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Going to twin turbo Pathfinder


slick250
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Well, after lots of research and a lot of negative feedback on the subject, I am accepting the challenge of installing the VG30DETT twin turbo engine in my 1995 Pathfinder. I will try to take pics of the project and will be ordering the engine/trans tomorrow to begin my winter project. I mostly use this Pathy for running the sand dunes at Little Sahara State Park so I feel the twin turbo is a great way to build hill shooting power while still keeping it somewhat lightweight....plus I just love turbocharger noise the sand rails make on the dunes, so I hope mine sounds similar.

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Hell the dunes is good a place as any for a turbo. slap some paddles on, them them tires fly and off you go!

I wish you luck on your project and make sure you get pics of the fenderwall clearances and whatever custom manifolds you do up...

Have you measured the DETT at its widest point and your engine bay at its narrowest point?

Will you still have fenderwalls when your done? Or will you manifolds be peaking out from inside the wheel well?

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Hell the dunes is good a place as any for a turbo. slap some paddles on, them them tires fly and off you go!

I wish you luck on your project and make sure you get pics of the fenderwall clearances and whatever custom manifolds you do up...

Have you measured the DETT at its widest point and your engine bay at its narrowest point?

Will you still have fenderwalls when your done? Or will you manifolds be peaking out from inside the wheel well?

 

From my measurement so far, the wheelwells are the least of my worries..LOL

Engine measurement almost same as frame rail width, and may require clearancing of frame...Steering shaft may be a bit of a problem.

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Ah. Someone stuck a VQ45DE in a 2-door WD chassis. THAT was interesting. You'll need to modify the firewall to gain clearance for the crossover pipe and what not, and definitely some other sheet metal and frame work to clear the DOHC heads.

 

I plan on turbo-ing my Z31 MPFI swap in my '88 Pathfinder, the turbo will go right where the AC pump is. I had to cut a huge chunk of the firewall out just to fit the rear of the intake. Enjoy the wiring...

 

Will you keep the factory intercoolers or run without? If so, where are you going to put them? The intercooler tubing? Will you be running the factory turbos? Is it an NA block that you'll be turbo-ing? An NA block makes a sheit load more power than a factory turbo block with less boost. What kind of clutch are you going to run? Are you going to run a 3" exhaust?

 

Good luck with the build and take a lot of pictures.

Edited by Kingman
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From my measurement so far, the wheelwells are the least of my worries..LOL

Engine measurement almost same as frame rail width, and may require clearancing of frame...Steering shaft may be a bit of a problem.

 

Hydro steer? put a ratio box on the firewall where the rag joint would be and the ram up under the frame where the CL would be.

Expensive, but it is a solution...

Ah. Someone stuck a VQ45DE in a 2-door WD chassis

VQ and VK swaps are cool, those aluminum blocks both weigh about the same as the cast-iorn VG block

Edited by MY1PATH
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I honestly don't see the point. It's hard enough to find room in the WD engine bay for one turbo...let alone two tiny T too small's.

 

The DOHC in this application isn't necessarily going to help much, as the SOHC many times will flow better down low (where we need it)

 

To each his own, and good luck with it. I'd settle for having room to stuff a single 50 trim in and call it a day w/o having to use a stupid oil pump to get it back in the pan.

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are you kidding? VG30DE's make just as much power as a VG33E (oooh VG33DE's are fun) and almost as much power and VG30ET's

The DOHC has a much more useable range of power in both turbo and NA versions. We just bash it because we don't have it and its too big to easliy retrofit...

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are you kidding? VG30DE's make just as much power as a VG33E (oooh VG33DE's are fun) and almost as much power and VG30ET's

The DOHC has a much more useable range of power in both turbo and NA versions. We just bash it because we don't have it and its too big to easliy retrofit...

 

I'm well aware of what you are saying.

 

I see this in the KA as well. The SOHC due to the single large exhaust valve, flows better down low due to increased velocity than the DE. It's the difference between sucking through two straws vs one large. Obviously the higher up in the range you go, the DOHC will become more effective.

