KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

96 5-speed vlsd, it whines in first gear?? Fluid level was ok and appeared decent (I'm changing it tommorow for sits and giggles though but I know it won't help)
Any input is greatly appreciated, I'm assuming my first gears aren't meshing properly?? So I'll be doing a clutch and splitting that transaxle wide open unfortunatly!

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

NEVER MIND! I can search now!!! dif. bearings fo sure

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

Are you going to be rebuilding it yourself?

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

I was going to, I'm pretty experienced when it comes to cars, but I went around and got some prices the other day and one place quoted me $325 labor for syncros and all bearings! I think I'm going to buy them a FSM and pay them an extra $75 and tell them that I really need them to be **** when shimming the dif. bearing pre-load. I'd do it myself so I know it gone done right but this is my daily transportation and I need it done quick. I started hustling again because I need to rebuild the tranny, do the clutch, and an o2 sensor, it sucks I wish parts were cheaper. Hey have you ever been to middleboro? I've seen a mint green maxima just like yours around here on several occasions.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

Well I work in Raynham off 44 so its possible. Let me know where your having your tranny rebuilt if you like their work. I also have a tranny i wanna have rebuilt its the original one from my 1999.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

DUDE!! the cheapest quote I got was $325 from turnpike transmission, then for ****s and giggles I went to 'Andrews family automotive" in Lakeville, he used to be an infiniti tech for years and know he has his own shop and thats all he sells and works on, he's really smart and very meticulous. I always thought his prices were high but he quoted me an even $300 without knowing what other places gave me for a price. He knows these cars inside and out and theres no doubt in my mind that he'll do a very good job shimming the pre-load properly. Tell him the kid with the 5-speed i30 w/nitrous sent you.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

Did you get it rebuilt? If your ever free we should meet up i would like to check out your car.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Hey Zack, hows the motor after banging out 8600 rpms?

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

She seems the same to me.When it happened I almost had a heartattack.I am going to dyno in January to confirm its ok but it still runs and idels fine so it should be fine. I haven't let up on it either I still ring it out everytime I get a chance.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Gotta love the vq! Sold as a rock. How in the hell did you manage to actually get into 2nd going that fast? I would have thought that it would have resisted it greatly.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

Not sure but it slipped right in.That tranny is gold though I lucked out. What surprised me is the clutch held it and didn't genade or i didn't shatter 2nd gear.Car runs like a top. All i keep thinking is I got a good one.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Well its good to hear that everything is fine.

Happy shifting!

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

hey I'm finally ready to pull it out, all my bearings and seals should be in any day now, I'm also putting in a 6-puck ceramic/metallic, a fidanza flywheel, one more new o2, a topspeed stainless Y-pipe, and the nx wet. Your more than welcome to stop by sometime and hang out in the carport, just don't try to come back later on and steal any parts because I am a little crazy. 774-766-7463 Kevin. Hey I get a decent discount on parts from Quirk Infiniti so if you ever need any infiniti ish let me know.

I've been having trouble finding a stainless lower line, and I can't break in the clutch or do all that work and have a leaking line. I need something I can pay for with Paypal.

Apparantly, regardless of how much I was willing to pay up the ***, Infiniti said they can't get me a fsm????? I need to get my hands on a fsm that covers my V tranny, so if anyone can hook me up with photocopies or even if they have a part # , it would really help me out.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Check out the GD forum on the SS clutch line. Its only $20 and works like a dream. It replaces BOTH rubbler lines.

I think I dig up the phone number for dymant dist., but the FSM is $180. I have a 97 FSM. I could scan the pages and then post them here if you would like.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

I wouldn't like that, I would LOVE it! $20!!!!! That's ridiculous, thanks a million.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

that's funny my brother works at Quirk infiniti. I also get the Discount there. I would like to come by sometime and check out your setup so I will be giving you a call.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Ok, give me some time to get them up.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

[QUOTE=KRRZ350] I went to 'Andrews family automotive" in Lakeville, he used to be an infiniti tech for years and know he has his own shop and thats all he sells and works on, he's really smart and very meticulous. I always thought his prices were high but he quoted me an even $300 without knowing what other places gave me for a price. He knows these cars inside and out and theres no doubt in my mind that he'll do a very good job shimming the pre-load properly. [QUOTE]

Forgot to mention something that I found VERY interesting, he said our 5-speeds can be rebuilt in the car, he didn't say if it was cheaper, but it seemed like that's what he meant.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Our trannies are so easy to remove!!!!!

