Timing belt replacement QX4

[GTSTWINCAM]

I bought all the parts (timing belt, water pump, thermostat, belts, tensioner).

My SUV has 78k miles.

I read somewhere that it should be replaced around 100k miles.

Has anyone tried to replace their timing belt on their own (VG33) or should I take it to the shop?

I have only done timing belts on 4 cyl cars, never a V6. The VG33 looks like a PITA.

[88pathoffroad]

It's actually 105K miles for your t-belt replacement. Here's a thread on how to do it.

http://npora.ipbhost.com//inde...12828

[SnowSurfLax]

Thanks for the link on the timing belt replacement! Nice!

Hey 88pathoffroad, ?? for you:

I got my timing replaced about 3500 miles ago. It's still making a whining noise. I took it in to where I got it done and they said they looked at it and couldn't figure out why it was still whining. (But at least they said if it continued to do it, they'd go in and redo it).

It's making me nervous.

Do you think they have the tension on it too tight? Everything was replaced that should be.

[fueler]

Hey LAX, What shop did you t-belt just outof curiosity? Would you describe the noise as a squeal? At what point do you hear the noise? Is it intermittent or constant?

[SnowSurfLax]

I took it to Discount Tires off Aero Dr.

As for the noise, it sounds like a whining. It's not squealing, but it starts around 1500-1600 rpms and is loudest around 1950-2050 and goes away around 2800 rpms. If I recall correctly anyway. Ran through the rpms while parked and figured that out. I can hear it when driving down the streets, but once on the highway above 40 mph I can't hear it anymore. Whether that's because there's too much road/wind noise, I don't know. It is constant though, regardless of being parked or running down the street.

The sound is somewhat akin to the sound of a transmission when backing up at above 10-15mph, except faster.

Fueler, that reminds me. When I get a chance I want to listen to your QX. I hear an engine noise that I can't tell if it's just the engine type or if something's not quite right. It's sort of a really soft clacking noise. Reminds me when my old ford pickup's engine got old and the lifters started to make noise, but no where near as loud.

[88pathoffroad]

If it's whining, take it back and have them tension it properly. A whining belt is an overtensioned belt that can break on you and cause a LOT of harm to your engine. I did mine once and got it too tight. It whined too, so I had a Nissan master tech listen to it. He told me to redo it before it breaks on me and ate valves for lunch.

[Jeff Williams]

This is not a difficult job, really.

The key is to take your time, review the FSM periodically, clean everything, take a lot of pictures for reference, and torque everythig to spec.

If you don't have air, you may not get the crank bolt out. The pully will come off in your hands, but the bolt is torqued ot 165 ft-lb.

Alabama Dan & I did the timing belt, cam seals, timing belt tensioner, water pump, thermostat, hoses, belts, and belt tensioners all in in about 8 hours of real work, with an additional 4 hours of traveling to the parts store for silicone, scrapers, pullers, feeler gages, a 27 MM socket, air compressor and wrench, oil, oil filter, and antifreeze. Then we spent an additional 2 hours just cleaning everything (and polishing). Boy, one little leaky cam seal can make a mess of the engine compartment.

I left before he got out the spark plugs...

[AlabamaDan]

It's really just like everything else for the most part, just take your time pulling things apart and putting them back together. There is some careful alignment for the cam and crank before pulling the old one off.

One tip, the FSM says to pull the plugs - but Jeff wouldn't let me. Seriously, Jeff said it had something to do with keeping the compression so the cams and stuff doesn't move. Other than that I think we followed the FSM. It does mention using "suitable tools" here and there. Those were fun to improvise.
Modified by AlabamaDan at 6:50 AM 6/26/2007

[brynderwen]

Anyone know how I can find a way to get 88pathoffroad's T-belt link thread to work? Thanks

[mdmellott]

Anyone know how I can find a way to get 88pathoffroad's T-belt link thread to work? Thanks

That link is permanently broken but this is where it was directed to 15yrs ago. >>>
http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/ ... /#comments

[mdmellott]

Anyone know how I can find a way to get 88pathoffroad's T-belt link thread to work? Thanks

The factory service manual for the '99 QX4 also has a good step by step t-belt removal/replacement process that would be very helpful. Starting on page EM-17. >>> https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 9%2FEM.pdf

[brynderwen]

Thank you for both links. Super helpful. How do I get notified when someone replies to my questions? There must be a trick, right.
Super helpful you guys.
I bet one of you also knows what the trick is to get the back spark plug out. I tried and tried for the life of me. I even have the tool that came with the car. I used a small flexible mirror too, I can't get the plug removing tool onto the spark plug. Any help will be appreciated. Also worried how to get it back in that hole. I can barely get my hand to feel the plug and no way my hand will fit in there between the firewall and the intake manifold with the tool in there. I have longer extensions for my ratchets, and swivels, I tried, to no avail. I need help.
Thanks

[mdmellott]

How do I get notified when someone replies to my questions? There must be a trick, right.

I bet one of you also knows what the trick is to get the back spark plug out. I tried and tried for the life of me. I even have the tool that came with the car. I used a small flexible mirror too, I can't get the plug removing tool onto the spark plug. Any help will be appreciated. Also worried how to get it back in that hole. I can barely get my hand to feel the plug and no way my hand will fit in there between the firewall and the intake manifold with the tool in there. I have longer extensions for my ratchets, and swivels, I tried, to no avail. I need help.

Getting notified via email I thought was the default on any topic you posted to. Check to be sure your email address is correct. Click on User Control Panel at the top right and then click Profile > Edit account settings. Your email address should be there. If not, add it and you will get notified when anyone posts to the topic you have already posted to. If your email is already there, any notification may be getting blocked or sent to your junk mail by your own personal email settings on your PC.

As for the dreaded #6 spark plug removal and replacement, the special OEM tool should work. Not well, but it works. My old '91 Pathfinder had the same dreaded design flaw. There are 2 spark plug wrenches and a handle with a flat screwdriver-like end that has a dogleg bend. The other end is just a straight round rod. The shorter of the 2 spark plug wrenches and the dogleg end of the handle are for #6. If I remember this nightmare correctly, you can only crank the wrench a quarter turn, take the handle out of the wrench slot, flip the handle so the dogleg bend points the other way, reinsert the handle into the wrench slot and turn it another quarter. Now you can access the other side of the wrench slot and repeat this process until you grow old and angry and the spark plug finally gets unthreaded. These wrenches should have a rubber capture sleeve inside them which presses down over the spark plug so that it can be lifted out when its undone. The same process in reverse is used to install that plug.

There is a step-by-step how to guide on this forum, specifically for this task using a socket wrench and a u-joint, but unfortunately it looks like the pictures that were once include have vanished. https://www.nicoclub.com/archives/how-t ... ngine.html I have successfully used that means of removing that plug on my old '91 but having the socket pull off, stuck on the plug still screwed into the head, is another bad dream I'd rather forget. Can't see. Can't reach it. The special tool is a pain but it works.