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Autopapyrus · Nissan Cube 1.4 (2000)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/nissan/cube/timing-chain-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Nissan Cube 1.4 (2000): Timing Chain Replacement

The early Cube Z10 uses a timing chain drive, and the engine belongs to the Nissan family with two chains: an upper and a lower, with an intermediate sprocket. The job requires removing the front engine cover, which means draining the oil. The main rule: once the chain is off, do not turn the crankshaft and camshafts separately, or the valves will hit the pistons. The engine code in the form (CK13DE) rarely appears in public sources. The drive on the 1.3-1.4 L engines of this family is built the same way, but check the parts against the removed samples.

Difficulty: Hard Time: 6-10 hours Steps: 12 Tools: socket and wrench set, torque wrench, pulley holding tool or wide screwdriver, jack with jack stands, engine support stand or support bar, scraper for old sealant, liquid sealant for the cover-to-oil-pan joint, marker or paint, new gasket and seals.

Part

  • 🔩 timing chain kit for this engine: chain, tensioner, damper (chain guide) and tensioner shoe, plus crankshaft and camshaft sprockets if needed. Also add a crankshaft seal, a valve cover gasket, and engine oil with a filter. Part numbers for your engine are best verified against the removed components themselves. To avoid buying parts for a different version, compare the chain by link count and the tensioner by appearance

Step by step

12 steps
  1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal. Drain the coolant and engine oil. Remove the skid plate (engine undercover), the air filter with its ducts, and the drive belts.
  2. Remove the valve cover. Rotate the engine in its normal direction of rotation and set the No. 1 cylinder piston to TDC on the compression stroke. The marks on the crankshaft pulley and the camshaft sprockets must line up. Use paint to make your own marks on the chain and sprockets.
  3. Support the engine with a stand or support bar. Remove the right engine mount with its brackets, the crankshaft pulley (hold the bolt with a holding tool; do not jam the pulley by its teeth), the water pump if necessary, and the auxiliary brackets.
  4. Remove the oil pan. It mates with the front cover using sealant, so some of the fasteners may be shared. Remove the front cover bolts and carefully take off the cover, prying only at the points the design provides for. Do not turn the shaft with the chain removed.
  5. Remove the lower tensioner, the damper, the guide and the intermediate sprocket. Then remove the upper tensioner and the upper chain from the camshaft sprockets. Inspect the sprockets: pointed or "hooked" teeth mean wear, so replace the sprockets together with the chain.
  6. Before assembly, make sure the No. 1 cylinder piston is still at TDC and the marks on the crankshaft and camshafts are at the factory positions. Clean the mating surfaces of old sealant and degrease them.
  7. Install the lower chain. Align the colored (yellow) links of the chain with the marks on the crankshaft sprocket and the intermediate sprocket. The number of links between the marks must match on both sides. Install the lower guides and the tensioner.
  8. Install the upper chain according to the marks on the camshaft sprockets and the intermediate sprocket, then the tensioner. Remove the tensioner lock only after all the guides are in place.
  9. Turn the crankshaft by hand two full revolutions in its normal direction of rotation and check the marks. If anything does not line up or the engine binds, stop and reassemble the drive, otherwise there is a risk of the valves hitting the pistons.
  10. Apply liquid sealant to the front cover and oil pan in a thin, even bead. The joint must be assembled within about 5 minutes after application. Tighten the fasteners in a crisscross pattern, taking the torque values from the manufacturer's specifications for bolts of this size. Do not overtighten the oil pan bolts.
  11. Replace the front crankshaft seal, reassemble the rest in reverse order, and fill with fresh oil and coolant. Let the sealant cure for the time stated on the tube, and only then start the engine.
  12. After starting, let the engine run without load. Check for leaks, a steady idle, and no chain rattle. Then do a follow-up inspection after 100-200 km (60-125 miles) and check the oil and coolant levels again.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • This job requires precise valve timing: an error of one tooth will cause a loss of power, and an error of several teeth will cause the valves to collide with the pistons. If you have no engine repair experience, leave the work to a repair shop. I am not giving the torque values for the sprocket bolts, the cover and the crankshaft, because I am not sure of their values for your engine. Do not tighten them by feel. Use a torque wrench and the manufacturer's data.
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