thorpe991 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 so Wednesday my timing belt broke as i was on my way to work so heres some ?s and some specifics on the pathy Mileage: 171xxx bought with 169xxx transmission: auto speed when broke: 45mph temp outside: around 30f ?s 1. i was told that i most likely put a rod threw the head when the belt broke is that possible? 2. is there a safety switch or something that would put the pathy in neutral ? 3.should i try and replace the belt or should i get a new motor? so when it happen i just stalled i had no noise or anything when i went to put it in neutral wile i was rolling to restart it with out stopping it was already in neutral and i started to hit reverse(i should of been in drive) and i could here the gears grind or what ever it is in a auto i found a 1998 pathfinder that has a good motor with 145xxx miles on it but the body is shot and the ad said that the frame is rough for $1000 i was thinking i could get him down to $700 and just use the motor then junk the rest and get $200-$300 bucks back so it would end up costing me $500-$400 bucks is this a good plan? i know the main things to look for ie. burring/leaking oil, burring antifreeze, and stuff like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'd buy the other one and swap motors, much easier that way. If not you'd have to pull the heads and replace all the bent valves, gaskets, head bolts, oil, coolant, hoses, belts, resurface the heads, etc. It would be a lot more cost effective to just drop a new one in it with 30k less miles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Remember, my TB broke and my VG33E is still running strong. IIRC my compression is around the 140-150psi range after the new TB install? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I think you're just insanely lucky... even though 140 is low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrariowner123 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I think you're just insanely lucky... even though 140 is low. Hahaha you're just being the good news guy in this thread, haha. But I have to agree with Kingman, you probably fried your motor. But, if you want to see if your lucky, just throw a cheap timing belt and set the timing, check compression, won't you have to lose is your time and whatever the belt cost. -Kyle Ps post pics of the swap when you do, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Yeah it wouldn't hurt to try and hope you get lucky. If you do pick up the '98, instead of scrapping the whole thing outright maybe part it out on here and once its all good n picked through, then scrap it. You never know what kind of random stuff people need. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jyeager Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 so Wednesday my timing belt broke as i was on my way to work so heres some ?s and some specifics on the pathy Mileage: 171xxx bought with 169xxx transmission: auto speed when broke: 45mph temp outside: around 30f ?s 1. i was told that i most likely put a rod threw the head when the belt broke is that possible? 2. is there a safety switch or something that would put the pathy in neutral ? 3.should i try and replace the belt or should i get a new motor? so when it happen i just stalled i had no noise or anything when i went to put it in neutral wile i was rolling to restart it with out stopping it was already in neutral and i started to hit reverse(i should of been in drive) and i could here the gears grind or what ever it is in a auto i found a 1998 pathfinder that has a good motor with 145xxx miles on it but the body is shot and the ad said that the frame is rough for $1000 i was thinking i could get him down to $700 and just use the motor then junk the rest and get $200-$300 bucks back so it would end up costing me $500-$400 bucks is this a good plan? i know the main things to look for ie. burring/leaking oil, burring antifreeze, and stuff like that I can't say this for sure, but I THINK that this is an interference motor. This would mean that breaking the timing belt is guaranteed to bend some valves. But that's probably all. There is absolutely no reason this would have put a rod through the head. There wouldn't be any damage from this to your short-block assembly. There is no safety switch that puts it in neutral, perhaps that happened when the motor suddenly stopped while the drivetrain was engaged and the vehicle began pushing the motor. Immediately reversing the torque flow through the drivetrain. You could put on a new belt and one or two new heads if you wanted to. It might be cheaper to get good fully built heads from a salvage yard than to get an whole motor from a salvage yard. Because if you get a new motor from a salvage yard, wouldn't you want to change the timing belt and water pump while you have the engine right there anyway? And you should be able to get a motor from a salvage yard cheaper than buying a whole vehicle, can't you? (I'm asking because I haven't checked prices) You can check for bent valves by pulling out the spark plugs and putting compressed air in each cylinder in turn. You rotate each cylinder to top dead center on the compression stroke and apply compressed air to the chamber through the spark plug hole and see how well it holds the pressure. If it holds pressure appropriately well, that cylinder is unaffected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 This would mean that breaking the timing belt is guaranteed to bend some valves. Not true, quite a few people have gotten lucky but more have had some damage. I would just replace the belt and do a compression check. If you have damage, I would put the other motor in as Kingman suggested and part out the rest, then fix the damaged motor and sell it. You could come out of the whole thing not costing you anything but time. To everyone else, learn this lesson the easy way. If you do not know if/when the TB has been changed on your vehicle, change it right away. It is not worth the gamble! B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 (edited) Turn it over with the nut an the crank end (harmonic balencer) if something crunches than that will tell you rod/piston damage. If you get comprssion at plugs then your belt is still connected. If it crunches up top your belt my have skipped and a valve may be hitting a piston or two. Just my opinion but I'd check a few thing before pulling the motor. Edited February 8, 2014 by kdj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I can't imagine what it would take to put a rod through the head. But yeah, chances are your valves are shot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 I can't imagine what it would take to put a rod through the head. But yeah, chances are your valves are shot. I agree not a piston to the head but maybe valve into a piston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 so I just got the pathy to my house and am tarring down the front end Im hoping that I got lucky as the day fter I posted that pathfinder disappeared of CL the interior and exterior where ruff so I wasent looking to part it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrariowner123 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 (edited) so I just got the pathy to my house and am tarring down the front end Im hoping that I got lucky as the day fter I posted that pathfinder disappeared of CL the interior and exterior where ruff so I wasent looking to part it out If all you need is an engine, why not just get an engine? Parting out cars is not really a wise idea when