Finally pulled my blown VE apart today...

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12-13-2005, 04:16 PM

Matt93SE

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Finally pulled my blown VE apart today...

well, I pulled the oil pan off anyway..

The engine has obviously been apart once before (which was before I got the car)...
I don't know if someone had just pulled it off to take a looksee or what, but it looks like the cause of failure was one of the rod bolts came loose.
As you can see in the pictures, the engine really doesn't look *that* bad.

My take on what happened to it....
nut on end of rod bolt not torqued properly from previous owner's rebuild/maintenance..
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1236.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1238.jpg (you can see the end of the bolt is still intact. the bolt FELL out, it didn't break.)
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1239.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1240.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1241.jpg

This caused the rod to of course come apart...
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1246.jpg

When that happened, it got whacked by the crank whizzing by it at 7000rpm (JWT ECU and I was at the track) and knocked the rod sideways.
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1227.jpg

This, in turn, caused the bottom half of the piston to shatter because the wrist pin was at an angle... forged steel >>> cast aluminum
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1231.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1232.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1233.jpg

And this is what's left of it and the oil pan...
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1230.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1234.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1235.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1242.jpg

The other thing that I'm trying to figure out is there's almost no sign of rod bearings on this thing..
This was the largest sliver of non-piston material I could find.. it's a total of about 1" long. (see big end of rod in top corner of pic for reference)
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1243.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1244.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1245.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1246.jpg
http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1247.jpg

Conclusion:
dumb**** mechanic didn't torque con rods properly. nut came loose off cod rod, thrashing/spinning bearings in the process. eventually entire con rod broke and it went downhill from there.

12-13-2005, 04:21 PM

tripleGmax

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wow. so do you have your car running?

12-13-2005, 04:26 PM

Matt93SE

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let me see.... I'm taking pics from under the car with no oil pan and a shattered piston still in the engine..

yeah, it runs.

12-13-2005, 04:28 PM

tripleGmax

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rofl, reading ownz me. anyway well glad its running. lol

12-13-2005, 04:31 PM

CyMax

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Yikes!! Hope it turns out ok for ya!

12-13-2005, 04:41 PM

Greeny

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That is a nasty little cut on your finger matt..

...Looks infected..

12-13-2005, 04:53 PM

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

let me see.... I'm taking pics from under the car with no oil pan and a shattered piston still in the engine..

yeah, it runs.

hoping maybe you could fix it without removing the engine eh?

it's only one piston, should have pulled the injector and coil harness and driven home

12-13-2005, 04:53 PM

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MyGreenMax94

That is a nasty little cut on your finger matt..

...Looks infected..

he cleaned it with brake fluid

12-13-2005, 04:59 PM

vansskaterfreek

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well hopefully you get this done... and eveythign works out fine....... dam mechanics....... any way you will be able to get him to pay for it since he didnt torque them correctly?????? well good luck and hopefully you get it done very soon!

12-13-2005, 05:05 PM

#10

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by vansskaterfreek

go look at Matt's cardomain or something

12-13-2005, 05:06 PM

#11

tripleGmax

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yeah vans, its already running

12-13-2005, 05:11 PM

#12

vansskaterfreek

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGone

go look at Matt's cardomain or something

i dont get it...LOL

12-13-2005, 05:12 PM

#13

todamax

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Well that sucks. How many miles were on it when you got it? I wonder why it was apart (yeah, its speculation).

I wish it was warm out here so I could work on my car, its 25 degrees and 9 inches of snow are due in the next 16 hours.

Van: you kill me man.

12-13-2005, 05:15 PM

#14

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by todamax

He's had the car for atleast 5 years now, I think anyway.

And the only thing he hasn't touched on it is probably the gas tank (aside from fuel pump) and headliner. He was simply saying the previous owner had some type of engine work done on the car. I think the only thing Matt has ever had his car in a shop for is an allignment (well and designing stuff... OG stuff

12-13-2005, 05:18 PM

#15

vansskaterfreek

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Quote:

Originally Posted by todamax

.....................Van: you kill me man.

12-13-2005, 05:30 PM

#16

todamax

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGone

Yeah, I know what Matt has done with that car. I've been around a while too... Participating in the Maxima community for 5 years doesn't equate to mileage. I bought mine 3 1/2 years ago with 59K on it and and just rolled 73K this fall.
On the other hand if he got the car with 200K on it, I would understand why it could have been opened up.

12-13-2005, 05:47 PM

#17

Matt93SE

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I bought it with 153k on the clock, and it had a nasty VTC tick back then....
that was about 5 years ago and I paid $2800 for the car.
Since then, I've put 75,000 miles on it and probably 3000 laps at the track, banging it off the rev limiter several times a lap.

so it's not like I got skrood by a bad mechanic or anything. someone just didn't torque it right... but seeing the engine last this long with the poor building habits of the last guy really impresses me..

but don't worry, the next one will be bigger and badder.

12-13-2005, 05:54 PM

#18

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by todamax

sorry, I mean't to quote the post above yours

I've had my white maxima for 2 and a half years, and haven't even put 8k on it

12-13-2005, 05:54 PM

#19

vansskaterfreek

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well good luck with the new motor...... u gonna go turbo?????? i always liked your car.... i like that aztec red... i want videos of when u put that new motor in!!!!

12-13-2005, 05:55 PM

#20

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

thats dirt cheap

no wonder it took you so long to find "a" VE 5spd

12-13-2005, 06:03 PM

#21

Alex_V

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

I
but don't worry, the next one will be bigger and badder.

Please tell me its something like grace import did!

