Another one of those interesting dealer mistakes that have been sadly common over the years and given owners less and less faith in main dealer workshops.

 

The zed in question is from Norway and has been to us previously ( last year ) that previous visit was prompted by the Nissan dealer who after changing the cambelt been unable to set the timing correctly?

 

In fact following the belt change the owner had tried several garages in both Norway and Germany to resolve the errant timing problem that was causing poor performance and using excessive fuel.

 

An Internet search brought him to us and we quickly identified a faulty cas unit that was retarding on acceleration and wandering on tickover, a £50 repair that cost him £1k in travel and air flights!!

 

Ok so sorted and happy again for 12 months, moving on its back with us via a container this time as the owner is too busy to drive it over, having a general service and again a performance problem, very , very lumpy and overfueling, locally again his garages unable to find the problem.

 

Ok no real biggy but easy to miss if the cambelt been changed by a dealer the previous year is considered a done deal.

 

The first photo below reveals the problem, the cambelt timing on the inlet cam on the left is 3 teeth out, the belt a nice expensive Greedy one had been fitted with a new belt tensioner, but the tensioner base set position was incorrect meaning the adjuster had over the year become completely extended and unable to keep a good tension on the belt and had allowed the inlet timing to slip, the second photo shows the tensioner fully extended, the belt could be pulled off with out much force??? LUCKY !!

 

I know its seems like a pain but is well worth checking belt timing when odd engine issues occur that seem difficult to resolve with the normal checks and setting up, don't assume its correct because its been changed especially by a dealer:x:

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 200916 yr by JeffTT

wow, lucky guy

How bad is that, dealers just dont train the guys for older cars i suppose.

Now thats a lucky guy! there could have been some serious damage done.

 

 

Yet again some quality advice from a proffesional, thanks Jeff.

yeah lack of knowlege from nissan garages is really said...

perhaps you can enlighten me on a point jeff as I understand the cam belt marks are more important than the ref point on the backing plate as they are for ref only or have I got that wrong and p***ing in the wind and getting me feet wet

Bloody hell. Surly nissan should pay up for that :(

perhaps you can enlighten me on a point jeff as I understand the cam belt marks are more important than the ref point on the backing plate as they are for ref only or have I got that wrong and p***ing in the wind and getting me feet wet

 

Yes your correct in your understanding that the relative positioning between the cambelt marks and the sprocket marks are essential and the backing plate simply a guide. But in the case highlighted above the left hand camshaft is so far out there is no question it been a slight variance with the backing plate markings the belt marking is over an inch shy of the set marks so easy to see.

 

Good point though, and happy to clear it up for you.

 

Jeff

How bad is that, dealers just dont train the guys for older cars i suppose.

 

I know Damo; you're certainly right there.....

 

.....which is why I made sure that Jeff changed my Z's cambelt!

 

Helpful as always Jeff:bow:

 

Richard:cool:

C'mon boyo, give us an idea of how many cambelts you've done now :D

or make us guess for a wee prize :dance:

smithy

C'mon boyo, give us an idea of how many cambelts you've done now :D

or make us guess for a wee prize :dance:

smithy

 

Ohh... let me see.......will have a quick tot up and post tomorrow:D with photo`s

 

Jeff TT

I feel sick! How can people do that???

Wow three teeth out! That must be almost on the verge of valve to piston contact Jeff

My question is . how come a nissan dealer was fitting a Greedy belt?

And not a gen nissan belt?

This does not make sense to me.

More to this than meets the eye i think.

 

Most dealers train there tech's to the current vehicle range based on the latest specs etc.

So it can be very difficult to find a dealer who would have a tech old enough to have been trained on the z32.as the training sced for this model was 1989 to 1991 in the uk.

And the vg30 engine was part of the basic cambelt stage of training at that time.

So some tech's would only change one of these belts maybe only once in there lifetime.

Good spot, you know its a poor do and that there are so few people who can work on these cars when youve got customers coming from norway! I must admit, when I defect back from german reliablilty (its so tedius!) and have another one i know where it'll be going for work!

