Well, secondary timing tensioners have started making noise and have to perform the TSB work on it.

NTB09-128a


Where does one find that ring gear tool J-48761. Or has anyone found a reliable method to keep everything from moving around without the tool?

Thank you for any insight / help.

EDIT: I'm just preparing my mindset for the work right now.

It seems there are two areas of concern, and the need for this tool

Harmonic Pulley
I'm a bit concerned on the removal of the main harmonic pulley. I wonder if anyone has ever had too much trouble ever removing this pulley, and how to secure from moving while setting it in place at TDC? Can the fly wheel be secured enough with a suitable tool inside the bell housing access point near the oil pan.


Sprocket bolts:
It seems that a long handle nylon strap wrench can be used to secure the VVT sprockets (to hold them in place) while using an impact to loosen bolts, while all the chains are in place. Seems a reasonable resolve instead of removing the valve covers, etc. "Lisle" even states explicitly that this can be used for timing chain sprockets.

This would seem to bypass the need for the special tool (albeit the work would have to be carried out logically and carefully) being cognizant of anything moving.

I would think that as long are the main chains, sprockets and bolts are left in their place, this seems doable, as nothing would skip.

Zip ties have always been my best friends when doing timing chains on any vehicle. Strung around both sides of the chains and pulled tight, nothing can move or jump. Plus it pulls everything out of the way for working with the tensioners. The one thing you positively need to remember is pulling the fuel pump fuse and letting the engine crank until oil pressure builds up. On VQ's, there's probably a 50% chance of something jumping (usually the bank1 chain) if you simply let it fire with new tensioners installed.

PS - When you do want to buy a genuine Nissan special tool, here's the website:
https://www.nissantechmate.com/

Thank you so much for the fast feedback. This is awesome. I will look into the link.

Never thought of the zip ties. Brilliant.
Oil pressure building is another one that just would not pop into a head of a novice like me on a job like this!

I decided to purchase the tool.

Here is the updated link as they do not reference themselves as Nissantechmate any longer, but both web links function.

https://www.techmatetools.com/

Part # NI-48761

Oddly, I could not register an account - as both website links have a bug in it - in ordering anything to Ontario, Canada. (every US State and every other Canadian province was there)

I called them directly, ordered it. Very good service from them on this.

TooMuchControl wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 13, 2024 12:25 am

Oddly, I could not register an account - as both website links have a bug in it - in ordering anything to Ontario, Canada. (every US State and every other Canadian province was there)

Maybe they don't want Emperor Trudeau getting his hands on Nissan tools....

VStar650CL wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 13, 2024 6:36 am

Maybe they don't want Emperor Trudeau getting his hands on Nissan tools....

Hmmm, or come to think of it, maybe he already banned them....

LOL.

It's interesting. It's actually run by Snap-On Tools? This is what it gets billed through as...

That sounds entirely possible. For years Nissan had a relationship with Kent Moore for special tools of all sorts, but then KM got bought up by SPX and SPX got bought up by Bosch, and who knows who makes anything anymore. The only guys I know about who are still independent are Midtronics, they make battery and electrical testers for Nissan, GM, Toyota, and probably a lot I don't know about. Everything else in tool world is a guessing game these days.

=====================================
@VStar650CL thank you for the link!
====================================

For Canadian buyers
..the service from this website is incredible. Don't string me up if it doesn't turn out that way for everyone, but..

I ordered this tool, of all things, over the phone, this Monday morning.
It arrived by UPS (apparently by tracking and people at home) this morning, Wednesday.

I'm in shock, but it makes sense if this is a dealer avenue for special tools.
Well, for the price I paid, it should have arrived with gold plating and a red carpet. LOL.
Ultimately the cost is going to be worth it (peace of mind).

Membership has it's privileges (once again).

I just did my timing chain last week. It took me approximately 20 hours. My secondary tensioner shoes were wore all the way down and my main tensioner was broken. I got lucky. Now my truck is so quiet and runs smooth.

20 hours - what a marathon!
That is truly fortune smiling on you, on finding out the tensioner was faulty.

I'm scheduling it for this weekend after getting the remaining parts in from Nissan.

I wonder if you took any pictures of the innerds?

It's one of, if not the most interesting things, I'm wondering about when I will take mine apart. I've been fairly consistent with oil changes with and want to see what it looks like

While I have mine apart, I will be doing a performance check/compression test on the cylinders, just for giggles.

I will be taking off the VVT solenoids and cleaning them out as I have the gaskets.

I did not take pictures but mine had the golden color (I think because I'm colorblind) that you see in the youtube videos. The one thing that I thought was crazy was that I had some wear in the cover because the chain was bouncing around so much. Additionally, I took the PS Valve cover off so I could confirm that I was at Top Dead Center and it was still leaking because I didn't use enough gasket maker when I did them back in December. Two stones right? Just take your time and trust yourself. If you are mechanical at all, you'll be able to do this.

One tip I used that was super helpful. Take a piece of Cardboard and sketch the timing cover onto it. Use the manual to locate the bolts and draw circles on your sketch and number them to indicate which bolts go where. Then as you take the bolts off poke them through the cardboard in the correct location. That way you won't lose a bolt and you will know exactly where they go.

wbruner wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 29, 2024 9:56 am

One tip I used that was super helpful...

Brilliant! I could've used that when I took apart my dishwasher yesterday!

This is the process I used. Project is ongoing.

I did have one issue.
The bank 1 EXH sprocket sprang out of alignment when I touched it a little. Unexpected!
Second issue I had, that I as torqued the sprockets, I expected the chain tension to hold them - it didn't.

I had to basically put everything together, release all the tensioner pins, then back off the bank 1 sprockets just enough to engage the main tensioner a bit, which allowed the main tensioner to pop out a bit more.. Basically, in the manner that I took them off. My mistake.

Then I used tie wraps around the crankshaft chain area, and hold everything together.

I have let the RTV cure overnight and hope to fill everything up later today or tomorrow.

The chains/tension makes me nervous on the first start. So I've pulled the ignition and fuel pump fuses and will crank it over that way, and hope and pray nothing jumps!

It's like a faith-based job.