chain guides-plus!
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nuQ
- Posts: 1659
- Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 1:39 pm
- Car: 2003 Infiniti M45
2009 Dodge Caliber SXT - Location: Bethlehem PA
chain guides-plus!
first, just wanted to thank everyone for their help on my last(and first ever) post. steered me away from a very questionable 91Q with a blown engine to being the new owner of a 90Q with 98K miles in fantastic condition. transmission rebuilt 20k miles ago but without the upgraded chain-guides. need some direction.....have a very good independent mechanic-can a non-infiniti certified mech. be trusted to do a switch? says he can handle it. while he's doing the work would also like the plugs changed, what's the best plugs? is the kit i saw through this site for the timing chain-guides the way to go? what other maintenance parts should be looked at/changed while the engine is apart? is a trans/cooler really neccessary or is regular flushing enough? i know this is a ton of questions but i really value all the info and advice that is learned through this great site. all your help has been invaluable to me. very proud to be the new owner of a first generation Q!!!!!!!!!! jeff
I did mine myself, so for a good trusted wrench, it should be no problem. Have him go on this forum if he has any questions. You don't need the whole kit, just the guides and bolts to attach them and the front oil seal. Your valve covers probably need to be resealed and all the rubber under the hood needs replacing. Water pump and thermostat too. Use the factory plugs and it's a lot easier to change them while the valve covers are off. You and I live where it's cool, so in my opinion we're OK without coolers, just flushing, unless you tow with the car. Let your wrench and your budget be your guide as to how much of this you want to tackle at once. Some economy of scale for doing it all at once. Be sure to do the guides immediately! Welcome to a great group of great car owners.
Your timing chains will probably last another 100-200k; the kit includes them, for about $120. Call Scottsdale at 1-888-216-5328. I can't say enough about how pleasant and professional those guys are. They really take care of us.Scottsdale also has the plugs you need. Use the factory NGK ones and *nothing* else. Yeah, they're a little more than other plugs, but they won't fall apart into the combustion chamber either. I agree, the under-plenum hoses and valve covers probably need to be done. But, if that's too large an expense at one time, then they can probably wait for as long as you can stand both the smell from the exhaust manifold and the oil puddles on the ground. Those 2 jobs should be done together, but there isn't a lot of labor overlap between them and the guides. However, there is a good amount of overlap between replacing the plugs and resealing the valve covers.Thermostat yes, water pump, I'm not sure about. The part is $100. Mine has 216k on it, doesn't leak, and is smooth and clean on the inside. Also inspect the thermostat cover and replace if corroded. VERY important part. Inspect the large coolant hoses and the belts, and be prepared to replace any or all of them. Replace the fan if it looks like there's any risk it'll throw a blade.
Congrats on your new ride!
Congrats on your new ride!
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Q451990
- Moderator
- Posts: 11030
- Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:21 am
- Car: 1990 Q45 - 118K, 2022 Toyota 4 Runner, 2004 Frontier M/T - 108K, 2012 Xterra (Mom's), 2023 Rogue (Inlaws)
- Location: Columbia, SC
- Contact:
I'd be a little careful letting an inexperienced tech change your guides... you might try some of the local dealers for this first. Q45Tech said once that several of the T3 techs. won't even touch the guide job.
The critical thing to remember is that if the chain slips the valve covers need to be removed and re-timing the engine has to be done correctly. Off one tooth and a really bad idle - two and the engine is toast! Also the bolt holding on the harmonic balancer has to be torqued to spec! Under tighten it and the oil chain sprocket can slip causing oil pressure loss and very rapid engine failure.
Heath
The critical thing to remember is that if the chain slips the valve covers need to be removed and re-timing the engine has to be done correctly. Off one tooth and a really bad idle - two and the engine is toast! Also the bolt holding on the harmonic balancer has to be torqued to spec! Under tighten it and the oil chain sprocket can slip causing oil pressure loss and very rapid engine failure.
Heath
Good point. Make very sure that the tech knows that the engine is an interference-head type. You may even require, as a condition of you paying the bill, that they rotate the crankshaft by hand, slowly, a couple times before puting the cover back on, and that they ensure that the crankshaft bolt is torqued per spec. Any shop should do that anyway as a matter of practice, but it never hurts to decrease any chance of a screw-up. I once went to a shop that snapped my oil chain and then blamed the car. I knew they did it, but I was SOL since I couldn't really prove it. Don't be shy about tipping the tech working on your car. Your $20 here and there isn't much compared to the final bill, but it will be probably more than an hour's take-home pay to the tech, who will likely give your car extra love and attention.
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jlgallag
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 7:39 am
- Car: 2002 Q45 Premium, 1994 G20t, 2004 G35 Coupe
paintwgn - I and a friend both own 1991 Q45s with relatively low mileage, 59.9K and 82K, neither of which have had the chain guides replaced. The shop that you mentioned near Philadelphia is the closest one that we have heard about to our location in Long Island, NY. Do you have any idea of how many guide jobs make up their countless experience? Do you have enough experience with them that you would recommend them for this type of job? I would appreciate it if you would send their phone number and address. If you don't want to post it in the forum let me know and I will send you my e-mail address. Thanks.
jlgallag
jlgallag