[Guest]

Okay. I need some help. I messed up real bad today. I was racing and coming around a very gradual curve on the expressway with a lot of speed. The curve had me leaning to the left but I still needed to shift to 4th. Well, the lean made me pull to my left and I shifted into 2nd momentarily. I wasn't watching the tach but it really didn't sound like it revved too high - not much past the rev limiter anyways.

After that, two cylinders were dead. There was a popping noise from the air intake and no power. I got home, removed all the plugs. The first two were fine, the second two were covered in carbon. No smoke. Very mild odor while it was running but it might have just been the clutch cuz I was running hard and it is old. Can anybody tell me what my next step is? Did I bend a couple of valve? Timing? Head gasket? Help, please... Thanks,

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Chad Kelly
[email protected]

 

[Benito Malito]

whoa! I heard this one before, but it was first gear, instead of second. it's not an easy diagnosis. My gut feeling is head gasket. Chech the archives though its in there,(hopefully with links and stuff)you are not the irst to do this to your car. Good luck

 

[NoVTECSER]

Sounds like you popped a few rocker arms. Before you try to start the car again, pull the valve cover off and see what's up inside. More than likely that's what happened. You may get lucky and just have to replace a few rocker arms, but you have have bent a valve or two. Good luck.

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Eric Waterman
1996 200SX SE-R
1997 200SX SE-R
1991 Sentra SE-R

 

[Guest]

Yepper. Pulled off the valve cover and only one rocker arm was popped. The Cam has some pretty nasty grooves, too. Looks like I'll be calling JWT for a new set

.

Is there anything else I should be watching for? Piston/cylinder damage, etc?

Thanks for all your help...

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Chad Kelly
[email protected]

 

[pjsammy]

Sorry to hear about that, but on a positive note, I found someone in this area with a SE-R! (I live in Hudson). Nice to see I'm not the only one in the Akron/Cleve area with a SE-R. Hope you get that all fixed up.

Samir

 

[Guest]

Okay. So I popped one rocker off the exhaust cam for cylinder 3. With the valve cover off, should I still have compression in each cylinder???
I'm guessing no but it's still scary when the only cylinders that hold compressed air looked clean from the start...
And why would I have all that carbon build up in cylinder 4? Everything in the head looks intact but I don't think it was firing.

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Chad Kelly
[email protected]

 

[Storm88000]

Ah, the famous miss-shift-broken rocker-arms virus. I've seen it infect two of my friends already. One broke 3 rocker arms, the other broke 1. They both used it as an excuse though to get the JWT cams

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Jordan White (Stormy)
'98 SE(R) w/ HS CAI, HS G3 Header, JWT s4 Cams, UR Pulleys, KYB AGX's, Eibach Sportlines, Courtesy STB's, ES Mounts, ES Bushings, PWST X-Drilled Rotors w/ Axxis MM Pads, 17" Borbet Type S's w/ 205/40 Kumhos, Nis-Knacks goodies

'98 VR6, stock (the womans car)

 

[OnyxEros]

Wait a sec...
Im from the Cleveland area!!!

O

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'99 SE-L
On the verge of something great, but very little money

Fear is what seperates the good from the great

 

[Guest]

It's great to see so many people from NE Ohio with SE-r's but I need to know how much damage was done when I missed gears...

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Chad Kelly
[email protected]

 

[jacen99SE]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">I was racing and coming around a very gradual curve on the
expressway with a lot of speed. The curve had me leaning to the left but I still needed to shift to 4th</font>

Everybody that has overreved that I have read about did it the same way. Always while going around a curve.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2"> With the valve cover off, should I still have compression in
each cylinder???
I'm guessing no but it's still scary when the only cylinders that hold compressed air looked clean from the start...</font>

No. Your cams are holding some of the valves open. To test compression you need the valve cover on and turn the motor over witht the starter. DON'T DO THIS yet. There are two shims on each spring that go under the rocker arm. Make sure you find these before you put the car back together.

 

[jacen99SE]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">The Cam has some pretty nasty grooves, too.</font>

You'll need a new cam before you do anything else. I have a spare exhaust cam you can use, but I can't deliver it to you. I can ship it. Email me if you want to do this.
Any of you guys from cleveland done a cam job before and have your stock exhaust cam lying aaround?

Your intake cam is fine?

If so, i would put a stock cam in and test for compression before I order JWT cams. If you compression turns out fine, you should be OK.

 

[jacen99SE]

You drove home after this happened?

