Valve adjust on LD28

Discuss (and cuss) the Nissan LD-series OHC Six diesel engine, popularly available in the US in 1981-83 Datsun/Nissan Maxima Sedans & Wagons.

Moderators: plenzen, glenlloyd, goglio704, Nissan_Ranger

User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

#16

Post by asavage »

No, I don't think diesel fuel lubricity is a factor in valve or valve seat wear. It's a factor in injector and IP wear. Stanadyne supplement is good stuff. Smells bad though ;)
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

#17

Post by glenlloyd »

diesel-man wrote:I just recommend to everyone, if you don't have a good idea when it was done, to find out. This isn't a weak point or anything, but all these cars are old enough to vote +
My unit has 154k miles and I'm sure it has never been done, so I should take care of it soon...good thing I got my tiny garage cleaned out! Try working on anything in a garage that's 9' wide by 15' deep, it's not fun.
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
goglio704
Posts: 726
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: East Tennessee

#18

Post by goglio704 »

Just set the valves on the blue (230K) car. I will be the proud owner of a set of crows foot wrenches before I try that again. All valves tight by about .003. Number two valve worries me a little. It wasn't really tighter than the rest, but it has substantially less adjustment available on it. Probably .008 to .010 adjustment remaining before the pivot bottoms against the jam nut. Don't know what I'll do when I get there (bottomed out), but I have a feeling I won't like it. The others all have roughly .030 adjustment remaining to them. I would suspect a valve going bad, but the car runs too good. I guess a compression test is next, but I'm not equipped for that yet. Thoughts anybody? Also, how much does valve adjustment vary with temp? I'm thinking tighter with warmer? How much?

After I posted this I stumbled across a reference for cold valve clearance. The 81 FSM diesel supplement indicates .007 for intake and .010 for exhaust cold. So much for "tighter with warmer."
Matt B.

83 Maxima Sedan, LD28, 5 speed, white, 130k miles. My original Maxima.
83 Maxima Sedan converted from gasser, LD28, 5 speed, 2 tone blue, 230k miles
82 Maxima Sedan, LD28, 3 speed auto, 2 tone Gray/Silver, 140k miles
81 810 Sedan, LD28, 3 speed auto, rust, rust, and more rust!

2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

#19

Post by glenlloyd »

So the 81 FSM says they can be adjusted cold? The 82 FSM doesn't mention "cold" adjustment anywhere, does it Al? At least I didn't find anything about cold adjustment.

Is there a possibility that they deliberately got rid of the cold adjustment method?

I still need to do this valve adjustment.

SA
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
goglio704
Posts: 726
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: East Tennessee

#20

Post by goglio704 »

Yeah the 81 diesel supplement lists "Valve Clearance Cold" on page EM-20. They don't list a procedure - just the spec. I'm like you, I can't find any other reference in the 82 or 83 FSM for the diesel cold clearance. I think it is a carry over from the gas and I don't intend to use the spec. I am curious just how much the setting can vary with temp and in what direction. I notice in the FAQ's, Al recommends setting half the valves and then heat the car back up before doing the other half. I didn't do that, but I am going to go back in to check them - just as soon as I get crows foots. Like Diesel-man said a short 17mm would have worked fine - I just didn't have one.
Matt B.

83 Maxima Sedan, LD28, 5 speed, white, 130k miles. My original Maxima.
83 Maxima Sedan converted from gasser, LD28, 5 speed, 2 tone blue, 230k miles
82 Maxima Sedan, LD28, 3 speed auto, 2 tone Gray/Silver, 140k miles
81 810 Sedan, LD28, 3 speed auto, rust, rust, and more rust!

