ok so, the noise was really starting to bother me today as i pulled into my driveway, poped the hood to check it out , from whats been described on the org sounds like a loud ticking , possibly a VTC tick , my dad happened to be washing his car and he thinks its lifter tick , so i unplugged both of the VTC solanoids to see if it stoped and the noise kept going. most i can tell you guys is the car has 180k miles , it's a 5spd , the noise is doesn't get louder or softer while driving, its always a constant volume but it increases ticks with RPM moving , is there anyway i can test to be sure that its the VTC OR the lifters in the car?

 

Have you tried grounding the vtc's???

 

Short length of hose and put it to your ear. That should be enough to pinpoint the tick location

 

i figured if i disconnected both solinoids it would be the same thing as grounding them, no power from them to the engine? im hands on BUT i dont know crap about electricity , if no one has an answer i might take the engine apart and see whats goin on in there during spring break

 

should VTC click come directly from those 2 small solinoid things ? the sound i hear sounds like it's comming from right next to it , like i can hear it loudest between the VTC;s and the engine , so its leading me to think it's around cylender 2 ? also i just noticed if i undo the oil cap and take it off , the engine seems to idle lower and the tick become a little less noticable

 

You may have some slack in the timing chain due to worn tensioners...This could cause a constant clack..

 

anyway to check that? i dont see that making this much noise >.<

 

You got to take the valve covers and timing chain covers off to check them....

 

Go into the maintainance stickies above. There's a mention of VTC noise. Click it and there are two Bulletins about VTC noice and how to diagnose it from other possible causes.

 

Barbara, your stuff was delivered

 

i dont see anything about VTC noise in the stickies?

 

It was??

Just checked the back door There it was...

Thanks nancy..

 

Our records indicate that the following shipment has been delivered:

Tracking number: Ship (P/U) date: Mar 23, 2006
Delivery date: Mar 29, 2006 16:15 PM
Sign for by: Signature Not Req
Service type: FedEx Home Delivery
Packaging type: Package
Number of pieces: 1
Weight: 19.0 LB

Recipient Information


Crossville
TN
US
38555

 

They usually knock

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=126237

If this link doesn't work, it's in the red highlited section above, with "General Maintainance" in the title, when that opens it's in the first dozen or so lines marked VTC TSB.

 

sorry to burst your bubble, but 3rd gen maxs have overhead camshafts. therefor no pushrods or lifters. do just like jeffy said and get a hose to your ear to pinpoint the noise.

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the VE30DE HAS hydraulic lash adjustors for the valve train. That's why we don't need periodic valve adjustments.
However, every time someone suspects lifter noise, it usually ends up being VTC noise or Timing Chain tensioner noise.

 

Its true we dont have lifter rods, but we still have lifters. You must be thinking of a rotary And yes 92 Max, the VE has lash adjusters.

 

I think you guys got some issues to work out in the OT forum!

 

ahhh things im not understanding , i thought the camshaft spins , moves the lifters , controls the rockers , makes the pistons move , it's more complicated then that? damn me, hummm , so , can we have lifter noise or not? , should i assume it's VTC or tensioner noise and now not lifter tick?

also: assuming it's bad VTC can i take a junk engine and use the VTC's off of it?

 

I guess you can have lifter noise, but I've every time anyone mentions clicking, lifter type noise here, it turns out to be VTCs or Timing Chain tensioners are the culpret.
Also, if you take out the VTCs, rebuild them or buy new ones. VTCs from the junkyard are probably just as old as yours and ready to tick (if they aren't already).

 

to bad im only 18 and not THAT mechanically inclined , i heard rebuilding it was a bi*ch , plus it's what , 400 dollars for the rebuild kit? or is that for new ones , im sure i could figure out how to put thme in myself , nissan charges 2000 to do them , what a joke , i could do that myself i guess. i just dont have that much money to drop into a car thats 14 years old and already has 180k miles :-/

 

I have a 92 SE sitting next to my house. It runs but makes a really, really loud "clacking noise", I originally thought it was the VTC failure, my father and I shorted them out and the noise went away only slightly. Then I had a bad tensioner replaced, I know it was bad because i could see the damage done by the loose chain. But there is still noise. We had a freind take a look, and he said he was fairly confident it was lifter tick. Now that its getting warm out, im looking into taking the engine out and seeing what i can do. I was under the impression that VTC s rarely do more than make a quiet ticking noise.

