timing chain, freakin me out!

[Qshipsta]

ok guy's,. i'm a man with ,...little money,. i'm only 20 years old,. just a baby compared to some of you guy's im sure,.(no offense)but i've grown to love my Q,..i'm the second owner,. and i don't think the previous owner change the guides,..what do you think the chances are of them failing?,. is there anything i can do to slow it down??prevent it??

[PalmerWMD]

To slow down..

Hard to say some say frequent oil changes help keep acidity low but by now all damage is likely done..When you do a search with "guides and Q45" in it you will find many threads (scary stuff) on this subject.

Currently T3 Atlanta has an absolutely smashign deal in chain guide replacemtn with improved parts.

Usually $1200 at T3 dealer never less than $2000 (often <much> more).They just got a good deal on p[arts so they are offering for $1000 even.Most smashing deal.

Easily worth a trip to Atlanta.

Fred...

[PalmerWMD]

Chances of it failing in next 2 years, hard to say certainly better than 50% I'd say.

I had 2 engines destroyed this way ,at 109k and 90k miles respectively (most go over 120k tho).

Fred...

[PalmerWMD]

Oh one more thing.It's not the timing chains its the <guides> to said chains that need replacing the chains themselves last life of car.

Fred..

[PalmerWMD]

http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....25201

[Jesda]

How many miles are on your 91?

[Qshipsta]

145k,....

[fxjackso]

Qship-

We are here to freak you out. Do the guides or else. It's when, not if.

[Q451990]

Be afraid... be very afraid. I'd try to very gently drive to Atlanta and take Q45Tech up on his $1000 offer. Byron has probably done more chain guides than any other single tech. in the country. Just take a can of Lysol for your room at the Microtel next door

Heath

[PalmerWMD]

I would also make that drive to T3, there wont be a better deal anywhere.

usually memebrs pay substantially now.

Fred..

[victory]

Hello, I have a 93Q45 with 140K on it.Planning a trp to atlanta to get timing chain guide changed.Do I need to make an appointment?If I can get that chain repaired on monday, I will go tonight.I'm at houston rightnow.

[victory]

If T3 can do that for me tomorrow, I will leave tonight.

[Q45Viper]

Now that my buddies have scared you to death, I think they missed the part about you not having a lot of money, let's talk. At this point I think your guides are broken already, they just have not dropped down into a place that will destroy the motor. If they do,it's all over. But that may not happen. I found this site when I had about 125k on the car, I was shocked to hear about the guides, I had spent mega bucks to maintain the car because I was the original owner and I am very attached to the car. You need to evaluate your financial position and decide if you wish to preserve the car or simply drive the wheels off of it until it dies. If you spend the considerable $$ to fix the guides you will have a pretty bulletproof car that will probably go 200-250k miles while only nickle and diming you here and there, you need to also ask about the transmission, that's your other major issue. If you don't fix the guides and they are already broken and hanging you may be ok, you made it this far. My suggestion would be to see if you can track your vehicle history, any Infiniti dealer should be able to pull up your cars history on their computer, best bet go to the original dealer if you know who it is. There are other ways to tell if the engine has been apart to do the guides, and that has to do with the color of the original sealant around some surfaces of the engine. Do a search for that or come back and pose a question for Q45Tech regarding it and I am sure he will help. Final point, when I finally checked my guides out at 125k one side was broken and hanging, so I was lucky, I think you are too and if it falls the engine is toast. So it's all a gamble. Here's my best advice, see above for best chain guide prices... and RESEARCH the history of your car, it's still running well so your guides may have been done, you may have a new transmission with the upgrades, and the only other major $$ thing you have to worry about is replacing the things under the plenum, hey, that may have been done too. Do some searches about the plenum and transmission issues and FIND OUT the history of your car, THAT is most critical.

[PalmerWMD]

T3 is currently runnign a guide special due to a good dela they got on the parts set fpor teh job.Only $1000!!!!

The cheapest yet competent job ever, no corners cut!I trust those guys.

At delears it cossts from 2000 to 3300 even w/o chains or delaer may insist on doing chains as well (its tehir only book job for this sort of thing) and then its $4000!

If you have a chance now do it for peace of mind!

Fred..

[nuQ]

i agree with viper, if the Q is something you plan on keeping, get the guides done yesterday. T3's deal is the BEST you'll ever find! when i had mine done at vanmeters in nj, the drivers side was already in pieces and in the oil pan. soooooo lucky it didn't jump on my initial ride to have them done!!! (the day i bought my Q i drove about 70 miles to have the guides done). really depends on your interest in the car, but,,,,,they could go and blow your engine at any time!!!!

[Q45tech]

Guess " Victory" wasn't serious?

T3 is open and waiting as of 7:45 AM..........Byron will only be working Today thru Christmas eve.

[Qdemption]

From what I have gathered from reading other posts on the guides it sounds like a messy DIY. Mine need to be done, cept I aint gonna have the dough to do it with for at least two months. I have just over 150k on the car.

Park it? Sure this can be done, but it is like a catch 22. I park the car and can't get to work to make the money to fix it. I drive the car to work, make the money but subject my car to potential death.

I have rolled the dice in the past and won before. I have also lost, though. I figure I need about 1000 more miles out of the car before I will have the money. What Kind of odds am I looking at?

[maxnix]

T3 is currently runnign a guide special due to a good dela they got on the parts set fpor teh job.Only $1000!!!!

The cheapest yet competent job ever, no corners cut!I trust those guys.

At delears it costs from 2000 to 3300 even w/o chains or delaer may insist on doing chains as well (its tehir only book job for this sort of thing) and then its $4000!

If you have a chance now do it for peace of mind!

Fred..

While I respect Q45Viper's points, Fred has nailed it. $1K is not a lot to repair any vehicle, not that this will be all you will ever need to spend. The bus might not be as bad as looking at a wrecked VH45DE in your Q45.