August 17th: Indianapolis Import and Truck Bash, Indianapolis Raceway Park

I didn't run my car. I hadn't driven the thing hard at all in a few weeks. I had a leaky y-pipe and was wanting to get it fixed before I did any serious driving, and didn't really want to drag my car anyway. So, I entered in the show.
There was a pretty serious line to get in by the time I made it there. The car started grabbing funny in first gear as I was going in, and it made me worry a little. I was afraid that leak in the y-pipe was spilling out heat in places that there shouldn't be, but I was already in line to get in so fukit, right? Anyway, I finally made it to the back where maximaeuro was hangin out and parked next to his 3rd gen. We hung out all day and did the show thing, and then my brother and I decided to go home. We were rollin out of the lot and down the street, in the line of exiting traffic, when the car started grabbin funny again. This time, we heard some clunking from under the car and so I took it out of gear. The line moved again, and when I went to put it back into gear it wouldn't budge! The shifter wouldn't move, and the cars were going, so my brother got out and pushed it into the nearest driveway. We called a tow truck and it finally got there. When he put it up, I noticed something dripping from underneath. I got under there and it was gear oil dripping out the flywheel vent hole in the bell housing. I had it towed to my place, and now there is a puddle under the tranny and I'm pretty sure there is no more gear oil in there. My funds are low so I consulted friends.
I got quite a few opinions from various 'backyard mechanics' that I know, and all of them had different things to say. Basically, I want some opinions from fellow 3rd genners before I take it in soon because I really need to have a good idea what I'm getting in to before I send it in and commit to internal diagnostic fees, storage fees, towing fees, etc. only to find out that my actual repair will be beyond my budget anyway. Help me out guys. I really could use your input. Thanks.

Geoff

 

35 people look at this thread but no one has any opinions to help me out?? I'm kinda surprised. Maybe I should've titled the thread "hey, check out my turbo" or something. At least that would have gotten some flames...

 

Same problem as me. Your input shaft seal is broken. Is it making weird noises when you let off of the clutch? If so, more than likely your input shaft bearing is gone too. Those seem very common. There is also a chance that the shaft that the throwout bearing rides on is broken too, but it may not. I had two trannies that had a bad input shaft bearing and and seal an on one of them the shaft was broken for the throwout bearing (i drove that one for a while though with it broken so that could be the reason) I did the job myself and it took me a while since i had to wait for the parts but if i had all of the parts ready it would take me a weekend and 50 dollars (if the tranny doesn't need replaced like mine needed). If you take it to a shop they will more than likely want to rebuild the whole tranny. That would cost somewhere between 300-500 i believe. The good part about taking it to a shop is they can offer you a warrantee. Since there is gear oil leaking out your input shaft seal is definately broken, no doubt about it. If it is making a weird sound when you let off of the clutch pedal your bearing is broken also. You can both of those for a really good price at this website: http://www.drivetrain.com/nissanRS5F50Afwd5sp.html
Hope this helps.

 

Funny thing is, the clutch makes no strange noise when released. It sounds and operates like it always has. Could this mean it may be the output shaft?? Also remember it won't go in to any gear at all.
The shops I called wanted $325 just to take the tranny out, do an internal diagnostic, and put it back in. The repair labor and parts adds to this total (except for Aamco, they wanted $38 for the internal diagnostic but they have screwed me in the past and I don't trust them one bit).
Cottman Transmissions seemed to stress the fact that they would only repair what is wrong and what is worn/going bad and assured me that they would show me all the bad parts, but that's a lot of money to be committed to and still not be sure on how much the total of the repair will be. I need my car back on the road, though. It's too freakin nice to just sit in my lot and not move, it's depressing...

 

I don't think it would be the output shaft since it is leaking oil where the flywheel vent is. That definately means the input shaft seal is bad. Will it not go into any gear at all? Are you trying to shift it when the car is off? If you are trying to shift while it is on does it grind at all?

