Nissan Pathfinder WD21 Timing Belt Replacement

[@Nicksillusion]

I have a 95 Pathy myself down here in Houston. It’s my first Vehicle and a fun project for my dad and I. I feel like I can never find many videos on the truck so I’m glad I found you😂🙏🏽

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

That is awesome!

[@johnstrick7455]

I was really unsure of what to expect until I saw this video. I literally just did this in my driveway today on my ‘87 and this really helped me out! It took alot of the guesswork/ anxiety out of it for me. I had my radiator out so I had a bit more room (swapped a full aluminum unit in). It was nice to fit an impact on the crank pulley vs a lot of swearing 😂. It’s a nice piece of mind having a fresh belt and water pump in there👍🏻. Awesome job man!

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

LOL, yeah at one point, I actually considered taking the radiator out to get an impact on the crank pulley. But by leaving it on there, my swear jar is much richer today!

[@bloatingdog]

I recently got a 95 WD21 in great shape but has 230,000 miles with a questionable timing belt. When I dove into KZbin to research what I was in for, I was very happy I found your channel. After I watched this video I looked at your other Pathfinder videos and found you had addressed some similar issues I am experiencing as well. You do a great job and gave me the confidence to tackle this project. You da man! Thank you!!

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Thanks, glad the videos were helpful!

[@jeffmathes8144]

Great video. I have a '93 5 speed 4WD Pathfinder with the WD21 engine I bought new in Guam but had been sitting in my parent's garage for 18 years. When my brother finally moved it outside in 2020 I decided I'd better trailer it up and bring it back to Warren County, TN which I did in September. The fuel had varnished in the tank ruining the tank, fuel pump, and sending unit. That was the first big job, replacing all of those components when it was sitting on the trailer. Just finished battling the timing belt crank shaft sprocket after drilling and tapping three 8mm bolt holes in it and using a harmonic balancer puller to finally get it off, but only after heating it with an oxyacetylene torch. Front oil seal replaced and a new crank shaft sprocket, timing belt tensioner and spring installed. Water pump and thermostat are next. A work in progress. I hope you do a video on your window trim as that is another project down the road along with a new stereo...

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

McMinnville area, that's a LOOOOONG way from Guam. You're not too far from me (Murfreesboro Area here). I already have the trim laying on my bench. If my daughter will park the thing long enough, I'll get it installed and filmed.

[@jeffmathes8144]

@@ProjectTimeGarage This Pathfinder was hauled to Tennessee from northern Missouri, about a 700 mile one-way trip. The old girl has some sea time, as it was shipped back to CONUS when I transferred off Guam, then back to Guam when I was stationed there a second time about three years later. We ended up having her shipped commercially back to Long Beach, CA after the second tour as we had bought a new RAV-4 and the military would only ship one vehicle. Guam did not have a sales tax, so there was an incentive to buy your vehicles there...

[@logan1572]

Excellent tutorial. Will soon be putting to use to chase down new clatter, knock, etc behind what sounds like upper, passenger-side timing cover on my 87 Pathfinder. Thank you very much.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

I would be curious to know what you find. I have a similar sound that I've been unable to track down. I started the truck with the whole front cover off, basically with only the timing belt & related components, just trying to eliminate all the accessories, but the noise was still there. I'm almost thinking exhaust manifold leak on the driver's side, not sure.

[@josericardobarreravazquez3631]

Thanks for this video! Now I'm confident to do it myself!

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Not a bad job - take your time and keep bolts arranged.

[@carbie5614]

I believe if you time all the pullys and the belt after it goes around, even one time, the belt timing marks will not be lined up anymore. It happened to me once on a Nissan Quest. I lined it all up spin it around once, and the belt was in a different place, but it was still in time.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Yeah, you're right. You have to spin it a LOT to get it all the timing marks back lined up.

[@Kelvin-b3j]

Very good work 😂

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Thank you very much!

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

It is always a good thing to test start after timing belt on, as you did! (Just in case) exhaust leak? Yep, impossible to film, and probably not really worth your time recording it. I think you got a pretty good unit for your daughter or who ever in the family uses it. Maybe interesting to see what is wrong with the tach. Gremlins locking doors? Great 40 minutes spent with you!

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Thanks Uncle Mark! The tach is definitely high on my list. It drives me nuts!!

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@ProjectTimeGarage It would drive me nuts too, but I hear for me, it would be a short drive! Lol!

[@Jmilner101]

@@unclemarksdiyauto If you also have a problem with your fuel gauge, the tach shares a circuit and can be fixed by replacing the voltage regulator on the back of the instrument cluster. There is a cheap DIY repair I found online using an off the shelf solid state version that fixed mine.

[@unclemarksdiyauto]

@@Jmilner101 I am sure Brian will appreciate the info you have supplied, John!

