crystallinesheen Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Okay, so I have been looking for a coolant leak in my 93 Pathfinder. After tearing everything down, I finally find that my bypass hose is blown. I have gone ahead and replaced the water pump (which is what I thought it was at first) and the thermostat & bypass hose, it is time to put a new timing belt on. As I was trying to get the sucker on (never succeeded) the left camshaft gets a couple of notches to the right. No big deal, I adjust it back to the left. I guess I put a little too much pressure on it, and it suddenly sprang down to about the 9 o'clock position (from about the 11 o'clock position) Oh man, I got really worried that I screwed something up in the engine. I tried using moderate pressure to put it back in both directions, but it only moved slightly either way. I didn't want to force it without consulting someone about it. So did I just break my engine? How do I get my mark back up to its default position? I am so ready to get my truck back on the road, any help would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 It should be OK AFAIK. Valves shouldn't bend themselves under valvespring pressure with nothing else moving. Try using a ratchet on the cam sprocket bolt to turn it back to it's mark. Then quit touching it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 My suspicion: Where the cam was had at least one valve near full open. It rotated a little and the spring pressure pushing the lifter against the cam lobe kept it turning. So now to return to original position, you have to re-open that valve, which takes quite a bit of force. I struggled with this once. The cam did NOT want to stay where I wanted it - it kept wanting to rotate one way or the other due to a couple valvesprings pushing on their cam ramps - one CW, one CCW. What's that mean? I'm with 88. As long as the crank didn't rotate, the odds of anything being damaged are extreeeeeeemely slim to zero. Rotate it back. You will need tool assist to overcome the valve spring force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissandoms47 Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Mine did the same thing when i tried to align it back to the dot on the back of the tbelt cover. I just took a ratchet and moved it back and put the belt on. Runs better then ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey.T Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 Ratchet.... and have the belt ready to slip on as you get it back to the Alignment marks...... Been there... twice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystallinesheen Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 Thanks a lot ya'll! What a relief, I can just use a ratchet to move it back. That would be in a counter-clockwise direction, right? (Camshaft originally sprung from 11 o'clock counter-clockwise to 9 o'clock) Again, appreciate the help you are giving a newbie mechanic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissandoms47 Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 If the camshaft moved left (counter clockwise) then you want to turn it right (clockwise) back to 11 o'clock or to the alignment mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj big shoe Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 BTW, The belt only just fits, so when you go to put it on you can't slip it fully on the crank and left cam gears and still get it on the right cam gear. You'll have to put it on about 1/4" and line the teeth up with the right cam, then work it a little further on each gear until it's all the way on there. Whatever you do, don't pry it on with a screwdriver or you'll damage something. It might not seem like it, but it will fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fondo Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 If you're really anal about it all, you can take off the valve covers and take all the tension off the cam itself by loosening the valve springs (I think), this I guess will make it easier to align the cam pulley's and you won't have to fight spring tension when installing the belt. Thats what my chilton manual said when doing the standard replacement of a t-belt on the vg30e. But it can be done without doing the other part of this tedious task. Doing it that way would require the intake manifold to be removed, valve covers removed and all the gaskets replaced when you put it all back together... though I can see some benefits doing it this way because I think there's a knock sensor that needs replacing over time and the valve cover screws tend to shake loose (not to the point of coming out of their holes but also to where they push oil out through 'em), maybe also a revitalization of the fuel delivery system i.e. injector "o" rings and fuel rail cross tubes needing a hose clamp tightenin'. I just thought I would throw some ideas out there considerin this is a typical topic that arises often. I did my t-belt about 3 months ago without any problems (other then a nice cut in my left ring finger from a non-locking knife blade I was using to take out the cam seals... but I managed to do the t-belt w/ the same problems you encountered (cam shaft rotatin') and was able to turn it back to the "correct" position and when I turned the key after it was all said 'n done vwalla...presto... GOOD LUCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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