 

No grinding at all, when the car is on OR off. It just won't move. It bearly moves while it is in neutral. It will move a little when you really force it. I watched the linkage from the engine bay while a buddy tried to shift it into gears and it moved, but the more you play with it the harder it gets...

 

If it were the input shaft, wouldn't it have fried my clutch???

 

Well, since there is gear oil coming out of taht vent hole it definately got on the clutch and could have ruined it. It almost sounds like your master/slave cylinder for the clutch isn't working. Have a friend press the clutch and see if the slave cylinder pushes the throwout bearing rod. If you need to know where the slave cylinder is follow the hose off the the small clutch master cylinder (located on the driver's side of the brake master cylinder) to the slave cylinder. Picture of it is here http://www-new.nissanx.com/f0rums/th...d=37&styleid=2
It almost sounds like the clutch isn't even getting released if you can't move the car whlie in neutral and can't shift. Having no gear oil makes it extremely difficult to shift also. I would check the master and slave cylinder real quick to see if you are releasing the clutch at all.

 

That is great advice. I would say the same thing. I just had the clutch done on my 92SE with 158K miles (lasted a while, huh?)
And sure enough, the slave cyl, and master slave were toast. This could definetly be the problem. I wouldnt rule that out. Good luck!

 

Thanks guys. I have the go-ahead to just take it in to a shop. I'm nervous because I know from first-hand experience how tranny shops like to screw people, but I'm remaining optimistic...

 

best of luck, hope everything goes well!

 

same here.. at about the same mileage too.

 

They took it away on the flat-bed this morning. I am waiting for the call here at work to tell me how bad it is and how much money they are going to suck me for. <fingers crossed> ...

 

Where are you having Maximus looked at?

 

A place called Cottman Transmissions. They are a national chain of privately owned deals, ya know. ...

 

any updates on the tranny situation?

 

I called them late in the afternoon yesterday, and they had not yet gotten the tranny out yet. They had another to get in to a Taurus before they could finish getting mine out. I'm waiting on a phone call today to tell me how bad it's gonna hit my wallet. I'll update as soon as I know something, but I'm looking to be back on the road by Thursday now. I guess it will all depend on what needs to be replaced and the availablility of parts. I hope they don't come at me with a million things that will need to be replaced and give me some crap about the parts being more expensive because they are harder to source or something like that....

 

that would suck. hope everything goes well though.

 

Get the parts yourself..nissan only of course. If they say they won't guarantee the work in that case, hand them the number for courtesy nissan as say GET THEM HERE DAMMIT! Good luck dude. I rebuilt my own 5-spd and can tell you, it's not as terrible as you might think, but not for a novice. I bet it's the gear selector judging by the symptoms. When you move the shifter left/right, it slides back and forth inside the gates connected to the end of each gears shift fork. If that thing gets F'd, it won't move in the gates. Oh, but you said there's fluid leakiing out too..input shaft bearing failed (at the front or rear of the shaft, dropping the shaft, f'ing the seal and misaligning all the gates. Just a guess. Let us knnow the diagnosis.

 

the gates!!!!!!! that's it! that's probably why mine is shifting so f***ing badly. now i wonder what i could do to those to help it shift better.
if you haven't heard what's going on, i'm having a hell of a time trying to shift. when it's hot outside or when my car heats up trying to shift if next to impoddible. it gets really tight and hard to shift. i bet it is those gates.

 

Are you running Redline MTL? If not, you should be. Drain that tranny and put the 75-80 (I think) in. It aint cheap, but it made a world of difference in mine.

 

yup, i'm running redline. costs about 8 dollars a quart around here.

