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wow you were close to losing a belt snap, that's why there too many people either don't know about a timing belt or ignoring the require maintenance interval of a timing belt every 60k miles. Good thing you really looked, when was the belt change? or was it unknown to you when you got the car with X amount of miles at the time you acquired the car?
I am a bit embarrased to admit that I know exatly when it was last changed because I changed it myself...on October 3rd, 2007.
In my defense, it is the round-tooth design, which is supposed to be good for 100,000 miles. Still, I knew I was on borrowed time...for a while now. I just didn't want to get in there and do the work. The waterpump took care of the lack of motivation issue for me though.
Wow, you lucked out for sure. Is it a Nissan belt? How many miles did you put on it in 10 years? Glad it didn't break on you. Replace the tensioner and stud while you're at it.
I can't believe that belt was only 50,000 and OEM. That really sucks. I mean really sucks, it should be in far better shape. I'm at 117,000 miles and I don't think it has been changed, unless the guy did it when he did the water pump at 90,000 miles.
After spending the last 2 weeks looking at cars with crappy visibility, incredibly distracting technology and uncomfortable seats, I'm having second thoughts about moving on from the maxima. I need to do the exact job you are doing and repair/replace my rusted out brake lines if I am to keep this baby rolling. I have to decide if it is really worth it, given that the rest of the car is still almost 24 years old.
I'll tell you, I haven't missed the new car showroom all these decades. Mostly liars and thiefs. $500 dealer conveyance fees, $300 mandatory VIN etching fees, $185 state registration fees, sales tax and all sorts of bargaining to get the price down. Such a time waste. Plus, we have a BS property tax on cars and mine will go from $16 a year to several hundred. Plus, insurance will go from $370 to $670 per year.
I could pick up a base Camry for $20,000 plus tax which will probably last forever, but is boring to drive and looks like any other rental car/NYC taxi cab. Similarly, I could get a base Accord for around the same price right now, as both are outgoing generations. Accord seems more fun to drive, but Camry looks and feels better made to last a bit longer. I tested both and still like the road feel, visibility and simplicity of the 94 maxima better. And, it does irk me that I only got bids for $300 - $800, though that is what I expected.
Every time I fix the maxima, something else goes wrong a month later, so that is getting old for sure.
Be sure that you have the plate between the crank sprocket and seal, as well as the concave/vex one between the crank sprocket and pulley, and that both are installed in the correct orientation. Check that you don't have the longer water pump bolt installed in the wrong position that is close to the belt. Your belt got damaged somehow.
Good you're doing the seals. How did you go about locking your cams? Thankfully O'Reilly has a loaner, felt like a sketchy tool at first, it's made of some composite plastic and grabs the pulley with two opposing teeth. Holds pretty well though when you get it set securely.
Be sure that you have the plate between the crank sprocket and seal, as well as the concave/vex one between the crank sprocket and pulley, and that both are installed in the correct orientation.
I've got both of those plates on order with the new crank sprocket from Nissan. They should be in this week. I'm glad you mentioned the orientation, I didn't realize they needed to be faced a certain way.
Originally Posted by Hectic
Check that you don't have the longer water pump bolt installed in the wrong position that is close to the belt.
I made a note about where the long bolt goes so I get it right going back in.
I believe it has to be correctly placed in order to reinstall the lower timing cover. One of the timing cover bolts goes directly into that longer water pump bolt head. That longer water pump bolt is threaded at the top to receive the timing cover bolt.
Originally Posted by Hectic
Your belt got damaged somehow.
I believe my belt began stretching due to age, wear-and-tear (daily driver for 10 years), and the camshaft oil leak. It looks like it started walking backwards toward the rear timing backplate. That rear timing backplate is painted black from the factory but my timing belt had rubbed off the paint in two areas when it started contacting the backplate.
Originally Posted by Hectic
Good you're doing the seals.
Got the new ones installed last night
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Originally Posted by Hectic
How did you go about locking your cams? Thankfully O'Reilly has a loaner, felt like a sketchy tool at first, it's made of some composite plastic and grabs the pulley with two opposing teeth. Holds pretty well though when you get it set securely.
