350 Engine Swap Thread

[FLApathy]

Drive pullys are different on a 3.3, If you swap the crank you get to use all the 3.0 timing gears and AC/PS/ALT....

 

He beat me to it by a minute...

 

 

 

You cant use the 3.3 crank unless you have it machined to fit the 3.0 pulley. The 3.3 has different water jackets so its just easier to use the the long block. Yes you swap over the 3.0 intake and what not to avoid swapping the ECU and 3.3 harness.

Edited September 19, 2006 by FLApathy

[88pathoffroad]

A-ha! I knew there was something I was forgetting.

[Little Mule]

They did it with a VG33 for the Project Pathfinder on Nissanperformancemag.com. http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/september03/pathfinder/

Okay. Lets drop the 350 idea. I read the series that 88 give the link to above and would more likely try to go a similar route.

 

Since I have the vg30, and not the vg30e, I would need to find the heads from a vg30e and the block from a vg33. I wouldn't want to use my heads because of the different intake and thus I wouldn't get as good of a result. Correct?

 

Second, I noticed that the Catback exhaust systems on the AC website are only for 4 door pathfinders. How difficult would it be to modify to a 2 door?

[88pathoffroad]

The heads are all the same from 87-95 AFAIK. Even on the Maximas and 300Z's with the N/A VG30E. Results may vary, but the increase in displacement will make the difference for you.

 

The cat-back should be exactly the same. The 2-doors were only a few inches off from the 4-doors IIRC. They didn't change much till they came out with the caR50 design.

[Little Mule]

Okay. I've seen mentioned a short block 33 and a long block 33. I didn't know there were 2 different versions. That would be news to me. Which do I want?

 

I've been looking at different forums and different people seem to do an engine swap differently. Some seem to replace just the block with the VG33, and keep the VG30E heads, cams, crank, etc. Others seem to swap the whole VG33 and machine the crank to fit pulley. But this also requires the whole wire harness and ECU swap. Finally, everything I remember reading about this involves a VG30E engine. I don't remember anyone doing it with a VG30i. (although some don't differentiate between the two.) I've read so many forum postings this week that my eyes are getting blurry and I'm having difficulty remembering what I read where.

 

But, I think this what I'd like to try.

1. Take my VG30i heads and TBI off, have LP Performace do the port and polish, and place them on a VG33 block. Also replace the cams with those listed in Project Pathfinder articles from jimwolftechnology.com. Keep the crank from the VG30i.

2. Place the Doug Thorley headers and cat back exhaust listed in the Project Pathfinder articles.

3. Place a mod ECU. Perhaps from Jimwolftechnology.com, or should I have LP Performance reprogram my existing one?

 

By keeping the VG30I heads and TBI, perhaps if LP Performance gets that supercharger out, I can upgrade to that and not have to wait for them to design one for the VG30E heads. It also saves me from having to find VG30E heads.

 

So, does that sound like it will work, or am I forgetting something? Anyone have a VG33 block laying around?

[Little Mule]

Oh, hey! I just hit 100 posts. Do I get a cookie?

[FLApathy]

Ok, a Long Block just means that you have or get a motor that has a block, internals, and heads. A short block means it just has the block with or without the internals.

 

now that we got that out of the way...

 

1) In the end you will be using a VG33E block, heads, pistons, connectiong rods, vavles. You will be useing the VG30(I/E) crank, harmonic balancer, cam and cam gears, pulleys, ac compressor, alternator, and ps pump.

 

2) In order to use the VG33E crank the snout will have to be machined to accept the VG30 harmonic balancer, which lets you use harmonic balancer, cam gears, pulleys, ac compressor, alternator, and ps pump from the VG30

 

3) YOU WILL USE THE VG33E HEADS and the VG30(I/E) INTAKE AND INJECTION to avoid swapping wiring and ecu and and and...

