Engine Swap Forum

Vary nice broaner.

Ive been meaning to ask you, do you think it would be possible to make a custom oil pan from fwd parts, and if so could it be possible to place the engine better then you have it with the RWD pan?

~Alex

Hmmm...  I'm a bit confused.  Actually, I'm really happy with the newest location. With the Z33 IM I think clearing the stock Silvia hood won't be a problem.  Infact, doing it with the A32 IM is nearly a possibility.  What exactly would you want to change?  You could get a tiny bit lower I think but then you'd have much more serious steering column problems.  Dammit, I knew I missed taking a shot of something.  I wanted to show the mods I did to the drivers exhaust manifold.    Moving the sump to the rear won't work without a dry sump.

More pics. Z33 Stoptech two piece rotors matched to Z32 Aluminum calipers.


Rad is now well mounted. Aluminum coolant lines will be fabbed this week hopefully. I'm going to utilize short couplers going into the rad inlets. Other than that there will be no rubber rad lines. I'm also to see any pics of others' who have come up with creative coolant line configs. Please post 'em up if you've got them.


Kirkey seat is now in and solid. No more flexible flyer fiber@ss POS. I removed the slider rails from the Corbeau bracket I had already. This gave me more helmet room and a much more solid feel.


It seems like lots of people have been requesting engine mount pics through my PM's so...

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Creator of the first VQ Powered S13 Coupe

This is bullsh!t.  Stupid c-hunt won't start.  Last night was shake down night.  Towed it from a stop in 6th gear to build oil pressure slowly and tighten up the chain tensioners.  Got gas during the towing as well.  Then it downpoured on the way back from the station.  First of the problems was dead battery(D@mn 600amp isn't good for troubleshooting.).  Then it was a mad leak in the fuel rail.  Then it was partially clogged fuel filter.  Then I think I melted my starter button and one of my gauges quit working.  Tonight I'm going to focus on the rear crank sensor first as that was the root of my problems before.  I'm gonna pull an all nighter in hopes of getting it running for the Maxus drag day at Byron tomorrow.  I'm ready to switch to a carbed LS2 to alleviate all the continuous electrical BS.  Any votes?

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Creator of the first VQ Powered S13 Coupe

lol. U know the inevitable project problems. Just hang in there. And make sure u post vids!

Kurt

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Argh... guess I'll stick w/ the plan...

broaner do u post on clubfr? touge factory might be able to help u with your wiring problems, they host clubfr. they are really good with wiring. also i would like to ask since your pretty deep in this build. do u think its worth it? i am strongly considering it with turbo, or the ls2.

She's alive!  Turned out to be several issues. First was the wiring.  Then it fired and I imedately knew something was wrong.  There was this horrendous noise coming from the timing chain cover.  I let it run for a couple minutes hoping the tensioners would take care of the noise.(This odd noise has happened to me before but never this loud.)  I shut it off and realize only one bank is hot.  The right side was stone cold.  I'm p!ssed now because the noise was coming from the same side as the dead bank.  I fear the worst immediately and pull the IM off.  Sure enough the valves do not move during cranking.  I'm p!ssed now.  So I proceed to pull the VC and TC cover off.  The end of the intake cam fXcking snapped.(Pics coming)  I replace it and button it back up.  At which point it fires on the first crank.

Don't mind my raging previous comments.  I was very frustrated.  If you are going to keep a stock frame setup I would definitely not recomend any sort of small block setup.  Shoehorning those motors in would be a bear when working with stock engine bay confines. 

So, is it worth it?  Yes, either way, (turbo VQ or LS-?) is going to be roughly the same price.  And all the while the VQ will be lighter.  Sure a carbed version of the LS would be much simpler on the electrical side but the power potential and throttle response just won't be there unless you do some crazy quad two barrel setup.  Saturday I spent most of the day running through the wiring harness and cleaning it up.  Now I'm very confident that it will be reliable.  The 124 pin main ECU plug is now down to about 45 wires.  And the only connection I have is for 12v source. 

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Creator of the first VQ Powered S13 Coupe

thats awesome. you should post some of your progress on clubfr.net man. show them this great work. this is really great as the few swaps ive seen seem really succesful and so im sold. i would rather have turbo over NA. and i wold like to keep it nissan.

Thanks man.  I'll have to check that out sometime.

For anyone who's interested I did a little writeup'ish type thread on the .org.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=527388

 

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Creator of the first VQ Powered S13 Coupe

Looking good bro , continu the goood work

 

the car look sick , nice choice of part too !!

No serious updates as of late.

For fall this year I had the Tomcat dyno'ed to give me a heads up on how much more power I need to be satisfied with the car. Its already close to quick enough for me so this lets me know that I just need to do simple things like the correct IM and cams. Power was 181 WHP and 202 WTQ on a Dynodynamics dyno.

