So my occasional smelling of oil has gone from once a month...to once every couple weeks....to once a week...and now to a couple times a week. I know its the valve cover gaskets leaking because i can see it easily in the front.....from what Ive read I can only assume the rear bank is worse.

Either way the valve covers will be getting a service soon....but here's where the big question lies. A good friend of mine who is almost genius status and used to have a Maxima thinks it would be more prudent for me to replace the timing chain and tensioners, water pump AND valve cover gaskets all at the same time since I guess you have to remove the valve cover gaskets to get to the chain anyway. He said that way you'd know you didnt have to break the engine opened again probably for the rest of the cars life. its got about 173k on it now, but has no symptoms of failing chain or water pump. What to do. If I just do the valve covers i can probably afford to have that done in the next month......the whole shebang would delay this process quite a bit. I should note this same friend has 5 times my income yearly....so that also plays a part in his advice.......

 

Sorry to be harsh here but you should never listen to this friend for advice on your vehicle.

The engine does not need to come apart to change the valve cover gaskets. The intake manifold needs to be removed then the valve covers and thats all. Timing chains are designed to last the life of the car. On some occasions you would want to replace it but this for sure isnt one. The cost difference from just valve cover gaskets to a timing chain job would not just be a few more bucks. I would say hundred or so more.

 

I see what he's saying, but I"m a firm believer of "it ain't broke, don't fix it".

 

I think you missed his point. He was saying that timing chains/tensioners sometimes go on these cars as well as water pumps. Should that happen they would have to re-break my "new" valve cover gaskets/seals to do the timing chain job. He was saying if i did all that **** at once the engine could most likely remain untouched until it eventually dies......basically. He actually is smart as hell and has built cars before......but he does also tease me with stuff like this because hes got enough money to have a Viper GTS and a Shelby Cobra...as well as two airplanes and a rental hanger. So hes got nothing but first world problems compared to me

 

Job he is talking about is magnitudes more of a PITA, just stick with the VC gaskets, cheap, easy and quick.

Not a common issue on the DEK from what I recall vs the 02-03 where cracked VC's are very common.

 

Id much prefer to keep it cheap..lol.

 

It wouldn't be that much more expensive, jut take a whole helluva a lot longer. And if already on that mindset, might as well put in a new water pump.

But, no, I'd rather just change the VC gaskets and call it a day.

 

how about this..have him pay for it if he wants to tease you with all his money -.-

 

Actually when I had a tough period of 5 months a few years back he did pay for me when we'd eat somewhere etc. He's a good guy just has no concept of what living with a smaller budget is like...

 

I understand the water pump thing, especially on a higher mileage car. If you had a VG, I'd definately say to just go ahead and do it. However, we are talking about a VQ and if you're not having cooling issues or heater issues or coolant leaks at the front of the engine indicating a problem, then replacing it right now is an unnecessary burden. Do the valve covers/gaskets for cheap. If you ever did have to remove the valve cover again, valve cover gaskets are not going to be the cost that breaks you.

Additionally, a water pump going out does not immediately result in catostrophic failure. So, as said: If ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

 

All good things..lol

He had an older gen maxima when he owned one........had 250k on it or something when he got rid of it...he confuses things sometimes thinking my DE-k is the same as his car was..

 

Sorry if I may have offended you or him but honestly the amount you save now will be worth it. By the time the car needs and if it ever needs work on the timing chain or waterpump you may not even have the car or may be trash anyway. Like another member said the valve cover gaskets would account for no more than like $40 at the time of a timing chain replacement.

If I only have first world problems I would prob buy a brand new engine and get it professionally built and installed for me and I would yell when the pain on the engine didnt come out the correct shade of blue that I wanted.

 

Yep thats him......Custom everything.


Maybe because of the few horror stories out there I am assuming water pump and timing chain always fail around 200k.

 

Timing chain on my 95 hasn't "failed" nor do I expect it to and it's build date is March of 1995 with 245k miles.

 

Love to hear this. Horror stories always stick in your head way more than success stories..lol

 

Nothing but great advice in here and I agree with it all. Just do the VC gaskets for now.

 

First thing on my to do list after i get my car fixed from this lady rear ending me last friday.

 

THIS.

Replacing the Valve covers/gaskets is a fairly simple job. Doing tensioners, waterpump, etc, etc, is a very intensive job that IIRC is easiest done by removing the engine in the maxima.

So you can spend an hour and $40-100 replacing the gaskets/covers, or you can spend $300+ and spend a day or two replacing a ton more stuff that isn't broken/damaged at all. Plus all the stuff that will break during the disassembly, or might cause trouble down the road because you tampered with it (VERY COMMON).

You will create more problems then you will fix.

Your friend gave you bad advice, that's all, no biggie, we all do it, even the smart ones.