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Timing belt


918pathy
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I bought my Pathy a couple of monts ago, and i have thought about getting the timing done but i am not if the guy i got it from did it fairly recently. The belts look like they have been changed within the last year or less and they are actual Nissan belt. I checked the coolant and it was nice and green and full. would putting new belts and fresh coolant be a indication that the timing was recently done?

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If the Waterpump is new also i would say its a good indication.

 

But unless it was done by the owner most shops will put down that they replaced the timing belt and month/year/mileage it was done either by a sticker or writing it on the timing cover. since the only other way to check is to removed the belts and idler pulley and remove the top cover to check.

Edited by wd21overland
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I have tried to locate the guy, and even left him a not on his door, no response. But i got some guidence from KOVEMAN on how to check it and what to remove and what to look for. So iam going to check it tomorrow

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Even if the belt looks okay when you pry back the timing cover, that doesn't mean a whole lot. even after 100,000 miles, it can look new as it doesn't see the light of day and is sealed away. My old truck had about 175,000 miles on it, and I suspect it still had the original belt. yes, they CAN last that long, but it's not recommended, I'm betting that belt didn't have much longer to live as it was starting to fray.

 

New auxiliary belts and green coolant is NOT an indication that the timing belt was done. Honestly, on these engines, if YOU don't know for certain that it's been done, do it. It's cheap and will save you from having to rebuild your motor and replace valves/pistons in a couple thousand miles.

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There is a sticker on the air box a its hard to read but it looks like the timing was done in 99 at 78000 miles, and it has 187xxx miles on it now. that was almost 13 years ago, that belt should be pretty worn and the tensioner should ha a groove wore in it by now.

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That very well could be correct because the recommended change interval is also every 4 years; This would be something a dealership would recommend.

 

I changed the suspected original T-belt on my 95 in 2009 with about 98k miles on it. It didn't appear to have suffered from age, but the vehicle spent 13 of those years in NorCal and there were no significant leaks.

 

Sounds like you should be changing your belt soon. Don't worry, it's not that hard. Contact Alkorahil for great prices on factory parts. :aok:

 

B

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the only other way to check is to removed the belts and idler pulley and remove the top cover to check.

This actually isn't that hard. Unless you run into a broken tensioner or some other snag, this is actually very easy to do. It might take you 45 minutes to get the belts off and take a look.

 

Even if the belt looks okay when you pry back the timing cover, that doesn't mean a whole lot. even after 100,000 miles, it can look new as it doesn't see the light of day and is sealed away.

What? that makes no sense. None of the belts regularly see day light. The timing belt is no different than the aux. belts. And it's not really sealed away, it's just behind a metal plate.

 

That very well could be correct because the recommended change interval is also every 4 years

wait what? Every 4 years, but 105k miles?

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I think a tensioner pulley would only really show wear if there was friction. My truck is 17 years old with original pulleys, and most of them look like a dull grey. If there was wear, they would be bright silver

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What? that makes no sense. None of the belts regularly see day light. The timing belt is no different than the aux. belts. And it's not really sealed away, it's just behind a metal plate.

 

The upper and lower timing belt covers have a rubber gasket to seal the belt away from road grime and general nastiness. You may have missed that memo. You should see my auxiliary belts right now, they're brown from being buried in a mud hole. I bet you anything that my timing belt still looks like it came off the shelf.

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I wouldn't really bet on that, it's not exactly hermetically sealed. Unless you RTV'd every seal and the drain hole, the seals are more for dust and grime as you said.

 

Perfect example...

 

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=31044&view=findpost&p=590938

 

B

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I am going to take the top part of the timing cover today and check. One thing i did notice when i eas looking down at the water pump, atleast the part that sticks out, I noticed that it is probably the cleanest part of the engine :shrug: I would think if its about a 13 year old water pump it would be pretty gunked up, but it is still worth checking it out.

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  • 1 month later...

I got the timing done the other day, The belt and the water pump were changed out a couple of years ago according to the mechanic, they were in pretty good shape. It was the tensioner that was seriously shot it kinda grinded when it spun...But we went ahead and changed everything the belt/tensioner, and waterpump. Wow, what a differnece that made the truck runs way better.

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How much should I expect to pay to have the timing belt changed? I could possibly get my best friend to do it (he's a professional mechanic) but he works a lot and there is a trustworthy mechanic right down the street from my parent's house. I'm currently deployed and I plan on having my Pathfinder running like a champ when I get back. It has 113,000miles and I bet that it is the stock belt.

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Sounds like the old one was off by a tooth.

The timing was off a bit the timing marks were not not even lined up, But now it seems to smoke a bit. When Ifirst start it if I give it a little gas some blue smoke comes from the exhaust, once it warms up it seems fine, Also at start up when you give it a little gas, there will be what appears to be water on the ground by the tail pipe and water droplets in the exhaust pipe, the engine does not overheat, the temp gauge goes about a 1/4+/- when fully warmed up. would the smoking exhaust be bad valves or something else
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I just went to start it this morning, and let it run for a few minutes. there was no blue smoke, but the water droplets in the tip of the exhuast, and when I gave a little gas, watery black carbon shot out all on the rim and tire of the truck parked next to me. (WHOOPS). I know some water droplets are nomal but is with the black carbon like stuff, or is that just cuz my exhuast is probably 10 years old and i have a exhaust leak coming from the flange by the O2 sensor

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Blue smoke on start up is the valve seals leaking a little allowing oil to leak in to the cylinders over night. Not a big deal really. Water, normal.

 

I know some water droplets are nomal but is with the black carbon like stuff, or is that just cuz my exhuast is probably 10 years old and i have a exhaust leak coming from the flange by the O2 sensor

 

Answered your own question. Condensation and years of build up can be messy sometimes.

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