Guys, I have a 4th Gen Max but I am thinking of buying a 95 Villager for the wife, that has the SOHC motor, (the car not the wife, the wife is strictly pushrod) so that's why I thought I'd ask you:
I went to see two today. The one I prefer is like new, except that every now and then, I hear a sharp rattle from the top end. It's not terribly loud and I doubt you'd hear it from inside while driving, but there it is: it comes and goes. I tried gradually increasing the RPM and the rattle is not present except at tickover speeds; revving it and then letting it drop back to idle, often produces the rattle; just for a second or two.
There is an alternative van, a Nautica version, same asking price, which isn't as tidy but doesn't have the rattle. The question is, which one to buy? Both of them have done about 150K miles. If the rattle isn't anything major I'll go for that one.

 

Huh????

You might need to find a ford/mercury forum for this problem..

 

Did those VG engines have the exhaust manifold issue??

 

the VG30E found in the 3rd gen Maxima's is actually almost identical to the 3.0L SOHC V6 found in the early Nissan Quest (and Mercury Villager), hence his asking here.

On another note, I have no idea what the problem is

 

I think they are non-interference vg's though (which was prolly one of the few changes)

 

I always thought that the engines were the same, but I could be wrong. In my opinion I would stay away from the one with the engine noise. Whether the noise be valvetrain or bottom end, I would stay away. Im leaning toward it being a lifter problem or exhaust manifold stud problem because you said it sounds like a rattle....but I havent heard it and cant be sure. just my $.02, but good luck with the new ride either way....

 

Yea ford or w/e company bought them required them to be non interferance. I think its a combo of less cam/lift and dips in the pistons.. but it definitly has less CR, its something like 8.8:1 or 8.7:1. What ever it is its just below 9:1 like our max VGs are.

~Alex

 

is your exhaust really loud like there is a leak in it????? also check under your car on top of the cat-converter... there is a heat guard... on my maxima it was loose and was rattling whenever i stepped on the gas..... with the car off just look at the top of the cat-converter and try to wiggle the top of it and see if the little heat guard on top of it moves... that is what my problem was....it also coupld be your exhaust manifold studs.. but check the cat andthe y-pipe first.. they both have heat guards

 

My studs just rattled under acceleration. But it wasn't that audible unless the engine was cold. You could hear them and it wasn't reakky that loud just an annoying click sound.

 

Thanks for the help guys.
I put a stick on it and the other end to my ear, and I'm pretty certain the rattle is coming from the valvetrain. I spent some while this morning looking up the details for that motor, quite a bit different from the VQ30 in my Gen4 Max. Just for starters I hadn't realised it was iron block. Makes it quite tempting to think about dropping a VQ30 in there, but no, I can imagine having to change the ECU and a hell of a lot of wiring. And I don't know if the tranny would even fit. Oh well. If I wanted serious poke, the best way for a VG30E looks like a turbo job. The (modified) Villager VG30E produces only 150BHP, 10 less than the standard design, so those who commented about it having less cam lift, and piston dints, are probably correct!
Anyway, it seemed to me from the data I could access that the VG30E has hydraulic lifters. If I'm correct, then it's quite likely that one of the lifters isn't getting pumped up properly; defective parts or blocked oilways or both. It's something I can handle. At least I am certain of one thing, it is not bottom end or piston slap, I've learned those sounds from hard experience.... I'll have to change the timing belt anyway, the motor has 160K on it and heaven knows when it was changed. Thanks again!

 

Postscript:
I went and had another, longer, look at that VG30E. The rattle was still there. But as the motor warmed up, it began to sound worse. Louder. More frequent. Even at tickover the whole motor had a 'rough' sound to it. I'd previously taken a good look at another 95 with the same mileage, 150K, and it sounded like a sewing machine, a complete pussycat. So finally, I did something that I've done before, (had two cranks gone in the past): I slowly raised the rpms and listened to the motor. About 2500 it suddenly sounded terrible; heavier rattling, from the bottom end by the sound of it, plus what sounded like worn ball races somewhere in the lh side (looking into the engine bay). So it looks like I know which one not to buy.
How strange to find a vehicle completely like new but with the motor totally clapped at 150K. These normally go 200K at least, I hear.

 

some people care about looks but not mechanical. <- most buyers
some people care about mechanical but not looks <- me

 

i wouldnt buy one just because they have a weak trans my parents got rid of there 95 at about 130k after the second trans died as i recall it also had a little bit of a topend rattle it almost sounded like it was coming from the distributer area

 

Clive- another minivan owner came here and asked some Qs a while back, and he posted engine info like that. I really want to see the intake in person and see how they are diffrent. Be interesting as Im pretty sure they are tuned for top end power...

Gee subs, wonder if it has the same POS slushbox as our 3rd gens? Not like its a pattern or anything...

~Alex

 

heres a pic of the intake

its simalare to the ve but i think its to tall and would proboly hit the maxs hood

the auto is the same or very simalare to the VE/VQ auto which is too small for a 4000lb minivan considering its almost to small for the max

 

that's a later intake , like 99ish
note the plastic plenum

 

It still looks like a VG though. Id really like to bolt one up and see how it compares in height. Ive been looking for something like this....

~Alex

 

it is a VG, but the best flowing VG manifold is supposed to be off a pathfinder