FYI guys...

Don't know if this old news but I got off the phone a few minutes ago with DaveB (the parts guy). Called him to order a new water pump and chain tensioner for the fix I gotta do this week on my ‘99.

Anyway, when talking about my planned replacement of the tensioner, Dave explained that the 4th Gen tensioners coming from Nissan (genuine parts) have been updated and include, in addition to a revised piston mechanism, and as a non-separable part, a new and maybe revised chain guide as well.

The bottom line is that the new Nissan tensioners cannot be installed via the access plate on the timing cover as the old ones could. Installation of the new/updated tensioners now requires the removal of the timing cover.

Looks like if we want/need to replace our chain tensioner, aftermarket is our only option unless we’re good with cracking open the whole front case.

I thought this was a good tidbit of information to pass along since a lot of us do a lot of parts purchasing online and for this part we might not be receiving exactly what we thought we were ordering.

 

Interesting. That would make things harder for sure.

 

True that.

 

I believe this is already made aware of, but again, thanks for posting it! Im sure there are lots of people who didnt know this.

In all honesty, for those of you who have done an engine re-re, for the timing cover, i would just pull the engine. trying to align the cover on its dowels, without smearing the RTV with the whole 4" of room you have proves tricky at times. Pulling the engine is pretty simple to, assuming you have the tools.

The outer cover is not an overly hard job, the inner cover is a little more tricky..especially on the 3.5 and the timing marks..

 

fkn great. now I'm certain I'm just going to pull the motor. how many tensioners are you replacing? I'm just going to do all of mine (i forget how many there are).

 

Use the aftermarket tensioner and be done with it.

 

what if the revised tensioner is a better design?

 

I don't think that story is entirely accurate.

Yes, there is a revised tensioner & guide package available, but it is the same as the factory parts on the 97-99. What is true about the story is that the new guide cannot be installed without removing the entire front timing cover.
But the new tensioner can still be installed through the access hole behind the black metal plate.

Search and you will find a bunch of posts on the new tensioner, and how it is not compatible with the 95-96 engine factory chain guide.
Since yours is a 99, this should not apply to you.

 

Am I missing something here? Your saying it can be installed, but it can't be installed. So what was not true about the story?

and I drive a 95 in case you were referring to me.

 

No, I was referring to Turbobink.

Somewhere along the line, the production A32 Maxima engine got a revised tensioner & guide for the tension side of the main timing chain. Around late 96 model year, I think. The new parts are not interchangeable with the old, meaning you can't run a new tensioner safely on an old guide. And the new GUIDE is what will not fit thought the access hole, not the tensioner. So if you are going to change the tensioner on a 95-early 96, there is no replacement available from the dealer. Not sure about the aftermarket though.

 

wow that sucks. the 95's get screwed in many ways.

 

95s are not screwed always. when we dont have the near emission junk the 96 and up have. i love my 95 just for that main reason.

 

meh, the egr was enough for me to get rid of that set-up hahaha.

 

 

Wait, now I'm really confused... I call DaveB to talk to him about parts for my '99, even give him the VIN so there'll be no mistake, and he yanks my chain about a revised part and it's installation so he won't have to sell it to me? It certainly is a strange strange world we live in.

The point of my OP wasn't to ellicit a debate on any level. I was simply provided with information from a legit and respected source which indicated that a fix, typically doable in one's garage, has been made more complicated and time consuming based on a change to an OEM part.

Further, just prior to talking to DaveB, I nearly clicked "complete order" at one of the reputable online OEM parts houses thinking I was purchasing a chain tensioner identical to the one that I'll be removing and one that installs in simple reverse of its removal. However, based on my converation with DaveB, apparently I would have received a genuine Nissan part that would not, in fact, install as the old one came out, which would have baffled and frankly pissed me off.

I was thinking that the passing on of this information would be useful and perhaps appreciated by those who might be in pursuit of genuine Nissan parts but may not have known about this particular issue prior to my OP.

 

This has been one of those mega threads that you have to read through multiple posts to get all the info. I replaced the tensioner in my '97 SE last summer. I bought it from an on-line Nissan-Infinity dealer out of AZ and they sent me the exact same (visibly anyway) tensioner as the one I took out. The question in my case was, there apparently, according to some in the thread, is now a gasket that you are supposed to use between the tensioner body and the engine block that you mount it against. The original tensioner had no such gasket so.....is it really needed? I decided not to take a chance and made a gasket from 1/32" sheet gasket material that you get at NAPA. Everything's been fine so far.

In your case, one forum member said he just removed the guts from the new tensioner, cleaned up the body of the original one, and then installed the new pieces into the original body (piston, spring, can't remember if there's anything else). Apparently the main difference between the '95/'96 tensioner and the later model is the angle of the little piston relative to the tensioner body, such that a new tensioner would push against the existing 95/96 guide at an improper angle. So, you might just try changing out the internal parts and don't worry about the rest. Sounds like a big job (removing the front chain cover) that may be unnecessary afterall.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...tensioner.html

Great thread describing the difference in the old/new tensioners. Too bad the pictures Jime included no longer work. They really told the story.

 

good thread oldngivout. I wish the pics were there too. This info isn't stickied?? I guess I'll decide when the time comes whether I want to pull the motor and do alot of maintenance or try to squeeze some miracle in there. I'll probably pull all of it and replace the chain and everything all at once.

 

This info IS stickied. Here's a link. Check out post #7 (95Bluse) for pics of old and new.

http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...tensioner.html

 

does anyone know where the tensioner gasket pictured in this post can be gotten? http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...tensioner.html

i just called my local dealer and was told that this is not a part they show as even being present in association with the tensioner let alone available for purchase. I can evidently get the O ring mentioned in the post but not the gasket.

 

for easier reference^