Rd28 timing issue.

[PATmyROL]

Hey guys

I've got a 99 gu rd28 and for the past few weeks my beast has been making an inconsistent rattle/slap/pinging noise which has been narrowed down to a timing issue. So on cold start the noise is loudest, at idle if I gradually lift revs to between 1500-2000 rpm it is at its worst, once increasing past 2k rpm it disappears. When driving, going through the gears it's noticeable at the same rpm markers and once accelerated it dissipates, but sometimes the noise isn't there at all. I took it in and at first injector 2 was noisy as all hell so we got the injectors done. No change. Had the timing control valve replaced. No change. I'm thinking if I keep going at this rate I'll need to refinance my mortgage.

Has anyone experienced this or know what it could be? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[the ferret]

How long since the Timing belt was changed? sounds like your timing belt tensioner and /or Idler is ready to spit the dummy, I wouldn't drive it at all till these items are checked, if the belt comes loose, ya looking at a full re build.
Cheers, the ferret.

[rubber]

On timing belts.....

Nissan told me that belts are 100k or 7 years. I have only done 60k in 7 years. Do people think the 7 year rule is right?

[Ian2011]

The belt will still perish in that 7 years regardless of use, bit like date stamps on tyres which only give a certain life span of which half may be spent sitting on a shelf, from someone who had to do two rebuilds on a 2.8, I would be taking Ferrets advice and changing ASAP, there is someone on flea bay selling the kits. If it already rattling, are you sure it hasn't jumped a tooth already?

[the ferret]

It's not a huge job to check the tensioner and idler, I would do it ASAP, and would only use genuine parts.
If this IS the problem, it's only a couple of hundred bucks, if the belt breaks or slips, it's thousands.
Cheers, the ferret.

[the ferret]

On timing belts.....

Nissan told me that belts are 100k or 7 years. I have only done 60k in 7 years. Do people think the 7 year rule is right?

They also reckoned the ZD30DI was a great motor!!!
Cheers, the ferret.

[PATmyROL]

Cheers for the advice. Had the timing belt done 6 months ago. All signs point to a timing issue, a bit hard describe the noise without hearing it yourselves. I found a thread from a guy who seemed to have the same problem, after spending plenty of $$$ it ended up being a faulty plug for lead going to injector pump. Anyone had experience with that before? Where to get the part from? How difficult etc....

[eph444]

Do you find you are blowing more smoke and sometimes lacking power?

[eph444]

Hi just an update which could help with your situation. Just spoke to my diesel mechanic and they discovered that my injectors were 15 bar below what they should be. This is after them being reconditioned by them less than 6 months ago (they are re doing all my injectors again at their cost). This is what caused the smoke due to low atomization of the fuel as well as the missing and lack of power.
Before they discovered this they checked the timing and a few other things but all was good.
Hope this points you in the right direction.