Chain guide DIY...need a little assistance

[gniknave]

I've studied the famous Tangalora chain guide threads through and through for all the details to doing the job. I think I have it pretty down pact except for one thing. I've never removed drive belts before, and there's no instructions on how to do this.

With all the investments I've made towards fixing my 240sx (chain & guides - not DIY though), tools, and Q chain guide parts, I've hit my spending limit for the month and couldn't go buy an FSM.

Anyway, can someone give the virtual dummy explanation of how to remove the drive belts? It looks simple, but I know the key to everything on the Q45 has a procedure to it. I want this entire job done right, so I'm going to be patient and sit back and wait for a response.

[elwesso]

evan, IM me for FSM

The tensioners. Just loosen the little bolt in the middle and you can slide them around to take the tension off the belt...

[DAEDALUS]

You probably want to loosen the 14mm nuts first, or you will strip the tensioner threads. All are threaded so that righty-tighty, lefty-loosey applies to the belt.

Don't want to sound mean, but I'd be a little hesitant tackling the chain guides if removing the belts isn't entirely straightforward. No question with enough patience you'll beat it.

[Jesda]

Remember, zip ties on the chains!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DAEDALUS]

I would think your one single chain guide mantra would be "Remember, 270 ft-lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Jesda]

Thats the number Evan was asking me for last night. TY!

[gniknave]

Don't want to sound mean, but I'd be a little hesitant tackling the chain guides if removing the belts isn't entirely straightforward. No question with enough patience you'll beat it.

Just never done belts before. Not that I didn't think I could do them, I just wanted to make sure that if there's a procedure to doing the belts (on a Q45) that I'm doing it within that procedure.

I'm doing the guides at a shop which belongs to a friend of mine. Though I'm doing it myself, if I get stuck I have mechanics waiting to give me assistance. I feel it's the perfect opportunity to learn something.

[gniknave]

I'm wondering how or why there's so much slack on my passenger side chain guide, and how to go about fixing it. When I install the updated guide, will it go away?

[DAEDALUS]

The crank moves first, which pulls the chain, which moves the camshaft. The slack is nothing to worry about. Your cam just rotated ahead of the crank a bit when you shut down the engine.

[gniknave]

The crank moves first, which pulls the chain, which moves the camshaft. The slack is nothing to worry about. Your cam just rotated ahead of the crank a bit when you shut down the engine.

WHEW!!! My heart just returned to its original position. Thanks DAEDALUS.

[DAEDALUS]

Turn the crank 30* and watch the slack go away. Be careful when you pull out the tensioners. If the cam snaps then, you will jump time without adequate cinching. It is MANDATORY that when you're done, before you put the cover on, you turn the crankshaft by hand 720* to ensure there are no interferences.

[gniknave]

Turn the crank 30* and watch the slack go away. Be careful when you pull out the tensioners. If the cam snaps then, you will jump time without adequate cinching. It is MANDATORY that when you're done, before you put the cover on, you turn the crankshaft by hand 720* to ensure there are no interferences.

Thanks for the advice. I assume that zipties will help prevent the cam from snapping?

[elwesso]

Yes

Remember to take them off before you put everything back together

[gniknave]

$%!@!!!!!!!!!!

I stripped 3 of the 4 hex screws that go in the stupid chain guides (the old ones while taking them off - stripped the inside, not the screw part). They'd give the indication that they're about to move (a click type sound), and STRIP!



Is there a tool that can be had that I can use to remove a stripped hex screw? I spent 2 hours trying to get those stupid things out!!! I could be DONE by now!!!

I could wait until the mechanics come back on Monday as I'm sure they have a tool for it, but my goal was to finish it Saturday since I have a free weekend (finally). If anyone knows of a tool for this, please let me know where you got it and about how much you paid for it. Thanks!

....I'm assuming I'm not the first to run into this???....

[Jesda]

You used an allen wrench and it stripped the screw?!?!?

[DAEDALUS]

Notice in the how-to I wrote how I specifically stated the need for a 5mm driver for those guys (not an allen wrench), and how difficult they were to get off. That happened to a screw on 1 car I helped with. The owner just muscled the screw off with vise-grips. I would have cut off the head with a dremel if I had one handy.

[elwesso]

well your certainly not oigng to want to put those stripped ones back in.. So youll have to order some new ones from the dealer or something..

What I would do is take a flat head screw driver and pound it in there... Then twist... unless you went and bought one of those drill in things but id be iffy about using those, esp if you go too far and hit the block. BAD news there!

The object is to get them out then replace..

[gniknave]

Originally I used a 5mm driver...that's what stripped it. It appears that the first time I didnt put it in far enough. The next 2 times, I have no idea what the heck happened.

Wes, the needed (longer) screws for the guides came with the kit, so I don't have to worry about reusing. Besides this, everything else is going better than I could have expected. I hate being well prepared for a job and have a stupid little setback like this one.

My mechanic buddy said he'd get it off for me no problem on Monday. I know how he said he'd do it, but I'll post how he does it for sure on Monday.

