ive removed the belts, the right side motor mount, water pump cover and main timing belt tensioner cover. My question is, how do you relieve the timing belt tension? The manual says to press the timing chain tensioner piston "inward" and insert an appropriate size pin to lock in place...now is that "inward" toward the center of the engine (to the right) or inward toward the block of metal that the piston resides in (to the left)? And /or do i remove the 2 bolts that hold that block of metal? Im afraid to remove this and find out later that I cant get it back on due to the tension. Haynes manual isnt too clear on this!

 

I've looked at my FSM and seems to be as vague as your Haynes. Anyway, common sense would simply suggest you move the tensioner away from the chain if you can see the timing chain.


HTH

DW

 

I never did this on a 4th gen but did on my old 3rd gen.. I never had to touch my timing...
I jacked the car on the passanger side and took the motor apart.. After I had pulled the blets and covers I could see it (it was driven by a belt) not the chain.... All I had to do was pull the UDP and there it was.... put a new one in... Be VERY careful if pulling the chain..

 

ok i got past the tension of the timing chain and the water pump is ready to come out, only now ive come across a whole new problem... the space between the side wall and the engine is only about 3" and the water pump doesnt have enough space to slide out. I even tried working my "new" water pump down there for comparison and there is no way the old one is coming out, there is about a 3/4" difference. Im almost all the way there but Im about ready to quit. The manual doesnt say anything about having to move the engine an inch toward the driver side to make room for it to come out

 

I bet u got to hindge the engine down....
You would place a nissan jack on the front of the support bar the goes under the engine.. you would remove those 2 17mm bolts..
Then you would unhook the passanger side motor mount.. as you crank the jack down... the motor will hindge down enought so that the water pump will come out the bottom..
I only bet this because you got to do this to remove the auto tranny.

 

i put a jack under the oilpan and jacked it up that gave me room to remove the water pump. the who;e process is a pain in the a$$. im sure you will atest to that.

 

Yup.. It was my first big job when i was 17... It really sucked..

 

Hope you used a board or something between the jack saddle and the pan. . .

Personally, I wouldn't recommend using an oilpan as a jack point. Bad things can come of that.