"BUSTED" TENSION RODS, ETC,

[infinitinut2]

When my 92 Q was recently at the dealer for service, there were several areas that the techs said needed attention: that I needed new tires and an alignment (Pilot 235s have maybe another 10K left on them and there is absolutely no indication of abnormal wear, or handling). But, in that the dealer now has a side line of tires, I guess another profit area for them!

Also, I was told that the valve covers needed re-sealing (quote to r/r: $984, or just about what KBB says is the private party sale value of the vehicle!). Maybe, but….I have never detected any oil spots on the garage floor, and cannot detect any signs of oil in the engine compartment. (NOTE: This same dealer always said the same thing about the M30 when it was serviced, finally allowing them do to the re-sealing, new plug wires, rear wheel bearing, etc., for a rather hefty bill considering the value of the vehicle!). QUESTION: Are there other tell-tale places I should look for this to manifest itself in?

Lastly, I was told that the tension rods are “busted”! Well, “busted” to me, means they are broken! BUT, again there are no signs of abnormal tire wear, or faulty handling, and, shame on me, I still find the car to be an awesome & responsive handler and, albeit road noise is now more pronounced, this is no doubt due to the age of the Pilots! (I have always kept tire pressures at the Q45 Tech recommended 37psi front and 35 psi rear.) (Quote to r/r: $610)

You always want to trust folks, but sometimes caveat emptor needs be the guiding light! I asked and was told that, the hourly flat rate has now risen to $140 per hour! I have access to a good and honest independent, but he readily admits that some of the issues surrounding the Infinitis are such that he does not feel comfortable with doing them (that honesty thing!). In fact, when I mentioned “tension rods” he asked what they were? Therefore, with the advice gleaned from those here, I will take the vehicle to him and let him put it on a lift and check the “busted” tension rods!

Thanks to all the more knowledgeable than me for weighing in! Again, it does not make common sense to keep this old Q, but, Heaven help me, whenever I drive the thing, I always marvel at what an awesome road machine it truly is and what I would have to spend to even come close to it!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOLKS!

[BCC93QT]

Who here doesn't like money? everyone loves money. Honestly, hit the books and stay away from stealerships. Unless you make 40 50K + yearly. Usually you can see if the valve covers are leaking just by looking at them...... But taht depends on how bad the leak is. Like i always say. You can buy another Q for 800$ or even less and just keep taking parts off that/them if u choose to buy more than one . Granted you don't get NEW parts but its that much cheaper to just keep doing that. Also u can just part out piece by piece and save for New parts. Busted tension rods is usually a sign of something else going. Bad bushings and rubber odds and ends or "deferred" maintainence. Rebush your front/rear end as frequently as u can and your suspension lasts that much longer..... saves you money in the long run and keeps it factory smoooooooth

[oldmako]

My (limited) understanding of tension rods is that the bushing wears out. This is typically evidenced by leaking around the bushing, but I have been chided here by you know who that it's outward appearance can be fine and that the bushing can still be shot. In any event, they aren't all that difficult to remove and to have new bushings pressed in. Or, you can buy the whole rod / bushing assembly and bolt them in. Plenty of guidance on this site from guys who have done the work.

As far as the valve covers leaking, my reply is a big so what. Now, if they are leaking to the point of making a mess of the engine bay, and / or are covering the ex manifolds with so much oil that it stinks the joint up, and / or are making a mess of your driveway, and / or are causing you to tool around low on oil, then clearly they ought to be attended to in one form or another.

One form would be to replace the gaskets. Pretty big job but not overly difficult if you have average skills with a wrench. If the leak is bad this is obviously the way to go.

The other form would be to simply re-torque the valve covers. This little technique will take about 30minutes and will generate a s***-storm of criticism from the forum elite. When I bought my car in December of '07 mine were leaking. I chose to simply snug up the bolts first and guess what...55,000 miles and 24 months later I have had ZERO issues with leaking. The heads are aluminum so be careful not to over do it (use a TQ wrench) and cause bigger problems than a simple leak. It may not work, but in my case, it worked perfectly and I avoided a huge job in a condo parking lot. Not all of us are blessed with a driveway and/or garage to do a big job the correct way.

It's an old car that I paid very little for. If I can save a few bucks here and there I will. I don't expect a 10 year old, 155K car to handle and behave exactly as it did when it was brand new. I keep the tires, brakes and MOST of the suspension bits up to snuff and I'm very happy with it. It runs like a string trimmer. The day I purchase a car NEW from the dealer will be the day I go over the top insane with thorough and repetitive maintenance and renewal. But at this point, my car is simply not worth it.

Good luck with your ride.
Modified by oldmako at 2:30 PM 12/15/2009

[Q451990]

The valve covers are visible all the way around - for the most part. If you don't see visible oil around the mating surfaces, then you're fine. The one exception is if they changed the spark plugs and found oil sitting in the ports in the heads that contain the plugs and coil pack boots.

As far as the tension rods - the bushings will typically have a gray liquid dripping from them if they're bad, and the rubber bushings will be visibly cracked.

Heath