i was worried about that to so i moved the mechanism about 30 minutes later to break it free before the jb weld was fully cured.

 

Can someone write a step by step write up w/ pics? That would help out greatly.

 

I have the VIAS control box sitting to cure, so hopefully by tomorrow morning I'll have a perfectly-working VIAS.

I forgot to take pics, and there's no point in starting right now since the important pieces (removal of box, etc.) are already done.

No more than 5 minutes after applying the stuff, I could freely rotated the rod (by pushing against the vacuum diaphragm actuator) without the cup wiggling. Score!
The bottom of the cup is pretty much covered in the stuff, so I can't even see the rod sticking through anymore
JB Weld Kwik is a little gummy/messy, but I think I was careful enough with it. I also made sure the cup was centered in its natural centered position, rotating it either way to make sure that it's resting right in between. So it should be aligned well enough to keep it shut.

 

Can someone come over and help me with mine?

 

I have had the rod removed since may. Here is the thread that explains the whole idea...http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....2&page=1&pp=40

I still have the rod removed. I haven't really had the time or the knowhow to repair this thing. I love the rush of hp above 5k rpms, but I definatly do miss my low end torque... Good work to you guys that have stuck with this thing and figured out a fix. Like someone said earlier in this thread, I believe that every 5th gen 3.0 over 40k miles has this problem. The design is just terrible.

Thanks again Spirilis and Chrome for sticking with this and giving up the info. The next step is for someone to do a writeup with pics and have it stickied.

 

Okay, I know this JB weld fix will work if the VIAS passes the "visual test", but will it still work for mine if the L shaped rod doesn't rotate at 5,000 rpms?


A write-up would be awesome. I've had my car for two weeks and I thought it was working fine until Kevlo911 told me it was supposed to be pulling hard after 5,000. We are going to attempt this tomorrow hopefully with the aide of a write up!!

 

no problem. Love to help. We 3.0's have to represent and VIAS is pretty much what makes us stand out vs the other 3.0s.

 

FYI, mine's installed. I still don't hear nor feel much of a difference above 5000. I do have decent low-end/midrange torque though. I'm going to inspect mine this morning and try to hot-wire the VIAS control solenoid with the vehicle running... see if I can determine if it's actually working.

Another thing I noticed is that with the cup filled at the bottom like it is with JB Weld Kwik, the VIAS power valve doesn't fit in it so snugly. It's very tight. I'm wondering if maybe it's fitting so tight that it's holding the VIAS box slightly open even with the screws tightened, so that it's producing a massive vacuum leak inside the VIAS box. In that case, I'm going to dremel off a small portion of the VIAS power valve (where it goes into the cup) so it has more room. That shouldn't hurt.

And since one screw is already looking stripped, I should first replace those damn screws with some bolts...

 

So, do you just apply hte JB Quick to the bottom of the cup or towards the "handle" part of the cup?

 

To the bottom of the cup. Try not to even get it on the sides. I got a little on the sides, and I had to remove that little O-ring at the end part of the VIAS power valve shaft to get it to go in. Now I think I actually need to shave off/cut off part of the end, because the JB Weld inside the cup reduces clearance, and apparently the stock setup fits a little tight.

 

So right in hte middle would be perfect? Around hte "nub" in hte middle

 

Yeah. After you surround the middle and maybe wiggle the cup to make sure it's touching the inner shaft some, put some more in and let it sit so it fills in the bottom portion. Then ~5 minutes later, try manually moving the power valve actuator so you rotate the cup. It should still rotate freely, but there shouldn't be much if any free play.

 

Cool, I just completed my followup now. I cut off the end of the VIAS rod up to and including the ring where the O-ring sits, shaved the inner hole afterwards so the spring fits in properly, I cut the end spring by about 40% of its length (and stuck the new cut end into the power valve), and reinstalled the VIAS using some M6x1.00 thread pitch x 16mm (they were out of 20mm, 16mm works OK though) bolts (10mm head) with some 6mm washers (work just as well). Looks like I'm good to go.

