Timing Belt: Square Teeth to Round
10-02-2009, 12:36 AM
#1
Timing Belt: Square Teeth to Round
I am wondering if it's possible to convert the the square teeth version of the timing belt to the round version? The three sprockets seem to be removable and a different spring for the tensioner needs to be used. Will it be worth to convert it?
10-02-2009, 06:31 AM
#2
i didn't anything about a different tensioner spring, but you're right about that. other than that all you gotta do is swap the sprockets. the round tooth belt is 100k rather than 60k, so if you really think there's a chance of you putting another 100k on your Max then yes. Otherwise it's just added expense. Says he who is converting to a round-tooth belt on his z31 
.
.
10-02-2009, 08:49 AM
#4
yea basically. i know the vg33 pathy had a round toothed belt also. that's actually the belt i'm using on my z. good thing he pointed out the spring difference; i got the one for the square belt so now i gotta order the right spring! but i had a bunch of other stuff to order from Courtesy anyways so i'll just get it with those items.
10-02-2009, 11:52 AM
#5
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I don't think it's worth it. I came to the same question, but unless you can find those sprockets easily (3) and you already are dong the timing belt on yours, it's not worth the work.
Basically, your going to have to go to the yard and get those sprockets off (unless you buy them new - courtesy?), and fiddle through that hole in the wheel well to get the timing belt cover off, or you could hack it off some how - just rip it apart, that's what I would do but it's still a pain and not worth it in my opinon. The harmonic balancer will also have to come off in the yard too.
10-02-2009, 06:59 PM
#6
Hey buddy -
I don't think it's worth it. I came to the same question, but unless you can find those sprockets easily (3) and you already are dong the timing belt on yours, it's not worth the work.
Basically, your going to have to go to the yard and get those sprockets off (unless you buy them new - courtesy?), and fiddle through that hole in the wheel well to get the timing belt cover off, or you could hack it off some how - just rip it apart, that's what I would do but it's still a pain and not worth it in my opinon. The harmonic balancer will also have to come off in the yard too.
I don't think it's worth it. I came to the same question, but unless you can find those sprockets easily (3) and you already are dong the timing belt on yours, it's not worth the work.
Basically, your going to have to go to the yard and get those sprockets off (unless you buy them new - courtesy?), and fiddle through that hole in the wheel well to get the timing belt cover off, or you could hack it off some how - just rip it apart, that's what I would do but it's still a pain and not worth it in my opinon. The harmonic balancer will also have to come off in the yard too.
Tomorrow and Sunday there is a half off sale at my local junk yard so I should take advantage of it.
10-02-2009, 08:39 PM
#7
When it comes to the crank sprocket, its often has to be destroyed to get it off because its rusted to the crank. If this is the case then and you must order a new one, you might as well get the round tooth one since thats half the cost of the conversion right there. I was able to find someone who had already pulled the round tooth cam sprockets off a pathfinder and picked them up for around $30.
If you would rather get them from a junkyard to save a little money, getting the top cover off the timing belt is the easy part, the bottom is a lot more difficult. I personally think that its worth the time and money regardless if you keep your car for another 100k or not. If you sell the car as a whole or just the engine sometime later, its a great selling point since changing a timing belt is very time consuming and doesnt allow for any mistakes.
One thing to make sure of during this conversion is that the correct cam gear (left and right) are on the appropriate cam. If you mix them up, your distributor will not match up with the FSM's listed position for TDC.
If you would rather get them from a junkyard to save a little money, getting the top cover off the timing belt is the easy part, the bottom is a lot more difficult. I personally think that its worth the time and money regardless if you keep your car for another 100k or not. If you sell the car as a whole or just the engine sometime later, its a great selling point since changing a timing belt is very time consuming and doesnt allow for any mistakes.
One thing to make sure of during this conversion is that the correct cam gear (left and right) are on the appropriate cam. If you mix them up, your distributor will not match up with the FSM's listed position for TDC.
10-02-2009, 10:32 PM
#9
When it comes to the crank sprocket, its often has to be destroyed to get it off because its rusted to the crank. If this is the case then and you must order a new one, you might as well get the round tooth one since thats half the cost of the conversion right there. I was able to find someone who had already pulled the round tooth cam sprockets off a pathfinder and picked them up for around $30.
If you would rather get them from a junkyard to save a little money, getting the top cover off the timing belt is the easy part, the bottom is a lot more difficult. I personally think that its worth the time and money regardless if you keep your car for another 100k or not. If you sell the car as a whole or just the engine sometime later, its a great selling point since changing a timing belt is very time consuming and doesnt allow for any mistakes.
One thing to make sure of during this conversion is that the correct cam gear (left and right) are on the appropriate cam. If you mix them up, your distributor will not match up with the FSM's listed position for TDC.
