93 P10 Intake Camshaft help please

[TransAmBand1t]

My cousin wrecked his 95 P10t a few weeks ago. This past week we went to Connecticut to look at a 93 G20 5 speed for $650. The guy advertised the car as having a bad oil pan and a timing chain that needed to be done but still had enough life left on it. We look at it , it seems nice then we talk down to $550. we went to crank the car but the battery was very low so it turned over slightly. Sounded a little odd, didnt pay much mind to it. So we get the title and paper work. This was Tuesday. We register the car Friday and then we head back up to Connecticut with our oil pan. Install the oil pan and a fresh battery. Had my cousin crank the car, sounded like it had no compression. Pop the oil cap off, and the intake cam isnt moving. So basically we got screwed.

Moving a long, we towed the car back to Queens Yesterday. Today we popped the valve cover off and look a look. Behind the intake sprocket theres a crack on the cam. But from the looks of it, it looks like the sprocket is stripped and it sint grabbing the cam. From the looks of the intake cam, it seems like it was ran on low oil.

What I need to know is, do I have to remove the timing chain to remove the camshaft? I'm really dreading trying to do it with the motor in the car. Or is there a way to remove the sprockets and then lift the cam out?

Heres two videos showing the issue. Please let me know guys, we're trying to get this car going as soon as possible.

YouTube - 1993 Infiniti G20 Camshaft Issue

YouTube - 1993 Infiniti G20 Camshaft Issue

YouTube - 1993 Infiniti G20 Camshaft Issue 2

YouTube - 1993 Infiniti G20 Camshaft Issue 2

[Mean Green G20]

That is freakin' crazy! I have never seen a cam do that before. Search on here for threads about changing the timing chain. They will show very clearly what needs to be done to get that cam out.Also, become a member and download the FSM. It will tell you exactly how to do the job. Something tells me that there is more going on than just a broken cam though. For one to do that something must have siezed up. FYI, The cam sprocket is bolted on to the end of the cam you can just remove the bolt and take off the cam gear and then replace the cam. Good luck. It is a tough job if you have no experience wrenching. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that.

[thunder storm]

make sure you get it put on the right tooth. from my experiance, with the stock cam if it's off by one tooth, you won't bend anything, but it won't go higher than idle. had to deal with that pita when i switched to a highport cam.

also if at all possible do not unbolt the chain tensioner, because the oil filter will be in the way, unless the hiport has it lower on the back of the motor, then you shouldn't have anything in the way.

[Robj80]

motorswap it. I know the car your talking about. I was considering buying it but never thought of trying to fix the engine that was in there due to the way the guy listed it. I think you will be better off with a de swap.

[P10 Goodness]

might as well just try putting another cam and sprocket in? Heck, we got two intake cam spares in the garage... they are low ports, but should work ok on a high port.

[Mean Green G20]

Originally Posted by P10 Goodness

might as well just try putting another cam and sprocket in? Heck, we got two intake cam spares in the garage... they are low ports, but should work ok on a high port.

The highport cams have bigger lobes and give a bit more HP. The lowports will work but I would only use one as a tester and search for a highport cam to put back in there. The car will run much better if you do.

[markbuts3]

Looks like the valves on cyl 3 are open, for those valves to be open and the engine to still crank over means something has got to be bent.

Hard to see in the vid properly though.

[thunder storm]

Originally Posted by P10 Goodness

might as well just try putting another cam and sprocket in? Heck, we got two intake cam spares in the garage... they are low ports, but should work ok on a high port.

nnooooo, we can't sell the anti-zombie weapons.... lol

[Mean Green G20]

Originally Posted by thunder storm

nnooooo, we can't sell the anti-zombie weapons.... lol

I now have a new use for my old cams. Sweet.

[TransAmBand1t]

Originally Posted by Mean Green G20

That is freakin' crazy! I have never seen a cam do that before. Search on here for threads about changing the timing chain. They will show very clearly what needs to be done to get that cam out.Also, become a member and download the FSM. It will tell you exactly how to do the job. Something tells me that there is more going on than just a broken cam though. For one to do that something must have siezed up. FYI, The cam sprocket is bolted on to the end of the cam you can just remove the bolt and take off the cam gear and then replace the cam. Good luck. It is a tough job if you have no experience wrenching. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that.

