Valve adjustments

[slo]

This is something that recently came up and just wondering if anyone's done it here.

Who here has done the valve adjustments on the ca? I've never done this before but I think have all the tools required including the feeler gauge. Is there a write up for this anywhere? i've searched to no success.

[float_6969]

What do you mean valve adjustments? They have hydraulic valve lash adjusters. There is no adjustment.

[slo]

Sorry for my noobish-ness....

There's noise coming from the cams (deep rattling sound) at lower rpm. And the noise speeds up as the rpm increases. One guy told me that my oil pressure is low so I'm going to replace the oil pump. The other guy told me that i may need valve shims.

[XTCshri2222]

think most of the people here from what i've been reading have lifter chatter, and its bugging us all.

[capowered240]

[slo]

Well, a good buddy of mine who is an expert to say the least, told me to swap the oil pump first. Then check to see if appropriate valve shims would be needed.

[boost_boy]

Sorry for my noobish-ness....

There's noise coming from the cams (deep rattling sound) at lower rpm. And the noise speeds up as the rpm increases. One guy told me that my oil pressure is low so I'm going to replace the oil pump. The other guy told me that i may need valve shims.

Are you sure that deep rattle you hear isn't knock from the rods main bearings? If your oil pressure is low I'm sure there's something wrong in the bottom end. And like float says, there's no valve adjustments on the CA. Good luck.........

Dee

[float_6969]

It's more likely the oil pressure is low from worn bearings than a bad oil pump.

[slo]

okay.... now i'm getting worried...

when you mean bearings, do you mean rod bearings? Am I going to need to rebuild this motor? The rattling noise isn't too loud or bad at all. I just feel and hear it around the top of the motor near the valve covers. Anyone have any videos of what rod bearing knock sounds like on a ca?

[slo]

The noise sounds exactly like this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=648...lated

[new200guy]

idle the car at 2500 rpm. if you hear it rattle there and you have low oil pressure it is more than likely your big ends aka rod bearings. dont drive the car as you will do more damage to the motor specifically the crank if you are driving it like that.

[float_6969]

Sorry man, but from the sound of it, you've got rod knock.

Lifters are more of a tick than a knock.

Mostly likely a rod bearing.

Sorry man.

[slo]

Gosh....

It's very similar like the one in the video. Would you consider that a knock or a tick? I haven't driven the car since I heard the sound but it drove fine the last time i remember...

If it is a rod knock, what should I do? What can I do? I just got the motor running well couple months ago...

[float_6969]

Lifters are a definite tick, not a knock. The motor will continue to run fine until you spin the rod bearing and ruing the crankshaft. It may still run OK, but you'll ruin the motor in very short order if you keep running it.

It needs torn down and rebuilt.

[slo]

Lifters are a definite tick, not a knock. The motor will continue to run fine until you spin the rod bearing and ruing the crankshaft. It may still run OK, but you'll ruin the motor in very short order if you keep running it.

It needs torn down and rebuilt.

I had one of the nissan master tech's take a good look at the motor. He was sure that it is a bad lifter. It's a rod knock when you hear it at idle and hear it get louder and louder as the rpms increase. Mine, you only hear the rattle at idle and sound/vibrations goes away when revs. It revs clean too. He's sure that it's the low oil pressure.

[float_6969]

Well I'll say this. The sound that you posted in that video WAS NOT a lifter.

If a Nissan Master Tech says it's the lifters, then it's the lifters.

[capowered240]

Here is a better i think of a rod knock.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KWb...lated

[mbmbmb23]

Here is a better i think of a rod knock.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KWb...lated

Wow...that sounds horrible.

[slo]

Here is a better i think of a rod knock.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KWb...lated

I've actually seen this video and it's no where near as violent as that car. It'll rattle a little at idle but go away immediately once rev'ed up a bit.

[dattodude]

Nissan Master Tech? Anything like an MCSE?

In Australia, I wouldn't trust any dealer trained mechanic to look at my car. They get paid less to do less.

Maybe I'm just a cranky middle aged man :-)


Modified by dattodude at 2:17 AM 12/28/2007

[float_6969]

The Nissan Master Tech I'm friends with gets sent to school AT LEAST once a year by the dealership he works for.

If it's got a Nissan Badge on it, I trust his opinion.

Maybe it's different down there?

[dattodude]

Now that I've listened to the noises, the conditions on which the lifters 'rattle' is unusual, but it does sounds like lifters.

If you can:Remove and Measure the 16 lifters you currently have, and compare them to each other at least. For the smaller ones, check that side holes and top hole are not blocked. If any of the holes in the lifter are blocked, the high pressure oil will not make it into the lifter, and the noise will continue for longer than the normal minute or so.

I would prefer using new lifters over using second hand ones. Especially if you find that one or two have collapsed. After 100,000mi it's possible they need replacing anyway.

The FSM tells us that lifters should marked and be stored in engine oil, and not turned upside down, flipping the engine with the valve train installed logically may have caused these noises. But if the oil flow through the lifter is right, the noises should subside after a couple of minutes.