I'd like some opinions on taking the engine out. This isn't a chore or something that needs to be done, It would just be for fun. But if its a huge pain in the rear ill reconsider. Anyone have any experience, or any tips?

 

Rebuilding the VTC is not hard at all (20 minutes each) and the REBUILD kits are about $60 each. The kicker is getting at them and pulling them out without damaging the valves. That takes time (the first time), some engine experience and many scraped knuckles. It took me three weeks of leasurely work. If you went straight through I imagine it would still take several days. Buying new VTCs cost upwards from $450 each, and to have the dealership do them would cost $2000+. If you can find some shadetree mechanic to do it or assist you, it may cost less.
If not, run the toyota filter described in the stickys and I used 15W-40 Pensoil mature car or high mileage (or some euphemism like that) oil and it quieted them a little.

 

Rebuilding isn't that bad just really time consuming. The rebuild kits are ~$32 per kit, all together it cost me a little over $100 for everything including gaskets(I should have done the tensioners too but thats another story). I did a write up on this a few pages back it should give you lots of info if your thinking of doing the rebuild.

 

You talking pesos? mine were $32 each I think courtesy has them for around that price if he doesn't have a local dealer.

 

I looked back and you're correct. It was ~$60 for the PAIR of rebuild kits.

 

yea, i actually looked at that post, i ticking just got bad so now im thinking about doing it , do you know about how long it took you to rebuild those VTC's?

 

I would just ground them. I grounded mine and the ticking went away.
Only setback is it idles a little funny, but well worth not listening to the
ticking of the VTC's.

 

I need to ground mine on this car

 

took me about 12+ hours over 2 days with me taking my sweet time, but if you were determined I think it could easily be a 1 (full)day job, just don't rush. as far as grounding them, I had mine grounded for 2 years and then they got too worn out for that to work, so I say ground them until you have the time to rebuild, but when it does come time to rebuild they are gonna tick like *****.

 

At idle the VTC are OFF, so unplugging them does nothing. By grounding them you are actually turning them ON. There is a spring in the VTC that goes bad, so when your at idle the spring isn't strong enough to return the sproket to the neutral (un-advanced timming) position. understand?

So by grounding the proper wire you can turn both vtc solenoids ON, the clacking assembly then compresses the spring thereby rotating the intake cam to advance the timming. The clacking should then stop.

 

Brian,you looking for a CAI for your new max lol. I still have'nt put it on yet.
Seems like alot of work to move the fuse thingy...

 

i have a 92se i pulled the valve covers and chain cover i found one broken
roller rocker arm on 1 intake valve and on left vtc the big metal washer/spacer/end cap ring?? was broken and broke a hole in the lower chain cover i got a dead parts ve motor so theres my cover and rocker arm and used vtcs i'll inspect the chain and stuff
now my question please is how do i know which vtcs to use i was thinking id leave my right one there and swap the left but this is all new to me
i guess i could get the rebuild kit but im trying to imagine what it comes with or how they work ill donate and search someday soon but till then .

 

wait so your vtc cap broke? I'd be hesistent to reuse the engine because who knows where all those broken parts went. Look up the thread I made a few pages back about the VTC writeup that should help you with alot. Basically the VTC repair kit comes with a spring, new end cap, and 2 seals. and if you are going to do them you should definately do both (especially if you are going to do the rear one), I would highly suggest buying the rebuild kit and not using the ones out of the blown motor because its just not worth it to do the job over again when those go out.

 

yeah for sixty bucks sounds like cheap insurance
and i found 2 big pieces of the (cap?)one is still at large but i think it exited through this big as@ hole in the lower cover(i need a camera)
and i also found both pieces of the rocker arm
but ill be sure to look for others and inspect the chain

kit comes with new end cap huh?must break alot "planned obselecence"

 

I think they include it just b/c it becomes fragile but idk, I'd still be worried about that cap breaking though are you going to pull the engine for this?

 

oh :O , ok , looks like i need to ground them and test , if i ground them and the ticking is still there , i can assume it's bad tensioners or a bad lifter somewhere , if i ground them , can i reattach the wire and make the VTC's work properly again? assuming its not the VTC's?

 

I was thinking about one, I'd probably just use the midpipe piece I think that is where most power is to be gained.

 

Check your thinking