BTW, that JB Weld Kwik stuff is great. It is actually harder than the VIAS power valve's plastic material, based on the fact that I got a slight dribble of it on the side of the cup, and when I removed the VIAs this morning, I saw where that dribble was, 'cause the VIAS power valve had a small gouge in it. This stuff should be good as a permanent fix, IMHO. You just need to cut the power valve back a little so it fits better (and cut the spring so there's less tension, ensuring that you don't under-tighten the control box and introduce a vacuum leak, since the extra spring tension makes it difficult to tighten down)

As for initial impressions... well, all I can say is that I have decent torque, definitely more than before I started this project, and it holds it flat all the way to the redline from what I can tell. I should do a followup 3rd gear "dyno" with my Auterra OBD-II Dyno-Scan tool and see if it's changed. I'm pretty sure it has...

 

I stripped one of the four screws on the vias box. What can I do to get it out?

 

I used locking-jaw pliers on that stripped screw with success. I loosened it just enough that I could loosen it the rest of the way using a screwdriver on the stripped head.

 

Did you notice any high-end difference? One thing I notice in my car is not a significant boost in power at around 5000 RPM, but the tach. definitely flies to redline very quickly in the first 3 gears. Is that right?

 

I talked to SR20DEN who was the initial person to try and fix the VIAS problem. He mentioned using an impact driver. You hammer in one end so that it pushes and turns a bit into the screw.

 

That sounds about right. That's what I'm noticing right now. It's not that you feel a "boost" or even a significant sound difference, it's that it doesn't bog down at that point. Before I applied JB Weld, I had my VIAS configured with the Power Valve closed but the VIAS disabled and I noticed it'd pull strong up to around 5000, after which it was more beneficial to upshift, 'cause the top end was mainly lots of noise and little "go".

Right now, the top-end sounds the same as ~4K RPM, but the tach keeps pushing to the redline just as fast as it does when it passes the torque peak around 4K. I'd say you REALLY need a dyno of some type to identify its functionality in a tangible fashion. Either way, I'm glad it's fixed, and I've also regained my low-end and midrange (since the power valve isn't staying partially stuck open anymore either, which is another side-effect of this defect)

 

I just pulled off my VIAS this mourning, it's dead alright. it's so eaten away, it difficult to tell what the proper orientation is. But I think it's fixable.

Note for those removing the VIAS. First: If you don't have one, go buy a good #3 Phillips screwdriver, DO NOT use any other size or a flat head. If you get a Craftsman Professional "P3" it has a hex bolt on the shaft for putting a 7/16" wrench on. What you want to do is press the screwdriver FIRMLY against the screw, by placing your palm on the end of the handle. Then use the 7/16" box-end wrench to turn the screwdriver, the screws came out very easily this way. ALSO: you don't need to remove the throttle body, if you get someone to pull back the throttle cams (I was able to pull it back and turn the screw by myself though), then you'll have enough room.

I also cleaned the shaft and cup with brake cleaner. Now time to get back to it...

BTW, you really have to see this turd of a design in person to believe it. Basically a pencil size shaft torquing up against 20gauge flat edge steel. WHAT ON EARTH DID THEY THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?!?!? If only they had a a flange on the cup, for a little more contact area on the shaft, we wouldn't have a problem.

 

Yep, it's a real kicker of a design. They must've had some fresh-out-of-college kids design that one

 

All this talk is making me want to get mine fixed ASAP! But it sounds confusing to me.

 

let's just say you wanna take the stock vias off and use the mevi like the 4 th gen since they stock one is designed poorly the mevi wouldn't need to be changed or checked like the stock one and u wouldn't have to worry about the jb weld breaking down more money but sounds like a permanet fix

 

problem with mevi is that 4th genners reported losing low end vs 4th genners converting to a VIAS manifold. I was just running my car tonight since it is col and the VIAS feels real nice. BTW, I did this fix back in July for my birthday =) and checked it again couple of weeks ago. JB weld is still hard as rock.

 

but some 4th gen owners left it in the wide open position

 

why go through all that trouble when JB weld can fix it versus putting in a whole new manifold?

 

It works, . I should have it soon

 

F_CK YEAH, IT WORKS!!! I could tell from when I first wound it out after reinstalling the VIAS actuator. Before the engine would surge up to 4800, then fall flat. NOW, it surges to ~5500, and continues pulling to the rev limiter, just how it used to be.