If you would rather get them from a junkyard to save a little money, getting the top cover off the timing belt is the easy part, the bottom is a lot more difficult. I personally think that its worth the time and money regardless if you keep your car for another 100k or not. If you sell the car as a whole or just the engine sometime later, its a great selling point since changing a timing belt is very time consuming and doesnt allow for any mistakes.
One thing to make sure of during this conversion is that the correct cam gear (left and right) are on the appropriate cam. If you mix them up, your distributor will not match up with the FSM's listed position for TDC.
o and nice sig
10-03-2009, 08:18 PM
#10
Well I was at the junkyard today and it was full due to the 50% off sale (line was long that it took an hour for me to get to the cashier). There was only one 94 VG there but I didn't have the tools to take out the timing belt cover... So the only think I took from it was the cluster cause I'm gonna replace the trip meter on mine and do some other experiments on it. I will see if I can try again tomorrow.
Last edited by jbbons25; 10-03-2009 at 08:20 PM.
10-03-2009, 10:28 PM
#11
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,159
Yes those are the plates. Mine were rotten and warped a bit - probably from the last mechanics prying them.
It may be faster or easier to just cut the timing cover off, check it out (although there aren't that many bolts I recall)- if it's the pick yards are like around here, with thousands of cars, it can be your own feeding frenzy and makes removal fast and easy.
It may be faster or easier to just cut the timing cover off, check it out (although there aren't that many bolts I recall)- if it's the pick yards are like around here, with thousands of cars, it can be your own feeding frenzy and makes removal fast and easy.
10-23-2009, 09:09 PM
#14
1992-1994 GXE models (SOHC VG30E V6) also had timing belts.
1992-1994 SE models (DOHC VE30DE V6) have timing chains.
all 1995-present (VQ30DE(-K) and VQ35DE V6) have timing chains.
Last edited by CapedCadaver; 01-21-2010 at 05:55 AM.
01-18-2010, 06:37 PM
#15
Ok I'm 5k miles ahead of schedule, but I got all the parts from Courtesy to do the timing belt "upgrade" to start on it either tomorrow or Wednesday before the new semster starts at college. I'm just wondering how hard will it be to remove the seals from the camshaft or crankshaft?
01-18-2010, 07:06 PM
#16
Ok I'm 5k miles ahead of schedule, but I got all the parts from Courtesy to do the timing belt "upgrade" to start on it either tomorrow or Wednesday before the new semster starts at college. I'm just wondering how hard will it be to remove the seals from the camshaft or crankshaft?
01-18-2010, 07:28 PM
#17
It's easier said than done, take your time and it shouldn't be too troubling, and be mindful of metal on metal action. Don't dive in with the flat head to gouge out the old seal leaving behind some metal bits in your oil pump or the head. That is probably an unlikely situation. What is more likely, and what happened to me, is when i put my new camshaft seal in, I pushed it too far and had to disasemble my cylinderhead to get it out. Be aware that the surface on the inside of the seal, which touches the camshaft, only fits around a part of the shaft which is maybe an inch to two inches long before there is a gap of empty space between that surface and the head wall. The exposed surface seen here with the new seal is the one in which I am speaking of.
Luckily, I had the luxury of doing all this on a work bench and not leaning over the engine. It's no a bad time to consider taking off the oil pump, oil pan, and inspect the rear seal for poops and giggles. I'm an over achiever though, my Max is still waiting to make it beyond the neighborhood, after one and a half years, because of my want to fix the problem I started with over two years ago. Most of that is due to misinformation, which this forum is indeed redeeming my uneducated contributions to the poor car. I love cappuccinos.
Why is this conversion useful? I have never heard of it and I wonder if it would be worth it, eventually.
Luckily, I had the luxury of doing all this on a work bench and not leaning over the engine. It's no a bad time to consider taking off the oil pump, oil pan, and inspect the rear seal for poops and giggles. I'm an over achiever though, my Max is still waiting to make it beyond the neighborhood, after one and a half years, because of my want to fix the problem I started with over two years ago. Most of that is due to misinformation, which this forum is indeed redeeming my uneducated contributions to the poor car. I love cappuccinos.
Why is this conversion useful? I have never heard of it and I wonder if it would be worth it, eventually.
01-18-2010, 07:48 PM
#19
It's easier said than done, take your time and it shouldn't be too troubling, and be mindful of metal on metal action. Don't dive in with the flat head to*****snip******
Why is this conversion useful? I have never heard of it and I wonder if it would be worth it, eventually.
Why is this conversion useful? I have never heard of it and I wonder if it would be worth it, eventually.
and truthfully other than the vg auto tranny and injector problems, there's no reason why his car, if properly maintained (which it's evident he intends to do so) couldn't actually last another 60k+ miles. Heck I put nearly 50k on mine in just over 3 years..
01-18-2010, 07:54 PM
#20
If someone told me that they did the swap for the price of a new square tooth belt, I might say yes. I can't say I wouldn't do it if I came upon the parts for cheap, especially right now with a rebuilt engine and soon to be stock pile of auto trannies, which some people on here would call a big ole pile of poop, but I look at it as something to wrap my mind and wallet around. What else is a Maxima good for? I say that since mine doesn't move so swiftly right now...........
