BobbyD Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 I bought my Pathy off of a Used Car lot. It had 117k miles when purchased and 119k now. Since I didn't know the original owner I would like to know if their is a way of finding out if the timing belt has ever been changed? Maybe Nissan keeps records of major engine alterations done to their vehicles! :bow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD50 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 Mine has a handy sticker on the underside of the hood telling me that it needs to be changed in about 5000km (D'oh!) Only other way I can think of is to inspect it for wear or signs of age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 It is a belt, not a chain from 87-95, and no, they don't keep universal records of every vehicle. Individual dealerships may keep those records, though. It couldn't hurt to call and ask if you know that the Pathy has been housed in your area all it's life. Check for a foil sticker under the hood with the t-belt change date on it. Otherwise you may as well assume that it's never been done and is about to break, with 119K on it. A t-belt change isn't a major alteration, or even major repair, it's simply maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey.T Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 If you can not confirm it has been changed recently, Change it now..... :contract: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyD Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 It is a belt, not a chain from 87-95, and no, they don't keep universal records of every vehicle. Individual dealerships may keep those records, though. It couldn't hurt to call and ask if you know that the Pathy has been housed in your area all it's life. Check for a foil sticker under the hood with the t-belt change date on it. Otherwise you may as well assume that it's never been done and is about to break, with 119K on it. A t-belt change isn't a major alteration, or even major repair, it's simply maintenance. It is a major alteration if ya' don't know what your doing! Mechanics was not my interest growin' up, so this alteration is like brain surgery! If it isn't a major alteration, why do mechanics charge $700-$1000 to perform it? Changing spark plugs and oil is maintainance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 (edited) yea do what they said...try and contact the original owner? if not assume its never been changed and change it...its no fun when it breaks...esp if u cant do the work personally...and when u do it do the water pump and prob the cam seals... Edited January 7, 2007 by unccpathfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyD Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 yea do what they said...try and contact the original owner? if not assume its never been changed and change it...its no fun when it breaks...esp if u cant do the work personally...and when u do it do the water pump and prob the cam seals... I'm friendly with the guys that own the used car lot. So I will just go to them and ask them to try and find out who owned the ride before I did. Thanks to everyone again, for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zack1978 Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 My 2cents is just do the damm belt, you don't know the history! When you do it, do the water pump, thermostat, cam seals, belt tensioner, and the drive belts. I had the dealer do mine about 4 yrs ago, and I paid $700.00. Zack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 It is a major alteration if ya' don't know what your doing! Mechanics was not my interest growin' up, so this alteration is like brain surgery! If it isn't a major alteration, why do mechanics charge $700-$1000 to perform it? Changing spark plugs and oil is maintainance! Regardless of what it may seem like to *you*, it IS maintenance. It just requires a good deal of time and attention to detail, as well as some dedicated tools to ensure that everything gets put back together properly. The timing belt is an ESSENTIAL part of the engine, just like spark plugs and oil changes are. Things wear out and break over time, this is no different. The timing belt and everything involved with changing it are also maintenance jobs, it just involves more parts and is touchier and easier to screw up. That said, I did mine the first time with a Chilton's manual and some fairly cheap hand tools from Harbor Freight, and it cost me nowhere near what the dealership would charge to do the job. I've also done a belt change on a friend's VG30E with no problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zack1978 Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Ah for me it was well worth the $700.00 at the dealer. Zack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 Ahhh... remember the good ol' days, when replacing rings and lower end bearings, or pulling the head and lapping valves was considered routine maintenance? Sometimes done on the side of the road during a family vacation? Well, neither can I. But my father did! That was typical in the 20's when he was a child. Heck, with our early 60's Falcon, my dad always carried spare brake shoes, ball joints, and a spare lower control arm because they rarely lasted 20K miles. The moral: Cars require soooooo much less maintenance than they used to. Get over it. Sometimes I wished they still did, in order to encourage those that can to do it, and to keep those that can't off the streets.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 I have a valve lapper in my garage!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 9, 2007 Share Posted January 9, 2007 I've done the T-belt twice on my 95. It's not that hard. Worst part, in my opinion, is getting the harmonic balancer off. That's about the only specialized tool anyone needs. Though, and air ratchet is nice! Oh.....and don't have a T-belt from a 91 laying around, or you may have to do a T-belt change twice in one day....on the same truck....don't ask me how I know!!! -alcohol- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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