Well since my dear old Maxima got rear ended last week and probably won't be around much longer (she drives but the frame is bent) I've started looking around for another. See this thread for details (pics soon):
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=450933

Anyway, I've seen a few 5-speeds out there that look good. I'm concerned about the differential bearing failure problem - is there any way to tell if a diff bearing is about to fail? any warning signs? How can I tell if the bearings have been re-shimmed? Also, are there any other problems unique to the 5-speeds that I should know about? The 5-speed sure seems like a lot more fun but the automatics are pretty darn reliable. My current Max has 220,000 miles and still shift great on the original auto trans, can I expect to get the same longevity out of a 5-speed (assuming it's well cared for)?

Thanks for the help,
Tony

 

about it being reshimmed, you wont know unless you tear apart the tranny itself.

As for the bearing issue. A test drive with the windows up would help. Listen as you go thru 1st gear (and some of 2nd). If it has a skate board like sound, its a sign the bearings will need to be changed. Check for any leaks on the ground (tranny fluid).

On average the bearing issue has occured between the 80k-120k area. The on you find, if they will let you take the car to be checked out (by a mechanic), do so and have them check out the tranny.

 

can you desribe the "skateboard" sound in more detail, thanks

 

I know what sound he's talking about when he says "skateboard" - it's the rolling sound some rollerskates/skateboards/etc make. Hard to describe - kind of a hollow howling sound.

My carrier bearings died last month (140k) and they made no funny sounds at all. I found that the axle did have play at the connection to the diff, and if this play is extreme enough you will find the seal dribbles oil. So look for oil around the seal, and lift the front end of the car and shake the heck out of the axle - any side-side play indicates significant wear.

The good news is that if you're able to drop the tranny yourself, a transmission shop should be able to change these bearings and re-shim in a couple of hours. Order a few shims in advance and they can grind them to suit in case Nissan is out of stock of the exact fit sizes (I had to wait 3 weeks to get some of these shims recently).

All said, I still think the 5 speed is a tremendously reliable car. This bearing bit is the only liability I know of, and if you ever pay to get the clutch changed then doing this might only add $300 to the bill.

Dave

 

Fortunately, I have LSD and don't anticipate getting the dreaded differential-bearing problem. I do have a leaky left tranny seal, however, which I am monitoring. To date, there has been no measurable gear oil loss.

 

I wouldn't say the LSD avoids the problem, unless it rebuilt already.

Motorvate.ca has a writeup on this problem and it features a VLSD version.

Dave

 

Take me along! Trust me, I know what toasted bearings sound like...

Sorry to hear about the Max, man! I know that thing was your baby, and you had it running great. Your next one will be great though, especially if it's a 5-speed -- you know the car inside and out, so you know what to look for and how to keep it up.

One sign of bearing failure is a whining or grinding noise that happens in neutral and only when the clutch is engaged. Other than that, you're looking for roaring or whining noises that rise with RPM and happen in all gears. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish those from tire noise though, so you might have to use your gut feeling.

If the transmission has been rebuilt by a good shop, though, there's a good chance that the bearings will not be an issue. At the very least they should be fine for another 100k-130k miles after the rebuild. Also, as has been said, VLSD transmissions didn't really have that problem.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident...great thread though. I've been thinking of getting a 5 speed but the same issue is a concern to me.

I have heard of one person with VLSD that has had this problem.

So its not too expensive to fix?

 

Looks like your headed that way with a leak like that. Thats how it begins, with your mileage though I'm shocked that there is a leak.



My trans actually never did have this problem, but the input shaft bearing did go out.

 

The VLSD trannies had much beefier bearings that apparently weren't nearly as finicky as the non-VLSD bearings. Of course they have some problems here and there, as any piece of machinery does, but it's nowhere near being a cause for significant concern.

As for fixing the bearing problem(s), a "master rebuild kit" with all the bearings and seals apparently costs around $250, so that plus time is your cost if you're doing it yourself. A shop will obviously charge more.

I ended up getting a rebuilt transmission from Man Trans in Florida for a little under $1k shipped (they want your core back), and had it installed by TILLEYS99 for a reasonable fee. They don't really have an Internet presence but I thought their 12-month unlimited mileage warranty was a pretty darn good statement of their confidence in their own work.

 

I would go with the manual car and just make sure you have money set aside for when the tranny does fail. I've gone through both an open diff and vlsd with bearing problems, so it is definetly not restricted to just open diff cars. Besides you can pick up a transmission for like $600, its not too expensive to replace

When my VLSD went, almost all the bearings were trashed, they litterally fell apart when the trans was pulled apart, I did put about 6K miles on with bearing noises though, all my gears looked perfect even though the bearings were trashed

 

Yeah you should be able to hear it, if it sounds like reverse when you're in first then there junk. Also, pointing out a leaky axle seal and explaining why it is leaking might give you some room to bargain. Good luck in your purchase!

 

That doesn't sound too good, not sure if I want to buy something that I know is going to fail. I'm gaining that impression that as slushy as the automatics are, they're stronger and more reliable than the 5-speeds. Anyone agree or disagree with this?

