# my "new" 92 Max SE



## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

A couple days ago I bought a 1992 Nissan Maxima SE 5spd (VE30DE) for $1000. The odometer shows 183978 miles, but it stopped counting sometime before I got it so who knows. The body is fairly straight expect the driver side fender has a good size dent. Its a fully loaded car, including factory Bose audio. Its a solid car overall, just needs a good owner to show it some love. This is partly just an intro, and partly to address a couple questions I have.

1- (*most important!*) sometimes it makes this rapid, kinda loud tapping noise, which increases in speed as the RPMs go up. It does it more when warmed up then when its cold. It is intermittent though, doesn't do it all the time which is how I know its not rod knock. I am thinking stuck lifter maybe? Sounds like its coming from the head(s). Any help on that would be appreciated. Other then that it runs beautifully.

2- there seems to be a couple electrical bugs. Neither of the fog lights will come on, the dash clock doesn't appear to work, and finally the HVAC controls do not light up at night with the rest of the dash. I checked all fuses, not one was blown. Advice on this?

3- this car has the factory Bose system and a really nice aftermarket head unit. But one of the rear speakers is missing for some stupid reason. Is there a place where I can buy replacement Bose stuff so I don't have to dismantle the factory premium audio? It actually still sounds good.

4- where is the aftermarket for this car? I have looked at Warpspeed, JWT, Blemco...can't find a whole lot. Who sells more then just exhaust, ecu, and big brake kits? I want cams, underdrive pullies, coilovers, intake manifolds, a turbo kit...I want options. who sells parts for this car?

Thats it.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

1 - Don't be so sure it's NOT a rod knock. If the 'top half' of the rod bearing is sloppy, it'll knock off and on like that, generally during a shift while the engine is rev'ing down or when the engine is 'unloaded', but especially when it gets warmed up and the oil is thinner. A worn out 'bottom half' of the rod bearing will generally cause a decent knock on acceleration.

2 - Grounds. I don't own a Max but I've read a lot about the grounds on Maxima's being a bit goofy.

3 & 4 - no idea except for Google'ing


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## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

it does make more noise when its warm, but i dont think its loud enough to be rod knock. Its not a bang more of a rapid tick-tick-tick. Also, its most noticable when under load, not when unloading. And like i said its intermittent. Someone i spoke to locally that heard it said it sounded like a stuck lifter. Is there any sure way to rule out rod knock, or determine what the noise is?


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

More noise warm + louder under load = exhaust leak...small leak, gets larger with heat expansion, more pronounced under increasing loads.
Lifter tick would generally get quieter as it pumped up with oil, although it could get louder with thinner oil as the oil gets warmer. But if you actually had a 'stuck' lifter, you'd also likely have a cylinder dropping pressure, either by leaking or not opening all the way.
Get somebody in there while you're standing on the gas. They'll hear the leak. Or you could find and follow the soot trail left behind as the exhaust comes out of the leak.


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## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

well i know for a fact that it has an exhaust leak, but would that really cause an intermittent ticking sound at idle that increases in volume and speed as i apply throttle? I am good with cars but this is my first Nissan and im about to give up and take it to a shop to determine the source of the noise.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Yes...
More air, more gas, more revs, more exhaust pressure, louder noise.
Get somebody else to help you, have them rev up the engine, get under there and listen.
If there's any doubt about it, plug up the exhaust tip with something and see if this particular tick gets louder.
If you want it to be something more expensive and tougher to fix, then by all means, go to a shop. Could it be a lifter or a rod knock or a wrist pin or something else? Sure...of course it could be. But you'll never know until you get in there and get checkin...


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## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

dont get me wrong, if its just the exhaust leak that would be awesome. Im just tryin to cover all angles.


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## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

Its a spun bearing. FML. HOw much of a PITA is that gonna be for me to fix?


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

I doubt it's actually 'spun', but it could be. Probably just worn down big time. How did you come to the conclusion that it's a spun bearing?
How's the oil pressure? Not the 'idiot light' either, I mean actual oil pressure reading. And stop driving it if you still are. You're only making that particular rod journal more and more egg-shaped. Eventually you'll need to buy a new crankshaft.

If you're trying to get away on the serious cheap, you could pull the oil pan, grab each connecting rod cap and figure out which one is loose, and replace just THAT particular bearing (upper and lower halves), retorque the nuts, button everything up and see what happens. That method would only cost some time, an oil pan gasket and a single rod bearing. Maybe...$40 give or take, could be more, could be less.
The above option _MIGHT_ work and the new rod bearing might last forever, it might only last 10 miles...maybe less!!! I did this to an '89 Grand Prix (2.8L V6) about 6 years ago, lasted for about 50 miles, but the rod journal on the crank was pretty well chewed up anyways. By the same token, I replaced a single rod bearing on a '72 Buick 455 and it lasted at least until I sold the car, about 20K miles or so.

