Vq30Dd, Sourcing A Timing Chain Kit And A Vtc Pulley.

[MikeStageaRX300]

Gid day

I'm looking if anybody out there has any any experience with getting hold of VQ30DD parts and anything I should watch out for when I do the work. Hopefully this post might be useful to others out there since I've had quite a mission trace down the issues I'm having with mine and harder still find the replacement parts.

I have an Nissan VQ30DD engine in my Stagea, it seems to have the common nissan issues:

• Noisy timing chain
• Broken VTC pulley/gear
• ?Direct injectors starting to play up?

I went to Nissan New Zealand for parts and they're trying to sell a timing chain kit for $1050 and another $1150 the new eVCT kit.

Over the past 3 months the timing chain has been making far to much noise for my liking, so I researched a bit and found the guide plastic on the tensioner has failed similar to what is all over the internet. So I need to fix this one at least.

The LHS VCT on the exhaust pulley has been playing up causing the engine to knock in the rev range 1600-2100 rpm. Apparently the springs fatigue and the pulleys need to be replaced. I have a datascanner and seen the cam timing bouncing on the LHS and with the knocking. So either the actuator system is playing up, or the sensor is wrong. Based on the reputation of the engine, and the knocking I'm very much leaning towards an issue with the actuator.

I have had the VTC covers off in the past and there was no sign of a damaged spring and both sides “felt” similar but I guess their could be an internal spring or mechanism has crapped it pants.

I have had the VCT unplugged for the past year because I couldn't be bothered spending the money or the time to fix it. Since I now need to do the cam chain (plus I really miss the ponies and fuel economy) I might as well do it with the timing chain.

Lastly I suspect the direct injectors are starting to go, but that can weight for now(clicking noise).

So I have some options:

• Is ordering UAE parts off Amayama a good idea? This totals 620USD for basically a timing chain kit and replacing the faulty pulley. I'm a little concerned about just handing over that amount of money that while it is probably legit, it does have a little russian gang/scam feel about it.

• Do the VQ35DE engine parts fit (not HR) at VQ30DD engine? I'm soon traveling through the states and I suspect the parts I'm interested in are identical to those used for the 8 odd years of VQ35DE production. Concept Z performance seems to have the parts I need and at a good price considering I don't need shipping and will get away not paying GST. The deck height and pulley teeth counts should be the same, so the timing chain kit should match. The VTC cover looks identical except for the different colour plugs. I actually think in this case ConceptZ have the VTC cover by mistake because by my understanding, the normal VQ35DE only varies the intake cam, whereas the exhaust is varied on the VQ30DD and VQ35HR engines(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CVTCS). The VQ35DE exploded views all seem to show the engine with a fixed exhaust pulley. The VQ35DE VTC seems to closer match this model http://cdn.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/uploads/monthly_05_2014/post-63525-0-39886800-1399023986_thumb.gif - being the intake, which is not how it works on the VQ30DD.

Chain Kit http://www.conceptzperformance.com/Cart/description.php?II=9248&Car_Type=NIS350&UID=20140810184955121.75.44.98

VTC Kit http://www.conceptzperformance.com/Cart/description.php?II=8898&Car_Type=NIS350&UID=20140810163715121.75.44.98

• Has anybody else done a cam chain after the crappy designed tensioner slipped? I should do the whole lot, but in this case it more the main tensioner and chain that needs to be replaced rather than a gradual wearing out of all the parts. I'm wondering if the rest of the parts are actually in the state that is worth the money and time.

• When I originally tracked down the VTC over a year ago, ConceptZ did have a NISMO replacement for the exhaust pulley allowing the wider angle at $400 USD for the pair. These were not the intake pulley you can easily still find. Does anybody know a place where you can still get these? (It seems a better idea than replacing one VTC kit for the same price)

Cheers,

Mike

Edited August 11, 2014 by MikeStageaRX300

[scotty nm35]

Have you read this thread yet?

http://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/277914-any-direct-injected-300gt-250gt-v35s/

I will try and respond to this, just a little busy for the essay required atm.

What oil are you running, and how cold is it where you are atm?

[MikeStageaRX300]

Hi

Cheers, I have read that topic before, that is another weekend job at later stage to clean out all the crap. Really quite interesting find and an easy job when I can find time.

I have now tracked most of the VQ35DE parts on ConceptZ, and they matched up Amayama VQ30DD parts, so that makes me feel far more confident. Under half the price that Nissan NZ quoted.

I normally use Valvoline semi synthetic 10W40, I just did a oil change with 15W40 because the car is getting towards 180Ks now, With the 15W40, the knocking is a little less, but being winter it is hard to tell. The weather in Auckland is about 5-15 deg over winter and it is currently only a faint knock/ping, but it gets very bad over summer (25-30 deg). BP 98 helps a little bit for an hour or so until the ECU seems to adjust itself then I'd need octane booster to stay ahead. If I reset the ECU and knocking is a bit better for another hour of driving then it gets worse again. I could easily try Avgas(I have a competition license) but I can't see sensors being too impressed with the lead and well I'm not happy with using a leaded fuel unless I have to anyway.

