any thoughts or suggestions as to what I should do from here? My thoughts:

1) I don't want to give up my baby.
2) I'd rather spend $4000 to fix it, than $20000 to buy a new car. But maybe I can get some value from it as a trade in?
3) Is it wise to fix with the probably engine problems also looming?
4) If we do end up getting a new car, it won't be a 4 wheel drive so I'll be out of the game for a while.

Ugh. No idea what to do, and very sad because I have a feeling I'm not going to like the outcome of this.

Mark

If your mechanically inclined, take it all apart and judge for yourself what is broken. I don't know why the tranny and T-case would be affected by overheating. Block or heads or both may be toast.

Apparently the cooling lines for the transmission run through the radiator. So when you overheat, you can hose your transmission as well.

Also I don't think I mentioned: When you start it up now, black smoke pours out the tailpipe, and when you put it into reverse, it doesn't go anywhere. And when you put it into neutral, it goes forward. But it doesn't get any power behind it, it just rolls slowly along...

Mark

Sounds hozed to me. Time to contact ADVANCE ADAPTERS to see if they make a SMALL BLOCK kit.

I had an 85 S10 with a small block 383 pushing 425HP to the wheels! (Flywheel=460 if mem serves correct)Been looking for the pictures since I moved, havent found a one

MGJ

Dang, Mark. That sucks... It does sounds like it's in bad shape.

Tough call, but I'd be tempted to find a tranny at a boneyard and have someone put that in (and do the H2O pump at the same time). Just get it running and then head to the dealer to trade it in.

Though I can't seem to figure out how if it's just the tranny then why the black smoke pouring out. That leads me to believe (and I could be talking out my @$$), but couldn't that be the engine block is cracked and oil is somehow getting burned?

Regardless though...not sure what I'd do.

I'm checking into prices right now for you. As soon as I hear something I'll post what I found as far as new Nissan parts. I'll check into some used stuff too after getting the low down on prices for new just to have a comparison and see what's available and for how much.

One more thing...a transfer case? Doesn't sound logical that there would be any related problems with that.

I just heard back on pricing..

...not great news but you won't beat the deal if you want to go new-

My cost on a long block is $2720.39. I have to mark up something for using company money so add another $50 equaling $2770.39 plus tax. Keep in mind this is a bare longblock so you have to add items such as waterpump (probably), hoses, belts, etc and then switch all your accessory stuff i.e. a/c compressor, alt, p/s over from the old engine. You'll also have to use the existing exhaust manifolds, intake manifold, injectors, etc. This is a new engine so there is no core charge and you don't need to turn the old engine in.

My cost on the transmission is $1512.50, again company money so add $50. This is a reman trans and has an additional $400 core charge which is reimbursed when the old one is turned back in. It must not be disassembled and must be packed back into the carton it comes in for core charge reimbursement. I forgot to ask whether or not the converter comes with it but most likely it will.

Let me know if you're interested in going with new stuff and I can find out. You at least have a starting point as to whether or not you want to consider going new dealer parts.

Mark, anything I have to offer to help is yours for the using. I do have an engine hoist if you want to use that.

I'm sensing an upcoming "Large Mod Day"... I'll bring my duct tape (and beverages).

Everyone: Thanks for the help. Mike, thanks for checking prices.

I'm in car stress hell right now. For those that don't know, my other car is an early 90's (read cheap) Porsche, into which I've sunk over $3000 in the last 12 months. Coupled with over $500 into the Xterra, and now this, its just the worst possible scenario.

I have a friend who apparently is a car guru. I think my course of action is going to be to take it to his place, pop in a new waterpump, and see how the engine sounds/acts. If it seems like its in good shape, then I'll go down the path of the transmission. He feels like we should first try to replace some valves or something in there before we go down the route of putting in a whole new one.

For whoever asked, the reason I was told the transfer case might need to be replaced was that it was bolted to the transmission and shares its fluid, and thus when the fluid in the transmission heated up and burned, it also probably hosed the transfer case. But that info came round about so hopefully my buddy will be able to check it out and shed some light on that.

My overriding goal is to keep the Xterra. If I can keep the costs around $3000 and the engine seems sound, then I think I'll be ok. (And thats just parts as my buddy won't charge me for the work) The problem is, if I do have to go down the route of trading it in, I won't be getting another 4X4, as Shannon has been suffering long enough with it as her daily driver and will want something easier to get in and out of and tote Kaelyn around in. Thus making my desire to save it even more, because I can't bear the thought of not having a 4X4, no less my baby.

I'll keep everyone updated, and let you all know when and where I'm working on it and doing what in case anyone wants to come hang and and see what we're up to.

Thanks again everyone,
Mark

Unless the Xterra is different from every other vehicle on the road, no. The transfer case should take gear oil which is totally separate from automatic transmission fluid and are not connected to one another. Just to be sure the X doesn't have some oddity with the transfer case, I verified it with the Nissan dealer. Transfer cases work on a heavier fluid, same as manual trannys and rear ends. Although there were some Chryslers back in the 80,s and 90's that used ATF in their manual trannys from the factory and was then supposed to be replaced with gear oil at a certain maintenance interval, but then again...Chrysler has always done weird shit

Have you tried E-bay?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ENGINE-XT...sspagenameZWDVW

Mike - Thanks, thats good to know. Hopefully one less thing to worry about then.

And yup, I saw the tranys on ebay and might go that route. My X is getting towed over to my buddies tonight. Probably this weekend we'll put in the water pump and see how that goes.
(meaning, does the engine sound reasonable still?)
Mark

I always understood that black smoke out the tail-pipe meant that engine was running pig rich.

White blue smoke would be burning oil, no?

Correct. Black is normally a sign of a run rich condition.

One additional item to that is that if white smoke dissapates it's burning coolant or water. If it stays floating in the air it's burning oil.