you consider time and what the car is, sure you'll be helping out the community, but pathfinders have no special parts that someone across the country needs that he couldn't pick up at his local wrecking yard. The guys who part out STI's, EVO's and classic cult cars like S30 Z' and E30 BMW's, they have a little bit better of situation because production varied from one year to year and model to model, and above all, you cant just BUY parts for those classic or performance edition cars anymore, at least for a "reasonable" price. If i were in your shoes, i'd just go to your local wrecking yard, find a clean, somewhat low miles VG33e and throw that sucker in there, it will be cheap-ish too, because you don't need wiring, ecu or transmission. That's just my -Kyle Edited February 9, 2014 by ferrariowner123 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) well around me for a motor not from a jy im looking at a grand with out wiring or ecu and im looking at a complete pathfinder for a grand so the complete pathy makes more sense i would get money back from it as junk or part out buttttt i finished my tb change about 30-45 mins ago and it fired up and ran ...... good no lights on in the dash no knocking it ran ruff for about 1min then smoothed im guessing my timing was off by a tooth or half a tooth but the distributor adjusted and fixed that i let it run for about 10-15 mins and nothing changed no new lights nothing so im guessing i got extremely lucky before for i had the pathfinder i had a 93 gmc truck and when we would work on that my dad would call it jap crap (cause none of the bolts were the same size or stupid stuff like that) well i actually get a Japanese vehicle and its super easy to work on so where would i go to get the compression checked? Edited February 10, 2014 by thorpe991 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 Not true, quite a few people have gotten lucky but more have had some damage. I would just replace the belt and do a compression check. If you have damage, I would put the other motor in as Kingman suggested and part out the rest, then fix the damaged motor and sell it. You could come out of the whole thing not costing you anything but time. To everyone else, learn this lesson the easy way. If you do not know if/when the TB has been changed on your vehicle, change it right away. It is not worth the gamble! B wish i new this haha would of saved me some worry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Well if it is running well I would probably not bother with the compression check unless it feels like it has no power or something. Maybe take it for a drive and see if it still has the same power? As for the rough running it was probably all the fuel in the cylinders when you tried to start it before. Happend to my brothers VW when it wouldn't fire in the cold, missed for a minute because it was partially flooded. Go buy a lottery ticket! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Buy/Rent/Borrow/"Acquire" one from parts stores, friends etc. Pretty easy to do if you have a air compressor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 well i have to get a fan shroud tomorrow as i broke mine trying to get it around the steering so i will be driving it tomarro and it will start the babying of the pathfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdj Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Jeez I'm a idiot, I was just going to say your problem was that you have a lawn roller stuck under your tire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 it fired up and ran ...... good no lights on in the dash no knocking it ran ruff for about 1min then smoothed im guessing my timing was off by a tooth or half a tooth but the distributor adjusted and fixed that i let it run for about 10-15 mins and nothing changed no new lights nothing so im guessing i got extremely lucky before for i had the pathfinder i had a 93 gmc truck and when we would work on that my dad would call it jap crap (cause none of the bolts were the same size or stupid stuff like that) well i actually get a Japanese vehicle and its super easy to work on so where would i go to get the compression checked? Cool, that is really good news! You shouldn't have needed to adjust the dizzy though, how much did you move it? Mechanic, or just buy/borrow a gauge. A compression gauge might be cheaper than a mechanic though, price one locally. It is easy, just pull the plugs, install gauge and crank the motor. Match that up to the values in the FSm and it will tel you a lot, and maybe what to do next. wish i new this haha would of saved me some worry Sorry, but I thought it was said. I've seen a lot of TB threads, and more people have gotten lucky than I would have thought, but I still wouldn't call it good odds at all. Then there are the people who mangled their top end by idling in a parking lot or waiting until the next weekend to change the TB, and it snapping before then. You just can't tell, but I'm not a gambling man. Well if it is running well I would probably not bother with the compression check unless it feels like it has no power or something. Maybe take it for a drive and see if it still has the same power? As for the rough running it was probably all the fuel in the cylinders when you tried to start it before. Happend to my brothers VW when it wouldn't fire in the cold, missed for a minute because it was partially flooded. Go buy a lottery ticket! Definitely do a drive test, checking power, RPM performance, engine heat, etc. If it was the same or better than before, I would still compression check it to see if there is a bad cylinder. It might tell you that you have an engine than will run for a little while, so better start looking. If it was mine, I would. X2 on the flooded and lottery ticket. B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Good news! I'm glad to hear things are running. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 (edited) Cool, that is really good news! You shouldn't have needed to adjust the dizzy though, how much did you move it? i didnt move it at all the shop that i was talking to before i did it said if i was off a tooth or half a tooth the distributor would adjust its self so when it smoothed out i figured it was that Edited February 10, 2014 by thorpe991 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 B if you want to take this down your welcome to thanks for the help guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 i didnt move it at all the shop that i was talking to before i did it said if i was off a tooth or half a tooth the distributor would adjust its self so when it smoothed out i figured it was that Ok, got it. I'd question that shop though, because you can't be 1/2 a tooth off... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorpe991 Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 ok so today it got down to -15 with the wind bringing it down to about -25 -30 ish and i went to start the pathfinder and didnt get anything but cranking of the starter and the motor anybody have any idea whats going on yesterday and Monday it started fine ran great and but those days it was any wheres between -5 to +10 when i went to start it before my belt broke the coldest it was out and i started it was -10 and it kinda hesitated to start then so i had the timing checked with a timing light and it was dead on i have not had the compression checked yet what should i start checking when i get home from work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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