 

[RPWSER]

My busted rocker arm happened on a striaghaway J...I only broke one, and i too drove home(only about 4 miles) I found both the rocker arm shim and valve guide and ordered a new rocker arm and put everything back together. All was good. Oh yeah and get a hold of me if you need stock cams. Ive got a set im willing to part with

And your carbon buildup has nothing to do with your misshift. So, afetr everything is put back togehter, definately get yourself a compression tester and check that out.

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Ryan Walsh, 1997 200sx SE-R w/ ES mounts, JWT s4's, AEBS 4-1, PR CAI, Sportlines/AGX's, Bridgestone re730's, Matrix FSTB, Stillen GTR grill

 

[Guest]

hey, im in ohio too, up in cleveland.

 

[Guest]

Okay. Here's what I've decided. You guys are gonna be disappointed but I think it's the safest thing to do.

First, I'm buying OEM cams off of anyone that I've seen selling them here in this forum. One guy even has a rocker for me. I'll get the shims from the dealer. I'll also buy a new timing chain and water pump (133k miles) from the dealer.

I have a friend that will take off the head and I'll drive it to anudda friend that will do a valve job and get the cams/rocker/shims installed. Then I'll go and pick it up from him.

Then I'll have the first friend come over and put the head back on and redo the timing chain and water pump.

I'm estimating the following costs:
OEM cams - $100
Timing chain - $50
Water pump - $50
Shims - $5.00
Valve Job - $225
Labor - $125 (that's just the first friend)

Total should be about $560

Am I getting ripped off at all? Is there anything I should do differently?

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Chad Kelly
[email protected]

 

[Storm88000]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ckelly71:
First, I'm buying OEM cams off of anyone that I've seen selling them here in this forum. One guy even has a rocker for me. I'll get the shims from the dealer. I'll also buy a new timing chain and water pump (133k miles) from the dealer.
</font>

I'll sell you my OEM cams. They are perfect shape and have 55,000 miles on them. You got mail.

[This message has been edited by Storm88000 (edited 05-07-2001).]

 

[RPWSER]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ckelly71:

First, I'm buying OEM cams off of anyone that I've seen selling them here in this forum. One guy even has a rocker for me. I'll get the shims from the dealer. I'll also buy a new timing chain and water pump from the dealer.</font>

Umm...did you not find your old shims? You better find them first before you put new ones in cuz if you leave them in there for a looong time it could be bad. When oyu find them, just reuse them. If you buy new ones you will have to measure them and shave them to the correct thickness, and i dont mean just using a ruler, its a little more complicated...actually its a lot more complicated.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">
I'm estimating the following costs:
OEM cams - $100
Timing chain - $50
Water pump - $50
Shims - $5.00
Valve Job - $225
Labor - $125 (that's just the first friend)
</font>

Umm...might i ask why you are getting a new tiing chain? Yours didnt break did it? If it didnt, then i see no need ot replace it. It will prolly cost more than your estimated 50 bucks anyways. And why the new water pump? Is something wrong wiht yours? If not i see no need to replace it!

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Ryan Walsh, 1997 200sx SE-R w/ ES mounts, JWT s4's, AEBS 4-1, PR CAI, Sportlines/AGX's, Bridgestone re730's, Matrix FSTB, Stillen GTR grill

 

[Guest]

Yeah. I decided against a new timing chain. Somebody from Nissan Motorsports was telling me that after 100k it has to be done. I've since been talked out of it by almost everybody. Obviously, water pump is not necessary, too.

I found one of the shims but I can't seem to find the other... Does anybody have any tips - any "settling" spots for metal that size? I took of the oil pan already and it's not there either. I've been through the entire head and can't find it. Although, I keep finding little chunks of metal from where the rocker broke up. I even found a tiny chunk in the #1 cylinder. Most of it was in the oil pan but I sure hope it didn't do any damage...

Oh yeah, and I forgot to add the head gasket kit into the above estimated costs. I have no idea how much it will be for the kit so I'll add it to a later post.

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Chad Kelly
[email protected]

 

[Storm88000]

Oh man, did you EVER under-estimate the cost of a new timing chain.

The dealer wants $1,000 parts and labor!!

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Jordan White (Stormy)
'98 SE(R) w/ HS CAI, HS G3 Header, Custom exhaust, JWT s4 Cams, UR Pulleys, KYB AGX's, Eibach Sportlines, Courtesy STB's, ES Mounts & shifter bushing, PWST X-Drilled Rotors w/ Axxis MM Pads, 17" Borbet Type S's w/ 205/40 Kumhos, Nis-Knacks goodies

 

[Guest]

Okay. We've got the cams off now and we still can't find one of the shims. Sounds like a perfect list question. If you can't find one of the shims, where could it have gone???