Basically My VTC's SUCK! I know what the problem is, I've grounded them out, but it failed to stop the noise. Even with heavier oil and the toyota filter, (changed frequently) There is no end to the racket.

I do not have the tools or knowhow to fix it by myself. I've called numerous places in the Toronto area, and the Nissan dealers here dont seem to know anything about the 3rd gen vtc issue. (or any repair shop for that matter)

If it gets bad enough i'm gonna have to print off Nissans old TSB and bring their own manual back to them.

I'm wondering what price range people have paid for this in the States, (or if anyone from Canada has ever paid to have theirs fixed)


And if need be, could anyone recommend a location where I could go to get them repaired at a decent price (by someone who's experienced with VTC's?) I'll go into the US if need be.

 

also, im almost positive i did the ground right, but could I technically just pull both VTC solenoid connectors and start the engine to make sure they're off? (or off and claking)

on that note, why do they sometimes still make noise even after they've been grounded?

 

if you followed the directions on craig brace's site,you should have just spliced into the yellow/w green stripe wire on the front vtc solenoid harness with another wire,then put the end of your spliced wire to ground.

http://www.geocities.com/bracecraig/.../vtc/vtc2.html

As far as price goes,you are looking in the neighborhood of $1200+ for parts and labor to have the vtc's rebuilt at a shop if they follow the tsb bulletin recommendations(i.e. removing heads/cleaning out the oil gallies) If you have a shop do this,make sure you have them replace the timing chain tensioners while it's torn down,as they may also be part of the clacking noise if they are worn. Be warned though,$1200 is a very rough estimate.

When you ground the vtc's,you in effect turn them off,stopping the oil flow pressure that advances your timing up when accelerating.Grounding keeps the internal springs at their most compressed state,but over time the spring(s) looses even more tension on the internal parts of the vtc,then eventually they will "clack"/"slap" against the internal housing all the time,grounded or not.

 

i payed about 550 to replace the front thats the one that usually goes i fixed it before i did my turbo install and now its back parts are about 150 buck

 

Wouldn't lighter oil be better for the clacking?

 

Folks,you need to understand that thicker/thinner oils do nothing for the clack,I've tried several ranges of oil viscosities,still clacks...

Again i will say,the clacking is due to a worn out spring inside the vtc assemblies,no oil is going to make this spring(s) stop slapping the internal parts of the vtc assemblies...Replacement of the worn springs is the only solution.

 

I was just pondering it because my clack is generally lesser after an oil change, and I just attributed this to the oil thickening as it got older.

I'm not arguing that the springs don't become worn, but since the clack goes away after a car has warmed up, presumably because oil is lubricating the springs. I would *assume* that it has something to do with oil weight.

I don't want to start an argument, mainly because I don't know very much about it at all, I completely admit that you know better. Just giving my line of reasoning.

 

Meh,no arguments here,i just want all newer members that are trying to figure out why the vtc's clack,understand that different oils are not going to magically fix the problem.

 

it could be once it warms up, the parts expand.
plus the oil gets thinner easier to get into the passages.
thus filling the vtc area.

i stopped or quited mines by the toyota oil change, engine rstore, and GOOD OIL 5w30.

once it starts to make the noise time to change the filter.
IMO, the passages gets clogged with grime over periods of time.
with me useing the engine restore it cleans out the passages.

not bragging or anything but my procedure made a BIG difference.

at first i just did the toyota mod it came and went till it was fully warmed up.
but added the restore and it's fine.

 

Just bought a 92 maxima with VE30DE engine. Has top engine noise so I opened her up to take a peek cleaned out the tensioners and noticed that my front VTC assembly is missing a cap. Any chance someone out there has this cap sitting around in their garage. Unlikely I know but it sure beats the $600 dollars for a new assembly.

 

I thought you were clack free @ 300k

 

no, his diesel is clack free. it's the VE that clacks

 

IIRC, he had them rebuilt.

My JDM engine (allegedly around 60k) has the clack. It's not really bad, though. My original engine was pretty much full time.

 

Well,according to paperwork in the glovebox when i bought the car,the vtc's were replaced at 140k in 1998....FF to present time.........Clack clack clack clack..

 

so that means when ur car was 4 y/o the VTCs had already been clacking? WTF. So even if u get them rebuilt they will fail and probably within 5 years? I dont have a VE(want one ) but i am syurprised at how these VTCs are always going bad...

 

It's not so much "how old" the car was,but the mileage(147k to be exact),some start sooner,some later in mileage,but they all will eventually clack,it was a defect in the design by nissan.(weak spring/w tiny oil feed gallies=Clacky clacky)

Some people can't stand the issue and move away from the ve because of this,while some like myself just consider it a small nuisance,i pretty much ignore the noise nowadays.

 

i know it won't fix it. but if you have them replaced, will using a different viscosity of oil prolong the life of the new vtcs? also can you manually drill larger gallies?

 

I doubt it,but more frequent oil changes probably would.




Yeah,if you have enough money you can do almost anything...

 

heh, yeah. i'll agree with you on that. Just look at what people put Vette motors into... one day someone will stuff an LS7 into a 93 civic hatch. then proceed to put on 1.75" exhaust piping for plenty of good ol' Honda backpressure, and an 4" angry-bees muffler onto a 7 liter v8 for 'higher exhaust flow' and blue headlights for 'superior coolness', and call it a day.

 

they already did it.

 

then my time on this earth is done. it's all been done. nothing left to do.

got links?

 

I forget which board I saw it on.
it was a 90s civic with a smallblock not 100% sure it was an LSx motor may have been an lt1.

edit: found link http://www.fquick.com/blog/Sleeper_o..._Hatchback/364

 

i looked too. they call it the "Civette" and i believe it's a C5 drivetrain.

 

If the clacking is due to a bad chain tensioner, then thicker or thinner oil may help this problem. I rebuilt the VTC's but also did the tensioner test called out in the bulletin and found one of my tensioners was not pumping up and allowed the timing chain to flap, possibly the cause of my clacking.

 

If anyone could youtube a VTC clack, let me know.

 

So does that mean that if the spring is worn, it will clack all the time regardless of engine being warm/cold?

 

The spring inside the vtc's gets weaker progressively(over time/use),so it's not a case of one day they are fine and the next not.

Mine are in the 60%-70% clack stage atm,in other words,most of the time they clack weather cold or warm..

 

Alright thanks, just trying to grasp an understanding of these things

 

Lots-o-good info in this thread

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=340565

 

Mine did clack more after the engine warmed up, but unfortunately I can't tell you whether my clacking was due to tensioner or spring. I replaced them both. The clacking due to either VTC or tensioner must be difficult to tell apart. The factory bulletin on this VTC problem said to test both to figure out which made the noise.

 

Thanks for the link, saw it yesterday when someone posted in it.

More after it warmed up? Interesting, I thought everyone always had the problem the other way around. If I were ever to replace/repair mine I would be sure to check both but likes of that happening any time soon are slim...

 

I havent heard noise caused by a bad tensioner, but since its coming from the chain running loose and smacking around, I would think that the hits are prolonged and with less silence in between. The VTC noise is a very distinct, sharp tick.

 

Nope, just clack, clack, clack which I assume is the chain whipping the guide. Seemed to be more audible when the engine was idling & hot. Although I remember the tensioner bouncing back and forth when cranking during the test, so the sound may be the tensioner banging back and forth.