 

Just for kicks, I would get under there and disconnect the shift linkage. (should take like ten min.) Lube all pivot points in the linkage and shifter with silicone based grease. Then, where the linkage enters the tranny (there's a little ribbed boot over that shaft) grab it at the yolk part (where the linkage normally bolts to it) and twist it by hand or gently with pliers. It should turn easily. This moves the selector leg thingy left to right inside the gates. Do this and try to feel it enter a gate, then push or pull. This engages a gear depending on what gate you are in and whether you push or pull. If you push/pull but don't get a shift, rotate a little and try again. The gates are SOO close together you wouldn't believe it. If all is well and you can do this by hand, you have isolated the problem to outside the trans (fingers are crossed for you). Oh yeah, Don't get nervous if that accordian looking boot is wet with oil, that's probably from the filter during your last few oils changes, unles it's dripping bad..lift an edge of that little boot and see if fluid spills out). This is what I would do in your situation. Best of luck, let me know how it goes.

 

... I got the call last night from the shop. They told me that the bearing on the main shaft had exploded, and rattled around the housing. Then, the shaft dropped and flew through ALL the gears, destroying everything. He said he tried to find another tranny, called every junkyard in Indianapolis, but with no luck. He hasn't sourced parts yet, but he says I'm looking at $700 in labor and that he can only get the parts from the dealership. I told him about Courtesy, but he claimed that most dealerships will only give 20% off of list price to anyone and that he could get a better deal. He still said that I could be looking at $2-3K when all is said and done. I already owe them $250 for taking it out and $40 or so for the tow, which they said they would credit toward the repair. No I am in a terrible delimma. What do I do? I don't have that kind of money, and can't get that kind of money any time soon. I could try to get financed for the repair, but would still have to pay it back in 90 days or so. It's not a love for the car, you have to understand. When I quit painting and drawing, and when I stopped writing, that car became my canvas. I know there are those here who don't really like it, think my wing is gay or whatever, but that car IS my canvas and has become my creative release and my form of self expression. I could do it again, on another car, but I would totally want another 3rd gen (preferrably a VG). What am I to do now?? I would really like to get another tranny in there, since I just painted the car and all, but if I do have to start over I want it to be on another 3rd gen Maxima. Guys and gals, please help me out. I am so paniced right now that I can't even gather myself to think rationally about this.

 

I am sorry to hear this! Whatever you do, dont pay the shop $2-3K - especially financed! My suggestion to you is to buy a car that runs and drives for $1K (an old Civic or something) and put the shell of your Max up for sale. You should be able to get at least $1K for the Max, if not more.

Save some money, get yourself in a good financial situation, and postpone your car plans till later.

Everything will work out, just hang in there!

 

I feel you man. It's tough to be an automobile fanatic and have limited funds at the same time. Makes you want to live beyond your means. If I were you, I'd pay them what you currently owe them and get yourself a used tranny. It would be silly to try and rebuild yours since it is so smoked. Get a used one (you'll have to spend alot of time looking, but I did it once and got some good leads ranging from 350 for a good rebuildable high miler to 750 for a good running trans. These were all internet based searches, so I could not verify condition. Personally, I'd go for a used one in the running but rebuildable category because for 200 more you may or may not be getting the same thing, who knows?, pull it apart, inspect the synchros, gears etc, replace all bearings regardless of all else (you'll need a hydraulic press. Just bring the parts to a local shop and see if they can press stuff on and off for you.) and have a shop install it if you cna't yourself. Your are looking at around 200 for all parts if the synchros and gears are good (if they aren't busted up, just leave them on the shafts as they are). So 350 trans + 250 parts + 300 install = 600. Alot less than 2K. Just shop around and be smart about it. I was in the same position once. Broke and a broke tranny. Took me a month to do it, but it's done..and still running great knock knock on wood . Other than that, just swap in a used one, but then you are taking chances. the extra time and money will be worth it if you really want to keep the car. Otherwise, you are stating from square one again. This is the best I can give ya unless you happen to have a sympathetic friend in the auto business. Best of luck to you. By the way, I used a Chilton to do the teardown..not as hard as you might imagine. Read that section first, then decide if you can tackle it. Again, good luck.

