Oil leaks and timing chains . . . I am doing my fourth Sentra fixing these.
#1
10-17-2010 | 04:16 PM
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Oil leaks and timing chains . . . I am doing my fourth Sentra fixing these.
Well it's been over a year now since I picked up my fourth Sentra project car and parked it on my vehicle lift in the garage here at the house. I really need to get motivated again and pull that engine and trans and get it fixed up and running. Thought a visit here to chat with other Sentra / 200sx fans might be the incentive I need.
It all started when my son of 17 found a 1995 Sentra 200sx with 60K on it after his old Mazda GLC was hit in the side way back in 2001. We got it for him and I replaced the CV joints and he was off and running.
Other than a dripping radiator hose connection shorting out the alternator the car was virtually trouble free for about five years. Then he came home one weekend from college and I had to ask about the coat of oil across the entire back of the car. "Yea, I am having to put about a quart a week in it. " he said. I had bought his younger sister the same color, make, year and model ( with both their approvals first ) a few years earlier. Got it from California via eBay and had to do a lot of work before she turned 16. I thought I knew a lot about them at that point. She was now in college and not able to have her car on campus yet so I told him to drive hers and I would figure out his oil leak. Well, crawling around on the floor of the garage covered in dirt sand and oil while pulling the transmission prompted me to finally invest in a vehicle lift for the garage. Figured with the five oil leaks I found on his car and the clutch needing replacing doing the work myself would make the lift pay for it's self rather quickly. I was able to replace the clutch, both crankshaft oil seals, valve cover gasket, distributor oil seal, oil pressure sensor and reseal the oil pan. each time he came by in his sister's car he would say ,"Dad you need to look at her car too. It's doing this and that."
Got him back on the road and then took a look at hers. Yep, he was right. Same set of oil leaks plus the timing chains where making all sorts of noises. Put it on the lift and ended up removing the engine and trans and tearing it almost all the way down to replace the timing chains and sprockets and fixed all the same oil leaks. While at it I replaced the head gasket, water pump and both tensioners. That was a good learning experience. The week after I put it all back together she drove it from NC to NY and back for a long weekend with friends. I think she trusted my mechanical abilities more than I. LOL
Well, that was the spring and summer of 2007 when I bought the lift and did all that work on the cars and both kids are still driving these Sentra 200sx's. My Son moved to Texas and then Florida and is now back in Texas. He has learned to do some of the work himself. Had to replace the starter motor and the drivers side power window unit lately. He loves his car and is considering a newer car but wants to keep it as a second. he has about 200K on his.
My daughter is still in college with hers and I have kept it running for her. The mileage was not known on hers because the speed head 's odometer was not working when we bought the car off eBay. Then the year after that was replaced the speed sensor was worn out and she drove without the speedometer not working for who knows how long. ( Until the speeding ticket, LOL) I am guessing the car has over 250K on it now. It's been dinged and dented on every body panel now but she loves it. Says it gives it character! LOL
Since I had the empty lift and the experience with these B14 Sentras and the time with the kids in college I bought a rough 1996 200sx off eBay that was in Florida. Trailered it home and tinkered around with it for about a year off and on. Pulled out the engine and trans and did the same oil leak fixes etc. It needed front end body work so I looked on Craig's List and found a 4 door Sentra a few hundred miles away just for parts. Bought it and trailered it home to discover the body to be in too good of condition to scavenge the car just for part since the title, which I thought I would never get, actually came through.
So now I better stop riding my motorcycle so much and get busy since I have two to work on. The 96 200sx and the 97 Sentra. I better get busy huh? LOL
A few pics if you are interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9222512...7594347547443/
It all started when my son of 17 found a 1995 Sentra 200sx with 60K on it after his old Mazda GLC was hit in the side way back in 2001. We got it for him and I replaced the CV joints and he was off and running.
Other than a dripping radiator hose connection shorting out the alternator the car was virtually trouble free for about five years. Then he came home one weekend from college and I had to ask about the coat of oil across the entire back of the car. "Yea, I am having to put about a quart a week in it. " he said. I had bought his younger sister the same color, make, year and model ( with both their approvals first ) a few years earlier. Got it from California via eBay and had to do a lot of work before she turned 16. I thought I knew a lot about them at that point. She was now in college and not able to have her car on campus yet so I told him to drive hers and I would figure out his oil leak. Well, crawling around on the floor of the garage covered in dirt sand and oil while pulling the transmission prompted me to finally invest in a vehicle lift for the garage. Figured with the five oil leaks I found on his car and the clutch needing replacing doing the work myself would make the lift pay for it's self rather quickly. I was able to replace the clutch, both crankshaft oil seals, valve cover gasket, distributor oil seal, oil pressure sensor and reseal the oil pan. each time he came by in his sister's car he would say ,"Dad you need to look at her car too. It's doing this and that."
Got him back on the road and then took a look at hers. Yep, he was right. Same set of oil leaks plus the timing chains where making all sorts of noises. Put it on the lift and ended up removing the engine and trans and tearing it almost all the way down to replace the timing chains and sprockets and fixed all the same oil leaks. While at it I replaced the head gasket, water pump and both tensioners. That was a good learning experience. The week after I put it all back together she drove it from NC to NY and back for a long weekend with friends. I think she trusted my mechanical abilities more than I. LOL
Well, that was the spring and summer of 2007 when I bought the lift and did all that work on the cars and both kids are still driving these Sentra 200sx's. My Son moved to Texas and then Florida and is now back in Texas. He has learned to do some of the work himself. Had to replace the starter motor and the drivers side power window unit lately. He loves his car and is considering a newer car but wants to keep it as a second. he has about 200K on his.
My daughter is still in college with hers and I have kept it running for her. The mileage was not known on hers because the speed head 's odometer was not working when we bought the car off eBay. Then the year after that was replaced the speed sensor was worn out and she drove without the speedometer not working for who knows how long. ( Until the speeding ticket, LOL) I am guessing the car has over 250K on it now. It's been dinged and dented on every body panel now but she loves it. Says it gives it character! LOL
Since I had the empty lift and the experience with these B14 Sentras and the time with the kids in college I bought a rough 1996 200sx off eBay that was in Florida. Trailered it home and tinkered around with it for about a year off and on. Pulled out the engine and trans and did the same oil leak fixes etc. It needed front end body work so I looked on Craig's List and found a 4 door Sentra a few hundred miles away just for parts. Bought it and trailered it home to discover the body to be in too good of condition to scavenge the car just for part since the title, which I thought I would never get, actually came through.
So now I better stop riding my motorcycle so much and get busy since I have two to work on. The 96 200sx and the 97 Sentra. I better get busy huh? LOL
A few pics if you are interested.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9222512...7594347547443/
Last edited by etepsnewo; 10-17-2010 at 04:25 PM.
#3
03-25-2011 | 11:30 PM
Junior Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 19
look at the car parts wholesale for autobody parts.. great deal for purchasing a part from them...
Last edited by kidashley25; 03-04-2013 at 09:37 AM.
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