Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and need a few questions answered:
I have a 2013 Journey, runs great and never any issues but, I have 140K on it now. I will need a timing chain and water pump replacement soon, should I do this or get another car or overhaul the engine, or crate engine?
Also I believe my cats have been rattling for awhile now, I'll need those too. Anyway, just trying to get an idea of what I'm up against. Thanks!

 

How do you know you need a new timing chain?

 

Cost of a crate engine plus install could easily be half the value of that car, none of which includes your rattling cats. And whatever you spend for an engine swap will go straight down the memory hole, without adding any significant resale value to the car. It will still be a seven year old, base-model G37 with 140k miles on it.

My advice for a high-mileage daily driver is to maintain what you have in the most cost-efficient manner possible.

You must be doing something right... 140k miles is pretty impressive.

 

Where are you? In Georgia, many shops will do all of that for under $1,000 of labor, so the total may come out around $1,200 - $1,500 without the cats, so with cats it may be close to $2,000. Just replace everything in there while you have it opens, including the galley gaskets. IMO, after replacing all of that, you will be good until 300,000 miles. Also, if you swapped another engine in, you still would have to replace these parts eventually, so there are no points to waste money on another engine if this engine is still good. However, if the car, in general, is already in bad shape like rusty, dents, broken parts, or leaking everything everywhere, then you should buy a new car.

IMO, the VQ37VHR is a very good engine, so with basic maintenance such as oil change for every 4,000 - 5,000 miles, coolant and transmission fluid change for every 60,000 miles, it should last as long as a Lexus. I have seen many G35 and G37 with over 200,000 miles or even more than 300,000 miles, and they are still running very well.

 

Do you want to change the timing chain and water pump because of leak/ low oil pressure? Or just preventative maintenance?

 

and consider finding a lower mile used engine; crate engine infers that it's a brand new engine to me. $$$$. shops needing some work out there right now will probably offer a good price.

 

Well per maintenance guidelines, 150k miles should be the time to change. Nothing else, car runs smoothly.

 

It isn't my daily driver now and hasn’t been since around 120k miles. Kind of my project car now and I'm not worried about resale value, it is what it is at this point.

 

Actually I'm in California (Maybe I need to update my profile..)
Good information, thanks for this.
The G is in very good condition and I've been taking care of it since I bought it brand new in Oct 2013. Looks like I'm up for a trans fluid change.

 

Just preventative maintenance.

 

Well per maintenance guidelines, 150k miles should be the time to change. Nothing else, car runs smoothly.

 

1200-1500???? Not here in California.... all my quotes were 3500+ (non dealership).. 1200 is a steal and something I would pay every day of the week (twice on sunday). I've had 2 gallery gaskets fail on me... realistically buying a lower milage engine is waaaaaaaay cheaper than having someone try to fix it. when the 2nd gallery gasket went on the 2nd engine I said forget it. lets attack the problem. The problem is the weak paper gallery gaskets put in the engines by Nissan. so I tore my engine apart and and changed it out. Now i'll never have to worry about it again. the upgraded non paper gallery gaskets are like 40 bucks. well worth the money. i'll never have to worry about it again. ive been posting my progress in the coupe section of "what did you do to your car today" if you wanna check out some pictures. my out of pocket cost is like 40 bucks for the gray gasket stuff, and the new gaskets.. the kit comes with better bolts as well.

 

How do you know you need a new timing chain and water pump?
Timing change and water pump replacement it no reason to replace the whole engine...140k is still just a baby, if you replace those parts should easily go over 200k
Check the heat shields over the cats, they probably rusted and are now rattling...just rip the off if they are causing noise

 

Where did you see this?

Nissan/Infiniti has used timing chains for as long as I can remember. If the oil is changed every 4,000 - 7,000 miles, they never need replacement.
My 95 Maxima had 250,000 miles (400,000 KM) with the original timing chain when I sold the car.

 

Good advice. Cat shield rattle is an inevitability on every car. I've lost count on the number of cars I've ripped off a rattling cat shield. (Well... OK, maybe six in the last 30 years.)

AFAIK, the only reason a catalytic converter would start rattling internally is if the catalyst material was damaged by the engine running rich for way too long. So if the OP owned the car since new, has had regular maintenance, and never ran the car for extended periods with a CEL where it just wasn't running right, odds are the cats are fine and it's the shields which are making the noise.