So I've just unplugged the VTC for now since it doesn't really bother me except for the extra fuel usage.

I think I've managed to answer the questions myself when I fully went through and documented the parts and links for my original post. Really, I'm now just wondering if I should pull the motor to do it on a stand, or spend all my time fighting the space constraints. I'm used to working on pushrod V8s in spaceframe chassis's, so I can really see myself throwing a massive tantrum trying to do a quad cam motor in a tight space.

[scotty nm35]

Hi

Cheers, I have read that topic before, that is another weekend job at later stage to clean out all the crap. Really quite interesting find and an easy job when I can find time.

I have now tracked most of the VQ35DE parts on ConceptZ, and they matched up Amayama VQ30DD parts, so that makes me feel far more confident. Under half the price that Nissan NZ quoted.

I normally use Valvoline semi synthetic 10W40, I just did a oil change with 15W40 because the car is getting towards 180Ks now, With the 15W40, the knocking is a little less, but being winter it is hard to tell. The weather in Auckland is about 5-15 deg over winter and it is currently only a faint knock/ping, but it gets very bad over summer (25-30 deg). BP 98 helps a little bit for an hour or so until the ECU seems to adjust itself then I'd need octane booster to stay ahead. If I reset the ECU and knocking is a bit better for another hour of driving then it gets worse again. I could easily try Avgas(I have a competition license) but I can't see sensors being too impressed with the lead and well I'm not happy with using a leaded fuel unless I have to anyway.

So I've just unplugged the VTC for now since it doesn't really bother me except for the extra fuel usage.

I think I've managed to answer the questions myself when I fully went through and documented the parts and links for my original post. Really, I'm now just wondering if I should pull the motor to do it on a stand, or spend all my time fighting the space constraints. I'm used to working on pushrod V8s in spaceframe chassis's, so I can really see myself throwing a massive tantrum trying to do a quad cam motor in a tight space.

Well yes, you need to pull the engine from the car.

You will find all the parts are completely different from the VQ35, it uses hydraulic camshaft actuation not electronic like the VQ25/30. Are you sure you read the thread?

[MikeStageaRX300]

Well yes, you need to pull the engine from the car.

You will find all the parts are completely different from the VQ35, it uses hydraulic camshaft actuation not electronic like the VQ25/30. Are you sure you read the thread?

Dam it, not looking forward to that...

Yeah I've read through all 17 pages a couple of times.The dirty intake is something I'll have to deal with at some stage but that is not my primary concern. The knocking from the VTC and noisy cam chain is since they'll destroy the motor soon.

Unless I'm missing something like the exhaust return is directly feed into the left hand cylinder runners, I'm not exactly sure how it can realistically cause the pre combustion on only one side of the motor. I think you made a comment in that topic about the cam sensors becoming faulty, but it doesn't really match that symptom. When I see the knocking the cam phase bouncing from a hard 0 to 35-40 deg. If it was a faulty cam sensor I wouldn't expect such a consistent reading as the values should be more variable, to myself at least consistently bouncing limit of 0 deg means a mechanical limit.

My understanding of the engine differences is this:(sorry there is no table option with this forum)

VQ30DD -.> Electromagnetic variable timing on the exhaust cam

VQ35DE -> Hydraulic VTC on the intake cam (and chain linked to the exhaust)

VQ35HR -> Hydraulic VTC on the intake cam, electromagnetic on the exhaust.

When I look up the nissan part numbers from Nissan quote, Search the chassis in Abyaba?, ConceptZ, a "timing chain kit" gear from the VQ30DD and VQ35DE is the same. The difference is the cam pulleys/sprockets. The VQ35HR has a different part number for the main timing chain which makes sense since it has a higher deck height.

I'm going to pull of the VTC covers again this weekend because that was 6 months ago. By memory I'm sure the VTC actuator was on the exhaust and I remember since I was concerned how close the main timing chain was to the pulley's external spring. So it means the variable pulley was the slave driven pulley.

The VTC kit I found here looks indentical to what I've had in my hands,http://www.conceptzperformance.com/Cart/image.php?II=8898

The other diagram from the topic you mentioned shows the varaible pulley as the master( has the sprocket for the main chain and the other cam)

Thanks very much for you responses thou,

[scotty nm35]

It is not the same part, the one you linked is for the exhaust side, the one on your engine is the intake. Similar design, but not the parts you require.

Your advance mechanism is faulty, broken or worn mechanically. I have been able to rebuild these assemblies using parts from other advance units but if you are chasing a new assembly you will need to use your Vin and chase the correct up on epcdata or Nissan. There are many other threads on the knocking noise, here and in the Stagea section, as the VQ25dd, VQ30dd and VQ25det use the same advance mechanism, and all were available in either the Stagea or the V35, as they are essentially the same car.