Otherwise, to do it right, you have to pull the motor, yank the crank, pull all the pistons, get the crank turned down, line bore the mains, get the rods and rod caps resized, hone out the cylinders if there's ridge, replace the rings, main bearings, rod bearings, all the gaskets. Basically, a complete engine rebuild. Figure maybe $100 for a complete gasket kit, another $100 or so for a complete set of bearings, and a few hundred for machine work (resurface the head, line bore the mains, turn the crank, machine the rods/rod caps, bore out the cylinders next size over, check the cams and journals, etc).
Get a Haynes or Chilton's manual. All the basic info is in there. Otherwise we could go on and on for days on what to do and what not to do.


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## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

Thats what my ASE certified AutoZone buddy said it sounded like. And his advice and knowledge has always led me the right direction in the past. But he also said it wasn't bad, that he had heard much much worse.

I thought about just dropping the pan and replacing the individual bearing, but how do I even figure out which one is responsible? Whats more, while I have done top end work this would be my first time messing with the bottom end of an engine. Im a little concerned I will screw something up.

If I end up having to do a rebuild, I wont. I'll just order a low-mileage replacement engine off the internet. I've found them from $400-$1200.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

The bad rod bearing will be loose. You'll likely be able to wiggle that particular rod whereas the others just won't move. They might move a little bit from the engine front-to-back, but they shouldn't move from engine side-to-side, well, except for the bad one.
I wouldn't be concerned about messing anything up on the bottom end. Only one gasket to mess with, the oil pan, and as long as you torque the rod nut/bolt back to original spec's, I don't think you'll be any worse off than you were before.
If/When you get the rod cap off, you run your fingernail across the journal surface. If your fingernail catches anywhere, chances are a new rod bearing won't help anything. Others might tell you to use a 'Plasti-gage' on the journal and find out how much oil clearance you've got. I say just put a new bearing in it and see what happens. Ya got nothing to lose except the $$$ for the pan gasket and the new bearing and some time.
Worst that could happen is the crank journal surface is bad enough to wreck the new rod bearing fairly quickly and it starts making noise again, well, unless you keep revving on the engine, in which case you could break the rod cap and send pieces/parts out the side of the block!...which is always fun in my book! But at least you'll recognize the noise straight away and go with plan B sooner rather than after the thing shells out and leaves you stranded.


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## luthoro (Jul 16, 2010)

Are there any engines that are interchangeable other then another VE30DE?


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

WIthout disrespect to your Autozone buddy, have a good Nissan tech have a listen to it, first. A common problem with these particular engines was the VTC sprockets. There is a test to confirm that it is the VTC's, but one needs a Nissan CONSULT scantool to do it. When the VTC's are the culprit, they make a loud tapping noise from one or both of the heads and intermittantly, depending on engine conditions. The fix was an updated spring, which came as a kit, P/N: 13072-97E00, one required per VTC. The kit's not expensive, but requires a press and special service tool (and a lot of patience) to disassemble the VTC sprocket replace the spring and seals and reassemble. Flat rate time is 5.7 hours to do both sprockets, the rear side being much harder than the front bank. You can buy a new gear, or gears, but expect to pay $400 or more each. I believe the spring kit is about $30 each. For more info, refer Nissan TSB #NTB95-022. I did a lot of these "back in the day."

As far as the clock not working, it's probably a bad clock. They used to be expensive. You might want to try and locate one used. The foglamps will require some testing to see if power and/or ground exists at the bulbs...if the bulbs are good. Same with the HVAC control unit; it may just have bad bulbs, but I can't remember if they're replaceable or not.

The Bose system used amplified speakers and they were very expensive. Exchange units were made available for faulty speakers, but one would need a core to go through the exchange process. Your best bet would be to try and locate a used one. But first, make sure the original speakers are still being used and weren't replaced with aftermarket units along with the aftermarket deck. Bose systems weren't wired the same as conventional audio systems from Nissan, utilizing a "switching relay" in the circuit.

The VE30DE was only used in the Maxima SE from 92-94. I don't think you'll find much on the aftermarket, but do some digging and you'll turn up with some stuff. As far as the ECM, Jim Wolf Technologies is your best bet, once you figure out what upgrades your making to the engine.


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## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

smj999smj said:


> A common problem with these particular engines was the VTC sprockets. There is a test to confirm that it is the VTC's, but one needs a Nissan CONSULT scantool to do it. When the VTC's are the culprit, they make a loud tapping noise from one or both of the heads and intermittantly, depending on engine conditions.


Oh...hey...good call. I wasn't even thinking in the realm of that.
On my GA16DE, I can throw a switch (yes, I wired one in! and the ECU hates it when I throw the switch either way!!!) and activate or deactivate the NVCS, just for the heck of it...or maybe I'm troubleshooting something
Ya think this a possibility on these older VExx setups?


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