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So I changed my own timing belt......


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Hi guys,

After finding out I could save $500, I decided to do my own timing belt on my 98 Pathfinder. My first time, but I am pretty mechanically inclined, I got the book and watched a few videos, etc. I got through all of it okay. I am sure I got the belt back on right and there were no real issues. I start it back up and it runs fine but starts smoking right away, so I turn it off. Then I ask a friend to start it so I can look under the hood to try and see where the smoke is coming from....Smoke it gone now!!Seems to run fine...But it is making a little bit of a higher pitched whining noise that it never did before. I don't want to really drive it until I know it is okay, something was definitely burning something to begin with, seemed like metal on metal. One thing I noticed during the install was the new tensioner I got did not spin nearly as freely as the old one, could this mean anything??

Thanks for any advice.

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If the sound you're getting is like a high pitched whirring, you probably set the belt tension a bit too tight. If it annoys you, you can tear it all apart and loosen it a bit, or just live with it till the belt wears in and it goes away.

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It makes sense that the new tensioner would be a little stiffer, given that it hasn't worn in yet. I've heard other members report a little whirring as the belt wears in. Probably wouldn't hurt to check the tension, though.

 

The smoke is more worrying. Maybe the belt was rubbing against something? Short of an electrical fire I can't think of what would smoke right on start up (under the hood, anyway).

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X3 on the belt tension/tensioner. Unless you went way over board, it shouldn't be a big deal. How did you set the tension?

 

As for the puff of smoke, that is odd. It was right away so nothing had a chance to warm up? That means something electrical or maybe some coolant somewhere was atomized by the fan or a belt?

Can't hurt to check your fuses to see if any are blown.

 

B

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To be honest I didn't know there was a setting of the tension. I just put the new spring on the new tensionor back the way I took it off and tightened the bolt that holds the tensioner there. I figured the spring set the tension level. I really feel like the burning was something rubbing, maybe metal to metal and then it wore through something to make it stop. When it was smoking I thought I saw something glowing a orange red color at one of the front pulleys. Didn't get a good look since I immediately turned the truck off.

Edited by nathanholtgrewe
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So I got some of this figured out. I took everything apart and I made a pretty good size mistake. The tension was okay. I put the washer that goes behind the harmonic balancer in front of the cover instead of the back. The result is, belt is ruined(I got a new one), the cover is bent up, and the washer or plate is tapered now like a cone instead of a flat washer. I am pretty sure it is supposed to be flat? So now, I am having a hard time finding a new lower cover and the washer/plate. Any ideas? Thanks again. I know this is a novice mistake, but my goal was to learn and it is working!

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Glad you fount the issue. I highly recommend you look in the Garage/How To section for the timing belt change write-up that was made by a Nissan Mechanic. No harm in trying yourself, but it always helps to have good directions/advice. ;)

 

Any junkyards/pick and pulls in your area? That is where I would start....

 

B

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Good to hear you found it! That washer must've gotten hot. +1 on a junkyard, if there's a rig with a blown engine they shouldn't mind you picking a washer off it. Sounds like you can't really take what's left of the old one to the hardware store at this point.

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  • 2 weeks later...

T-belts are easy to set up. Two ways I use is put the tensioner adj allen hole at 25 after that's close. Or if you can turn the belt 90 degrees between the cams after tightening your good. On factory belts the arrows point towards the radiator and the two cam marks on top with the crank mark on the bottom. If it whines it is too tight or if it rattles it is too loose.

Edited by byob
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Just a FYI those washers are super cheap brand new from Nissan. People destroy them all the time because that bottom sprocket can seize on sometimes and the best way to get it off is to destroy the washer behind it.

 

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I ended up gettting all I needed from a junkyard for next to nothing. All is good now. A learning experience, but at least not a costly one. Thanks for all your input.

Just a FYI those washers are super cheap brand new from Nissan. People destroy them all the time because that bottom sprocket can seize on sometimes and the best way to get it off is to destroy the washer behind it.

 

 

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