I had a friend helping me so what we did was I put a wrench on the right camshaft pulley bolt and held it in place while he put another wrench on the left one and loosened it up. Once the left one was loose I used an impact wrench on the right one because I had room to do it. Worked great! We had them off in no time.
I can't believe that belt was only 50,000 and OEM. That really sucks. I mean really sucks, it should be in far better shape.
Well, in Nissan's defense it was my daily driver (and I mean, like, every single day) for 10 years. On top of that I discovered I had a leaking camshaft seal, so that whole area was caked with motor oil.
I believe all of those factors combined caused the belt to stretch. When that started happening it walked backwards and started contacting the backplate.
Now that I think about it, that could have been a lucky break as well. Is there enough room for the timing belt to walk forward completely off of the gears? If so, I'm double lucky...
Originally Posted by khakuda
I'm at 117,000 miles and I don't think it has been changed, unless the guy did it when he did the water pump at 90,000 miles.
I'd be surprsied if they did the waterpump and didn't slap in a new timing belt, though I've seen that kind of work done at shops before
Only way to know for sure would be to take the covers off and see. You could take the top timing cover off without having to remove the crankshaft pulley . That wouldn't require a terrible amount of work.
Originally Posted by khakuda
After spending the last 2 weeks looking at cars with crappy visibility, incredibly distracting technology and uncomfortable seats, I'm having second thoughts about moving on from the maxima. I need to do the exact job you are doing and repair/replace my rusted out brake lines if I am to keep this baby rolling. I have to decide if it is really worth it, given that the rest of the car is still almost 24 years old.
I'll tell you, I haven't missed the new car showroom all these decades. Mostly liars and thiefs. $500 dealer conveyance fees, $300 mandatory VIN etching fees, $185 state registration fees, sales tax and all sorts of bargaining to get the price down. Such a time waste. Plus, we have a BS property tax on cars and mine will go from $16 a year to several hundred. Plus, insurance will go from $370 to $670 per year.
I could pick up a base Camry for $20,000 plus tax which will probably last forever, but is boring to drive and looks like any other rental car/NYC taxi cab. Similarly, I could get a base Accord for around the same price right now, as both are outgoing generations. Accord seems more fun to drive, but Camry looks and feels better made to last a bit longer. I tested both and still like the road feel, visibility and simplicity of the 94 maxima better. And, it does irk me that I only got bids for $300 - $800, though that is what I expected.
Oh wow! It sounds like it's as bad as I remember it. Working on my own cars and not having a car payment is a big part of how I have stayed out of debt where some of my other friends have fallen in. I have some friends that have two new vehicles (one for the spouce, one for themselves) and are paying almost $1,000 just for the payments alone.
Originally Posted by khakuda
Every time I fix the maxima, something else goes wrong a month later, so that is getting old for sure.
That's understandable. I'm in the same boat.
To my Max's credit, however, I drove it for years and years without ever doing anything to it besides the most basic maintenance (regular oil changes, brakes). I bet I went 5 years straight with no significant maintenance.
It's all catching up now though
On top of all of this fun with leaks and timing, the automatic transmission has started to develop a slight slip when shifting into 3rd gear. I'm trying to stay optimistic though. I figure I can take the transmission out myself and have a bench build done on it, or perhaps I could go manual transmission instead (been thinking about that a lot). My 300ZX has a manual transmission and it's a blast. So nice to have control over the gearing.
It's too bad you don't live closer! I would totally come over and help you take a look at some of the issues that you are having. I've taken off the timing cover so many times between my Maxima and my 300ZX (with the same exact motor) that we could have that done in no time.
It's too bad you don't live closer! I would totally come over and help you take a look at some of the issues that you are having. I've taken off the timing cover so many times between my Maxima and my 300ZX (with the same exact motor) that we could have that done in no time.
Thank you. I'll take it in and let the mechanic take a look. In addition to the brake lines and maybe fuel lines, too, I know the seals have to be done and I know that timing belt, even if newish, is covered in oil and needs to be changed. The thermostat is only about 2 years old and the waterpump has about 25,000 miles on it. As such, I'm thinking of leaving those in place since, as I remember, you can get to the water pump without too much hassle if it goes. I was intending on doing it all, but when the brake lines rusted out that is when I thought it may not be worth saving. Rebuilding piece by piece isn't cost effective.
I'll see what he says and depending on the cost will have to make a decision for better or worse. It's all math in the end as I could probably go buy a 2 year old off lease Jetta for $13,000, run it for 5 years and sell it such that it only cost $2,000 a year which is not much more than the $1800 I have spent this year in addition to the $1,000+ that may be heading my way shortly.
Did you not have the plates before ordering new ones? If not, then that was your problem, they keep the belt centered on the sprockets. With them installed, it the belt shouldn't "walk" either way. You really can't screw up with the orientation, the concave one can only be installed one way with the belt installed.
Did you not have the plates before ordering new ones? If not, then that was your problem, they keep the belt centered on the sprockets. With them installed, it the belt shouldn't "walk" either way. You really can't screw up with the orientation, the concave one can only be installed one way with the belt installed.
I had the plates. I just ordered new ones to be safe. We bent up the one against the seal when we were taking it out. We hammered it back down but a new plate is so cheap I just threw it in with my sprocket order.
Thank you. I'll take it in and let the mechanic take a look. In addition to the brake lines and maybe fuel lines, too, I know the seals have to be done and I know that timing belt, even if newish, is covered in oil and needs to be changed. The thermostat is only about 2 years old and the waterpump has about 25,000 miles on it. As such, I'm thinking of leaving those in place since, as I remember, you can get to the water pump without too much hassle if it goes. I was intending on doing it all, but when the brake lines rusted out that is when I thought it may not be worth saving. Rebuilding piece by piece isn't cost effective.
Sounds like a solid plan
That is not many miles on your new waterpump or thermostat.
I was surprised to discover how much of a mess a leaking camshaft seal can make . I pulled oil cakes out of my timing cover.
To replace the seals they would have to remove the current timing belt anyway, so slapping a new one on there would be just as easy as keeping the old one. The only way I could see them reusing the old belt is if they are pressed for time and don't have the part, and that would be a terrible, sloppy decision.
I wonder how much work it would be to replace your rusted brake lines? I don't have any experience with replacing those. I'm not sure if they sell them pre-bent or if they just buy the hard lines in bulk and bend them on the spot. I've seen the little tool they use to bend those and it's pretty easy to do.
Originally Posted by khakuda
I'll see what he says and depending on the cost will have to make a decision for better or worse. It's all math in the end as I could probably go buy a 2 year old off lease Jetta for $13,000, run it for 5 years and sell it such that it only cost $2,000 a year which is not much more than the $1800 I have spent this year in addition to the $1,000+ that may be heading my way shortly.
I hope you can keep your Max but if you can't then that is the way it has to be. You have to make the decision that is right for you, given the circumstances.
That is not many miles on your new waterpump or thermostat.
I was surprised to discover how much of a mess a leaking camshaft seal can make . I pulled oil cakes out of my timing cover.
To replace the seals they would have to remove the current timing belt anyway, so slapping a new one on there would be just as easy as keeping the old one. The only way I could see them reusing the old belt is if they are pressed for time and don't have the part, and that would be a terrible, sloppy decision.
I wonder how much work it would be to replace your rusted brake lines? I don't have any experience with replacing those. I'm not sure if they sell them pre-bent or if they just buy the hard lines in bulk and bend them on the spot. I've seen the little tool they use to bend those and it's pretty easy to do.
I hope you can keep your Max but if you can't then that is the way it has to be. You have to make the decision that is right for you, given the circumstances.
Good luck!
Thanks. I will let you know what they say when we find a time that works for both of us to get it on the lift. Under the driver's side door you will see a black plastic strip running to the back of the car. It pulls back and the brake lines are under there. They said they buy bulk line and bend/flare it. It is just an issue of how much damage and how many hours of work at $100 an hour. Sometimes they just leave the rusty ones there and cable tie some new ones close by.
I assumed they changed the timing belt when they did the waterpump, but no one knows for sure. What got me thinking about the timing belt was the oil leak onto the lower control arm which ate the bushing away. I realized that the oil was leaking around the timing belt case and was thinking that it may be saturated with dried oil, which you basically verified. In fact, I can see solid goo leaking out the bottom of the timing case. The belt is probably rated to withstand oil, but that I need to stop the oil leak and change the belt is pretty clear.
If it is gong to be in the $1000 - $1200 range, I may do it. If I do, I need to get a clean 8 months to year out of it without issues, otherwise it wasn't worth it. But, that is the gamble with these things. It could go 2 years with no issue or be back in the shop in a month. My friend keeps telling me that buying a low mileage off lease Jetta for $13,000 and selling it after 5 years will cost less than all the Max repairs overt that time. He does it for his wife and may well be right. It is probably also safer, given that our cars only have one airbag and a lot of age on them.
Sounds like a good plan. It disturbed me to discover how much oil collected behind the timing cover (and consequently on the timing belt itself).
Leaks seem to be enemy #1 these days as a 3rd gen Maxima owner. I haven't had component failures so much as I've had leaks. Power steering leaks, oil leaks, coolant leaks. After this job is done I will still have a leak at my rear main seal to chase after sometime
At least I know how to replace the seal now though
I hope your job comes in at a low cost. Maybe your mechanic can give you a break for all of the business you bring to him?
Hopefully you can keep your Max but if it's not feasible then it may be time to send her off into the sunset. Here's hoping he gives you a nice little quote!
Sounds like a good plan. It disturbed me to discover how much oil collected behind the timing cover (and consequently on the timing belt itself).
Leaks seem to be enemy #1 these days as a 3rd gen Maxima owner. I haven't had component failures so much as I've had leaks. Power steering leaks, oil leaks, coolant leaks. After this job is done I will still have a leak at my rear main seal to chase after sometime
At least I know how to replace the seal now though
I hope your job comes in at a low cost. Maybe your mechanic can give you a break for all of the business you bring to him?
Hopefully you can keep your Max but if it's not feasible then it may be time to send her off into the sunset. Here's hoping he gives you a nice little quote!
Yes, basically much of the rubber components and some plastic ones are cooked at this point. Not too much rust. But, those seals, belts, gaskets, bushings, hoses, etc. are all well past useful life. And, as you know, you just can't replace them all because you can't reach them all and it would take longer to do that than it would to build a new car. Such a shame when that engine runs like new, but that is the way it goes. They say that labor is about 5% of the cost of a new vehicle these days with all the automation. So, it is much cheaper to build new than pay one person $100 and hour to rebuild the thing.
When I returned the timing belt kit (which I now just might order again), the guy in the service department asked why and I told him that other issues were cropping up ever faster and it was like whack a mole, he said, "Let me guess, engine runs like day one, but the rubber and plastic are rotted and there is some rust." I just laughed.
The more I talk about it, the more I realize it is probably time to move on as much as I don't want to. If I could just find something compelling to replace it with that didn't cost an arm and leg and had good visibility, comfortable seats and not too much distracting technology.
Sounds like a good plan. It disturbed me to discover how much oil collected behind the timing cover (and consequently on the timing belt itself).
Leaks seem to be enemy #1 these days as a 3rd gen Maxima owner. I haven't had component failures so much as I've had leaks. Power steering leaks, oil leaks, coolant leaks. After this job is done I will still have a leak at my rear main seal to chase after sometime
At least I know how to replace the seal now though
I hope your job comes in at a low cost. Maybe your mechanic can give you a break for all of the business you bring to him?
Hopefully you can keep your Max but if it's not feasible then it may be time to send her off into the sunset. Here's hoping he gives you a nice little quote!
And it's gone. Too many leaks. Brake and fuel lines shot. Rack and pinion leaking and shot. Cam and crank seals shot. Mechanics agreed it needs much more work to get roadworthy. Can't even get a new rack and pinion anymore. Fun ride while it lasted.
I got the timing belt and all of the related new parts installed tonight. I got the timing covers back on.
I went to reinstall the crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer and noticed that the thing wobbles like crazy when I play with it by hand. The crankshaft itself isn't damaged though. The little plates in front of and behind the timing gear took pressure to put on.
I looked closer at my crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer and it has a hollow point on the inside. It had been wobbling. Now I know why.
I'm putting feelers out there to try and find a replacement. I posted a thread in the WTB section here, and there is a guy in St. Louis that has a boneyard with a few of these I put a call into.
Apparently my poor Maxima needed "ALL of the maintenance"
I just got stuck on the side of the road about an hour ago overheating with coolant spewing from the passenger side and while looking at it i noticed my timing belt looks the same as yours does maybe even worse but i cant find where the coolant is leaking from i was thinking water pump because the pulley below it is wet but after filling the radiator with water and running it it is still spewing but i cant see where are there any coolant lines down there or could it really be the water pump
I just got stuck on the side of the road about an hour ago overheating with coolant spewing from the passenger side and while looking at it i noticed my timing belt looks the same as yours does maybe even worse but i cant find where the coolant is leaking from i was thinking water pump because the pulley below it is wet but after filling the radiator with water and running it it is still spewing but i cant see where are there any coolant lines down there or could it really be the water pump
The waterpump has a weep hole where coolant gets forced out when the pump begins to wear out. There is only one small coolant hose in that area. It runs from the top of the motor where you can see pretty easily down a short distance to the thermostat and back into the motor. My money is on the waterpump.
Either way I would definitely recommend taking it off the road for further inspection. What you don't want is coolant getting on the timing belt over and over again because it will degrade the belt and shorten its lifespan. When was the last time your timing belt was changed?
The waterpump has a weep hole where coolant gets forced out when the pump begins to wear out. There is only one small coolant hose in that area. It runs from the top of the motor where you can see pretty easily down a short distance to the thermostat and back into the motor. My money is on the waterpump.
Either way I would definitely recommend taking it off the road for further inspection. What you don't want is coolant getting on the timing belt over and over again because it will degrade the belt and shorten its lifespan. When was the last time your timing belt was changed?
i pulled off my fender liner and undertray to get a better view from underneath and had my friend pour water into the radiator and it is the water pump its coming from the bottom of the pump behind the pully and i dont know when the timing belt was last done i just got the car back in september
and while looking at it i noticed my timing belt looks the same as yours does maybe even worse
Also, you may be looking at your accessory belts. The timing belt is not readily visible because it is located behind the timing covers. Unless, by some weird chance, your timing covers were not reinstalled and your timing belt is completely exposed
Also, you may be looking at your accessory belts. The timing belt is not readily visible because it is located behind the timing covers. Unless, by some weird chance, your timing covers were not reinstalled and your timing belt is completely exposed
it looks like my lower timing cover isnt there its very dirty down there because of an oil leak it had when i got it (oil pan gasket and its been fixed) im going to clean it up some im hoping its just an accessory belt
I can relate. When I took my timing covers off there was oil caked so thick on the backside of the timing covers from one of the cam seals leaking. If you fix the leaks it's pretty easy to clean up the timing covers.
That's scary that your lower timing cover is missing
Do you have it lying around (did you leave it off)? If anything gets between the timing gear teeth and that belt you'll be smoked my friend.
There are 3 accessory belts on the front of the motor. The timing belt is behind them, and behind the top cover that it sounds like you still have. If you see damage on the exposed timing belt I would highly recommend taking it off of the road until you can address the problem. If that timing belt breaks you're out a motor. If it even skips a few teeth the car won't run well or at all.
06-23-2017, 08:27 AM
. That wouldn't require a terrible amount of work.
