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Power Valve Screws Falling Out On 3.5's, 01-04


Trainman
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Are there any symptoms that the valves may be coming loose or operating improperly? Forgive me as I'm not familiar with the operation/purpose of these valves.

 

The reason I ask is that upon startup, or approx 15-20 seconds after I start my 01 Pathy, it begins to sputter, sounding somewhat like a misfire condition. This lasts for approximately 15-30 seconds, then the engine comes back to normal and the engine has all the power it normally has.

 

I have pulled the code for the MAF sensor and a new one will be on it's way very soon, but I'm somewhat doubting this to be the cause.

 

Any advice here?

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Very very occasionally mine does that doo but only on very cold days, particularly if it wass very warm the day before. A constant sputtering however would suggest a bad valve that can't hold compression but it doesn't sound like that's the issue w/ yours.

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  • 4 months later...
Good, this is finally pinned.

 

 

Anybody do this job themselves? If so would they be willing to do a step by step walk through on it with some pics or diagrams ?------This seems important enough to warrant this, especially for us who do not have warranties still in effect and who cannot afford to have their motors severly damaged.

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Yeah, Jarsiff did it a few weeks ago, maybe he could write some sort of a procedure for this...

 

 

Well couldnt wait any longer, was sweating bullets on this one , so I went out and took the plunge and locktited all the power valve screws, wasnt too bad a job actually, took about 1 1/2 hours to do, feel loads better, all the screws were tight , and seemed to have some kind of thread lock on the threads already, I am assuming it was from the factory because it does not appear that the intake and surrounding paraphanelia has ever been took off before. But now I know for SURE that they are all tight and with thread locker!! Now to figure out how to resolve my oil consumption problem.

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Well couldnt wait any longer, was sweating bullets on this one , so I went out and took the plunge and locktited all the power valve screws, wasnt too bad a job actually, took about 1 1/2 hours to do, feel loads better, all the screws were tight , and seemed to have some kind of thread lock on the threads already, I am assuming it was from the factory because it does not appear that the intake and surrounding paraphanelia has ever been took off before. But now I know for SURE that they are all tight and with thread locker!! Now to figure out how to resolve my oil consumption problem.

 

Yeah, Great. Now how did you do it? You guys have me freaking out now LOL. I just put all this money into lifting my 02', and now i hear the engine could blow. Good grief. Could you post some details please? What year/model was your truck. It's interesting that you found locktite. I'm sorry i can't offer you any help with your oil consumption problem. It's either burning, which it dosen't appear to be (no smoke) or leaking somewhere. If not on the ground, then into your system. thanks for any light you can shed.

 

Pete

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Yeah, Great. Now how did you do it? You guys have me freaking out now LOL. I just put all this money into lifting my 02', and now i hear the engine could blow. Good grief. Could you post some details please? What year/model was your truck. It's interesting that you found locktite. I'm sorry i can't offer you any help with your oil consumption problem. It's either burning, which it dosen't appear to be (no smoke) or leaking somewhere. If not on the ground, then into your system. thanks for any light you can shed.

 

Pete

 

 

2001 pathfinder , just emailed navygz19 with the procedure on how to do , email him for a copy of it , and Ill try to post later, ( running late for work at the moment). Was a very easy , straight forward and not technical procedure, do not be overwhelmed---and gives PEACE OF MIND when done. The oil prob appears to be a design flaw in the valve cover baffles that trap oil and allow it to be siphoned out the PCV , only fix is to install valve cover that has different baffle it appears.

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2001 pathfinder , just emailed navygz19 with the procedure on how to do , email him for a copy of it , and Ill try to post later, ( running late for work at the moment). Was a very easy , straight forward and not technical procedure, do not be overwhelmed---and gives PEACE OF MIND when done. The oil prob appears to be a design flaw in the valve cover baffles that trap oil and allow it to be siphoned out the PCV , only fix is to install valve cover that has different baffle it appears.

 

Thanks a ton. I'll email him. Now how the heck are you supposed to find a valve cover with a different baffle design? That sucks. But why don't i have the problem and you do? Mines only a year newer. heck, alot of us have this truck, and i haven't seen much about oil consumption, but i haven't been looking either. Anyway, thanks again.

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Though I am helping, we are heading off topic...however, to stop oil from going through the PCV line should be a small pipe cleaner looking part in a hard line that will stop oil from returning all the way through. I only know this because of my late 3.3. When I replaced the Dizzy the hard PCV line came off also to get a good cleaning and found there to be much sludge and this pipe cleaner thingy that my shop said to put back in that it was for this exact reason. I don't see why you couldn't add this to another line if you wanted to, you just need it to be a snug fit so it could not relocate itself!

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Now how the heck are you supposed to find a valve cover with a different baffle design?

 

I would start by checking HERE . This looks like a decent site and I've already had a few replies for various parts I've requested info. for. Plus, there are more Pathy's on this site than any other I've ever seen.

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heres the thread where i was talking about it grr post i actually used the haynes for this one is it was pretty straight forward, the only real pain part is in the rear passenger side of the lower im if your taking it completely off is slow going with the two bolts and no room to maneuver around them but if your only mission is to check the screws than 1 to 2 hours tops and the only thing i did was had some room to lay out the bolts that came out so i wouldnt mess up the order. you only have to take off the upper half of the plenum and there are two gaskets there along with the TB gasket, all are fairly cheap.

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  • 1 month later...

Can somebody post a link of a technical manual showing those screws with the torque that they need. I have an appointment next week to get it done but the guy looked like he didn't new what I was talking about and got me a bit scared... :wacko:

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I went to the dealer two weeks ago. Told them if they could check it out as well. They looked at me and asked why and that they never heard of this problem on pathfinders. On the sentra, yes but not the trucks. then the concluded to tell me it would take 4.5 to 5 hours and cost around 400 bills. I hate stealerships. Decided not to have it done. Now I do not know what to do. Thinking of going to my friend who is a mechanic or another person that works on 350Z but he's a bit far.

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Can somebody post a link of a technical manual showing those screws with the torque that they need. I have an appointment next week to get it done but the guy looked like he didn't new what I was talking about and got me a bit scared... :wacko:

 

This is all I have... Only a break-down of what you need to take apart to get there... We are talking about part #2 (lower manifold) right, rather than the upper. I have a damaged VQ35DE sitting in a barn out of town that I've been meaning to strip down. When I do I'll post comments regarding the tightness of these things. Anyone need parts? I'm pulling injectors and sensors etc... everything else in the metal bin at work.

post-1862-1187119877_thumb.jpg

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I went to the dealer two weeks ago. Told them if they could check it out as well. They looked at me and asked why and that they never heard of this problem on pathfinders. On the sentra, yes but not the trucks. then the concluded to tell me it would take 4.5 to 5 hours and cost around 400 bills. I hate stealerships. Decided not to have it done. Now I do not know what to do. Thinking of going to my friend who is a mechanic or another person that works on 350Z but he's a bit far.

 

Check out this post, only 2.7 hours for me: link

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Check out this post, only 2.7 hours for me: link

 

 

Thanks Trainman, I think I tread that post and told the guy it should not take longer than 3 hours. He then gets a hold of a mechanic and told me it a all day thing. Those guy are a joke.

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Thanks Trainman, I think I tread that post and told the guy it should not take longer than 3 hours. He then gets a hold of a mechanic and told me it a all day thing. Those guy are a joke.

 

If I recall right, my mechanic said the book time was 3 hours, so that was going to be max they were going to charge (even if took longer, I am so glad I have a shop I can trust). I suggest you try an independent shop and see what you get.

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