2005 Jeep Liberty CRD
glenlloyd
Posts: 640
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Des Moines, Iowa

#21

Post by glenlloyd »

goglio704 wrote:Yeah the 81 diesel supplement lists "Valve Clearance Cold" on page EM-20. They don't list a procedure - just the spec. I'm like you, I can't find any other reference in the 82 or 83 FSM for the diesel cold clearance. I think it is a carry over from the gas and I don't intend to use the spec. I am curious just how much the setting can vary with temp and in what direction. I notice in the FAQ's, Al recommends setting half the valves and then heat the car back up before doing the other half. I didn't do that, but I am going to go back in to check them - just as soon as I get crows foots. Like Diesel-man said a short 17mm would have worked fine - I just didn't have one.
It would nice to adjust based on the cold method and then run the engine and take the measurements hot, to see if they match the hot specs. Personally it would be easier to adjust the valves cold, but if it was discontinued after 1981 then for some reason they don't want it done that way anymore.

sa
97 Jetta TDI, 86 VW Golf D
89 VW Fox diesel, 92 MB 300SD W140

gir - won't the sploding hurt?
zim - silence!
User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

#22

Post by asavage »

I think there's a cold spec for the SD22 in 1982. I'll look it up when I get home.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
Carimbo
Posts: 467
Joined: 18 years ago

#23

Post by Carimbo »

Just adjusted (most of) the valves, first time during my ownership (16,000 mi.) Odo shows 225,000 mi.

Pretty straightforward, although as others have found, a few of the pivot locknuts were difficult to reach, and for me a few were simply impossible w/o the tool shown in the FSM (as Pivot Adjuster ST10640001, Kent-Moore j25615-01)(incidentally listed for L24E, NOT LD28 but LD28 valve adjust procedure clearly shows usage).

Therefore, I had to leave #1 (exh.) at .010, #2 (int.) at .012, and #7 (exh.) at .011.

And probably did not get all the locknuts tightened to the prescribed 36-43 ft-lb. Got them as close as I could, using a 17mm combination wrench.

Does anybody have any ideas on finding the special adjuster wrench, or suitable substitute? Looks like an upside-down question mark. I don't see how a common crowsfoot would help, esp. on #1 and 2. I'd like to get the remaining 3 valves adjusted correctly, and properly torque the pivot locknuts before the new valve cover gasket hardens up. Maybe I will have to try diesel-man's method he posted above.



Additional Observations:
Prior to adjustment, most of the intake valves were in the .012 range, and the exhaust valves around .013, contrary to the above posts which found the clearances too tight. Since purchasing the car, I have been noticing a secondary buzzing/clatter that would appear in a narrow RPM range centered at 40-50MPH (sorry, no tach) under light cruise/floating throttle. Anxious to see if this disappears now. Ran the engine just enough to check for oil seepage at the valve cover gasket, will make a test run this evening.
User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

#24

Post by asavage »

Carimbo wrote:. . . a few of the pivot locknuts were difficult to reach, and for me a few were simply impossible w/o the tool shown in the FSM (as Pivot Adjuster ST10640001, Kent-Moore j25615-01) . . .

Does anybody have any ideas on finding the special adjuster wrench, or suitable substitute? Looks like an upside-down question mark. I don't see how a common crowsfoot would help, esp. on #1 and 2
I have a 16mm one of these:
Image

I bought it to help remove injector lines on the IP. A 17mm one might be procured, and then Dremel off the wrap-around portion.

The Snap-On part No. for the 17mm version is FRXM17, and it's listed at $54. I'm looking for a non-Snap-On solution.

[later]
KOKEN brand, selling on eBay.ie for about US$50:
Image
17mm 3/8" Drive Flare Nut Socket
Dimensions D1 = 25mm D2 = 24mm X = 12.5mm L = 80mm

Also Snap-On S6007 (apparently no longer available new):
Image
Several have sold on eBay in the past few months. One of them fairly cheap, the others not.

And the factory tool:
Image
Somebody bought that one on eBay last week for $20.

Here's a picture of one of these in use.
Last edited by asavage 14 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

#25

Post by asavage »

With a bit of sleuthing of eBay, I've found one S6007 that sold for $3, one for $42, and four that didn't get a single bid -- I've emailed those four sellers, asking if the tools are still available for sale. I've received one reply that a seller may have already sold his (but he's not at the office where he can check). Still awaiting replies for the other three sellers.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

#26

Post by asavage »

A second Seller replied that he sold his.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
Carimbo
Posts: 467
Joined: 18 years ago

New Valve Cover Gasket Leaks

#27

Post by Carimbo »

The new valve cover gasket leaks at the rear section. Upon closer inspection I found that it had split in half lengthwise for several inches at the extreme rear and along the sides up to the rear bolts. Felpro is normally one of the higher-quality brands on the market. Too bad because it is a special order everwhere I looked-- pay first, then several days wait.

