OH BOY! Couple of Front Motor Questions

[dantesdoom]

Well let me state...i am pissed. My engine was rebuilt and my water pump started leaking (its new), so i ripped down to replace it and the coolant hoses behind the hard pipes to fix all issues. I have encountered a few things i need advice on before i order parts.

1. The motor was rebuilt due to broken timing belt....after the rebuild the idler pulleys and autotensioner have not been replaced. The car has 176,000 on it and i dont really want to spend 300 bucks for those parts (i can if i have to though)....but moreover im nervous about f*** up the timing belt and causing the valves to bend on start. WHAT TO DO?? I drive it less than 20 miles a week if that....sometimes only 20 a month. Save up and have them done with timing belt job when i have more money (just finished college)?....none of the pulleys are making noise, but i cant test to see if they spin freely to know if replacement is necessary without removing the timing belt.

2. Replacing the VTC Springs....is it just as easy as removing the plate off the cam gears and putting a new one it....and do i NEED a new seal?

3. Replacing the hard silverish coolant pipes to the motor...do i need to make a seal with permatex blue....they didnt have any sealant on them upon removal.

4. What is good to clean the motor with out messing up the paint...everything i find is corrosive to paint.

Help with any...or ALL of these would be much appreciated. By the way its a NA and my experience level is....ummm... plenum pull/injector replacment/bose delete/etc. So i have some know how, but im not too much of a gear head, I prefer the interior. Hence why the timing belt is a big deal....something so cheap could ruin the car...again (like when i bought it). I am nervous, im sure you all know that feeling in your stomachs....and i need yalls help and support. Thanks in advance.

Thanks....im really...well upset about all this, because although the timing belt is exposed, i dont know if i trust myself to f*** with it.

[dantesdoom]

Also...if this job is a must would a Dayco idler pulley and autotensioner kit with a Gates timing belt be acceptable....it sure would save a heap of money. Or is the wrong path to be walking down?

[NolimitZ32]

Get a NISSAN timing belt kit, its expensive but well worth the peace of mind, If your tensioner is 176k miles old you are asking for trouble! No need to replace the coolant hard pipes unless they are damaged. Never replaced the VTC springs before so I don't know about the seal but to replace them yes all you do is unbolt the cover.

[dantesdoom]

Get a NISSAN timing belt kit, its expensive but well worth the peace of mind, If your tensioner is 176k miles old you are asking for trouble! No need to replace the coolant hard pipes unless they are damaged. Never replaced the VTC springs before so I don't know about the seal but to replace them yes all you do is unbolt the cover.

yeah i wasnt REPLACING the hard pipes, I meant reseating...and yeah they have a gasket....i dropped it last night. Yeah i was examining my options last night...i just dont want to have to dig into my new car fund. Meh...

Is this job something i should tackle....i mean lm not a noob, but it seems daunting. I got to the timing belt in about an hour...and im just standing here looking at it.

[NolimitZ32]

If you've never done a timing belt I'd say find someone else to do it, someone qualified, if you feel you have enough experience and know-how then do it, it's really not that difficult, just follow the FSM. I don't remember whether removing the hardpipes is required for a TB job, if it's not than there is no reason to pull them off, if you already did than clean all old gasket material from the mating surfaces and reseat them with fresh gray or blue RTV.

[GerryO]

Well let me state...i am pissed. My engine was rebuilt and my water pump started leaking (its new), so i ripped down to replace it and the coolant hoses behind the hard pipes to fix all issues. I have encountered a few things i need advice on before i order parts.

1. The motor was rebuilt due to broken timing belt....after the rebuild the idler pulleys and autotensioner have not been replaced. The car has 176,000 on it and i dont really want to spend 300 bucks for those parts (i can if i have to though)....but moreover im nervous about f**king up the timing belt and causing the valves to bend on start. WHAT TO DO?? I drive it less than 20 miles a week if that....sometimes only 20 a month. Save up and have them done with timing belt job when i have more money (just finished college)?....none of the pulleys are making noise, but i cant test to see if they spin freely to know if replacement is necessary without removing the timing belt.

2. Replacing the VTC Springs....is it just as easy as removing the plate off the cam gears and putting a new one it....and do i NEED a new seal?

3. Replacing the hard silverish coolant pipes to the motor...do i need to make a seal with permatex blue....they didnt have any sealant on them upon removal.

4. What is good to clean the motor with out messing up the paint...everything i find is corrosive to paint.

Help with any...or ALL of these would be much appreciated. By the way its a NA and my experience level is....ummm... plenum pull/injector replacment/bose delete/etc. So i have some know how, but im not too much of a gear head, I prefer the interior. Hence why the timing belt is a big deal....something so cheap could ruin the car...again (like when i bought it). I am nervous, im sure you all know that feeling in your stomachs....and i need yalls help and support. Thanks in advance.

Thanks....im really...well upset about all this, because although the timing belt is exposed, i dont know if i trust myself to f*** with it.

My two cents.

1) Did my timing belt at about 170K when I replaced a leaking water pump. Know zero about tensioner failures and figure failing dry pulley bearings will pretty much just squeak and squeal for a while. If they rattle and rumble, things are closer to mechanical failure. Recall the fairly complete Nissan kit costing about $350, and even that didn't include all pulleys.

10K miles later all is fine, but I still worry about whether I set the timing belt tension correctly. Managed to get a belt tensioner on two of the three accessory belts. Have someone help you when it comes time to install the new belt and align all of the marks.

2) New VTC springs in the kit come with new o-rings

3) Use the gray sealant between metal surfaces, on hoses and a new WP gasket

4) WD40 and Formula 409, and coolant attacks paint

5) If you want more anxiety, you should remove and replace camshaft and crankshaft front oil seals, while you are in there. Don't rush things.

6) My son contributed a neat method of wrapping a vinyl coated cable type dog leash around the crank pulley/balancer (no starter removal required), when it came time to torque the crank bolt (apply penetrating oil before loosening it)

[dantesdoom]

I have the money and im going to buy a Nissan OEM kit from Z1 motorsports. Found out that the timing on the CAS is all the way advanced because the belt is slightly off ( I THINK). Only reason for the screw to be all the way to one side. Plus the belt is a ghey no-name brand. Is there a good CAS adjustment/timing right up? Ill continue to post in this thread as i work through this problem.

[nissanfreak12]

Just cause the cas is all the way to one side doesn't always mean the belt is off. A timing light will be your friend, if the belt was a tooth off,you will know by the way it drives.

If you end up doing it on your own, just take your time, do not rush it, and the marks on the pulleys and backing plate do not line up at the end, that is ok. The biggest thing is to make sure the cogs are counted correctly as it says in the FSM. This will let you know if its set up correctly.

[GerryO]

j30-timing-belt-replacement-procedure-t198122.html

Functional link!

http://www.mdsmarthome.com/z/Z%20Tech/Z ... 20Idle.pdf

[dantesdoom]

Yeah...the timing might not be off...but the belt is some off brand, not even an AEM ive heard of....and the idler pulleys and autotensioners have 176k on them. I bought everything for the front of the motor and the drive belts....pretty much the 120k kit from z1 motorsports for about $600. As a bonus....it should be here with in 24 hours since i live relatively close.