Engine failure

[johnl56]

Driving home from Hobart this morning and 80K's in a construction zone and sudden massive drag and loss of power, then clattering and nothing dead. Starter turns but the motor just spins, like without the plugs in a petrol motor. Suspect timing chain failure, and the pistons and valves met in the middle and had a disagreement. I will pull the front off tomorrow and check a few things out. I have emailed YD25.com asking about a replacement? I will make sure I am sitting when I get the email. So a day started off badly for me, and I just bought a boat as well. Oh well shit happens. oh and 188K on the clock, oil changed every 10k, but just done an oil change 4K ago.

Thoughts on a process if the chains are fine.

Drop the front oil pan to see if anything is in there (metal)
Remove the head if no metal in the sump.
Or just bite the bullet. Open to advice

John

 

[johnl56]

Pulled the Timing Cover off and the bottom chain has let go. So going to pull the motor and then the head to see how much damage to the inner workings. I know that the pistons have connected with the valves, but I may be lucky and only need the heads and timings chain Kit from YD25. I got a quote from him yesterday. 6K plus shipping and sundries. The motor has to come out anyway. Fun times.

 

[johnl56]

I am in the process of replacing the engine. Would you recommend replacing the clutch whilst it is out of the car? And if so what clutch? Not a great deal of 4X4 driving, towing a boat is about as much as I go. The clutch felt fine but the spring inside was squeaking ( annoying). I have 3 weeks to wait one the motor is out and the parts sent off to YD25.com. I will have a look at the clutch once it is out of the engine, but would you recommend replacing anyway? And if so what brand, Xtreme Outback Sprung Organic Clutch Kit - KNI25016-1A. Exedy HD Clutch Kit suits Nissan Navara D22 ZD30 YD25 Diesel. I haven't had to do this since I pulled a motor from a HK Holden in 80. Looking for some recommendations anyway.

Regards

john

 

[BarneyB]

That sucks mate. The bloody timing chain gets another one!
(I hope Carlos Ghosn gets what he deserves one day)

I'm in Launceston.
If there's anything I can do to help gimme a shout.

I've only heard & read good things about YD25.com.au.
It's going to cost a fortune, but at least you'll get top shelf parts and solid advice.

Did the motor give you any clues earlier?
Was there any cold start rattle?

 

[johnl56]

Launnie as well. Sort of, Whitemore. No noise or anything on start up. it just gave up the ghost coming up the other side of Epping Forest. The noise it made I knew start away TERMINAL. I made the decision for the long motor, he said I might get away just the chains and a new head but!!!. All up I think around 9 with gaskets etc, but I am thinking about doing the clutch at the same time. Only 188k on the clock but for an extra 750 it might be worth it. I am pretty impressed with the YD25.com motors, balanced which is a good thing. And I get the motor before I send back mine. (exchange). He was good to talk to as well, explained what the process was.

And thanks for the offer, but I am taking my time, (retired) just a PIA as there is no room under the bonnet. And all the crap this has to be removed, not like the old 186 HK motor.

 

[Phunk]

I'm confused, isn't the bottom chain just for the pump and not the timing?

 

[johnl56]

It drives the Fuel pump and is single row but the fuel pump drives the cams gears which is double row. So it does drive the timing. That is why people change the setup to a double row so as to stop this sort of thing happening. My Advice is to spend a bit of money and get the gaskets to remove the upper and lower timing covers and check things out and if it has not been changed than change it. That will save you what I am going through atm. And I am doing the labor for the take out and in so saving quite a bit of money. All up I will be up for about $6Kplus sundries. Maybe the clutch and injectors as well, although the injectors are only had 180K on them as well as the clutch. Still deciding on those items So add an extra $1200 + Recoding.

