foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Hi all, new here and it feels like it has taken me forever to put up 15 post. The search tab works well on here. I am coming into the land of Maxima's from a BMW. Just got a 99 gxe 5 speed for dirt cheep.

I am going to be replacing my rear valve cover this weekend. The smack that owned it be for me has broke off a bolt for each one of the coil packs. Loses coils don't work well. What else should I do as long as I have to take the UIM and related parts off. Car has 83k on it.

Stormzusmc

iTrader: (17)

injectors, and plugs

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Injectors, Just pull clean (have a sonic cleaner and hook ups to open and close injectors) and new "O" rings or are you saying to replace?

maxed_out_99

headers, egr tube cleaning, tb cleaning, and uim and lim cleaning

cefiro8701

iTrader: (7)

00vi. Search the forum for what it is and what it entails.

if not 00vi then...

clean your intake manifold, throttle body. front valve cover gasket. Plugs, fuel filter.

also clean your EGR.

maxed_out_99

yeah thats pretty much what i was saying except i forgot you were a noobie thanks cefiro8701

cefiro8701

iTrader: (7)

at this point there's so much you can do without modding the car....(i'm gonna reiterate some stuff I said.) I'm making a list for you and me - I gotta do some of this ish too.

1. Replace Upper Intake manifold Gasket. (20.00??)
2. Replace front and rear valve cover gasket. (40.00)
3. Replace Throttle Body Gasket. (3.00 paper gasket maker)
4. Spark Plugs (NGK BKR5E-11 retails for around 3$ each. soo... (20.00)
5. Injectors (clean em- might be free)
6. clean EGR. (Free- use a screw driver and knock that crap outta there.)
7. Clean that disgusting upper intake manifold, you'll see what I mean. (free)
8. fuel filter.



all this stuff should be 120$>$$.

make sure you put RTV gasket maker on some of the gaskets you're using and label which hose goes where or you're gonna run into issues.

i might add an oil change and air filter change if you have extra time.

sergofast

iTrader: (22)

goldmax

Keep us posted on how long it took...I really need to do this to mine and have been putting it off.

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Ordering parts now. Oil change was just done. Air filter looks good but when shot going to get a K&N.
I like the intake mod you posted but for now I want to get all that is wrong with the car done be for I start to mod it. I have this gut felling that it was not maintained well and someone who did not know what they where doing has had there hands under the hood. ie. snapping off the coil bolts.

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Took me an hour to pull the valve cover off in the junk yard. I would say an 1 1/2 on a car i want to put back together. Other work have a beer look at the new ride a bit. ***** about it being a front drive V-6 as I crack my hand(again) trying to get the dam rear intake support bolts out . 4 hours top's, but I do have air tool a warm shop and year's of working on cars under my belt. Will post real time and all I did when done.

maximized98

iTrader: (16)

It should not take more than 45 -60 minutes to do this. I take that back, if you are new to working on cars, I would say 2 hours. I would suggest getting a new crankcase hose, the one that goes from the front to rear valve cover. It may even break while you are trying to take it off.

goldmax

Looks a lot more involved than 45-60 minutes for me. Are there any trick you guys use, or is it pretty much straight by the book the way you do it?

Trini Boom

iTrader: (5)

I usually spend all day doing the entire top half because I purchase scuffing pads, rubbing alcohol, TB cleaner, and NGK Iridium spark plugs. I scuff both surfaces and wipe clean with rubbing alcohol and the new OEM gasket, I spray with TB cleaner to remove all traces of oil and even the valve cover gets sprayed. Two years past and not a single trace of oil from hard driving..

maximized98

iTrader: (16)

The bolts in the back of the Upper Intake may give you a little trouble. I believe there are 2 plus 2 more that holds the egr guide tube to the manifold. There is a coolant hose that is on the right lower part of the manifold that might be a pain. I had to cut mine off and just replace it with a new one. Other than that, should be straight forward. For peace of mind, I would go ahead and change out the injectors so you won't have to take the manifold off again in the future.