I guess my stereo is kickin like it's fresh out of the box, but what good is it if you can't annoy at least 25 spectators at a stop light vs. my neighbors. Thankfully, I am being facetious, about the annoyance of those who feel my rumble, not the immobile Maxima pouting at the curb.
I guess my stereo is kickin like it's fresh out of the box, but what good is it if you can't annoy at least 25 spectators at a stop light vs. my neighbors. Thankfully, I am being facetious, about the annoyance of those who feel my rumble, not the immobile Maxima pouting at the curb.
01-18-2010, 08:01 PM
#21
er... i did this a few months ago when taking apart the new engine for my Z... and it was kinda not hard at all. as long as you cover the tip of the screwdriver with electrical tape you won't gouge anything.
On the real side, this is good advice and I bet I will try that next time. I think I removed my cam last time which provided a means of escape for the seal. The front crank seal is still in my old oil pump............
01-18-2010, 09:57 PM
#22
Originally Posted by BenStoked
square belt=60k mile changes
round belt= 100k mile changes
is it worth it?
round belt= 100k mile changes
is it worth it?
And thanks for the suggestions for the seals. I have been having an oil leak lately so I can't wait to finally get that fixed along with the new belt.
PS: I have taken care of the oil pan, rear main seal and valve cover gaskets. Just hope it's not leaking from the heads
Last edited by jbbons25; 01-18-2010 at 10:13 PM.
01-18-2010, 11:51 PM
#23
Oh yeah I pushed my cam seal in to far on the front head and I'm removing my brand new Cloyes belt and I'll replace it with my Gates belt while I'm at it...I'm making a tool to hold the sprocket, while I loosen the cam sprocket bolt....and I can R&R that dam seal...Had a little oil leak!!!!
Last edited by CMax03; 01-18-2010 at 11:58 PM.
01-21-2010, 05:54 AM
#26
Correction..... I-6 L24, L26, L28 were all timing chain driven engines...these are the L-series engine and they're tough as nails.... Oh yeah I pushed my cam seal in to far on the front head and I'm removing my brand new Cloyes belt and I'll replace it with my Gates belt while I'm at it...I'm making a tool to hold the sprocket, while I loosen the cam sprocket bolt....and I can R&R that dam seal...Had a little oil leak!!!!
Oh yeah I pushed my cam seal in to far on the front head and I'm removing my brand new Cloyes belt and I'll replace it with my Gates belt while I'm at it...I'm making a tool to hold the sprocket, while I loosen the cam sprocket bolt....and I can R&R that dam seal...Had a little oil leak!!!!
01-21-2010, 02:11 PM
#28
Took me much longer than expected but I got it finished. Turned out that the left camshaft seal was the one leaking oil so I replaced it along with the other two seals.
Crank pulley was a bish to take out but I got it out with two screwdrivers prying it out while soaking PB Blaster on it.
Took care of the water pump and thermostat while I'm at it.
Thanks all for the suggestions. I can enjoy it for an extra 40k miles now.
Crank pulley was a bish to take out but I got it out with two screwdrivers prying it out while soaking PB Blaster on it.
Took care of the water pump and thermostat while I'm at it.
Thanks all for the suggestions. I can enjoy it for an extra 40k miles now.
01-21-2010, 02:13 PM
#29
http://forums.maxima.org/4828833-post9.html
If you have this engine, timing belt.
http://forums.maxima.org/4828981-post11.html
Last edited by jbbons25; 01-21-2010 at 02:20 PM. Reason: Better explanation
01-22-2010, 04:58 PM
#30
If you have this engine, timing chain.
http://forums.maxima.org/4828833-post9.html
If you have this engine, timing belt.
http://forums.maxima.org/4828981-post11.html
http://forums.maxima.org/4828833-post9.html
If you have this engine, timing belt.
http://forums.maxima.org/4828981-post11.html
01-22-2010, 11:11 PM
#32
Yeah I have the rubber band holders as well and they've slipped on other uses b4, and I don't need that at all....I feel more secure with an all aluminum holding tool that fits 2- .825" pegs into the cam gear spoke holes while I loosen/torque!
01-23-2010, 06:45 AM
#33
I have tried to turn my cam over with my impact and it couldn't do it (with the head off the engine). My compressor is only 2 gallons at and has trouble with some things. I bet if you lowered your pressure it would surely knock it loose. I wouldn't worry about turning over the cam unless your pushing a consistently high pressure through your impact. More than likely, it will break loose even with some high pressure due to how they are designed to work. Specialty tools always make life easy too though.
01-23-2010, 10:31 AM
#34
if you already have the valve covers off (which normally you wouldn't if all you were doing was a timing belt job) you can just unbolt the rocker shafts in order to prevent valve bending from happening. then set timing and reinstall rocker shafts.
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