DAEDALUS, I actually have a dremel. It's one of my many tools that I bought and never thought I'd use. I just didn't have it with me today. I'm just going to leave it to a professional to help me fix the booboo and learn from it. It's not like I need the car on the road right away or anything.

I'm now at 5 hours on this job. Chains are ziptied, drivers side (broken) guide is removed - except for the one screw from the broken side that's stripped . Oil pump chain is off, and I'm just waiting til Monday now.

I also rotated the crankshaft to get the slack on that chain to go away just like you said. Thanks Daedalus!

[PalmerWMD]

So your basically halfway thru the job at only 5 hours? Wow thats just flying for a DIY'er you missed your calling!

Fred..

[DAEDALUS]

What brand was the driver? I bet Byron has an easy way to get them off. Probably something simple, like whack it with a hammer before removing them. Just FYI if you ever need to remove the cam bearings, they're the same way, very hard to remove. The bits are splined, so they won't strip out, but weaker tools will break.So you're only replacing the 2 tension-side guides?

[gniknave]

What brand was the driver?So you're only replacing the 2 tension-side guides?

Driver was a Craftsman...

I'm replacing all of the following parts:13085-60U01 (2x) - Chain guides 13085-60U11 (2x) - Chain guides 13091-60U01 (1x) - Chain guide 13091-60U11 (1x) - Chain guide 13070-60U03 (1x) - Chain tensioner 13070-60U12 (1x) - Chain tensioner 13075-60U02 (4x) - Bolts 15041-60U00 (1x) - Oil pump chain 15073-60U10 (1x) - Oil pump chain guide 15073-60U00 (1x) - Oil pump chain guide 13510-60U00 (1x) - Front cover crankshaft seal 999MP-A7007P(1x) - Silicone gasket material (RTV red, 5 ounce tube)

[DAEDALUS]

Ah, I got confused cause you indicated you were removing 4 guide bolts. Really you're removing 6, plus the tensioners. Interesting about the Craftsman. They've come through for me when other reputable brands sheared. Haven't had to step up to SnapOn or Matco yet.

[Q451990]

If you protect everything from the shavings, could you drill the head off and then turn the rest of it out with vice grips after you get the guide off??

Heath

[gniknave]

If you protect everything from the shavings, could you drill the head off and then turn the rest of it out with vice grips after you get the guide off??

Heath

I thought about that, but with my limited experience I don't want to risk anything. My buddy said to use an sae driver (I was using metric of course) because there is a slight size difference, and hammer it into the screw then try it, or if that doesn't work, he can drill into the screw and extract it without damaging the block or the threads. Either way he said it can be done. We'll see Monday.

As for today, since I have this setback I'm going to go ahead and tackle my valve cover reseal. I was going to wait on that for a while, but why not now? I have all the parts from Infiniti needed for it already.

It also looks like I have a leaky P/S pressure hose. I actually have a spare from the old engine that looks to be in good shape. I'll replace it with that one once the guides are done.

Not bad for a guy that just learned to change his own oil 2 years ago huh?

[911/Q45]

Congrats on your patience and fortitude. Since you're not saving the old guides, it seems like you could twist or break them away from the stripped bolt and put a vise grip on it.

[DAEDALUS]

A sharp impact with a hammer will shatter the guide. Cover the oil pan.

[squeefoo]

$%!@!!!!!!!!!!

I stripped 3 of the 4 hex screws that go in the stupid chain guides (the old ones while taking them off - stripped the inside, not the screw part). They'd give the indication that they're about to move (a click type sound), and STRIP!

Forget what size the hex is (metric)... but you need to tap the hex-socket all the way in with a small hammer. You can hear the tapping change when it hits the bottom of the hex. If you line it up you can force it to bottom, even after it strips a little and reform the hex. It will give a click as it loosens. I put thread-lock on mine when I reinstalled the bolt. I hope you kept very close track of the front cover bolts since there are 32 bolts w/ six different lengths threaded into the block -if one too short goes in a long bolt hole you can strip out the block = TOTAL BUMMER !

Too bad I saw this so late...

[gniknave]

Thanks for the info squee. I actually tried a hex socket and hammering afterwards and I just couldn't get the dern thing to go in tight at all.

As for the front cover bolts, yeah I kept CLOSE track of which ones go where by outlining them on a paper in the order I took them off in.

This pic was when half the bolts were half way out

At the bottom of this pic, you can see the Craftsman hex socket set I used to try to hammer the dern thing

[squeefoo]

Another gamble is to see if a TORX bit will fit. Sometimes it will cut itself in but still grab the corners when you tap on it. Or start with a smaller one and carefully form the hex back by tapping and twisting -on the way up in size... (then use the torx to loosen it the rest of the way-many are regular sizes at the corners) Sure would hate to see any grinding while the cover is off, you can never get it all out or off, even with magnets and shop-vac right on it. Glad to see the bolts went nice

[brownq45]

If I'm not being to rude, how much were the parts? I've got the same items to purchase for my Q once some free time gets found. Thanks