[creationracing]

Hi folks,

Just a few queries on a few bits for my 2.0i Petrol T30. Any answers would be greatly appreciated! :bow:

1. Alternator belt - My cars hellishly squeaky from cold, hoping its just the alternator belt and not a cold lubrication problem! Noise doesnt go away when you tap the throttle or anything, and doesnt sound like anythings slipping, it's just a really loud squeak thats constant with engine speed. Anyone offer an explaination as to what else it could be, other than the alt belt? Otherwise, as I cant see an auto-tensioner on the engine I guess its just change the belt and tighten/slacken using the alternator?

2. Tappets - Something sounding rattly under the rocker cover, now being an old school tinkerer I'd say set the tappets. Is this a possiblity on the 2.0 petrol engine, i.e. does it have mechanical tappets that you can adjust with feeler gauges etc or are they hydraulic and non user servicable? Anything else under there that could sound like loose tappets?

3. Phantom whirry noise. This has had me scratching my head. After you turn the engine off something continues to spin in the area of the engine for a second or two. The only thing I can liken it to is a turbo spooling down. Almost sounds like its coming from the inlet manifold area. I'm not worried about this, its just annoying not knowing what it is! Any suggestions?

4. Diff/gear/transfer oil. I'm looking at doing a complete change on all of these, however I dont know what quantities to buy. The owners manual just says "top up to correct level" but doesnt say how much you actually need for a complete change. Can anyone advise? And are there any special tools needed to drain/refill the fluids or is it as simple as the engine oil?

5. Oil filter. Just changed the oil and filter using a Mann filter from an Autosave branch - is this ok or should I have used a Nissan part? The Mann filter does have the little non-return valve as the Fram item I removed.

6. Battery disconnect. One of the exhaust mounts is snapped and needs a wee weld. As I only have a MIG (electric) welder I'll need to disconnect the battery - am I going to upset anything in the ECU doing this? Or am I going to lock myself out of the stereo or anything?

Thanks for reading folks and cheers in advance for any answers! :thumbs:

 

[creationracing]

Bump! Anyone? No answers to any of the above?

 

[creationracing]

Ok... Fat lot of use you lot are! :boxing:

Not that it matters any more, as the engine has just shat the bed.

So, changing the subject matter, any tips on swapping out a QR20 engine? And is the Primera the only other car I'm likely to find one in?

Please, now... a reply or two!!!! :thumbs:

 

[Umbongo]

Sorry to here your bad news, I don't have any info or tips for a refit but if you have a look at the following link it has the other vehicle variants that the QR20DE engine fits. What has happened to your XT engine?....................
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NISSAN-QR20DE-2-0 ... 3a5c867128

 

[creationracing]

Not entirely sure yet. Noticed the other day its felt like it was starting on 3 cylinders before clearing, and saw a bit of a puff of white smoke. Drove it for 5 miles to the pub, had lunch an restarted it after about an hour when loads more smoke came out and again on 3 cyls. Checked the oil an coolant, and there's no coolant and the dipstick and oil filler are full of mayonnaisse. So I let it cool down, refill with oil and water and drive it to my folks house.

2 days later, I book it into the local garage for testing, thinking its done a head gasket. From cold, it starts on 4 cylinders just fine with minimal smoke and its drives there with no probs. Mechanic does the co2 test on the cooland and its clear, and he says he cant find a prob with it, having let it get up to temperature. So I go down to collect and turn it off, and have a 5 minute blether with someone, then start it up and its running on 3 and even more clouds of acrid smoke than before. Mechanic comes over and says its oil smoke, which aint a head gasket! Not much I can do except drive it the 1.5 miles home, and by the time I get there its burned off all the oil to the bottom of the dipstick and possibly further.

Mechanic thinks its cracked either the block or head, or possibly scored a bore really badly. I've got £500 worth of dealer warranty cover to spend, so I'm going to pull the head off for a look. Fingers crossed a recon head will sort it as all the QR20 engines I can find are upwards of £1200!

Thanks for the info Umbongo, much appreciated. Will keep you guys updated on what I find in the engine. You may have a photo guide as to how to replace a QR20 engine shortly, but lets hope not!

 

[Umbongo]

It may be a ring that's gone and that is why the oil is pushing past the piston, did they do a compression test on on it?

 

[creationracing]

Nope, but I've got a compression tester so I'll give it a hurl.

Starting to wonder if I've had the butterfly valve screw problem that seems to affect the petrol engines. If you're not aware, there is a secondary butterfly valve in the inlet tract which is held in by 2 screws. These have been known to come loose and get sucked into the engine causing all sorts of damage.

Have the car parked at my folks house, will pop out to day and try to remember where I put the compression tester! :roll:

 

[creationracing]

Well I've pulled the plugs, looks like 1 and 4 are both oily.... the plot thickens. Note all 4 are wet as I had to use some lubricating oil to get them out.

Couldnt get the tested to connect due to the depth of the head - will need the rocker cover off.

 

[Vandy]

Think Umbongo could be right - as 2 are duff it's likely to be piston rings isn't it?

 

[creationracing]

Well I've been wondering...

