Timing Belt question and Antifre. Leak

[NOVA_mudfinder]

Couple quick questions.

 

1. Got alot of miles on the pathy and time to change the timing belt. I wanted to know how hard it is to replace the R50's and how long it might take.

 

2. I have over heard there is a common problem with the water pump leaking anti-freeze wanted to know if this is true because i have noticed my anti-freeze " disappearing " and i've had to fill it up twice but can't find the leak anywhere.

[csutke]

I believe that there is a how to in the How to section in the garage that has all the step for the timing belt replacement

[csutke]

yup there is http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=12828

 

as two your second question i have no idea, sorry

[NOVA_mudfinder]

Thanks man, I appreciate the help

[Alkorahil]

If you replace your belt, replace the water pump as well. You have to take it off anyways.....

[zonianbrat]

/\ X2

 

Your also going to want to go ahead and replace the thermostat, possibly cam and crank seals (if leaking), timing belt tensioner and that little coolant bypass hose. The coolant bypass hose could be causing you to lose fluid also. All the parts I listed above are pretty cheap and worth doing now since you will have the front of the motor apart. I changed my t-belt, tensioner, water pump, t-stat, coolant bypass hose, all 3 drive belts, spark plugs, spark plug wires and did a complete coolant flush and cleaned out the radiator while I had it out. I also did a oil change so as everything was covered. With parts the job took me an afternoon and part of a morning (maybe 8-9 hours i think total and I am no mechanic) at a cost of around 450 bucks. The job can be done for like 250 but I was dumb and tried to use a jaw puller on the crankshaft pulley and I broke the lip on it. That crank pulley/balancer costs about 200 bucks new. Sad part is I Loved my R50 and was so proud I did all that work on it (witha bit of dad's help) and I totalled it 30,000 miles later.

 

Btw. That write up in this forum is an excellent guide to doing the t-belt job. Hardest part is getting the crankshaft pulley/blancer off and it's not that hard just gotta either have a huge breaker bar or do what I did and take a small breaker bar on the 27mm nut and brace it against the frame horns, then "bump" the starter.