 

[johnl56]

Motor is out. I have been crook since last week so it has just sat there. I bought an engine crane ( Supercheap Auto) and it could not raise the engine high enough to clear the body. So next door gaarbed their Fork and lifted it out for me. I was really struggling wondering why it would not come apart. 1 Bolt facing from the front above the Starter Motor. Mungrel thing. Anyway I also forgot to take out the crank position sensor from the transmission and yep busted it on the way out. So ordered one DENSO $70 bucks with postage. Now take all the crap off the motor send the Timing Cover and Fuel pump to YD25.com and wait about 3 weeks, then all in reverse. I have ordered a new clutch and Fuel injector gasket kit. I am going to reuse my old injectors as they were working fine. Clutch seemed to be fine as well. But hey it will be done now.

It really takes it out of me now, getting old I suppose. But it is still saving me a shit load of money (I think).

 

[BarneyB]

Nice work mate. It's a big job for sure.
Did you remove much of the front of the ute? Like the small sub-frames that support the radiator, bull bar, bumper etc...?
Having them out of the way might make the angle-of-attack better when re-inserting the donk...?

 

[johnl56]

No left all that in and I have a Nudge bar that got in the way. And yes it is a big job, also I am not as young as I was. I might take those things off but I have a fork Lift available so no real need atm. The manual doesn't say anything about that , and actually the manual doesn't tell you a lot, just basic steps of what to take off. So now just clean up some parts and send them off tomorrow or Wed. Then clean everything up inside the bay, Pressure washer other p[arts and wait.

 

[johnl56]

Ok Taken the Rocker cover off and both Cam Shafts are broken. Oh well, that's an extra $600 taken out of the exchange.

 

[Phunk]

Wow... cams take a bit of pressure to snap!

 

[BarneyB]

Farrk me.
No wonder you knew "that" sound

 

[johnl56]

Also the Oil pump was damaged, broke a cam support bracket as seen in the picture. So yeah it went out with a bang. Luckily I am getting a long motor as all that damage up top god knows what it is like in the cylinders. I couldn't get my bore scope in as the hole was just a tad too small.

 

[Phunk]

Also the Oil pump was damaged, broke a cam support bracket as seen in the picture. So yeah it went out with a bang. Luckily I am getting a long motor as all that damage up top god knows what it is like in the cylinders. I couldn't get my bore scope in as the hole was just a tad too small.

Where did you find a long motor? just a wrecker?

 

[johnl56]

No I am getting one from YD25.com.au

 

[Phunk]

No I am getting one from YD25.com.au

This is all making me very antsy about doing my timing chains.

It doesn't make any rattles or noises on startup, serviced every 10k, even has full Nissan service history up until a year ago and it's at 250k...

Even with all of this above, others still have issues with it snapping.

 

[johnl56]

$1400 for peace of mind. It is not a hard job. Mine never gave any indication of what was about to happen, no noise on startup nothing. Pure unlucky on my part I have been told by a Mechanic. A bloke at the local post office has one the same as me, he asked his mechanic about the chain replacement and was told no need. What happened to me has put the wind up him a bit now. In the end yours may be ok for another 500k, or it may snap when you in it next drive you just don't know. Bast thing is to take the timing cover off and check for stretching on the upper chain. Plenty of video's on the internet to show you what to look for.

 

[Phunk]

$1400 for peace of mind. It is not a hard job. Mine never gave any indication of what was about to happen, no noise on startup nothing. Pure unlucky on my part I have been told by a Mechanic. A bloke at the local post office has one the same as me, he asked his mechanic about the chain replacement and was told no need. What happened to me has put the wind up him a bit now. In the end yours may be ok for another 500k, or it may snap when you in it next drive you just don't know. Bast thing is to take the timing cover off and check for stretching on the upper chain. Plenty of video's on the internet to show you what to look for.

Yeah I've seen the videos on checking the clearance between the links.. from what I've seen doesn't look like too much work getting to the chain and sprockets either.

I'm thinking of just replacing it with another OEM chain set for now, especially if it gets me another 200k. You'd think they would have upped the quality of the chain by now

 

[johnl56]

About the hardest part of the whole job is getting the harmonic balancer off. The rest is pretty straight forward.