Demo of 'CVT Transmission Swap and install' .. a Big Job?

[Smagegy]

Hi Friends,

I ran across this Trans mechanic who happened post a CVT swap on a 2016 Altima.

You DEFINATELY need a lift and a couple of adjustable platforms to hold parts, etc.

This guy does a pretty good job demo-ing the job... and he gets right to it with '0' non-sense!

I spoke to Vstar about this and he's got experience doing this one.

* Has anyone else ever tried this job?

Here's the VID!

[youtube]https://youtu.be/9WolpnBTxI0[/youtube]

[VStar650CL]

Yah, it can be done without a lift (I know a guy who did it) but the car has to go waaayyyyy up on four-point jackstands and a proper trans cradle on top of your floor jack is still a must. Once you get the subframe dropped it's pretty much like any transmission job, but trying to do it from the top is a fool's errand. That goes for the entire FWD Nissan line, none of them are top-doable.

Not everything this guy did was perfect. He didn't warm the car before topping off the leveling plug (or at least didn't say so, hard to tell with time lapse), so it might be slightly overfull. The original trans also probably blew because someone looped-back the heat exchanger lines on the beehive, most likely because of a cheap aftermarket replacement radiator which had no exchanger. Personally, I'd make the customer either install the right radiator and reconnect the exchanger or sign a waiver of warranty.

Lastly, the biggest foul-up we see from DIYers and outside shops is accidentally reversing the connectors for the turbine sensor (behind the starter) and the primary sensor (on the end of the transmission). The harness makes a "Y" with arms that are almost equal, and the connectors are identical. So it's possible to swap them and not realize it. That's a costly mistake, because you can't reach the turbine sensor without yanking the starter back out. Mark them in some way when you pull the connectors.

[Smagegy]

Awesome -- Thank V~

I wonder if there are books on Nissan CVT transmissions?

VW has them and when I was struggling with mine, I bought a pretty good one on eBay --- I'll have to check an see what they got!

OH OK...here's one

[LINK]https://www.ebay.com/itm/384140786351?_ ... R66qmaXCZw

[VStar650CL]

That's for the '10A. The '10D in the gen5 Alties and gen2 Rogues has some significant differences, but it should be close enough that you could work through a replacement of the belt-pulley module if that manual covers it. For the most part Nissan treats the CVT's like black boxes, so you're unlikely to find any publication out there from them unless it's from Asia or Australia.

[Smagegy]

How do you know which 'Model Number transmission' --- If I found a Nissan Pathfinder that needed a CVT, ... how would I find the Trans model #?

[VStar650CL]

You get it from the FSM. The R52 Pathies had the RE0F10E (FWD) or '10J (AWD) throughout the series. A quick google will get you the corresponding Jatco model number. For instance, the Jatco designation for the '10E is JF017E. BUT (big but), the model numbers don't necessarily tell you anything about the outside. For instance, the gen5 Alties and '15-up Jukes both used the RE0F10D, but the housings were completely different even though the guts were pretty much identical. The final drive section of the Jukes had to be "squeezed" because of width considerations, so visually it looks like a whole different unit.

[Smagegy]

You get it from the FSM. The R52 Pathies had the RE0F10E (FWD) or '10J (AWD) throughout the series. A quick google will get you the corresponding Jatco model number. For instance, the Jatco designation for the '10E is JF017E. BUT (big but), the model numbers don't necessarily tell you anything about the outside. For instance, the gen5 Alties and '15-up Jukes both used the RE0F10D, but the housings were completely different even though the guts were pretty much identical. The final drive section of the Jukes had to be "squeezed" because of width considerations, so visually it looks like a whole different unit.

Thanks Vstar... that sounds a little tricky. --- I never liked that dayum name 'JUKE' ... Rhymes with 'Puke' !

I don't know who's idea it was to come up with that name... S/he should be Fired!

[VStar650CL]

Thanks Vstar... that sounds a little tricky. --- I never liked that dayum name 'JUKE' ... Rhymes with 'Puke' !

I don't know who's idea it was to come up with that name... S/he should be Fired!

Never rent one in Mexico, because then it's a Huke.

Seriously, whatever the name could or should have been, a rocket by any other name is still damnfast. I wish they were still making them. The vectored AWD setup used in the later years were the finest cornering machines Nissan ever built, absolute rocket ships in the twisties. I once heard them described online as "Ninja Beetles", and I thought that was very descript. Yes, the turbo is five pounds of s#it in a three pound bag and they're horrible to work on, but these days, what isn't? Great cars. If I owned one, to paraphrase a certain Bugs Bunny cartoon (for those of you who aren't old enough), I would hug it and love it and name it George.

[Smagegy]

Thanks Vstar... that sounds a little tricky. --- I never liked that dayum name 'JUKE' ... Rhymes with 'Puke' !

I don't know who's idea it was to come up with that name... S/he should be Fired!

Never rent one in Mexico, because then it's a Huke.

Seriously, whatever the name could or should have been, a rocket by any other name is still damnfast. I wish they were still making them. The vectored AWD setup used in the later years were the finest cornering machines Nissan ever built, absolute rocket ships in the twisties. I once heard them described online as "Ninja Beetles", and I thought that was very descript. Yes, the turbo is five pounds of s#it in a three pound bag and they're horrible to work on, but these days, what isn't? Great cars. If I owned one, to paraphrase a certain Bugs Bunny cartoon (for those of you who aren't old enough), I would hug it and love it and name it George.

No kidding.. I'm surprised. I LOOKEd at the outside, and figured I'd never be able to fit in one!