Qawmuh

Hello fellow Maxima owners, i was wondering if it would be a good idea for a 23 yr old to attempt these jobs on his day off from work? Intake manifold gasket, valve cover gasket, spark plugs need to be changed... Car has been sitting for a few weeks due to busy schedule, but cv axles seals and i think cvt pan is also need of attention.... Which i plan to tackle next week what do you guys think?

MadMax07SL

If the car is just sitting, not being driven daily, take it on. Just remember to keep things covered as you stop. Debris or water inside the open top of the motor must be avoided, so if you take a break for a few days, cover it well. That said, do you have experience with all of this, or are you gonna youtube it all? Because if you've never done any of it, I'd suggest you find a mechanic friend and offer to buy beers and get him to oversee what you are doing and offer insight. Because what you learn on youtube doesn't teach you how to get out of a bind if you hit a brick wall, only work experience turning wrenches will.

LtLeary

I agree with MadMax. A golden opportunity to take care of some maintenance items! BUT if you don't have a lot of knuckle busting experience, it can be trying and confusing. First time I replace the plugs it took me most of the day (and I didn't have to change the valve cover (note you should replace the whole valve covers AND Gaskets as it has non-replaceable gaskets around the plug well, just changing the gaskets will cause you more grief.) 2nd time I did it in a few hours. Same with the cv axles and and seals, just make sure you have a good seal driver and puller! On the cvt pan, the bolt holes have very soft metal, so be very careful tightening these 5,432 bolts (or so it seemed) We are talking inch-pounds of force not foot lbs.

VeeQue35DE

If you attempt the valve covers, keep everything organized, labeled, and take good quality pictures so you can back track if you forget where something goes. Give attention to detail and you get good results. Another way of organizing bolts is to leave them on the part you removed. Leave throttle body bolts on the throttle body and put it aside, valve cover, vacuum rail, vacuum solenoids, etc. You may want to check the condition of hoses before you go in because the vacuum hoses become brittle. I ended up changing all of mine out because some were cracked. Get a good RTV because you'll need RTV on the corners of the valve cover gasket. You'll see it when you remove the old ones. The fire resistant conduit on mine fell apart because it was old and brittle so I ended up wrapping new electrical tape and new conduit onto the harness. Try to keep debris from falling into the engine when taking things apart and if you can't complete the job the same day, cover exposed areas with a lint free cloth. Make sure you have a inch lb torque wrench and don't use excessive force to remove something. Compare the new part to the old part before removal to see if you missed bolts to remove then compare the parts themselves once you're able to. Like mentioned earlier, the spark plug seals are built into the valve cover but the valve cover doesn't come with the valve cover seal itself.

Qawmuh

So i have to order new valve covers as well? How hard are the hoses to get a hold of? Any part numbers or links for the hoses just incase. Ive read a few of the youtube comments on the video and it says at most 6 hours to do the work. What do you think?

Qawmuh

Thank you so much man! Also the cvt shifts into gear a little delayed & i hear a whine while driving.... Will a fluid change help this 180k car? Car has issues but im determined to stick with it per a technicians advise

VeeQue35DE

Yes you'll need new valve covers (which aren't too expensive) because the spark plug seals are non-serviceable. For the vacuum hoses, you can get one from any auto parts store. It's a generic vacuum hose that's usually used for washer fluid pumps. Bring a piece of the hose in so they can help you find the inside diameter. It did take a while when I was working on mine but most of the problem came from the conduit on the main harness falling apart. I spent most of my time re-insulating the main harness. If you have the same problem or notice your conduits cracking, remove the broken pieces first and re-wrap it. Also, the front cover will give you problems with removal and installation since the main wire harness is hovering over the right edge of the valve cover. The harness itself has some "give" to it so try your best not to damage the wires. Sorry, I didn't take enough pictures to give a full step by step.

User1

Sure. Sounds like a much better idea than doing it on a day you have to work. Any other questions?

Qawmuh

One more.... Cvt is whining and delaying engaging in gear.... Aside from the leaks.... Will changing the fluid & filter help much

mahanddeem

When was the last time fluid was changed?
And yes it may help.

Qawmuh

I honestly have no idea... About 5 quarts was added last month when the tech discovered there was no transmission oil at all....

LtLeary

OUCH!

Then yes drain, fill and certainly change the filter. Will it help? Well I don't know, anything running that low can't be good!

MaximusN8

I agree the CVT isn't to forgiving when it's been neglected, See what happens after the drain and fill with the filter change.

mahanddeem

I can not believe how car was even drivable with no CVT fluid. I hope your "tech" checked fluid "correctly" and did not overfill it. It takes A WHILE of driving before transmission is FULLY warmed up (temp count >160). Level rises considerably when fluid gets hotter.

You should receive around 4.2 quarts when you open the drain plug till dripping stops. If that's the case, level is normal.

MadMax07SL

If you're problems are the CVT, and you are trying to keep the car running with 180k miles, stick with that, and get that 100% resolved first. Doing all that other work, only to find out you need a replacement CVT...my opinion is if the CVT is toast, junk the car. Not sure what a rebuilt will cost, but I hear the new one is well over $3000 installed...car isn't going to be worth that much bluebook.

Qawmuh

Car might be overfilled on fluid... Only thing if i do prioritize the cvt first i cant drive the car too warm up the trans because of the shocks & brakes...