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

i30ds, I searched the GD forums and didn't find anything about stainless lines for the 4th gen, so I e-mailed matt93se and he said he doesn't have anything for the 4th Gen lower??

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

Here is the link: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=338081

The last post was on 12-16-05 so I dont know if derrick is still selling them or not. He probably is though. Ignore the first few pages about it being a tad too short. They are now revised and are plenty long. Here is a pic:



It is the ss line running next to the slave cylinder. As you can see, it has plenty of slack on it, so length is not an issue.

Anyways, I would just pm him about getting one. He just might have a few left over from the last run.

When do you need the FSM MT w/ LSD section? I have scanned all 44 of the pages on to my lap top, and put about half on to photobucket, but since I am 56k, it takes a while. I have to go out of town hunting this weekend so I won't be able to finish until Tuesday. So don't think that I am backing out of this endeavour. Since the thing is 44 pages long I am going to pm I30tMikeD to see if it is cool that I post it and if we could possibly make it a sticky for future members with the 5spd VLSD to use.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

Nice work devin i would also like to have the LSD section of the FSM. I have a FSM for my 1999 but it includes nothing on VLSD trannies. Also Nice install very clean.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

The dealer lost my smaller dif. bearing and can't get me another one until monday, so it's no sweat, I'm sure by Tuesday though I'll be holding my breath at least for the tourqe specs so I can properly tourqe it back togethor before I measure the pre-load. Thanks a million, and considering how many others have had this problem that would def. make for a good sticky.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Thought some pics might make this thread more interesting. Notice how usps dropped my Fidanza flywheel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah I was really mad, it tweaked the aluminum the tinisest bit around one of the dowels for the pressure plate, the clutch slips on fine though, so it's cool. I brought it to a automotive machine shop to have the runout checked and he said it was 3 thousands which was a ok.

Clutch was last replaced by dealer about 40k ago, the disc itself wasn't bad at all, but the pressure plate, t.o. bearing, and flywheel are all in sad shape. It only slipped occasionally ((Like when I was beating on it, after letting the e-brake down and trying to then short shift second. It also chattered ALOT obviously. Now, the clutch was in rough shape like this when I bought it, and the previous owner was a chick who got 112k out of the first clutch, so either A: The dif. bearing failure caused this, or B: the mysterious driver who put 2,000 miles on it between the original owner and me buying it off the lot.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Way easier to rebuild a 5-speed car transmission than a 6-speed 2-stroke gearbox, and I did that when I was 14 years old. Dif bearingas aren't as bad as motorvate's, but they are worn, you can really tell this when you see the really small minor pits in the outer race. I don't like the looks of the output or mainshaft bearing's outer race either, it isn't pitted but does show some wear, but oh well, it's easy enough to pull the tranny out of these things and re-build them that if I had to do more bearings in another 50k I wouldn't care, I'd do them now but I'm already 'over budget' here.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

hey man if your working on this tomorrow would it be cool if i came by to check it out and lend a hand if needed?

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

sure just give my phone a ring.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Ok, so after fighting all day with a totally frozen, royal pita, 5th-reverse shift fork pin, which I gave up on, and didn't even need to friggin remove!! I finally got it all apart. My smaller dif. bearing is worse than my big one, the outer race is very spalled, aka pitted. Also, theres no sense in me putting this transmission together without replacing the mainshaft bearings, which look almost as bad as the dif. bearings, and the input shaft bearings also spin way to easy and sound like junk skateboard bearings (does that make sense to anyone other than me?)

BUT WAIT!!! Theres more!!!! I'm so heated right now, the ring gear, aka dif. driven gear doesn't look as bad as it's mate, the mainshaft drive gear. It's pretty ugly looking, I'm so pissed, I can't affor this right now, take a look and tell me what you guys think of this wear......

$$Mainshaft$$Drive$$Gear$$

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

I brought the mainshaft down to that Andrews place, he said it would be fine, I also managed to possibly score myself a part-time job there!!!!

So, I ground the dif. bearings off the carrier, it was pretty easy!

When I was at Infiniti today I got pages MT41-43 printed off, so I'll know how to figure out what shims I need, and I will be ordering new main-shaft and input-shaft bearings tomorrow, unfortunatly I have to go aftermarket for them because of money issues.
i30ds, how are you coming with those pages, the main thing I need to know now is- how on earth do I check the mainshaft pre-load??? Plasti-gauge under the bearing or something???? Thanks a bunch, I can't wait to throw this thing back in with all new bearings and seals!

