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93 Nissan Pathfinder: Harmonic Balancer Pulley replacement


MrEviLDeD
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Hey everyone,

 

I have replaced the balancer pulley. I was sure to mark it and put it back in exactly the same position relative to the keyway. However a few places I have read talk about there being rubber used or something to bind the pulley to the balancer.

 

My question is this. Do I need that rubber? Will the balancer be off now because I do not have it?

 

The only other question would be what the torque specification would be for the 6 pulley bolts that connect to the harmonic balancer. I am unable to find that spec in the FSM.

 

 

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The rubber is part of the balancer, and it's internal. No additional rubber is necessary. I don't see a torque spec in the manual either, but the diagram for the four-banger says 7-9 lb/ft for what looks to be the same application. They're pretty small fasteners IIRC so I wouldn't be surprised if that was right. I'm sure I just went to German-spec on mine.

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Ok I am going to put this here instead of starting another thread.

 

Ok the lower timing belt cover is back on. the harmonic balancer is on. However I am having a bit of a problem.

 

I know without any doubt that when I switched out the balancer pulley I put them back on exactly the way they came of including matching the keyway. So very little chance that I did it wrong. Ironically when I went out today guess the engine stopped close to tdc on cylinder 1 as the lines actually lined back up.. Checked four more times 40 teeth between cam sprocket dimples and 43 teeth between drivers side cam and the crank gear dimple.. So seems that I have it as correct as I could get..

 

With that said when I pulled out the timing light the lines are WAY off. I was able to turn the distributor counter clock wise and got the timing mark on the balancer to line up with the 3rd mark from the right hand side.. so I guess that would be the 5th line from the left going clockwise. the engine seems to be idling and revving up nice however it bothers me that I cannot adjust the timing any further back to get to 0 tdc. I know the engine should be 15 degrees (is it 18?) btdc.. so am I close?

 

I do not want to go any further putting things back together in case I have to redo it all again.

 

Please any immediate help on this would be appreciated. Like shouldnt I be able toget the timing marks to line up at 0 degrees tdc? like why can I not move the distributor enough to bring it back. it will go way over but will not retard(is that the correct term) back to 0 tdc... I am so confused right now.

 

 

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Here is a picture of the timing marks and the keyway. If anyone can tell if I have it correct that would be great.

 

harmonicbalancer_001.png

 

The red arrow is furthest to the left I can get the timing to change rotating the distributor. Clearly I have done something wrong.

Edited by MrEviLDeD
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The pulley looks correct to me. If you had it on wrong, your timing would be out by 60°, and I don't think it would run like that.

Sounds to me like the distributor is a tooth out in relation to the cam shaft (again, possibly the last guy compensating for setting it up wrong). Remove the distributor cap, remove the hold-down for the dizzy, note which direction you were turning the dizzy when it ran out of adjustment, pull the dizzy up until the gears aren't meshed anymore (the rotor will turn as you pull because the gears are helical), then turn the rotor one tooth in the other direction. Then button it up and try to set the timing again.

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List could I have done the timing on the exhaust stoke opposed to the compression? I am at a complete loss. All the information is for the vg33 and clearly that application for the most part does not apply. the #1 plug etc is located in a different location than the vg30 and the balancer is different so the marks do not apply.

 

I apologize for the barrage of questions.

 

 

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Sounds like the dizzy is off a tooth. I had an issue where the top part of the shaft of the dizzy could rotate while installed in the truck, basically you could force the rotor to turn (with the screw in) and it would change the timing. Took me a while to figure that out. If you put the distributor such that the bolt holding it down is in the middle of the slotted hole, that should put you almost at 15 degrees. A couple degrees in either direction and it will run fine.

 

When you install it, if you put it in while the engine is at TDC, the rotor should be pointing at the # 1 cylinder plug wire port on the cap.

Edited by adamzan
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When it was in the center of the holddown slot it was way off in terms of the marks. It was at least 1" to 1.5" past the last timing mark. I had not loosened the dizzy at all until after the belt was back on. I only turned it because it was way off. I am thinking that it is off a tooth as well. Just a little nervous about pulling it up, and turning it :)

 

I had typed a big reply in a post-edit.. it timed out and I lost it all.. lol

 

Slartibartfast

Just to make sure I understood what you suggested. I remove the hold down, pull up the dizzy until it frees from the gear then turn it clockwise one tooth?

 

 

adamzan

That was the third marker in which I determined TDC. I guess that is why I have been so concerned with doing it wrong. Counts are right though. cannot check any more times 40 teeth between cam dimples, 43 teeth between drivers size cam and the crank gear dimples. I used a length of coat hanger to make sure the cylinder was at its highest point in the stroke. Along with making sure the rotor was pointing at the #1 plug.

 

My goal would be and is to get the dizzy back to the middle of the holddown slot and the timing be at 15 btdc which should be the 5th timing mark right?

 

I will do as you both suggested first thing tomorrow so trying ask as much as I can now as most folks are working during the day and the responses do not come in until long after it gets too dark to work :) Not complaining just how it is. So defending my incessant need to a million questions. Sometimes more than once.

 

So turning the dizzy the one tooth in the opposite direction I was turning the dizzy should put me back in place to be able to properly adjust the timing? I am taking for granted that the dizzy should turn enough to cover the first timing mark through to the last timing mark as a range, Would that be also a fair assumption?

 

 

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Yeah, just lift the dizzy and turn the rotor a little, set it back down, and keep turning it until the gears slide back together. And be glad it's not the kind of motor where you'd have an oil pump drive to turn with a screwdriver before the dizzy will slot in again. There's not much to screw up. Worst case, just put it back to TDC and line it up like Adam said. Keep in mind that it may not be pointed dead nuts on to #1 once it's adjusted properly--mine wasn't, anyway.

 

I wouldn't be too fussed about whether you can adjust clear down to 0° or whether the dizzy is right in the middle of its adjustment range so long as you can lock it down at 15°. Each tick mark is 5°, so the mark in the middle is 15°. At least, I think it is, look it up in EF&EC if you want to be sure.

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Some engines have 5 mark pulleys, some have 7. Mine has 7 with some of the marks having factory paint on them. As long as you get it within a few degrees it should be fine. It's probably too cold for it to pre detonate where he is anyway, lol.

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7 marks here as well. I wasnt able to get it all done today. Had a pita of a time with the thermostat. Of course took me a few times to realize there were marking on the hosing and the thermostat cover....

 

Tomorrow I will get water in her and start messing with the rotor/dizzy.

 

Thanks again guys for the help and support.

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Some engines have 5 mark pulleys, some have 7. Mine has 7 with some of the marks having factory paint on them. As long as you get it within a few degrees it should be fine. It's probably too cold for it to pre detonate where he is anyway, lol.

 

Interesting--I didn't know that. Nice of Nissan to keep things simple.

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