~Alex

12-13-2005, 06:03 PM

#22

todamax

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

Nice! Somewhere over 75K not being torqued correctly is excellent.

12-13-2005, 06:03 PM

#23

Matt93SE

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actually, this was the only VE 5 spd I could find within 250 miles.
I looked from St Louis to Dallas for 4 months for one. finally found it 150 miles away, and it just happened to be a high milease, worn out VE.

12-13-2005, 06:10 PM

#24

Alex_V

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so your not going with a jdm (possibly built?) motor?

~Alex

12-13-2005, 06:16 PM

#25

goon9

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ehhh uhmmm... Vg rods?

12-13-2005, 06:18 PM

#26

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

under $3000

don't smack me

12-13-2005, 06:36 PM

#27

Matt93SE

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex_V

so your not going with a jdm (possibly built?) motor?

~Alex

JDM = unmaintained POS engine with 100k+ miles that's been sitting in a junkyard in Japan for years.
last one I instaleld for a customer with "~35k miles" still had the sticker for the timing belt on it from Japan with a 230,000 km sticker on it (142k miles)...

I'm going to build my own engine that I know has been done right. anything I've taken to a mechanic- or seen come from a mechanic- has been fubard in some way, shape, or form. not this time.

12-13-2005, 06:40 PM

#28

vansskaterfreek

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hey if you can do it... oyu mind as well make sure its done right.... props to you man and good luck

12-13-2005, 06:55 PM

#29

Phoenix

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Quote:

Originally Posted by MrGone

I've had my white maxima for 2 and a half years, and haven't even put 8k on it

Jesus christ, I've put that many miles on my max in the past 3 months

12-13-2005, 06:56 PM

#30

maxitech

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Tough break, Matt. I'm sure it'll be a V-8 killer when you are done with it!

12-13-2005, 07:01 PM

#31

internetautomar

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Quote:

Originally Posted by AztecRedBlooded

Jesus christ, I've put that many miles on my max in the past 3 months

took me about 2 years to put that on my old one.
not even sure I made it all the way up to 8k

12-13-2005, 08:50 PM

#32

Cliff Clavin

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Too bad about the engine, Matt. I guess that gives you an excuse to build/upgrade.

As for the JDM thing, mine was very clean and is super strong. However, the VTCs tick a little, which leads me to believe it has higher mileage than the claims most JDM selling companies give.

I bought my car in March or April of 2003 (so I have had it almost 4 years) and it had 148,xxx miles. Just a couple of days ago I clicked 154k. Basically, I drive it less than 200 miles a month on average. Factor in that the car has made about 5-6 trips to MrGone's house (450 miles round trip) and I actually drive more like 100 miles a month.

12-13-2005, 08:56 PM

#33

Minty91GXE

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thank you for taking and putting up all the pictures

12-13-2005, 09:05 PM

#34

Fr33way™

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I enjoyed the way you analyzed the failure, it was a good read and the pics were essential. It will feel great to open up the motor that you build out on the track.

12-13-2005, 09:30 PM

#35

maxitech

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Matt will rebuild it better than ever. Most people who have some minor Maxima difficulties cop out and sell (Jeff)...JK

12-13-2005, 09:33 PM

#36

CandiMan

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

The other thing that I'm trying to figure out is there's almost no sign of rod bearings on this thing..This was the largest silver of non-piston material I could find.. it's a total of about 1" long. (see big end of rod in top corner of pic for reference)

I hear what you're saying when you say "there's almost no sign of rod bearings" but I'm still trying to figure out exactly what you mean. Are you saying on this particular rod there was no bearing left? Is this the pic you're refering to? How's the rod journal, how's the cylinder wall for this particular cylinder? The internals looks pretty varnish. What type of oil were you using the past 5yrs since you had the car? As stated earlier, no better feeling than rebuilding your own engine and turning the key for the first time.

http://blehmco.com/pics/car/drivetra...e/100_1247.jpg

12-13-2005, 10:11 PM

#37

AscendantMax

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damn, i knew your max was down, but didn't know for what reason.

12-13-2005, 10:13 PM

#38

Matt93SE

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Mike, as you can see from the pics, there are really no visible bearings there. you can see the "groove" on the rod where each bearing end sits so it doesn't spin, and there is some visible wear on the steel rod itself. I can't tell if that's machining marks from the factory or if it was rubbing on the crank.

as for the oil I was using, I've been running Castrol GTX 5/30 at roughly 3000 mile intervals for the last few years. more often when I track the car. the engine looked like that when I got the car and pulled the valve cover to inspect. other than varnish, everything actually looks pretty good.

the crank has a small dent visible on the contact surface, so it's definitely going to need to be machined, BUT I think the good news is that the block is salvageable. I can't really tell until I pull it completely apart, and I'm a bit wary of using it due to the damage on the sidewall of it where the con rod was slapping into it. possibly created a weak spot that could fail later. At the power and RPM levels I'm planning on being able to produce, I don't want a damaged block to be a weak factor.

Thus, I can't tell much more until I pull the engine out and dissassemble it... and I have no clue when that day will be.

12-13-2005, 10:20 PM

#39

Matt93SE

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Quote:

Originally Posted by AscendantMax

damn, i knew your max was down, but didn't know for what reason.

heh... treat it like a race car, work on it like a race car.
she blew up at the track doing 130mph, so I'm not going to complain too much.

12-14-2005, 12:09 AM

#40

MrGone

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Quote:

Originally Posted by maxitech

Matt will rebuild it better than ever. Most people who have some minor Maxima difficulties cop out and sell (Jeff)...JK

the irony

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