[@bruceedwards2069]

very good thank you

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Our pleasure!

[@alexanderray630]

Great video! Only thing I’m having issues with is getting the crank bolt out, how did you do it ? 13:30

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Man, it was a bear. A good puller and lots of swearing.

[@esohrndz]

Min 10.18 the cooling hose is that the thermostat. Ibseen video but they remove the timing belt want to know if i can ger out the thermo by just removing the ac stuff or irs necesary to remove timing belt too.please help❤

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

I do not think you have to remove the timing belt.

[@brucethomason6354]

He really doesn’t show how the steering pump pulley gets loosened. The tensioner is under the pulley. You just have to turn the bolt under the pulley after you loosen the pivot bolt (the one you access through the pulley, which he shows in detail). You don’t have to remove the pulley.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Thanks

[@MJ-fk6yg]

thanks for the video! what temp is thermostat? i think i've got a 170 on right now and wondering if i should put a 180 in.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Mine is a 170 also, with actually strikes me as kinda odd. I can tell you that the temp gauge is way down in the lower half of the scale. If I had it to do over, I'd probably go 180.

[@hvivar3351]

Quick question, do I turn the engine counterclockwise when setting it on top dead center?

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

You can turn it either way as long as both intake and exhaust valves on #1 are closed and the #1 piston is at the absolute top.

[@clintonlayman9813]

How does a guy know both valves are closed?

[@jon_byler]

Easy solution is to watch the distributor rotor, and it should be getting close to pointing at the #1 position.

[@sl101d5]

Hi, I was just wondering if all the tools you used in this video was the 12mm and 14mm ratchet and the mallet just cause I’m trying to make sure I have everything I need, before the timing belt attempt.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

I'm fairly certain I used quite a few tools doing this. I think a decent metric tool set would suffice.

[@mcmenace4847]

This was brilliant bro! These are the terrano also ay? Any chance you cld help with part numbers for all belts having trouble here in nz with the correct ones got an old 1990 d21 terrano

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

The timing belt is a Gates T249 as for the other belts. RockAuto has all the part numbers.

[@jon_byler]

It’s weird you’re talking about the belt stretching at 24:16 or so. Timing belts are designed not to stretch. The Kevlar reinforcing strings in the belt are not going to stretch in any meaningful amount over the life of the belt The correct procedure to tighten the belt is not in the instructions that came with my timing belt kit from gates. But it is in the factory service manual. The FSM instructions tell you to tension the belt and then turn the engine over a few times and stop at piston 1 TDC on compression stroke. Then apply 10kg/22lbs of force to the belt, midway between the cam pulleys. Deflection downwards should be between 13 and 15mm.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Good info!

[@brucethomason6354]

He seems to have no problem removing the crankshaft bolt. I couldn’t turn mine without turning the engine. Does anybody know how to remove that bolt? I would like to change my timing belt before it breaks

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Mine wasn't bad. I used a long ratchet (36") and smacked it with a hammer a couple of times.

[@clintonlayman9813]

Did you put the water pump and therm. Housing gaskets on dry or just use hi-temp or hi-temp and gaskets?

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Hi Temp RTV on the Thermostat, then dry gasket on the waterpump. Same as I always do and it has worked for me 100%....so far anyways!

[@st6havoc66]

How about the main seal? Does it need to be changed too. I’m stuck at the backing plate thing.

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

The front seal? Yes, I would change it while you're in there.

[@st6havoc66]

@@ProjectTimeGarage I did forget about the thermostat tho. I paused and am picking it up today. I did do a test start wouldn’t stay running tho. Do you need vacuum lines for the test fire? Also getting some rubbing on the Lower timing belt cover and the balancer. Any ideas there?

[@st6havoc66]

@@ProjectTimeGarage Yeah the front one. Great video to man. Like my dad doing it with me…I got to do more then hold the light and grab the wrong tools tho…lol Will be following the Pathy build Thanks Dude!!! ❤️💛💚

[@Slvdr_pz]

How did you take off the crank bolt ?

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

Bad language and big hammer/wrench. Beer helps too.

[@ryanvota814]

how do you find TDC?

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

I usually remove the #1 plug and plug wire, put my finger over the plug hole and "bump" the engine over until I feel air pushing my finger off the hole (this means the piston is coming up on compression stroke) From there, I use a socket to slowly rotate the engine until the piston comes all the way up. when the piston reaches the absolute top of it's stroke, that's TDC. Verify that by making sure mark on the crank points to the mark on the case.

[@davidking6811]

I’m looking for belt weather strips for 1994 Nissan Pathfinder for all the doors any chance to buy from you?

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

i don't have them, but ebay has some that will mostly work

[@davidking6811]

Ok

[@1armijo]

better to test without firing it up since this is a interference engine .

[@ProjectTimeGarage]

You're right.