http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/1995/em.pdf

Was wanting to access the timing chain tensioner (part #6) through the
access hatch (part #16) to changeout. Car quits making noise after it
warms up. Would prefer to try this first before thinking about removing
the entire timing chain cover.

Has anybody done this before? If so any information good or bad is
welcome-especially if special procedures need to be added

Currently Nissan offers the chain tensioner and the slack side chain guide (#7)
as a kit together at about $80.

Thanks,
The Nutria

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/1995/em.pdf

By the way the part # are on page 17 (Timing Chain)

Only time I've ever messed with the tensioners is when the entire engine's been out. I would think it'd be a colossal pain in the rear to get to it with the engine still in the car. I do agree with you about trying this route first though. Good luck.

Hey Nutria - I had this done for my I30 last fall. The symptoms you describe indicate a failed tensioner to a tee. Actually I believe a service bulletin was issued for this problem. I have an independent tech down the street that was was a former BMW mechanic that was trained on Infiniti actually before the first models hit the showroom and worked at the dealership for 13 years. He swapped out the tensioner for around $300 including parts. He made a tool that he uses to keep pressure on the tensioner while he sets the plunger pin and to hold it in place while it is being removed. I understand you need to keep the plunger down while the tennisoner is held in place with one bolt and rotated out through the access door. I figured something would go wrong and I would lose the spring down in the chain area. I think the dealers are supposed to honor the service bulletin hours since it was a known issue. Now finding a dealer with a tech that knows enough to make a special tool for holding down the plunger (and pin) while rotating the tensioner out of the hole may be easier said than done after all these years.

How many miles do you have on yours?

I visited Courtesy Nissan in Dallas one Sat when I bought the tensioner (now the
tensioner and slack guide come as a unit when you need the tensioner). They let
me talk to a tech/shop mgr when I was there. He said it was not to bad of a fix
(whatever that means) and said the first thing to do would be to get a ratchet on
the crank and barely rotate it counter clockwise enough to relieve the pressure
off the timing chain on the slack guide first BEFORE taking the bolts out of the tensioner.

The access hatch on the timing chain cover is in a relatively tight spot crowded by the
power steering hose mostly and the PS belt i think. About 6 inches of Horizonal clearance.
I might try some electric tape to hold that push pin( that holds the plunger pin on the tensioner) while getting it setup to bolt in. Looks like some of the job might be done by "feel"

Any idea about this access hatch? Is it just held on there "flat" or is there some kind of
tab on the back of it that "catches"?

Thank you for your response

I would have done it this weekend but my wife's 98 had a CV axle issue.

It's just flat as I recall. Word on the street is to get the PS hose out of your way. Though Brian changed mine without moving the hose.

Ok this is about the best $79 I ever spent on this car.
Car has 215,000 miles

I actually was able to get the tensioner in and out without moving the engine. I had
about 6" of clearance between the car body and the access hatch (scroll down for
schematic on this thread) to work so I thought I could do it.

Not only did this eliminate the sound of the car sounding like a diesel at start
up but it has changed how the car shifted (Auto tran). It used to rev up pretty
high to shift out of first but now has a lower rpm shift change to second.
Generally the car has more power as well. I could tell it was "lugging down"
some between 30-40 mph but this problem has mostly disappeared as well.
I had thought for a long time the tranny was going out but now I dont think so

You must have an gentle attitude to make this repair.

The tensioner has two holes in the body to connect it to the engine block. Looking at
the old one there is a hollow piston with a long spring inside of it. Inside of the spring
is a short steel dowell which I assume moves inside of the spring-not sure of its true
function. On the back of the tensioner a oil passage area has been cut into the tensioner
body to allow oil into the body of the tensioner. There is a very small hole used for the
push pin to hold in the piston until it is set into position on top of the slack side timing
chain guide. Inside of the hole where the piston rides, there appears to be a place for
and o ring or some type of seal but I am not sure. I see the channel for a seal to go I think
Anyway the device appears to be a hydraulic device and uses a mechanical spring to
manipulate a piston to move the slack side timing chain guide. If you look close on the
schematic you can tell where the piston should push on the chain guide.

To replace it first I gave myself some more room but removing the power steering
reservoir, draining it etc. I actually just loosened the hose clamp UNDER the reservoir
from the hose closest to the outside of the car(on the passenger side) and pulled it out
of the way. It actually will slide up out of a plastic channel as well
Upon reinstallation, I just filled up the resevoir and cut the wheels back and
forth. The pump never squeeled or acted like it had air in it. Nothing to it.

Next I loosened the clamp holding the AC aluminum tube to the strut and pushed it out of the way
gently. I didnt disconnect the ac, just moved this component out of the way.

Get another ratchet and socket for your crankshaft pulley. Move it counterclockwise
You are creating some slack in the timing chain so you will have more room for your
installation. You may move the chain during this process clockwise and counter clock
wise during this process to manipulate the chain to create the most slack for your advantange.

Using a #10 socket and #10 offset wrench remove the access hatch. There are four #10
metric bolts. Upon reassembly, I just used some black sealant on it. The access hatch
bolts ride above the belts (yea) so I didn't need to remove the belts either. The hatch is
flat and doesnt have tabs to catch anything (straightforward to take off)

At this point you should see the tensioner (2 bolts) and where the piston is positioned and
protruding on the slack guide. Make a couple of marks on your timing chain cover where these bolts are to go back in for general reference.

The repair gets critical now because you dont want to drop any screws, wrenches etc into
your timing chain cover. I used the ratchet and #10 metric socket to remove the old timing
chain tensioner. The bolts are pretty long (2-3 inches). I stuffed some rags around the openings
of the case to prevent bolts from falling in the case. After unscrewing the bolts, the tensioner
easily came out. The bolts were easy to remove because they are only tensioned to a few inch
pounds. Note the bolts thread into the back of the block-there are no threads inside the tensioner
for the bolts. The holes of the tensioner must line up with the holes in the bolts. I have
probably overexplained myself now.

When you remove the tensioner, this the slack side guide will lean into where the tensioner will go. Don't worry-there is another bolt holding it in the case so it wont fall out. You can touch the chain at this point and feel how much slack you have.

I had some problems upon reinstallation but worked through them (whew!) I figured out
the best way to install the tensioner was to get the bottom bolt in first. I hand tighted it first. This controls the position of the piston on the chain tensioner. It took me about an hour to learn this but you will need some leverage to push the tensioner into a position for the bolt to go in to
the top hole of the tensioner. Using the timing case as leverage, I used a Craftsman tire tool that was about 2 ft long with a slight crook in it to push/pull the tensioner toward the timing chain and up a little. I did this and screwed in the bolt at the same time-and it went in! Reflecting upon this
it would have been better to use a piece of wood to protect the case but no harm no foul.

NOW you can pull out the push pin!

Mine "clacked" into place pretty deliberately -it was in there pretty good after a little shaking and
testing

Reassembled

Turned timing chain at the crank around a few times to re-establish repair, crossed fingers,
and started

At first there was a little rattle, probably air. I started this morning and it was fantastically quiet

ok boss is back- back to work

Great write up and you saved some $$$. Definitely like mine with the initial rattle as it takes a while for the air to be pumped out of the system.