 

4) and yes, keep the VG30 cams and put them in the VG33E HEADS, the VG30(I/E) cams add a bit more power than the VG33E cams

 

so, lets go over it again, VG33 block, pistons, rods, heads, valves. VG30 cams, crank, and pully system, injection and intake manifold

 

 

The guy named Chevyman uses VG30I intake and injection on the VG33E block and heads, he had his crank snout machined so he still has the belt and pully system off his old vg30I.

 

 

 

School Time...

 

If your having some trouble reading all those different engine 'codes' ill let ya in on it....

 

-VG is just the series of motor, they pretty much are all the same with a few minor changes.

 

-The I or E tells what kind of injection method it uses, E means muiltport and I means TBI.

 

-The 30 or 33 means how many liters it is, the 30 is 3.0 and the 33 is 3.3.

 

 

 

copyied from FNT....

 

-- D =DOHC

-- SOHC unless otherwise said

-- V =Variable Vavle Lift (VVL) plus DOHC

 

-- Carburetor unless otherwise said (i.e. VQ30DT)

-- E =Multiport Feul Injection

-- i =Throttle Body Fuel Injection

-- D =Direct Injection

 

--no Forced Induction if not indicated (i.e. VQ30DE)

-- T =single Turbo

-- TT =Twin Turbo

-- R = Supercharger

-- +R = oversized Turbo when used with TT and T

 

 

so a VG33DD+RTT would be a VG series motor with DOHC, direct injection and oversized twin turbos

 

 

 

Great write up on nissan engine codeing

Edited September 24, 2006 by FLApathy

[88pathoffroad]

Also, the VG30 heads are the same from 87-95. The SC fit isses are due to the intake, not the heads.

[94 Pathy Gary]

Okay. I've seen mentioned a short block 33 and a long block 33. I didn't know there were 2 different versions.

 

A block (just a block) is an empty engine block.

 

A short-block is a partially assembled engine, but without heads, oil pan, etc. Basically, it's just the block and rotating assembly.

 

A long-block is a partially asembled engine c/w heads, but it is usually still missing all the covers, oil pan, water pump, etc, as well as the intake. Basically, it's the block, rotating assembly, and heads.

 

This is a rather long winded way of saying that the difference boils down to whether or nor it has heads on it

 

Cheers!

 

Gary

Edited September 25, 2006 by 94 Pathy Gary

[89_trailboss]

do a 3.3 long. machine the crank. use your VG30I heads (slightly better cams then the E series) and keep it TBI. if you have the money, get cams. but I would first start looking into a SC kit. there was a company making one. but who knows what ever happened to that.

[turbopath]

meh, just grab one of those vg30dett's from japan, rip off the stock turbos, mount a single turbo in the back (ala gt30r), and you'll have crazy power all over for the 5k you would have spent on a 350. Lag won't be an issue.

[88pathoffroad]

do a 3.3 long. machine the crank. use your VG30I heads (slightly better cams then the E series) and keep it TBI. if you have the money, get cams. but I would first start looking into a SC kit. there was a company making one. but who knows what ever happened to that.

I've looked through all the specs and all the US-issue cams are the exact same for all the VG30 engines as far as I've seen. Maxima, 300ZX n/a, 200SX(V6), Pathfinder VG30i and E. Just so you know.

[2dr]

meh, just grab one of those vg30dett's from japan, rip off the stock turbos, mount a single turbo in the back (ala gt30r), and you'll have crazy power all over for the 5k you would have spent on a 350.  Lag won't be an issue.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...mMakeTrack=true

 

 

looks like around 1800 to get youy started with a very clean and complete engine. But this would be going the electronic route. Personally I would prefer a carb'd 350, simple=good but turbo engines are just so cool, I have never owned a turbo car and i would love to put that engine in an 88 'finder. Just picture yourself in that mud hole, spool the turbo(s), drop the clutch and let the mud fly...

Edited September 27, 2006 by 2dr