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

WOW!! Seeing your car jacked up like that brought back some memories of the tranny pull I did on my car (and the 3 times on my friends 96 I30). Good choice on the fidanza... I put mine in and I absolutely love it. The engine revs so much quicker with it. I never got any of that "hesitation" that some people claim it causes. I could not imagine not having one. Anyways, I give you props for taking this on... rebuilding a tranny is no easy task. You got ***** man! I got back late last night so I will get the FSM up tonight! I saw a new rear main there... did you also get the lower c shaped seal that goes below it. You will need one. Good luck!!

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

FSM MT section is up and running!

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Thank You So Much!!!!!!!!! To bad I can't add twice to your reputation!! Thanks for the info on that seal also, I didn't know that and I hadn't pulled the stock flywheel yet. It's to bad Nissan and Infiniti only sell tools to the dealers, and all the dealers install remanufactured trannies, so it looks like I will be installing the previous mainshaft shims with new bearings unfortunatly.

Yeah were crazy out here in Mass, check out this pic of my freinds '96 just a few days ago, he is replacing his 205k drivetrain with one that only has 60K on it.

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

No problem at all. I am always willing to help others who are willing to help themselves unlike some other individuals on this forum. I just hope Mike will make that a sticky... he said he would. Anyways, I am sure you can get the tools directly from Kent Moore. I remember seeing a Kent Moore website that you could get the Nissan tools off of... They would definately come in handy in a tranny rebuild. So far I have managed to avoid buying any of them but then again I have never done anything as crazy as a tranny rebuild. I did a tranny swap but not a rebuild. Make sue to take your time on that rear main. The lower c shaped seal is extremely difficult to get in along with the main metal rear main seal. Make sure to use an excssive amount of RVT BLACK so you make sure that sucker does not leak!!!!

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

aw man, you bursted my bubble, when I saw my new rear main I thought to myself 'wow, that's awesome, it bolt's right up, looks soooo easy to replace with no possibility of leaks" Oh well.
Yeah I found that website, called them up, and HOLY CRAP!!! It would cost me close to $1000 to properly measure the main-shaft preload!!!

i30ds

iTrader: (8)

It not really as bad as it seems. For the most part, it does bolt right up, just just that the lower c shaped seal keeps wanting to pop out. So, you have to use a screw driver to keep pushing it back in while you tighten the main seal down. THe seal will get damaged to a slight extent, and thats where the excessive amount of RTV comes in. Becareful not to break the bolts... they are extremely tender. The factory torque specs are only 8 ft./lbs. which is not much.

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

Listen to devin when you says use alot of RTV. I had a "professional" experienced Maxima Mechanic do my Rear main seal and it now leaks where as it didn't leak previously. So i would highly suggest the RTV.
How much are you into the tranny so far for the rebuild?

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Just bought some permatex super-black. I don't even want to know how much I'm into it with everything, and I still have to get oil and I want to rebuild my master cylinder also, but I will be figuring it out when I'm done, I will also be doing a little write-up about the rebuild, and it will include the fix for my spun mainshaft & dif. bearings, by spun I mean the outer races didn't have an interference fit after 157k and it is clear that all of them were walking around against the cases, I'll have some pics in the write-up. Allthough I'm not ruleing out the fact that this may have been caused initially by bad preload, It's more probable that it is because of a poor aluminum casting with the cases.

KRRZ350

iTrader: (29)

Motorvate's preload was four shim sizes to tight. According to the FSM (Which should be stickied for sure) this measurement must be taken when new bearings, cases, or differential are installed, because production tolerances in any of those parts could cause the setting to change from when the shims were calculated at the factory. But I also agree with Motorvate that it is probably more likely an assembly error at the factory, and that is why my old shims are FIVE sizes to tight. I trust that NTN has closer production tolerences in there bearings than nissan does with their transmissions. To much preload would also partially explain why my outer races were spinning. Also, I wrote down the bearing numbers, I don't have the number handy, but you should be able to get them for much le$$, plus you will know that they are still oem, unlike my mainshaft bearings that I got from Drivetrain.com. which are made by a different company. I really wish the tools needed to measure the mainshaft preload wasn't $1000

Zack342

iTrader: (89)

How did this pan out?