The FSM torque spec for the valve cover bolts is 4.3 - 6.5 ft-lb. I ran them up to 6 ft-lb in increments, in a radial pattern out from the center but 6 ft-lb is not really at the center of the range of my only (1/2") click torque wrench so I suppose they could have been too tight, making the valve cover cut into the center of the U-groove in the rubber gasket.

Well, off to order a new gasket Thurs. AM and hope the holiday weekend doesn't hold up the delivery.
User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

#28

Post by asavage »

Dang! And I've got two new Fel-Pro VC gaskets here, both been awaiting me installing them on both Wagons.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
redmondjp
Posts: 204
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Redmond, WA

Re: New Valve Cover Gasket Leaks

#29

Post by redmondjp »

Carimbo wrote:The new valve cover gasket leaks at the rear section. Upon closer inspection I found that it had split in half lengthwise for several inches at the extreme rear and along the sides up to the rear bolts. Felpro is normally one of the higher-quality brands on the market. Too bad because it is a special order everwhere I looked-- pay first, then several days wait.

The FSM torque spec for the valve cover bolts is 4.3 - 6.5 ft-lb. I ran them up to 6 ft-lb in increments, in a radial pattern out from the center but 6 ft-lb is not really at the center of the range of my only (1/2") click torque wrench so I suppose they could have been too tight, making the valve cover cut into the center of the U-groove in the rubber gasket.

Well, off to order a new gasket Thurs. AM and hope the holiday weekend doesn't hold up the delivery.
Did I read that right? How did you get a 1/2" drive (I'm assuming) torque wrench to accurately measure that low of a torque--most 1/2" torque wrenches only go down to 20-25 lb-ft at the bottom end of their adjustment range. Unless you have a really high-dollar one--even still, I would question its accuracy in that low of the range.

Skip the torque wrench for the valve cover and control the maximum torque by the size of the tool that you use. For stamped steel valve covers, I usually use a nut driver and get the fasteners snug (not turning so hard that I'm hurting my hand). If you want a bit higher torque, use a 1/4" drive socket, extensions, and short-handled 1/4" drive ratchet--it's hard to put more than a few lb-ft of torque on a fastener using this method.

And as far as brand-names and quality go (Felpro or otherwise), it's a sad fact of profit-taking corporate life that the names really don't mean that much any more (in some cases, they never did). I've talked with a person who used to work in the auto parts industry at a business dinner, and he said that it was not uncommon to rebrand parts when auto parts stores switched parts lines--eg, they would take back all of the 'Moog' suspension parts from dealer stock, remove the parts from the boxes, and put them in new boxes labeled 'Borg-Warner' and change the part numbers--the actual parts were identical! This was very eye-opening for me, as I used to be really particular about brands (still am, but with my eyes open wider now :wink: ).
1982 Datsun 720 King Cab, SD22, 86K miles (sold)
1981 Rabbit LS 4-door, 1.6D, 130K miles (sold)
1996 Passat TDI 4-door sedan, 197K miles
User avatar
asavage
Site Admin
Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
Contact:

Re: New Valve Cover Gasket Leaks

#30

Post by asavage »

redmondjp wrote:How did you get a 1/2" drive (I'm assuming) torque wrench to accurately measure that low of a torque . . .
I don't know about Caxambu, but I have a 3/8" inch-pound torque wrench, as well as a std foot-pound one (or two, I forget).

6.5 ft/lbs = (6.5 * 12in/ft) = 78 in/lbs, which is near the lower end of mid-scale for mine.

However, I generally use the 1/4" ratchet w/ext. method, using only three fingers. It's worked well for me. The torque spec is for folks who haven't yet developed a "feel" for various torques, IMO.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests