I just bought a '91 Max and in 10K miles it will be time for the new belt. I wish to save some cash by doing it myself, but I'm not sure of the level of difficulty. I am pretty mechanically inclined (changed head gasket in 4cyl honda), but I'm not sure if I can get to the bottom bolts for the timing cover. If anyone has any hints or suggestions they wish to offer then I have open ears. If you think I should shell out the $450.00 bucks for the dealer to do it, then let me know that too. Help before it breaks.

 

if you do try it yourself all i gotta say is good luck

 

To get an idea of what is involved, you might want to take a
look at this webpage:

Villager/Quest t-belt changing

While it is geared toward the SOHC in a Villager or Quest
minivan, most of the information is the same for the Maxima.
In the photos, you will see the oil filter which has been
relocated on the van because if it was in the same place as
it is in a Maxima, it would be impossible to get to. The
guy who authored the page included several pictures out of
the service manual that are nearly identical to the ones in
the Nissan Maxima Factory Service Manual, plus several photos
showing the front of the motor and how it is laid out.

Even though I have the factory service manual, I found the
information at the site linked above to be very helpful.

 

If you can change a head gasket, you should be able to do the VG timing belt without much problem. follow the link that wiseguy sent you, and I would highly suggest buying a service manual for the car. it'll more than pay for itself in less than a year in saved mechanic charges.

 

i did it to my cousins car and it was simple. It wasn't that bad the only thing is that you gotta take your time and be careful. My cousin has the service manual, i'll see if i can scan the pages for you but i can't promise you anything.

 

Changing the water pump at the same time is good insurance but I agree with the Nissan Van guy about the durability of the Maxima water pump. I had a new water pump installed when they changed the timing belt (and I'm embarassed to reveal this) but I didn't have the timing belt changed until 140,000 miles.

 

Take the passenger side wheel off and use a pair of stands. It should be pretty easy to access from there. The hardest part is probably getting the crankshaft bolt and the crank itself off. Most people use impact wrenches and pullers to get it off from what I've gathered.

 

Just set aside a nice Saturday to do it, take your time, and you should be fine. Take the money you save and buy some mods, and have the satisfaction of doing it yourself. I recomend getting all the belt parts such as the tensioner, belt, and water pump from nissan just for peace of mind, www.courtesynissan.com has great deals.

 

I've done this a couple of times on my 90SE. Just take your time and follow a service manual - buy one if you don't have one (Hayes, Chilton - Nissan still avail?).

I replace the following each time:
- timing belt
- tensioner
- water pump (I used TRW with no problems)
- thermostat
- all accessory belts
- the "C" shaped coolant hose near the water temp sensor
- upper and lower radiator hose
- and coolant change

Use an impact wrench for the crank pulley. My came right off with no problem.

Good luck,
Tim

 

Go with NAPA parts, except for the thermostat which my recommendation is NISSAN. I just replaced my t-belt, water pump, thermostat, front rear cam seal, front crank seal, and p/s pump. Like Scott, I had 130,000 miles on the belt and other parts, except the p/s pump which had 209,000. All the parts I pulled off were from NAPA and that is why I recommend NAPA parts (gates makes a superb belt). The process is easy, just line the cam marks with the back shroud plate and the crank mark with the oil pump housing mark. Skip the the TDC recommendation in the manual, if the timing was correct before disassembly, the #1 piston will be at TDC when all the marks are lined up. Wedge a pry bar between the transaxle housing and the fly wheel if you don't have an impact wrench to break the crank shaft bolt loose. Good luck and take your time.......