Thank you for your response. Not new to wrenching, been doing it a few years and in HIgh School. I have a PDF for a 95 FSM and access to ShopKey. Right now we're looking for a replacement cam. From the looks of it I might be able to seperate the sprocket and remove the cam. But the cam its self might be shot too.

Originally Posted by thunder storm

make sure you get it put on the right tooth. from my experiance, with the stock cam if it's off by one tooth, you won't bend anything, but it won't go higher than idle. had to deal with that pita when i switched to a highport cam.

also if at all possible do not unbolt the chain tensioner, because the oil filter will be in the way, unless the hiport has it lower on the back of the motor, then you shouldn't have anything in the way.

I will try my best to time this thing correctly. Trying to avoid taking the whole timing chain off.

Originally Posted by Robj80

motorswap it. I know the car your talking about. I was considering buying it but never thought of trying to fix the engine that was in there due to the way the guy listed it. I think you will be better off with a de swap.

He listed it as all it needed to run was an oil pan, and even when we went to look at it, he insisted all it needed was an oil pan and that the timing chain still had life to it. No where did he mention that the motor was fucked.

[bender-san]

Originally Posted by markbuts3

Looks like the valves on cyl 3 are open, for those valves to be open and the engine to still crank over means something has got to be bent.

Hard to see in the vid properly though.

Something will almost certainly be out of sorts in the valvetrain besides the camshaft being broken. It doesn't take much to bend a valve on a Nissan chain engine.

[Robj80]

He listed it as all it needed to run was an oil pan, and even when we went to look at it, he insisted all it needed was an oil pan and that the timing chain still had life to it. No where did he mention that the motor was fucked.

.

Sorry you are right. I think it's just I've been around SR's for quite awhile 99% of the time if someone needs a new oil pan and the car doesn't start it needs a new engine. I have seen a tiny dent start a motor of oil and blow it up.

[TransAmBand1t]

Originally Posted by Robj80

.

Sorry you are right. I think it's just I've been around SR's for quite awhile 99% of the time if someone needs a new oil pan and the car doesn't start it needs a new engine. I have seen a tiny dent start a motor of oil and blow it up.

Sarcasm? I really cant tell.

[Robj80]

Originally Posted by TransAmBand1t

Sarcasm? I really cant tell.

No I wasn't being sarcastic. Reading the add made me say in my head "it needs a new engine". This is just going by experience here. If I offended or came off sarcastic I apologize. I was saying you were right because most people would see it and just assume just an oil pan was needed. The seller of the vehicle should have never put all it needed was an oil pan. SR's are very touchy when it comes to the oil pan. A small dent in the right spot can block the pickup. Or even not in the right spot but low oil and a hard corner can be the death of the engine as well.

[TransAmBand1t]

Originally Posted by Robj80

No I wasn't being sarcastic. Reading the add made me say in my head "it needs a new engine". This is just going by experience here. If I offended or came off sarcastic I apologize. I was saying you were right because most people would see it and just assume just an oil pan was needed. The seller of the vehicle should have never put all it needed was an oil pan. SR's are very touchy when it comes to the oil pan. A small dent in the right spot can block the pickup. Or even not in the right spot but low oil and a hard corner can be the death of the engine as well.

No need to appologize dude, it was probably just how I read it. Thanks for the info though. The seller was out to dick the person buying the car. That's all. I dont know if the oil pan was really shot or not as it wasnt on the car. He did offer it to us, so maybe it was. But from the looks of the cam lobes, it might have been ran on low oil.

[StYx G20]

I know this is old and all but. Maybe the dowel pin on the cam shaft broke off some how. maybe that cam is warped and it somehow wedged itself and snapped the pin off.

[LilAznFishinDude]

Man... Too bad I stopped frequenting this forum...

I like how no one really answered his question

The sprocket and cam are two separate parts. They're aligned by a "key/dowel/tooth" that probably sheared off like Styx said. First off, secure the timing chain to the sprockets with some zip ties, so you don't skip any teeth. The neck of the cam by the sprocket and first journal is ground so you can grab it with a wrench. Grab the other end of the cam, on the other side of the sprocket, with another wrench. I can't remember if they're left or right hand threads, but with a bit of elbow grease it should come off. Loosen the journals in a star pattern, little by little, and the cam should slide right out. I can see the white link of the timing chain on top of the exhaust sprocket, so you have it pretty close to TDC in the first vid.