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Nissan

Nissan Maxima '92 Timing Belt Replacement and Underhood Maintenance

edited from an article by Bob Dowie, ImportCar Magazine

 

DIGGING IN - TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT FOR 1992 MAXIMA
In this article, we’ll take a look at timing belt replacement on a 1992 Maxima. The current Pathfinder, Quest and trucks require very similar procedures. The actual nuts and bolts of doing the job shouldn’t present any problems. But, like any V6, with the engine located sideways, space is tight.

  1. Access the belt from the wheel well area, as well as from under the hood.

  2. Disconnect the negative battery cable.

  3. Remove the hoses and drive belts (Nissan uses drive belt adjusters).

  4. Lubricate and free up these adjusters as the belts are removed; it’s time well spent.

  5. Don’t overlook the adjuster and idler pulleys; give them a spin while listening for bad bearings.

  6. With the right front wheel and splash pan removed, loosen the crankshaft pulley bolt. The pulley should come right off.

  7. Keep track of the timing belt cover bolts as they are removed. You’ll notice that the upper and lower cover bolts are different, with one of the upper bolts being different yet. This bolt threads into one of the water pump bolts that has been drilled and threaded.

    Note: If a water pump is replaced, be sure to have that bolt in the correct hole to prevent duplicate disassembly.

  8. With the covers removed, reinstall the crankshaft bolt and turn the crankshaft clockwise until number 1 cylinder is at TDC. You’re there when the punch mark on the crankshaft pulley is in line with the slot on the oil pump; while the cam pulley marks are in line with the reference marks on the inner top cover.

  9. Make note of how well the marks line up; it’s not unusual for these marks not to be dead on. As you’ll see when you install the new belt, these are only reference marks.

  10. Loosen the lock nut on the timing belt tensioner and, using a 5mm Allen wrench, slacken the belt and temporarily tighten the lock nut. Now the belt can be removed. This is the time to check that the tensioner pulley turns freely with no noise. It’s also an opportunity to check and repair leaking cam and crank seals, and to check for coolant leaks from the water pump and thermostat housings.

  11. Reassembly will present no problems. OEM belts, as well as most quality aftermarket belts, will have alignment stripes to set the cam timing.

  12. Line up the marks on the belt with the punch marks on the pulleys. (If you have a belt without the marks, confirm that the timing is correct with other reference marks). Make sure that the belt is taut on non-tensioner side. There should be 40 teeth between the cam pulley marks, with 42 between the left-side cam and crank marks.

  13. With the belt still taut, loosen the tensioner lock nut allowing the tensioner to work, tighten the lock nut and turn the engine over twice.

  14. Ensure that the timing marks are lined up. Check for proper tension between the cam pulleys. You are looking for about a half-inch deflection with 20 lbs. of force. Your service information will include a more detailed version of tensioning the belt that involves rolling a 0.014-in. feeler gauge between the tensioner pulley and the belt (We don’t use that method in our shop and have no problems as long as the deflection of the belt is correct).

  15. The balance of the job is reassembly; simply installing the parts that were removed. Torque the crank pulley bolt to 95 ft.-lbs., fill and bleed the cooling system, check the ignition timing and you’re all set.

Note: If you’re presented with a noise coming from the distributor on one of these engines, don’t jump to conclusions. This complaint seems to be more common on the Pathfinder than on the other models that use the VG30. A rattling or vibration noise coming from the distributor is actually a loose timing belt. The belt will be so loose that the camshaft will change direction as the valve springs push it in one direction and the belt pulls it the other way. It’s the normal lash in the distributor gear that causes the noise. You should be ready to handle this one.

SENTRA 1600CC ENGINE - CRANKSHAFT SEAL REPLACEMENT
When it comes to crankshaft seals, the Nissan G16 engine will give you plenty of opportunities. This 1600cc engine is found in the popular Sentra series. Compared to doing a timing belt replacement, replacing this seal is relatively easy.

  1. Remove the oil-soaked belts.

  2. Working through the wheel well area, remove the crankshaft bolt and pulley.

  3. Carefully pry out the seal and replace it.

  4. Closely inspect the pulley hub for any damage caused by the old, hardened seal. A deeply grooved pulley should be replaced to ensure a good seal.

  5. Reinstall the pulley, torque the crank bolt and install the belts. After completing this procedure, your customer will have a leak-free car and piece of mind.

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