Crap, I was hoping that the VLSD cars wouldn't be subject to this. One of the cars I'm looking at this week is an I30 - The A32 I30 should have a VLSD, correct?

Thanks, man. Yeah she was my baby, and as old as she was still ran sweeter than most cars with half the mileage. Still does, technically, although on borrowed time. Is this your second 5-speed trans or is this the first one you put in when you did the swap?

 

It's actually the third, but only because I did it horribly wrong the first two times.

The tranny I got for the swap was a pull from a 107k mile vehicle. I hadn't done the research and honestly had no idea what I was buying. It cost me $455 off of eBay, including some other little nice bits like the slave cyl, mount, etc. When that one started to go, I flipped out and had TILLEYS99 slap in a mystery tranny with unknown mileage, again for dirt cheap. Needless to say that was a bad idea as well. This one I am on now is a rebuild.

All of that fuss could have been avoided if I had done my homework and done it right from the start. Yeah, sometimes it sounds like you're buying something that's going to break, but always remember a few things things:


1. Most of them don't have issues! It just sounds bad because EVERYONE who has had those issues complains about it.

2. A lot of guys with 5-speeds drive their cars harder. If you drive your 5-speed like you drove your auto, you'll have less of a chance of having it break it.

3. If they do break, it's almost never until 100k-130k miles. If you buy one that's already been rebuilt by a good shop, you're virtually guaranteed at least that.

4. Autos break too!

 

If it is a touring, then yes, and word on the streets is all sticks are touring models. If it's not a T then only 99's and some 96-98's that had the 'traction enhancement package'. If in doubt jack it up and spin one wheel, if the other wheel spins the opposite way it is an open differential or a vlsd with side gear thrust washer or viscous coupling problems.

 

This is good info...I'm bookmarking this thread so I don't have to post the same question if I sell my car!

 

You can also lessen your chance of buying a car with a failing differential bearing by buying a 4.5 gen. Just steer clear of 95's, 96's, and early 97's and you should have to worry about the tranny. IIRC, that was the general consensus on Maxima.org for a while, I don't know if that has changed.
Also, the tranny that's in my car is the fifth - only because the wholesaler that I bought the car from didn't want to replace the tranny the right way and kept on getting cheap as.s trannies that failed right after they were put in. He eventualy bit the bullet and got a 98 with 40k miles or so.

 

I just bought a 98 5spd and hope what you say is true. Can anyone confirm this?

 

99 5spd here, i'd also like to know if anyone can confirm this. Thanks.

 

Well they all have the exact same bearings and housings. The very early failures (<50k) seem to be more common with the 95-97s, but I've seen plenty of 100k+ 98-01s with the same worn out diff bearings. None of them are entirely immune.

Dave

 

I have 127k and i just ordered the amsoil oil for my car so i guess before i put that in i'll get my axles and bearing checked out so i don't just waste my money.

 

My 5-speed is a later '97 with 160k, no bearing problems to date or any other failures or troubles aside from teh classic sputtering starter which I replaced. Very reliable thus far.

 

My 98 5spd had differential bearing failure. It started showing symptoms at 80k and pretty much shot craps at 92k or so. It leaked horribly and you could move the driver side axle around about a 1/2 inch or so inside the trans. I bought a used 99 5spd tranny with 48k on it and have had it for about 15k miles or so. I check those axle seals at every oil change now. Anyway there are alot of people here on the org that have had differential bearing problems in their 98-99 maximas. I wouldn't be surprised if 00-01 open differential trannies start having the exact same problems in the next couple of years. I have seen a few already.

 

How long have you had it? Oh yeah...knock on wood.

 

Eh...I was just restating what I was told when I first joined the .org, and what the stickies say if I remember.
Wasn't the problem with our trannies that they weren't assembled correctly? It wasn't that the actual internal parts were failing, it was that they weren't shimmed correctly. Many on the .org felt that later build 4G's are less likely to have this tranny problem happen bc they started manufactering the trans better (or to original spec, which the early builds apparently weren't built that way).
I now have a 98 tranny with ~45-50k miles now, and all I know is, if I have diffy bearing failure again, I'm going to get an LSD tranny, and put the Altima 5th gear in for better highway mileage.

 

Any ideas on what a decently low-mileage LSD transmission could go for? Also, one of my friends said that the Altima 5th gear could be under $100, but having it installed (since I can't handle that) would be pricey. If it wasn't horribly expensive I had been considering it.

Konak - yeah, knock on wood, but I'm not too worried about it. It's in fine shape.

 

The stickies do say that. They need to be updated in several places and thats one of them. The going theory is that they weren't shimmed correctly and the preload on the bearings were off. I think it might just be a bad design but I don't know much about the internals on a trans. I thought about getting a LSD too but at least with the 5th gen ones you have to get a new driver side axle too. The trannies cost more too and are harder to find. Lets just keep our fingers crossed that our newer 4.5 gen trannies hold up. My axle still fits in the tranny nice and tight and there aren't any leaks or noises. I'm so paranoid that I check it pretty often now

 

bump..........................