My 92 SE 24valve DOHC 3000 sounds like Mexican jumping beans in a hair grease can when it's cold. After it warms up the sound goes away but am I looking at something costly on the horizon?

 

Sounds like you have the common "VTC clack" found in most VE engines now..

If they are not too far gone,you can ground them out,this tends to reduce the noise associated with the vtc internal spring failure..

Link to grounding procedure--> http://www.geocities.com/bracecraig/maxima/vtc/vtc.html

Info on what the "VTC's" are..

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=343863


What happens when they go "boom!"

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ight=VTC+clack


Other useful links:

http://www.mattblehm.com/faq/VTC_tsb.pdf

http://rides.webshots.com/album/228997037rnrRbN

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=368759

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=390536

 

Sorry for grave digging again...

would the VTC clatter go away after the engine warms up? I'm looking into getting a VE (for 5spd swap.. but need engine in working condition so i can drive it to/from work station).

The person I found it from is about 100mi away and I'd rather not go all the way out there to find out I cannot drive it back. The seller says its a oil pump gone bad, but I don't think the oil pressure warning light is on, as he/she did not mention it.

I figure if the VTC clatter goes away when the engine warms up (or when the oil reaches the VTC's well), the VTC's are not if VERY poor condition and can get me home if I do buyit, right?

thanks.

 

The only way an engine with bad VTC wont get you home is if they finally explode and destroy everything.

I'm a little confused about your post though, are you trying to buy a VE auto and then do a 5spd swap? The bad oil pump is probably a misdiagnosis, I dont think the oil pump is a common problem for a VE.

 

yes, trying to swap a VE 5spd into an existing VG auto.

So, it's probably safe if theres no oil pressure warning light on, right? Also, the seller just replied back to me saying he left the car sitting over the summer and just recently started. He says the "rattling", as he describes it, goes away after about 1-2min of warmup or so.

Sorry for not being able to provide more insight, as I haven't seen the car myself. I'm just looking around the threads to see if it's worth my time to go out there to look at. Seller is asking 1700 for 93 SE 5spd w/ 115miles

 

Rattle is probably VTCs. If it goes away then they are not too far gone yet.

Im not sure if its worth the trouble to do this swap though... why dont you just fix the VTCs and whatever else on the car you're buying, then sell the VG auto?

Edit: For 1700 AND needing work, I assume it has a good body/paint. Does he have records for replacing the injectors or coils on that engine? How are the exhaust studs? Is it leaking oil? VEs need work for these common things, and if it hasnt been done yet then 1700 is just far too much.

 

because I am one stubborn as Enthusiast. Some may say "dumb" or whatever, but this is sort of a choice I've made for myself. In addition, its a good goal setter for a person with my "mechanical caliber". From what I read, the 5spd swap is not a piece of cake or anything, but certainly something that is doable.

FYI, here's what the seller has advertised (i'm not even sure if this meets forum-etiquette, but here goes)
I presume the term "coil packs" are interchangable with VTC's? In that case, the rattling could be just the firewall-side VTCs?

 

1. the guy repeats himself on his listing of work done
2. VTCs are VERY different from coils,
3. the car had better be dam near perfect physically for that price.

 

here's a link to the craigslist: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/474101467.html

The body is ok.
But really, all I want is the Tranny... and again, the reason I even bring this up in a VTC thread is because seller indicates a "rattling" that goes away after about 2min of letting the engine idle to get oil running through the engine.

I guess the 1 and only way to do it is to go out and take a gander. If it is a good deal, what do you guys think the max offer should be? If up to me, I want it for free, as I'm not going to use the engine or anything... just using for parts car (an expensive parts car, I know, but what do I do? VE5's in California are scarace). I need it to run, as I need to be able to transport it to the garage to do the swap...

Thanks, guys!

 

I think it will get you home no problem. BUT, if he hasnt changed those injectors you can look forward to dropping $600 on a set of new ones fairly soon, considering the mileage and age.

Did you remember that you also have to swap the electrical harness and ECUs when you move all that over to your car?

Here is my overall advice to get you into a VE5:

The body looks good on those photos, but the interior is all ripped and dirty. The speedo pinion is dead, thats $100+ part when new. If he cant document changing injectors, you should offer $900 for it based on all this, and maybe bargain up to $1100. He will say the audio in there bumps up the price, make him feel like he bargained well and offer a bit more.

Once you get it home, transfer your non-ripped (I assume) interior into this car. Fix the VTC and whatever else is probably wrong with it. It looks like there is an oil stain on the driveway, assuming thats not from another car you'll also have to replace the front main seal or oil pan seal or both. Since you're asking if coil packs are interchangeable with VTCs, I think you'll get plenty of opportunity to increase your "mechanical caliber."

After all that, sell your VG car with his interior in it, or part it out.

Lol, it seems this seller is decently clueless himself:

 

LOl expect one problem 300zx is a rear wheel drive lol
Anyways on the topic i would say it looks like it had been painted to me. I would say buy it and fix it up. Dont use it as a parts car.its in good condition. Interior for a 15 year old car seems fair to me. I would go for it if it was 1,300 or some where less. He is asking way too much for a 15 year old car. Keep in mind it nearly fully loaded it got abs and its a 93 with an airbag DOHC 5 Speed LSD pretty hard to find cant find me a good one for almost a 8 months now. But one think that would stop me from buying that 99.9% its a young guy ( cause he got a sub in it) so i would feel like he put some abuse on it. and BTW oil pump sounds really not good cause he doesnt know what are oil changes. Oil pump on a 115,009 mile engine sounds elil funny to me.

 

300zx used various versions of the VG

 

Not to change the subject or nothing. I followed the VTC rewire instructions. Not all the way to the letter but I got it done. I quieted my VTCs down considerably. Now instead of sounding like jumping beans I get a passing clack, clack, clack ever now and then. NOTHING like before however. I'm also gonna use some engine restore and Five Weight oil. To get some better circulation up there. Thanx guys once again.