 

The main reason that the work on the car hasn't continued is that I haven't had a shop to work in since moving into my new house. On the floor I used Rustoleum's Two Part Epoxy. Seems to be really nice stuff. Prep is super important for good laydown.

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Creator of the first VQ Powered S13 Coupe

Looks like nice stuff. I was wondering when we were going to see more updates. I love your car. I would be doing the same except for the fact that I have no DD.

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S13 Fastback...putting the chassis together.

Suspension before power!

broaner, have you ever used the cheap ebay Z33 headers? I know they wont clear the steering shaft, but if one moved the steering shaft, or cut one runner off the header and made it take a new path, would it clear? Reason I ask is Im going with an NA VQ30DE-K and Id almost have to have decent headers to have the top end Im after.

Im thinking VQ30DE with:
DEK manifold
3.5L stock cams
HR valvesprings
rev up oil pump

Now I was thinking of getting ebay knock off cams after I got everything running or I found a deal on the org or something but mainly starting off with 3.5L cams.

And do you think I can bolt the dek manifold on backwards?  I dont not want a Z33 IM, decent Im but Id rather build my own if the DEK doesnt work.

I was hoping for 220WHP with 3.5L cams, but after seeing your 3.5L with 3L cams and intake manifold I'm not sure. I guess 200whp would be alot more fun then my current 116 (funny thing is the VG30E 90 5spd maxima makes 117 same dyno same conditions LOL! lot more tq too) so not a big thing.

I was going to do a KA-T setup this year ( I really cant kill this engine) but it would be about $1000 to do that, and thats a good chunk of the VQ swap, so Im going to start working on that. Id have 275WHP/275WTQ with the KA-T but the VQ will handle alot better and get me started on the eventual goals. Plus the VQ sounds 100X better then the KA too.

Any way just want to get your thoughts on the reverse mounted dek manifold and the ebay headers.

~Alex

I'd say start with OE Z33 exhaust manifolds man.  When putting aftermarket headers on Z's people don't see a really significant gain.  Even with a really well setup 30 I don't think you'd reach to flow limits of the OE manifolds. 

I like the components you've listed for your buildup but may I suggest something.  If you used a 35 longblock you wouldn't have to switch valvesprings and thats a lot of saved work.  Also the 35 oil pump is generally considered to be better than a 30.  Another thing you wouldn't have to change out. 

About the IM; a DE-K will definitely not clear any sort of normal S chassis hood(Especially backwards).  Plus I don't think the TB throat will clear the timing chain cover.  I tried it with the 30 USIM and it wouldn't work.  TB placement on the 30 IM and DE-K are very similar.  Similar to the exhaust manifolds, I don't think a 30 could reach the flow limits of the Z33 plenum.  Even though the OE IM isn't a fabulous piece it is awesome at doing 260wheel all day long and it can be had for $100 at a yard.

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Creator of the first VQ Powered S13 Coupe

Well from all Ive read from nismosleeper and SR20DEN etc the VQ30 valve springs are the same if not stiffer as VQ35 springs but the 35 vavles are lighter, slightly.. Id REALLY like to find some stock VK45DE valves as they are similar diameter but Ti! The HR spring are cheap and work so I'll get those.

Id buy a VQ35HR oil pump either way, its only $75 and good insurance. Although I think dandy max broke his HR pump as well revving to 8K so that worries me. I'll probably keep it to 7500/7700.

I'm not really worried about the flow limits of the stock manifolds I'm thinking of the power band. But thats something I can mess with after the swap is finished. But your right they look fine after looking at some dynos. Stock ex manifolds it is.

For an intake manifold, you might just force me into making some ITB's....long runner ones with bike throttle bodies. IDK but Ive seen some ITB setups and a properly done one can make lots of mid and top end power. Ive never seen a z33 at the junkyard so IDK, and I'm not going to pay $300 for one, I can make ITBs for less then that. And you still have to space the hood alot. I don't want to do that.

The thing is you compromise the back of the hood space with the Z33 IM and the front of the enigine/middle of the hood with the USIM/DEK manifold. Theres got to be room some where for an IM....

One thing I want to do though is get the rotating assembly balanced checked. I don't want to spin it to those RPM's constantly (drifting/autox) with out making sure. Or do you think a stock DE can do that? I know nissans are balanced very well from the factory, but I don't want this blowing up mid season.

I do want to disassemble the VQ I end up with, replace the rings and clean up and port match the heads. Do you think there is any gain to porting? I know the VQ35 heads out flow supra heads that are fully ported, and I know the 3L heads flow pretty well but not 3.5L territory.

~Alex

Dandymax used the "Rev up" oil pump. I think someone looked at the HR pump and said it would not fit, but you can always try.

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93 S13 Coupe SE VQ35 6mt
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2619993
Coming soon