I went ahead and used the original JB Weld, for two reasons. First, it is stronger than the kwik, and I already had some. After cleaning the cup, shaft, and surrounding area, I applied a small amound to the contact area on the back of the cup. Then I positioned the cup a perfectly as I could, by using these pictures as a reference: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/419735/12. Then I stated putting a little JB Weld on the shaft and cup. I didn't put in a whole lot, because I didn't want to have clearance problems during installation. I just used a small flat head screw driver to feed tiny globs to the side of the shaft, then spread it around to get good contact with all the parts. I also made sure not to get it on the inside walls of the cup. Then I spent awhile trying to get the positioning PERFECT. I got it centered, straight, and in what seems like a near perfect orientation (Just barely beyond 3-o'clock). And turned the shaft a few times to make sure it doesn't stick. I did this several times afterward. I then let it set for 21 hours, and reinstalled with the spring (I didn't trim it). I have a pic of the finished product, I'll post it soon.

 

Any auto parts place.

 

how long does this take generally take

 

Mike T- excellent job

JB Weld Kwik is good enough, so anyone who's curious, IMHO you don't really NEED to use the original JB Weld. But if you have some lying around, that's good enough reason

JB Weld and JB Weld Kwik is available at most auto parts stores, and I bought mine (bought both types, actually, just to have them around) at Walmart.

 

Removing the VIAS actuator only took about 15 minutes from the time I opened to hood. Just remove the airbox/MAF/and hoses all as one piece, then just four screws for the VIAS. Putting it back on was about 20 or so minutes just to make sure everthing went on right.

Actual repair of the VIAS was about an hour, most of the time just planning out a mode of attack, and getting the cup linned up just so... then 20 or so hours to let it set.

 

Yep. Mine didn't take too long to center it 'cause mine wasn't totally broken yet, so it had a sort of "resting" position that you could feel if you turned it back and forth... I just kept it right there. It sits just past 3 o'clock as Mike T said.

For me it took longer because I had to unbolt the Throttle Body to gain easy access to the lower right screw. I didn't want to bother with holding the throttle open. Anyway, now that I've replaced those screws with bolts, I should be able to loosen that bolt with a box-end wrench without touching the throttle body bolts, so I should be good to go.

This is definitely a worthwhile fix (can't really call it a mod) for any VQ30DE-K owners, if you have the skill and time. The torque gains (all over the powerband) from fixing it is unmistakable.

 

For some reason My cardomain.com page is not storing the image properly, so if anyone wants to host it for me, that would be great...

 

I'm going to inspect mine, if there is a problem with it not opening up correctly, should I pull it out, or jb weld it. I have i/h/e with no cat/udp and i removed the restrictor plate behind the tb.

 

I'm glad you guys have a fix for this.

I haven't spent any time on it after I removed the power valve from Nathans car (mad2kmax).


When you're removing those four big phillips head (yellow zinc) screws you will probably need an impact screwdriver to get them off. Visegrips may come in handy as well. And when they're out just throw them in the garbage. Replace them with M6 bolts with washers and do NOT overtorque them.

 

To see what we're talking about, try wiggling the cup to see if it has free-play in it. The cup SHOULD be locked to the shaft, so if you manually push the power valve actuator rod, the cup should move directly with it without any free play. If there is free play in the cup, you need to do this fix to repair it. (that "free-play" results in the power valve not opening fully nor closing fully...)

 

so, i don't know if I have this problem...46,672 miles. Is this just a definite problem or is it possible i would notice a performance decrease like this. I stepped up from a 4th gen GLE (auto/stock) to a 5 gen 5spd and i'm still amazed by the power difference

 

Does it pull strong all the way to redline, or do you short shift because the powerband starts to go flat near the top end? If you have some mechanical ability, remove it and check. Even if it's not broken, I would apply just a little bit of JB Weld on the shaft/cup just as a preventative measure. But at that mileage, there is a good chance it's dead, or atleast almost there.

 

no, i believe it's fine, it pulls stronger and feels lightly boosted at points, very strong, preventative measure worth it? will i ever have this problem or is it guaranteed? anyway, thanks for the input

 

I'd suspect yes. It's a fundamental boneheaded flaw in design, so it'll happen eventually. Good preventative measure, and if it's fairly OK now, doing this will be easier since you'll know where the proper 'resting' position is.