chentwoten

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys, been a member for awhile and I have a couple of questions:

I just crossed 100k a couple months ago and have been wanting to replace my cooling system as preventative maintenance so that I don't get stranded (because my rad cracked, or my water pump seals leaked, etc.). I go to school in Socal but live in Norcal. Back in early September, I drove back down to Socal and my temps started to rise right before the Grapevine on the I-5. (it was 110-115*F outside). Coolant level was fine. Shut down the car immediately and let it cool off for an hour and all was well after that. Been having a very slight leak from the engine/upper hose where I can see the coolant buildup, but no overheating or anything like that - just watching my coolant level more often and added as needed.

Since then, I've been doing a lot of reading with regard to how to do this, but it seems like most people are replacing things as they go individually. Instead, I'm looking to just do the whole shabang at once. Here's what I've purchased so far:

Koyo OEM Replacement radiator (for auto, since I have one)
Nissan OEM Water pump
Nissan OEM Thermostat
Gates belts (alt/ac and power steering)
Gates upper and lower radiator hoses
(and obviously going to pick up coolant / distilled water as well)

What I've gathered through http://forums.maxima.org/7895113-post306.html and http://web.archive.org/web/200806181...ca/mvp.php/502 (thanks!) is that I can flush the engine block coolant using 8 or 9 gallons of distilled water, and then after I do the last radiator drain, I will just fill with either Toyota Red (100%, non mixed), or Nissan Green (again, non mixed) to get the 50/50 mix that I'm looking for.

The radiator and hoses install looks easy, as does the tstat. However, the water pump is going to be the biggest challenge here. After reading a couple of water pump tutorials and watching pmohr's water pump video on youtube (thanks man!, really appreciate all of the help) is that I should check for coolant leaks from the water pump seals before I button everything up.

What my question is then, is what order should I do everything in? Should i just drain the radiator, pull the hoses/rad/waterpump/tstat and replace them all, then fill with distilled water to check for leaks and then flush? Or should I flush first with just distilled water and then replace everything and then check for leaks? Since I'm doing the water pump I have to drain my oil as well.

This is my first time working with the cooling system on my 4th gen so any help/tips/advice are much appreciated. The coolant has not been changed before (one owner) and that is one of the reason why I'm replacing all of these parts together. Just wanted to say thanks again for the vast amounts of information already provided by the community.

Mike

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Overkill....

The overheat was/is probably a result of the lack of system pressure do to the slight leak you have. Verify that it's the hose or the top of the radiator (very common). Replace the component that's leaking, drain and refill with new coolant.

New belts is a good idea, check the crank pully while your down there. The center rubber coupling tends to dry rot causing the pully to separate. The other items concerning your cooling system do not need replacing unless they have failed.

Esmug

Overkill… yes. But commendable for preventive maintenance. Considering the age and mileage, you have plenty of life in the vehicle, but not necessarily the parts. If you know the age of the parts and have confidence that the parts will not fail in the near future, I would replace as the parts go bad. If you think it’s original or been over few years old, then overkill is the way I would go. Labor and being road stranded is way more costly then the parts.

Koyo OEM Replacement radiator (for auto, since I have one)
Nissan OEM Water pump (safe your $$ and use autozone – lifetime warranty I think)
Nissan OEM Thermostat (safe your $$ and use autozone)
Gates belts (alt/ac and power steering) ( why? Easy parts to replace. No need to spend $$ - unless you have symptom. These are not likely to get you stranded)
Gates upper and lower radiator hoses
(and obviously going to pick up coolant / distilled water as well)

Many instructions on this forum already – do a search, and you’ll find, then use common sense and logic.

Trini Boom

iTrader: (5)

Since you already bought all the stuff, I would replace it all though. Do what njmax stated and don't get any of those parts from AutoZone.

Esmug

Hi Trini Boom, I have not replace the cooling items in my Max, so do not have experience with these items, but I am curious why not autozone? Have there been a historical issues with these components?

fat_kid

iTrader: (13)

if you really want to do all this work, then do it all minus the water pump.