It looks like the heads been off before, as the engine has been reassembled with grey sealer paste. Even the sump's been off. I'm thinking its been apart for whatever reason and perhaps the head's been refitted using the original bolts which are stretch bolts and should be replaced. Over time the head has become loose and hence the gasket is leaking into the oil and water jackets and the bore on cylinders 1 and 4, at the end of the block where the anchorage the head has will be less...

Probably overthinking!

 

[Vandy]

If the bolts had worked loose could that not have warped the head? The compresion test needs to be done.

 

[Vandy]

Been thinking about your problem. It's either the head gasket, piston rings or valve seals - surely has to be one of these.

 

[creationracing]

Hi folks,

After some arsing around I've finally got the engine in bits for inspection.

A few photos...

Plugs 1-4, left to right. 1 & 4 looking oily, 2 and 3 not so bad.

Cam cover off - the eagle eyed and QR20-familair may be able to spot that exhaust camshaft bracket "D" is actually fitted upside down, so its only mating to half of the cam journal!

Nice improvisation of stuff, in the absence of a crank pulley holder!

Pistons 1 - 3 look moderately coked, 4 is covered with oil!

Exhaust ports 1 & 4 look like a BP seaside trip.

Head chambers 1 and 4 again look oily.

Never really liked jigsaws as a kid.... :roll:

Anyway, without going into too detailed an inspection there's not much obviously wrong. Cant see any cracks in the head or block with the naked eye, head gaskets in good shape, no scored bores or anything. So it's out with the vernier caliper and feeler gauges next to see if anythings warped or otherwise goosed! owever with the amount of missing, incorrect or cross threaded bolts on this engine its been taken apart and reassembled by someone with less than brilliant mechanical skill and sympathy!

So, prime suspects are:

Warped head
Stem seals (although this wouldnt explain the milky oil)
Rings (although there's no crankcase pressure)

Any other suggestions?

 

[Vandy]

Warped head - got to be! If some of the bolts have incorrectly fitted, cross threaded, etc., then chances are they weren't torqued evenly and probably not even to correct torque anyway. Sounds as if a monkey has been tinkering with your engine at some point so better check he hasn't left one of his nuts in there somewhere :lol:

Admire your patience - I would have made it into a coffee table by now if it had been me. Good luck and hope you find the problem. :thumbs:

 

[Umbongo]

Hi folks,

After some arsing around I've finally got the engine in bits for inspection.

Never really liked jigsaws as a kid.... :roll:

Anyway, without going into too detailed an inspection there's not much obviously wrong. Cant see any cracks in the head or block with the naked eye, head gaskets in good shape, no scored bores or anything. So it's out with the vernier caliper and feeler gauges next to see if anythings warped or otherwise goosed! owever with the amount of missing, incorrect or cross threaded bolts on this engine its been taken apart and reassembled by someone with less than brilliant mechanical skill and sympathy!

So, prime suspects are:

Warped head
Stem seals (although this wouldnt explain the milky oil)
Rings (although there's no crankcase pressure)

Any other suggestions?

If you suspect the head wasn't down then the head will need to be skimmed also check your scraper rings as it looks like oil is pushing past and not returning back sump.
View attachment Piston and Piston Rings.pdf
Note: If you have difficulty viewing pdfs online, download and install the most current version of Acrobat Reader. Free Download available at http://www.adobe.com.
Head Kit here on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

 

[creationracing]

Hi Umbongo/Vandy,

I've measured the head as per the nissan service manual and it actually does not seem to be warped... weird. My money would have to go on an invisible crack in the block or head that opens up when hot. To be honest I've not got too much confidence in this lump at all so it's going to get flung back together and used as an exchange unit on a reconditioned lump, there's a company doing them on eBay for £795 + £50 delivery. I've got £500 of dealer warranty so unfortunately I'll be shelling out £350 from my own pocket, but I'd rather pay that and have peace of kind than be driving about waiting for the thing to s..t itself again!

Plus, remember in my original post Imentioned a squeakly noise that didnt sound like a belt? Well that would be the incorrectly fitted camshaft bracket - its scored the cam journal.

But in conclusion, the QR20 lump is pretty decent to work on even with it in the car. Trickiest part of the strip was removing the sump, covers etc whch had been fitted with liquid gasket without using a pukka seal cutter. And at least we all know now what the guts of one of these engines looks like!

Cheers folks, will keep this thread updated with how removing the bottom end and refitting the new engine goes :thumbs:

PS The bore dimensions do indeed suggest that a fooked block could be used as a small wine rack if not a coffee table as suggested! ha ha!

 

[Umbongo]

That sounds a better idea to do an exchange as you could just keep throwing money at it and still end up with the same problem, a few years back the father-in-law had a fine crack in his Rover block and that was only found by x-raying the block. Hope your back on the road again soon keep your pecker up :thumbs:

 

[Vandy]

Yep - exchange the best route as you could be chasing problems for months and you'll never be happy "just in case" it starts playing up later.

 

[Umbongo]

Reminder

Left click mouse to open jpeg file

 

[creationracing]

Hi again folks,

No major update I'm afraid. Stuck getting the old lump out of the car.

Does anyone know if its possible to seperate the engine and box while still in the car and remove the engine out the top? I can get abut an inch of seperation between the engine flange and bellhousing but from there I think the transfer box gets in the way.

Anyone offer any advice?

Thanks, as always

Roy K.