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Buy new or clean as the pro's do. I have the stuff to do a true cleaning as this was a real BMW thing

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Well i am going to toss out the time it takes me to do this. If I was the first person to have there hands under the hood of this car I would say 2 to 3 hours pending on how deep you get into cleaning.
My car,If I ever see the guy that sold me this thing I am going to kick him in his sack. Missing bolts striped bolts, and passages that they go into. Cut taped wires that needed to be soldier (sp?). Wrong bolts in the intake, general hardware stock not the ones that should be there. IACV I think is messed up to, rubber behind the cap looks like it has sat in paint stripper for a week. I have hours into fixing the old owners friged up work. But when I am done I will know the top end of this dam thing too well

maxed_out_99

negative,
my profession is "working on cars" it took me 4 hours to do this job.
i also meticulously cleaned every tiny crevasse and ally in the whole upper half of the engine.
UIM, LIM, TB, EGR. you name it and it was cleaned.
after all was said and done it ran absolutely beautiful and performed better than when i first bought it
if you take your time and do it right you will reap better rewards

4 hrs for an experienced technician

tigersharkdude

iTrader: (20)

maybe 4 hours with cleaning everything BUT it def. didnt take a "professional" 4 hours to do the job. Ive had a few shops give me a quote on front and rear valve cover replacement. Everytime I get a quote 2 hours of labor

Trini Boom

iTrader: (5)

That's because these guys don't clean no mating surfaces or nothing...that's why I like to do those myself and leave the difficult stuff like rear timing cover o-rings to them.

maximized98

iTrader: (16)

You can take your time but it does not take 4 hours to change out the rear valve cover gasket. It doesn't take but a few minutes to clean the IACV and the TB, and to scrape and clean the UIM and valve cover in order to put new gaskets on. I'm no mechanic at all, but I do all my own work.

goldmax

I've never had the intake off, so I'd definitely want to clean everything out. How many cans of cleaner do you end up using...maybe 3 or 4?

Also...do you have to drain all the antifreeze, or will just draining the radiator be enough?

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

I did not have to drain a drop of antifreeze. I went though 3 cans

maxed_out_99

i did it at work so i just used the parts washer. did i mention i did both valve covers? i also had alot of time due to bull****in with the other techs but that was only about 10 minutes and i had to wait for a part. i figured since the egr tube gasket had 213k on it i should replace it and it had to come from mars or some thing i guess. but i just started the front VC gasket

i didnt drain any coolant at all i did the job when my engine was cold no coolant really came out of the lines i disconnected but i still bleed the system for air and topped it off

wirelessdude04

iTrader: (24)

I did mine recently. Polished my intake manifold. Wasn't a ***** really. Just got alot of brake cleaner to clean everything up and out. Car runs alot better now. Took all my EGR **** out. No need for that

goldmax

Thanks all. Sounds like it's definitely something that can be handled with enough time and the right parts.

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

Let me know where you get your car inspected. They will have a new costumer if they will pass that here in PA

talisman311

knock sensor, ESPECIALLY if you have a '99 cali-spec.. trust me, I know

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

What are you talking about?

maxed_out_99

ive been thinking about why you would ask this, so heres your educated answer... the intake manifolds on a nissan are NOT like a small block chevy, the manifolds DO NOT have water jackets therefore there is no need to drain any coolant.

the throttle body is however water cooled, but if you dont reach operating temp and have an open thermostat no coolant will reach it anyways. and thats where the coolant will come from.

talisman311

Do a search, there's a million threads on it. Order one from ebay for about $25.

Product_Of_Korea

iTrader: (8)

IBICANDOA00VISWAPINLESSTHEN2HOURS

foamerdave

iTrader: (1)

sorry thought you your way off topic but now that I know where it is I get it

skim35

I also ended with 99 Maxima gxe after a drunk driver killed my 535i.
As others have pointed out, knock sensors are easy to get to after intake removal. They cheap from ebay and very easy to replace.

66slim

Should you replace injectors and plugs even if there are no problems or codes just to avoid going back into it later? I am a newbie to this, is it that much of a PITA just to access valve cover gaskets?

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

read through the thread, they are mentioning you can clean your injectors. but if you have JUST changed your spark plugs then there is no need to do them again obviously. but if you are within a few thousand miles of needing ot replace them, just do it, its so much easier to do it without all that crap in your way.

i have a question in relation to removal of the EGR system...is there a how to on this? i was planning on cleaning mine when i do my rear valve cover replacement, i was curious on this.

66slim

I just got the car so I do not know what has been done and what has not.I just know that there is an oil leak. So I was wondering if I should just go ahead and spend the extra if it was not showing signs of needing it.

96nismoSE

iTrader: (2)

haha same

phatboislim

iTrader: (27)

i believe injectors are pretty expensive as well. but OAN: i dont remember reading too many threads where there has been injector failure

edwardh1

clean the egr tube