[slo]

Now that I've listened to the noises, the conditions on which the lifters 'rattle' is unusual, but it does sounds like lifters.

If you can:Remove and Measure the 16 lifters you currently have, and compare them to each other at least. For the smaller ones, check that side holes and top hole are not blocked. If any of the holes in the lifter are blocked, the high pressure oil will not make it into the lifter, and the noise will continue for longer than the normal minute or so.

I would prefer using new lifters over using second hand ones. Especially if you find that one or two have collapsed. After 100,000mi it's possible they need replacing anyway.

The FSM tells us that lifters should marked and be stored in engine oil, and not turned upside down, flipping the engine with the valve train installed logically may have caused these noises. But if the oil flow through the lifter is right, the noises should subside after a couple of minutes.

You make a good point. IF AND ONLY IF the oil flow rate was right through the lifters, the noise should go away but if the oil pump was bad, that's another story.

[boost_boy]

Have you compression tested this engine yet? I'd be interested in seeing your #s. I'll tell you what to do, I'm no master nissan tech, but after 11 years of dealing with the CA engine, I should be able to steer you in the right direction.

1. Warm your car up to normal operating temperatures.

2. Lift hood/bonnet and manually bring rpm up to 2000rpm. Be sure and use a helper for this or sit in the car and attempt follow these steps yourself.

3. Bring rpms up smoothly from 2000 to as much as 3500rpm and if noise becomes much more distinctive, it would appear that you have some worn bearings.

4. Or you could also unplug each coil and repeat said steps to see if your issues clear-up. If they do, your rod bearings are causing your knock.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dee

[sideways danny]

the best foolproof way to check if its rod bearings is to gently rev it to 3-3.5k then let it drop to idle again. if it taps as it passes down through 2-2.5k its the bearings.

[slo]

the best foolproof way to check if its rod bearings is to gently rev it to 3-3.5k then let it drop to idle again. if it taps as it passes down through 2-2.5k its the bearings.

Nope. It only rattles at idle.

[boost_boy]

Nope. It only rattles at idle.

The best way to get self satisfaction is take the advice being offered or rip the engine apart. Back in 1999, I had a CA18DET that tapping at idle and everyone told me it sounds like the lifters, I didn't believe them. So I ultimately pull the head off to discover I had melted a piston, but the car still ran prior to me pulling the head off. The point I'm making here is, you've gotten feedback from some of the most experienced CA owners on this forum, but your responses depict that you're not at all convinced at what we are telling you. So to gain some experience, pull the engine, disassemble it, and gather your own conclusion as to what might be causing your issues. If it is just a lifter, you're still going to have to do some serious disassembling, so may as well go for the gusto and do it all right.

Dee

[slo]

I definitely see your point. But try to see it from my point of view. Not everyone knows how to simply take the motor out, dissemble everything, and rebuild it. It takes incredible amounts of knowledge, skill, and know-how to "just do it".

You experienced folks may think that that I'm a fool to buy a rare motor like a ca18det and not know much about taking everything apart. I've researched over and over between sr20 and rb20 but ca18 meant more to me than others. Maybe I'm just justifying by convincing myself that it's NOT a rod knock. But I don't much knowledge and worst off, I don't much money to just drop it off at a shop to fix it. I was so glad that when that master tech told me not to worry and it's just bad hydraulic lifter. All I'm saying is that is there a possibility that it just may be a bad lifter?

I'm sorry to come here and be a cry baby but this is just a situation that i'm in now. I'd love the experience and knowledge to rebuild a motor but with time. I really appreciate those who have helped. I'm getting the oil pump replaced next week and update all of you on how it goes. Thanks and thanks again.

[boost_boy]

I definitely see your point. But try to see it from my point of view. Not everyone knows how to simply take the motor out, dissemble everything, and rebuild it. It takes incredible amounts of knowledge, skill, and know-how to "just do it".

You experienced folks may think that that I'm a fool to buy a rare motor like a ca18det and not know much about taking everything apart. I've researched over and over between sr20 and rb20 but ca18 meant more to me than others. Maybe I'm just justifying by convincing myself that it's NOT a rod knock. But I don't much knowledge and worst off, I don't much money to just drop it off at a shop to fix it. I was so glad that when that master tech told me not to worry and it's just bad hydraulic lifter. All I'm saying is that is there a possibility that it just may be a bad lifter?

I'm sorry to come here and be a cry baby but this is just a situation that i'm in now. I'd love the experience and knowledge to rebuild a motor but with time. I really appreciate those who have helped. I'm getting the oil pump replaced next week and update all of you on how it goes. Thanks and thanks again.

I see your point as well, dude and if you were closer, I'd lend you a hand. I hope that it is just a bad lifter to save yousome cash, but it will still require someone to pull the camshafts, all belts, cam covers, blah-blah, to get to the lifters; let alone figuring out one(s) are bad. But I wish you the best with this issue and please share the outcome with us.

Thanks,

Dee

[bentvalves]

If your convinced its lifters, and a Nissan tech in your area is suggesting lifters as well, then buy 16 new lifters from on online Nissan dealer (PNP price matches in Daurte, CA) they arent to expensive and replace them all.