Strange Find on the Motor
 

Anyone have something similar on their car? When I had the plastic covers off the motor during my intake install I noticed this small notch in the metal along where the motor and timing chain cover (I think) mate up. Could this be an issue in the casting or something there by design to allow for an easier seperation of the two components.

It sure doesn't look like it's there by design. Looks more like either something a mechanic did to get quick access to something or maybe a metal-eating beaver attacked your car. My guess is that if it was there on purpose, it would have been cast that way, not hacked out. :(

That was my thinking... car happens to be at the dealer today and I asked him to take the engine cover off and take a look. we'll see what he says.

Definitely a metal eating beaver.

Warranty repair needed asap!

I would say that a mechanic caused that, mostly judging from the rather large bead of grey silicone gasket that is on either side of the notch. Definately have it checking out, but it looks like someone has been in there before. How many miles are on the engine?

:iagree:

Ends up appearing to be normal. Pulled the engine cover off of a brand new 2010 on the dealer lot this afternoon and it had the EXACT same notch (in the same rough looking condition) as mine. Apparently its there so that the mechanic can actual pry the two parts apart because that sloppily applied gray goo is supposedly impossibly to seperate.

Good to know it's normal.

:iagree:

it looks machined in there aand the shiny/ruff area on the top is where the burr was sanded off.

Found this. I believe the evidence is clear and your dealership is lieing.


http://www.box.net/shared/static/faihx9z162.jpg

Well that's it. Proof! haha

The a great Photoshop.... It looks so real. That's a really small beaver by the way. That's like a quarter inch tall at most.

this is a very small variety of beavers. They eat metal, get drunk on ester oil, and smoke crack. All in your engine bay.

Same deal here on our 2010.

Looks normal for cars with wet timing chain covers vs. dry timing belt covers. Gotta break that grey RTV somehow! ;)

looks like a classic metal beaver bite to me.

as long as its not a metal beaver cuz I like my beavers soft.

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/fil..._homer_140.gif BEAVERRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

:icon18:

I'm going to inspect my Mustang for metal-eating beavers. This way we can see if this is a Nissan-specific thing.

But bad to know that this is Nissan's solution to a design oversight? Looks more like a shade tree mechanic quality repair, sad to learn it is from the factory.

The notch was cast in by design. The roughness on the edge is just careless deburring in an area that it does not matter!