hey guys,
well that aweful noise of my differential bearings has began. Sounds like a coke can in a bike tire in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. And its only at low speeds. So any of you have a solution. I got a quota from a local tranny shop to rebuild mine for $1800 So the next best option it to look for a used one, Right?? Im leaning towards the I30 with the locking differential. Im not so brushed up on transmission stuff so dont make fun of me if i say something wrong. lol

But would a newer year have the same problem as mine does eventually?
Would an I30 tranny ever has this problem?
Should i even get an I30 tranny?
Where can i find a used tranny?

Sorry for all the question but i just want to make sure i get this right.

Thanks guys,

Sean

 

Are you also leaking fluid from the differential seal?

 

I havent noticed any but i havent taken a close look either. Where is the differential seal located?

 

Its inside the tranny. I had the same problem over the summer. Costed me only 400 and about 10 hours of labor for taking the tranny off and putting it back in. You should be leaking oil also. Note to change the seals if you are doing it on your own.

 

Where the axel goes into the tranny, both driver and passanger side, there should be some leaking fluid at that seal. That is the tell tale of a differential bearing problem.

 

alright i would go check now but its pouring down raining. If it is the differential bearing how long can i go b4 its becomes a major problem? Hows is the best solution for it? Thanks guys you always help!

Sean

 

For myself and other guys, the final reason to end up getting it fixed was the amount of fluid leaking from the differential seal. As the bearings go bad there becomes excessive play where the axel goes into the tranny and the seal cannot compensate for it. My leak started very small, but by the end I could see the fluid flowing right past the seal....loosing like a quart every 24 hours. alot of guys also get a bad whine in 1st and 2nd gear, but I never got much noise.

I don't know that I have ever heard of total failure of the tranny from this problem, it's just that the leak and noise get so bad the car is almost not driveable. If the bearings totally come apart then there will be metal floating around in the tranny which is not good.

The tranny has to be opend to fix the bearings, which is the most labor of a complete rebuild. That is what most of us do. Just replace all worn out parts while doing the bearing which equates to a complete rebuild most of the time. Bearing replacement has been done by a few members, but for most of us weekend mehcanics it's a little bit beyond us. I had a shop do mine. If you think your up to it there is a complete write up at www.motorvate.ca

 

go for a 5th gen tranny. no bearing problems.

 

Should you decide to rebuild, make sure you have positively confirmed the availability of every size shim (all 12) before the tranny is opened up.

When mine was opened up, the shims were on back order and Max was down and out for 7 weeks.

As a matter of fact, just buy a 5th gen tranny like Nismo296498640465 suggested.

 

Just go with the 5th gen 5-speed VLSD tranny out of an '01 AE like BlueBird said. I'm thinking the previous owner of my car might've taken care of the differential problem for me or thats what I'm hoping at least.

 

hey guys,
there is no leakin oil. Its just a high pitched whine and chatter while i drive at low speeds. Do the I30 have bearing problems? I just dont want to go buy an I30 tranny have get the same problem. Thanks guys

 

i had the same problem. sounded like a skateboarder while the clutch was out and made the skating/whining noise in low gears at low speeds. i had NO leaking whatsoever. when i replaced the tranny the main shaft inside was very hard to turn compared to the new/used tranny i replaced it with. there was also some side to side play in the main shaft.

 

damn it paul! your the bearer of bad news! so what should i do?

 

sounds like input shaft bearings to me, not differential bearings.. the input shaft bearings are common on the 3rd gen Max trannies.

still the same thing... if you can pull the tranny out yourself and have a few tools, then you can rebuild the tranny yourself. the only things I needed other than the basic hand tools was a bearing separator, bench vise, hammer, and a couple pieces of metal to use as whacking plates.
(my hydraulic press helped a lot, but you can do it with just a hammer and the vise as well)

pics:
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/tranny/

 

wait you have 99.5 like i do. i thought only 95 and 96 cars suffered from tranny problems?

 

I thought all 4th gens were susceptible to the failure

 

Screw the 4th generation manual transmissions.....

 

Good idea! Im just gonna look for a 96+ Infiniti I30 or a 2000-1 5 speed. I think that is the best solution. And when i get the stock tranny off i will jsut rebuild it in my spare time then sell it. Sound like a plan?

 

Well there a major leaking on the tranny by the shafts and pretty much all over. It wasnt all the tranny because i was installing my SS clutch line but clutch fluid isnt black is it? If it is the Axle bearings could anythign major go wrong? The tranny wont fall out will it?