 

I don't think I can . I know a lot about cars, and a lot about engines, but transmissions scare the crap out of me. I am going to ask for help from fellow members of this and other boards. That will determine what I will do next...
Thanks for your help. I love Maxima.org

 

I'll be glad to share any info I can. Too bad I'm in NJ so helping you out in person is unlikely. Definately look through the Chilton manual about rebuilding the trans. It's not as bad as you think. I was scared of trannies too, but I was broke, had no car, and no choice! As long as you get a trans with good gears and synchros, it's cake, sort of! And the bearings aren't very expensive either. You will definately need a new speedo gear though. It has to be broken to remove the diff bearings. That was an oversight I encountered. Hope it works out for you. I love these 3rd gen maximas, but it's a tough love isn't it! Sometimes I wish I had a small, 4cyl, manual trans car. Then I race one and stomp them from a light and think ahh, I love torque! If I had to decide between spending a grand on my max or buying a car for $1k, I'd fix the max knowing all I could afford would be a 4cyl economy car or an overgrown V-8 powered american beast with too many miles on it. Tough choice, but Maxima is right in between, that's where I think the love comes from.

 

are you saying you had to break the speedo gear off to get the diff. bearings off??

 

Exactly. I tried fitting various pullers on the bearing without damaging the gear, but it is impossible to do. If I recall, the gear is beneath the tapered roller bearing. There is not enough clearance to get a puller under the edge of the bearing with the gear on it. Break the gear and you can use a threaded type puller or get creative with the hydraulic press and bearing plates to pop it off.I used the press. Even after I got the gear off, using the puller actually broke the edge of the bearing. Then I used the press. Press is better..allows more even pressure application. Couldn't get the threaded type puller to sit even..pull more to one side and broke the bearing.

 

that's weird that you had to break the speedo gear. i didn't have to break mine. we just dremeled the bearing a little bit then broke it off.

 

You mean you took off the ouster cage with all the rollers in it, got it down to the inner race, scored it then broke it? Good thinking. I guess that is just another approach. I took the brutish approach as usual. Either way works. You know how it is once you get in that mindless state of I MUST FIX THIS THING..not thinking of gently cutting it off. Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is, I'lll know another way to handle it. See that's why I love this board..learn so much form eachother.

 

yup, that's what i did. i'm hoping also that there is no next time. i already need to replace my clutch i think. it just doesn't feel as solid as it used to with the original.

 

Mark you've become quite the tranny expert!! I know I appreciate your help. I'm going to keep on the hunt for a front case, save those gears for me, bro!!

 

My release bearing is going sqeek squeek squeek..Damn that thing. I just hoping it holds until I can get afford the aluminum flywheel and decent clutch and LSD install. That might be a while!

 

at least it's not the input shaft bearing...

input shaft bearing don't break on me again!!! oh wait, maybe i shouldn't hammer on it like that

 

Yeah, you might end up in the same boat with me...

I'm trying to soarce a bell housing so hopefully I'll be back on the road middle of next week, thanks to you Mark!

 

I'm having some trouble with the financing of the repair because of the inavailability of affordable parts . Looks like, only 3 months after a fresh paint job and shaved trunk, I'm saying goodby to my Maxima. I am looking at a 90 Blaxima. It's an auto SE. I guess I'll keep mine as a parts car or something. The problem is, I'll be paying more than the car is worth. Either way, it's a loss, so WTF? I like the 3rd gens, so I might as well get another, right? No matter what I do I'm taking a pretty big loss so I think I'm going to get it. I'm going to take it for a little drive some time between now and this weekend to see what it's all about. The body looks perfect from the pics I saw, and it has 112K miles that are supposedly easy miles. No visable rust, but I haven't checked out the inside of the trunk yet or behind the fuel filler stem. The thing that sucks is I'm going to have to swap out all of my suspension stuff. That's going to suck. Everything else should be fairly easy, I think I'll shave the trunk like my 89 and put the kit from my 89 on the 90 and repaint the whole thing a deeper black with pearl and clear coat. What do ya think??? ...

 

sounds like it may be pretty cool. becareful though. being an auto could cost you more to repair than the manual.

 

I know, I know. I'm running out of options, though. I need to do something quick before I loose my job