VTC's have healed thyselves !!
 

Well they were clattering worse and worse last year so I did Craig's grounding procedure, advanced the timing a hair and it ran great and quiet.
So 2 weeks ago I'm getting a low rpm gravelly sound that is growing slowly in intensity. Can't find the source. Figure I'll undo and clean the bolt connection the VTC's are grounded to. Part of my mess-with-everything stategy when some thing odd is happening. Decided to leave it off to hear the clatter.....and it didn't!! Left it off. No problem at start-up. No problem or sounds at all. (the gravelly is my tranny going out in 1rst and 2nd I now believe)
The power is great, Though it's partly from my new WSP Y pipe and hybrid intake, but my baseline of 125 mph @ 5000rpm has dropped to 125 mph @4700 rpm! I am very pleased, but........WTF!!
Any comments? Craig?
I'll be back after work. Thanks RZ

Re: VTC's have healed thyselves !!
 

Yeah same thing happened to me when I ungrounded them after having them grounded for a few months. They were completely silent and it felt as if I had gained a few hp. Grounding the VTCs have been dynoed at about a 12hp loss as opposed to running with calattering VTCs. Of course, GOOD VTCs are the best as when I replaced mine, I gained a LOT of top-end power. I dunno why I never told anybody that. Enjoy them for being quiet now, but you should still get them replaced or rebuilt sooner or later.

give it a few weeks. the noise will come back. mine have temporarily healed twice, but have come back after a few weeks. enjoy the moment though.=)

Mine stayed quiet for several months, then I put new ones in anyway!

I am definately enjoying it! If it (when it?) comes back, I'll ground it again.

NICE RIDE RosenKen! Why do those 2000 5-spokes look so much better on our 3rd Gens?
Why do our 3rd Gens look so much better than 4th or 5th?

BWAAHAAA!

Thanks, pics taken right after a wash/clay/wax. I think any wheels looks better on a 3rd gen than a 4th or 5th :D

rosenken: why did you decide to replace them if they were silent? i want to do the same thing, but $2000 is too much to swallow given the age of the car. i was thinking that $2000 could be headed toward a new ride or something.

They were bad before, clacking a bit, so I grounded them. A couple months later, I decided to unground them and they stayed quiet. But, the power was still weird up on the top end, meaning that as the revs increased, the intake cam timing with the 'sloppy' VTCs was jumping around causing power hills and valleys.

I decided to buy new VTCs when I found a Nissan dealer on the internet going out of business and selling parts for 35% off free shipping. I got my new VTCs for something like $230 each and did all the work myself. It was well worth it! Replacing the VTC sprockets actually isn't that difficult. Rebuilding them is.