Just venting!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG, went to change the alternator (What a chore). However the real fun didnt come till when I went to remove the two blade pigtail on the alternator.

Thats where the plug wouldnt come loose, when I pulled, (it appears that the oil leak found its way into my alternator where it shorted out the alternator which welded the plug connector together) the whole inside of the alternator came out with the plug (You could see inside the alternatore all the way to the coil)

Off to the JY today and snipped the lead with the plug from another Max.

In the process of replacing the valve cover gaskets as well (On the front valve cover, the gasket crunched off like dust and the spark plug seals are welded to the VC. (They also came off in pieces)

Gotta love a car with 260K on the clock and no real maint. done.

Vent off
S

 

I read somewhere ,the never ending money pit MAXIMA....real meaning of priceless..Don't give up it'll be good again for a little

 

Oh, I am not giving up. Makes me miss my old ford and chevy. Spark, fuel, air and combustion..Car goes. Now you need an enginering degree!!!

Same principal in a much more complex package!!

 

Did you find out where the oil is coming from? Could be the valve cover gaskets.

 

It is the vc gaskets. I pulled the front one and the gasket came off in hard crunchy little pieces and the tube seals are fused to the vc.

I tried with my prybar and the inner part came off in hard little chunks but the part nearest the vc is fused (Trying my heat gun tomm) if that dosent work than creative Dremel work is in order.

Almost have the rear ready to pull.

 

you'd be reading my quote son

 

I got mine out fairly easy (after I cried cuz I tore up the first one and realized you cant get them in and out so easy) you gotta get a real short crow or pry bar underneath the tube seal where it meets. It just takes a lot of force. Us the heat gun carefully. there's metal on the inside of the seals and you don't wanna expand them. It'll be harder to get out. And make sure your new ones go in completely straight. Total *****.

 

Got the front VC changed. Still dinking with the rear (Stupid intake manifold) I think the only thing I have left to remove is the two bolts on the back side of the intake that are feel only, no sight.

I dropped my socket, and cant see it anywhere

S
On a side note, the alternator plug is soldered in with shrink tube and is good to go!!!

 

Update, I got the two 12mm bolts on the bracket at the rear of the IM off tonight. I got the IM off and the VC off and cleaned up (It had some wierd looking sprak plug tube seals) might have been original factory as they didnt look anything like the ones from the front VC.

Now, one more trip to the parts store or the dealer (Stupid PCV broke and in trying to get it out I jacked up the PCV grommet)

Then back to gather and keep fingers crossed that all is well.

Thanks for the forum!!
S

 

Got it almost all put back together!! I got the PCV and the gromet from Orielly.

I am glad that I am not a mechanic for real as I would have been fired for how long its taken!!! Maybe its my Zen time!!
S