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I'm gonna have to dis-agree. yes each valve is smaller but if you add up the area of 2 smaller cirlces they can be less than half the size of a larger one and sill flow more. The thing is the DOHC (KA & VG) were nissans turning point into aiming for HIGER rpm power bands(they only went higer from there like the VQ35HR). To get some monster low end torqe out of a VG30DE all you have to do is advance the intake cam by 3-5 degrees and leave the exhaust cam stock.

 

 

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I have seen the VH45 in a WD21 swap and I would strongly recommend against anything like it. You're looking at having to build new frame rails, relocate the firewall and swap out the entire harness and fuel pump. That is after you get all of the drivetrain stuff to mount up which is an adventure in itself. I would personally like to have the VG33ER. Shaping or cutting the hood is much easier than building a new frame.

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Just ordered the VG30DETT today. Engine,5 speed manual, wiring and ECU for $1800 shipped. Going to try to make this happen for about another 1000 to 1500 bucks plus my labor.

 

Going to install a body lift and suspension lift also. It is mostly just to clear larger tires, but might help clearance issues on the swap also.

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I'm gonna have to dis-agree. yes each valve is smaller but if you add up the area of 2 smaller cirlces they can be less than half the size of a larger one and sill flow more. The thing is the DOHC (KA & VG) were nissans turning point into aiming for HIGER rpm power bands(they only went higer from there like the VQ35HR). To get some monster low end torqe out of a VG30DE all you have to do is advance the intake cam by 3-5 degrees and leave the exhaust cam stock.

 

Thankfully, I have no issues with you disagreeing.=)

 

I have yet to decide what I will eventually do to power mine.

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not sure wich method nissan uses but there are several out there;

tapered cam lobes; can be pused side to side by a solenoid so that a differant part of the cam is used in each rpm range.

Hydraulic lock or magnetic lock cam gears; that hold the cam at differant degees depening on magnetic current or oil preassure.

Varible lifters; increase lift when oil ps rises or event timing if a secondary lifter engages.

 

there's more methods out there and I would also like to know which one nissan uses...

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not sure wich method nissan uses but there are several out there;

tapered cam lobes; can be pused side to side by a solenoid so that a differant part of the cam is used in each rpm range.

Hydraulic lock or magnetic lock cam gears; that hold the cam at differant degees depening on magnetic current or oil preassure.

Varible lifters; increase lift when oil ps rises or event timing if a secondary lifter engages.

 

there's more methods out there and I would also like to know which one nissan uses...

 

The VTC (not VVL or VVT) on the VG30DETT and S14 SR only adjust the intake cam timing. The only motor in that genre/time frame that had true VVT or VVL (variable valve lift) as Nissan calls it, was the SR20VE/SR16VE.

Edited by veilside180sx
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Just ordered the VG30DETT today. Engine,5 speed manual, wiring and ECU for $1800 shipped. Going to try to make this happen for about another 1000 to 1500 bucks plus my labor.

 

Going to install a body lift and suspension lift also. It is mostly just to clear larger tires, but might help clearance issues on the swap also.

Awesome! I cant wait to see your progress, post lots of pics as you go. If someone can stuff a chevy V8 in a wd21 your swap should be possible. Have fun with the wiring though!

James

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Awesome! I cant wait to see your progress, post lots of pics as you go. If someone can stuff a chevy V8 in a wd21 your swap should be possible. Have fun with the wiring though!

James

 

The SBC is actually more compact than the VG30DETT, therefore easier to stuff in there.

Edited by veilside180sx
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Will you keep the factory intercoolers or run without? If so, where are you going to put them? The intercooler tubing? Will you be running the factory turbos? Is it an NA block that you'll be turbo-ing? An NA block makes a sheit load more power than a factory turbo block with less boost. What kind of clutch are you going to run? Are you going to run a 3" exhaust?

 

Good luck with the build and take a lot of pictures.

 

SBCs are no where near as wide as a DOHC motor like the VG30DE.

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  • 4 weeks later...

hows that swap coming along got any pics yet ?

 

Project is going slow but sure right now. Been real busy at work, but I have the engine and have been gathering a shopping list of parts needed yet for the project. The stock 3.0L is almost ready to be pulled from the vehicle, and I am getting ready to order the lift kit for the suspension.

 

I need to figure out how to add pictures. Do I have to use an outside host for the pics?

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