Br0nz

yeah water-pump is a PIA i dunno if i would change it unless its leaking, i did mine when it leaked and i could have easily dropped parts down the inside of the timing cover so i wouldn't chance that. You should get warning signs of a pending failure. also i used OEM nissan alt a/c belt too.

chentwoten

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the information. I have access to a garage and tools as well as time right now as I am on break, and that is one of the reasons why I'd like to care of all this preventative maintenance right now. Just checked the crank pulley seems like there is indeed play so I ordered a new one. I'd personally rather deal with the headache now than the headache later on the side of the road.

chentwoten

iTrader: (1)

Exactly my thoughts as well, I have already picked up the parts because these are all originals, minus the alternator belt. Thanks

chentwoten

iTrader: (1)

Completely understood, thanks. Yeah, the water pump looks like a challenge. However, it's something I'd rather take care of and not worry about, seeing as how many owners have their seals go bad.

Does anybody have advice to what I should do first, flush or new parts, as asked in my original post? Or does it even matter?

Thanks,

mike

Trini Boom

iTrader: (5)

I would replace the leaking hose and do the flush to the system.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Whoever recommended using an Autozone thermostat must like doing jobs twice

Frank Fontaine

I know it's not rocket science...I replaced the hoses myself this summer....but I only changed the coolant that was lost, what was in the radiator.

imho, the shops that use a machine to evacuate the coolant, will do a better job of getting it all out. Otherwise, you're just replacing part of the coolant, and if you do truly flush it, you're going to be wasting some new coolant, and in the end, you may not save over the $59 a shop wants.....

My water pump is original, and my wife's uncle has done 4th gen pumps, so I will likely leave it for him and not attempt on my own....

Max_Gator

I would also replace the timing chain tensioner. You will have to remove it anyway to do the water pump.

Water pump is a pia but pmohr's video is very helpful. One thing I'm not sure whether he shows or not is that there is an indent in the frame for you to slide the waterpump in and out. That's important to know because you will want to pull your hair out trying to get the damn thing in and out.

To answer your question the order is dictated by the fact that you are doing the rad/water pump/tstat. To do those, you need to drain the coolant. So, I would drain coolant first, then flush, then do repairs, then refill.

Here is how I would do it:

1. drain coolant
2. flush system
3. remove rad/hoses/tstat/belts
4. Do water pump and tensioner. You really don't test the water pump before you reglue the access ports anyway.
5. replace belts.
6. Do radiator - piece of advice, watch out for the rad support grommets dropping into whatever you drain your coolant into. That happened to me and I couldn't find the thing.
7. Do tstat and hoses.

Removing everything gives you a bit more room to work on the water pump.

Frank Fontaine

I thought I've seen people replace the tensioners and wind up with a problem thanks to the new parts, and they recommended reusing the old parts?

It seems that no matter how you slice it, today's replacement parts are not going to last as long as the original....

chentwoten

iTrader: (1)

Huge thanks. This is exactly what I needed. I read somewhere that it was the tensioner on the earlier models that went bad, so that's why I avoided getting a new one. Going to do it tomorrow and will report back with pic and info.

chentwoten

iTrader: (1)

Finished the repair last night (took about 8 hours, 5-6 of which were actually just waiting for the rad to drain after each flush and coming back to it after). Flushed about 7-8 gallons worth of distilled water through the system using bill99gxe's method to clear out almost all of the old fluid. Came out pretty clear at the very end.

Took off the the hoses, belts, radiator, and drained the oil. Everything came out pretty smoothly.

The timing chain tensioner was definitely the most grueling part, being afraid that I might drop that loaded spring and piston into the timing chain cover. However, it thankfully did not, and both the tensioner and new water pump went in smoothly. Cleaned the covers and block mating surfaces and RTV'd them with Permatex Ultra Grey and let that sit while installing the rest of the stuff.

Put the new thermostat in, popped the new radiator on and got the hoses on. Cleaned out the expansion tank. Then filled up the rad with most of the gallon of Toyota Red and then used the rest to fill up the expansion tank 50/50 with distilled water. New oil filter and oil after that. Burped the system one last time this morning with it idling and heater on for a while to get air out and it's been running excellent.

Just wanted to thank everyone for the knowledge and how-to!

Trini Boom

iTrader: (5)

Glad to hear it was successful. Update us in a few weeks to see if anything develops.

unrealii

iTrader: (8)

Do you 4th gen'ers not have a water control valve? It was like a 2nd thermostat. I replaced it when I did my 5th gen.