# 87 VG30 Oil leak



## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

ok, i just got done tearing off the front of my pathys engine just so i could change the thermostat and radiator hoses...i figured i might as well fix my oil leak while im in there so i tore it down to this.....
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/okcoffroader/pathfinderwork6.jpg

when removing the crank pulleys and harmonic balancer i noticed i could turn them about a 1/4 inch without moving the crank, i figured that wasnt right...turns out the keyways for both the pulleys and HB are chewed up slightly and the holes they fit in are wallered out...like this...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/okcoffroader/pathfinderwork5.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/okcoffroader/pathfinderwork4.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/okcoffroader/pathfinderwork3.jpg

not much i can do about the crank slots, so im gonna find new keyways and hope it holds....any opinions about this??

back to the original question, ive had an oil leak from the front of the engine for awhile now, i was told on here it might be the cam seals or crank seal...the cam seals are good, there isnt any visible oil around them at all...the crank seal seems to be ok, but its hard to tell really, i think its the front oil pan gasket, my question is will this part come off so i can replace the gaskets in that area or do i have to pull the motor and replace the whole oilpan gasket??
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/okcoffroader/pathfinderwork1.jpg

one other thing, is this whole unit the water pump housing?? or am i going blind??
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y72/okcoffroader/pathfinderwork2.jpg

sorry for the long post, thanks in advance for your help.....


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## dvdswanson (Nov 6, 2005)

never done anything to the 3.0l but my 1st guess on the oil leak would be the crank seal. with the keyways looking like that its not good. look at the harmonic balancer were the seal would be and feel for any pits (becareful not to cut yourself). if you were able to wiggle the balancer good chance that is your leak. I would replace the seal even if it looks fine (cheap insurance). are you doing the timing belt as well? as far as the crank goes, I would go to a reputable mechanic or machine shop or both and ask them if the crank is still useable or needs repair/replaced.


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

yeah im definitely putting a new crank seal in anyways...as for the crankshaft, i know it needs replaced, im just hoping it will hold up awhile cause i have no way of taking it to a machine shop nor can i afford to do anything about it anyways....the timing belt appears to have been replaced recently, it is still in great shape with no cracks or stress marks, it even still has the yellow lettering on it....so it and the waterpump will probably stay on, it only took me an hour to tear it down so doing it again isnt a big deal....


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

anybody else have any opinions??


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

ttt............


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

ttt.......my pathy is still sitting in the same spot, i need some advise ASAP.....thanks....


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## Animal (Mar 25, 2005)

Did you get a new key? Does it fit tight in the key way? Make sure to tighten the harmonic balancer to ... well, I can't find the torque for the v6 in the FSM, but the I4 is 105-112 ft. lbs., so, make it real tight. ;-)
I've never done this on this engine, but I don't see how you would avoid dropping the oil pan. To do this, the FSM says to remove practically the whole front end. It would seem easier to pull the engine - that's not a big deal if you have a hoist or some other means to lift the engine (which you would need even following the FSM procedure).
I'd do the cam seals even if they are good right this moment. The old ones may last another 100K miles or only another 10 miles. Best to a little preventive maintenance.

This may not be answers to all your questions, but I hope it helps.


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

turns out, to get the motor out you have to remove the front axle....first you pull out the crossmember the axle attaches to (we figured that out 3 hours later, coulda saved a bunch of time) we had to sawzall the 2 poorly placed top crossmember to frame bolts to remove it, but it was fairly simple.....then remove the CVs, driveshaft and drop the axle.....then the motor comes out like any other motor....


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## cole (Jan 29, 2006)

*oil seal hell!*



OkcOffRoader said:


> turns out, to get the motor out you have to remove the front axle....first you pull out the crossmember the axle attaches to (we figured that out 3 hours later, coulda saved a bunch of time) we had to sawzall the 2 poorly placed top crossmember to frame bolts to remove it, but it was fairly simple.....then remove the CVs, driveshaft and drop the axle.....then the motor comes out like any other motor....



I recently went through this ordeal myself. If you would like my insight with this one, e-mail me directly. [email protected] 

I'm currently replacing a water pump. I did the timing belt last spring. Do them both at the same time. If you take off your timing belt, put a new one on.


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## boss1b (Apr 25, 2006)

My '93 3.0 jumped a cog on the belt. Replacing it now. My crank snout and woodruff keys looked like the ones in your picture. I noticed the movement in the crank gear as well. Does anyone know, can you replace the front seal without pulling the oil pump?

Thanks!


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

wow, u knocked the dust off of this thread....strange though, today is the first time i logged on in weeks, and i have a post up thats 3 years old..lol......


anyways, i hate to be a party pooper, but the motor has to come out and the oil pan has to come off to remove the oil pump (thats what the crank seal is in) and it has to be done as a unit.......but, if your timing belt jumped time, then you have worse problems cause you most likely have bent valves because this is an interference motor....right after i posted this i DID just replace the keyways with new ones i got from oriellys, and the motor ran fine, but for less than 10,000 miles.....then the keyway messed up again and the motor took a dump....it was at 300,000+ miles when it finally gave up...basically what im saying is you MIGHT get away with changing the belt and keyway, IF the internals werent damaged....and you MIGHT be able to make it run again.....but if i had it to do over again, after all the money i dumped in the original motor, i could have bought a lower mileage junk yard motor and not had to tear it down, and it most likely would have lasted longer...

instead i used my tax return and bought a nissan built longblock and put it in my pathfinder so now it runs like a new truck....it cost about $3,000 plus core at the dealer, and i have another $2,000 in other parts invested in this truck (brakes, steering, suspension, shocks, radiator and more) and im starting to regret the effort, dont get me wrong i love my nissan, but im tired of changing the problems my 310,000+ miles little pathy keeps presenting me....i mean, eventually i gotta run out of parts to replace......right???


good luck with your motor, my final suggestion for that motor is to replace it, patching it up MAY work, or you could tear it down for a total rebuild, but in the end it would cost the same as a new longblock, they even did that on Extreme 4x4 on spiketv when they rebuilt their 93 pathy crew rig....


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## boss1b (Apr 25, 2006)

OKC, thanks for the insite. after it jumped time, (one tooth, I checked when I tore it down) it still ran, just no power. Man, I hope the valves aren't bent! taking parts back today, ended up w/wrong belt and wrong crank seal. Mine's not leaking, was going to change it as precaution. Based on your text, think I'll just let it go, may have to change out engine anyway. ahhh, the joys of mechaninin'..... 
Thanks again for the input!


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

a thought here, could you weld up the slop in the crank groove, grind it to a tight fit? etc...


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## boss1b (Apr 25, 2006)

yeah, have a mig welder, thought about trying that. should be enough room with everything taken off to be able to do it. only one side is worn, so placement should not be an issue. thought maybe weld up the worn area, use grinder on Dremel tool to massage it down... and with the belt sprocket over it, should be pretty secure. worth a try!


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## OkcOffRoader (Feb 25, 2005)

i thought about doing that but was afraid of warping the crank....keep the heat low by welding in bursts if your gonna try....


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## boss1b (Apr 25, 2006)

Thanks for the tip. Might be a few days. but will give it a shot. Not losing anything. so worn that it jumps time just turning it over by hand. will go nice and slow and let you know the outcome....


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