 

I'd have to see some good pics of it to tell you where it's leaking and what it is.. it will leak at the input shaft seal and the axle seals. depending on which ones are leaking can help you determine the bad bearings.

If the axle shaft seals are leaking, then it's the diff bearings. if it's the input shaft seal that's leaking (there's only one seal), then it sill be dripping out of the bottom of the bellhousing (like in my pics), and it may take the clutch out with it from the fluid dripping on it..

FYI, it doesn't take long to rebuild them. order all the bearings- about $150 in my case- and pull the case apart, following the instructions in the service manual to the letter. swap the bearings out on the ends of the shafts, and replace the seals in the case. put it back together and install back in the car. it's really not that bad. took me 4 hours to do the rebuild the first time I did it, and some of that was just goofing off and taking my time..

 

I don't know about the input shaft bearings but at least the 4-gen guys have to have the right shim for the diffy bearings. To set the preload right. You have to assemble the case and measure the load or something. Then take it apart and put the right shim in. Problem is Nissan never does this when they rebuild their own trannies so they never carry the right shim. If the load is off by too much, it destroys the tranny within 10,000 miles or so.

moterveate or something site spells it out pretty clearly and has great pics

 

I have a subscription to AlldataDIY for the 2000, and it has the bearing preload measurement procedures. Requires some weird tool that has 2 legs (bridge and gauging cylinder) with a feeler gauge.

 

don't bother rebuilding the transmission


just replace it w/ a 5th gen.

 

or i30 10 char

 

a brand new tranny from Nissan is just under 2000, so don't spend 1800 on a rebuild for sure.

 

You need the matching axles if you go with a 2k-2k1 tranny though, right? (just fyi)

 

i hear that the I30s have the same bearing problem... Is this true? Is it only in the 96s?

 

Same f ing problem here on my 96 5speed. Its starting to get nasty. I'm in desperate need of a new tranny. Eighter a i30 lsd or a 00-01 tranny.
-Paul

---------------
96 SE 5speed i/y
2.28
14.762
93.8

I need a new tranny!

 

Welcome to the I Need A NEw Tranny For My 4th Gen Club. I am a proud card carrying member.

 

sounds like its a very common problem? Well i want to get it fixed asap. I need to know if the 2ks are direct swaps or does something need to be done to get then to fit? FI you guys HAD the money lol whats would u do to fix it? Im just looking for the best and cheapest way to get it fixed.

 

cheapest... fix the tranny you have yourself. it's not that hard.

best... buy a civic and stop beating on your car. it'll last forever.

 

Who said i was beating on my car? It seems to be that it is a very common problem with the max's ********.

 

You are 100% correct about those shims.

Warning to all: Because of the inavailibility of the shims, my max was in the shop for SEVEN WEEKS!

Either order one of every 12 sizes of the shims before you start, or replace with a different tranny.

 

I really feel sorry for you guys with the 4 gen manual trannys......

 

96 with 145k and no tranny problems here.

 

I don't mean to speak for the man, but I doubt he was totally serious. And Matt is a very knowledgeable member, look at how much good info he's put up in this thread already. Calling him names will get you nothing.

Kids these days, so ungrateful

 

I feel really sorry for you guys who slide nice *** vettes into curbs

 

I never said anything about his knowledge about the maxima. But to say it might be due to my driving habits is not acceptable. Ive never once met or seen him so how does he know how i drive on a daily bases?

 

All I know is that for the first year that I had my max, I beat the living shyt out of it. I loved to bang 2nd gear. As a matter of fact, I did it on a regular and daily basis. So you can say I deserve all this crap now that my tranny is falling apart.

Hey, I'm just being honest.

-Paul

---------------
96 SE 5speed i/y
2.28
14.762
93.8

I need a new tranny! pm me

 

without being rude, you put an intake and STS on your car, yet you DON'T drive hard on it? I highly doubt it.

I've seen LOTS of 3rd and 4th gens go for several hundred thousand miles without a single transmission problem. 95% of the problems on these transmissions are from drivers that beat on their cars. Also keep in mind that what YOU consider beating on it may not be what I consider beating on it.

Are the transmissions weak? some are. do some fail even under light use? yes. do most fail under hard use? most definitely. how many people mods their first car and don't drive it hard? not many. so spock-logic would assume that you at least drive your car hard some of the time. you can see where I'm going with this. It's nothing personal, don't get your panties in a wad. If you want the transmission to last longer, be nicer to it. it's as simple as that. I didn't say you were racing the car daily (like I admit to doing), but I'm SURE you can find a way to drive easier on it.