 

Its a real issue i've had in the past, lack of knowledge. I called one nissan dealer up to get a price for some parts when i was converting mine to manual, it was only the leather gaitor for the gearstick but the conversation went somethnig like this

 

Hi XXX Nisan Bob Speaking (lets call him bob for want of a better name)

 

Hi I was wondernig if you could do me a price on a leather gaitor for a 300zx.

 

Errrr, are you sure thats a nissan mate, or do you mean 350z?

 

Yes Im sure its a 300zx, it was your flagship sports car from 1990 to 1994.

 

Oh right, never heard or seen one before....

 

 

 

Honest it was like banging rocks together!

Good spot, you know its a poor do and that there are so few people who can work on these cars when youve got customers coming from norway! I must admit, when I defect back from german reliablilty (its so tedius!) and have another one i know where it'll be going for work!

 

Its a real issue i've had in the past, lack of knowledge. I called one nissan dealer up to get a price for some parts when i was converting mine to manual, it was only the leather gaitor for the gearstick but the conversation went somethnig like this

 

Hi XXX Nisan Bob Speaking (lets call him bob for want of a better name)

 

Hi I was wondernig if you could do me a price on a leather gaitor for a 300zx.

 

Errrr, are you sure thats a nissan mate, or do you mean 350z?

 

Yes Im sure its a 300zx, it was your flagship sports car from 1990 to 1994.

 

Oh right, never heard or seen one before....

 

 

 

Honest it was like banging rocks together!

 

yeah tell me about it, went over nissan in Kettering yesterday to get my Pilot bushing (service manual name) and came away with a spigot bearing (dealer name? but still the same part) noticed they had a brand spanking new 370Z just arrived (was that new it still had the protective sheets of plastic draped all over the exterior and interior of it, the sales man looked at me and said "yes its a prestigious sports car that is" i replied "i know, i own one of your older prestigious cars" he said "really? what one?" I told him it was a 300zx and he looked at me as if he hadn't the foggiest idea what i was on about.

 

Lol

 

i have to say though the 370z has to be seen in the flesh to be appreciated, i didn't like it from the pictures i have seen, but up close and personal its a definite stunner.

 

PS, it was the GT ultimate as well, with the Nismo wheels, typical i forgot my camera

My question is . how come a nissan dealer was fitting a Greedy belt?

And not a gen nissan belt?

This does not make sense to me.

More to this than meets the eye.

 

No nothing sinsister just the customer supplied the belt as he had fallen for the "after market" hype that lots of these companies blab on about in their adverts, personally having seen how hard a life a standard Nissan belt can cope with why you need one that cost three times as much is beyond me.

 

Jeff TT

C'mon boyo, give us an idea of how many cambelts you've done now :D

or make us guess for a wee prize :dance:

smithy

 

Here you go....

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=1316085&posted=1#post1316085

 

 

Jeff TT

Im worried now because im sure my greddy belt on my new build doesnt line up with atleast 1 marker :(

Im worried now because im sure my greddy belt on my new build doesnt line up with atleast 1 marker :(

 

Mmm....:x:

 

Jeff TT

Jeff matey, you are one 300zx genius!!!!!!

 

God bless you matey!!

 

Al.

hi jeff , looking to set the cas timing can you help

 

:confused1:

Dumb question - but how many times did you have to turn the crank to get the marks to line up Jeff? Or have I missed something '-)

hi jeff , looking to set the cas timing can you help

 

:confused1:

 

Once you have done a basic static set up you will need a timing light to get it bang on.

 

Jeff TT

Dumb question - but how many times did you have to turn the crank to get the marks to line up Jeff? Or have I missed something '-)

 

The crank and cam sprocket markings should line up every two full turns of the engine, the belt markings however will be about 10 thousand turns!!! :laugh: no seriously I have no idea how many actual turns you would never want to turn the engine by hand that many times.

 

When fitting a new belt both the belt, sprockets, and crank are all lined up, once turned you use the sprocket markings and crank as reference not the belt marking.

 

Hope that makes sense, if not will post some pics to explain.

 

Cheers

 

Jeff TT