Vq35de Engine Swap

[Orangetang]

I don't have any time to post pics at the moment, but I will later on.

 

Basically I started this swap blind, and was hoping to pull most of the front of the pathfinder off and just slide the engine out through the grill. However, most of you probably already know that the rad support is spot welded into place, aswell as the AC condensor has a steel line on the lower drivers side which I can't move....

 

So basically, I've pulled the bumper, headlights, grill, radiator, plenum/intake, wiring harness, hood, AC pump and all hoses and lines. I can't reach the manifold bolts that are behind the

O2 sensors, without removing the heatshields which are equally impossible to remove becuase of limited space and badly corroded bolts. Should I unbolt the manifold directly from the side of the engine instead?

 

Secondly and thirdly, the top tranny bolts are near impossible to get to. I removed the intake/plenum hoping it would free up some room, but no. This makes me think that I'll need to drop the front diff, and slide the transmission forward just to undo it, then lift the motor out and drop the new one in.

 

Any advice would be great I'm a little confused of how this is supposed to go down... er out.

 

No haynes or chilton yet, right?

Edited May 29, 2007 by Orangetang

[Casey.T]

Secondly and thirdly, the top tranny bolts are near impossible to get to. I removed the intake/plenum hoping it would free up some room, but no. This makes me think that I'll need to drop the front diff, and slide the transmission forward just to undo it, then lift the motor out and drop the new one in.

Equally PITA on the WD's... try piecing a couple or several extensions together with a Swivle/Wable and go at them from underneath and back about a 2' or so. You might need an extra set of eyes and hands to help guide you onto the bolts.....

[nissandoms47]

You waisted a lot of time taking the front end off. I would remove the front diff and take the motor mounts out with the engine. Taking the diff out gives you direct access to those bolts. As for the top tranny bolts you need like a ton of extentions and a universal or 2. Make sure you take out the torque converter bolts. As for the exhaust unbolt them from where the cat meets the downpipe.

[XPLORx4]

I agree with Alex. It looks like the entire engine, tranny, t-case, diff, and subframe were assembled as a unit, then lifted up into the chassis all at once on the factory assembly line. It's very unlikely that the motor was dropped in from above, as you often see with typical motor swaps.

[Orangetang]

I was hoping to get online sometime during the day to check this thread... Anyway, I ended up figuring out the use of a swivel and 4 extensions to be perfect for removing the top passenger side tranny bolt, but the other one is impossible to get to from underneath. I bent and welded a weird shaped 11/16th wrench to go in from the top, which worked until it broke. Other than that, I dropped the front diff, and removed every bolt I think I need to except the one drivers side top tranny bolt which I hope to get out on Thursday.

 

As for pulling the diff completely, that isn't a bad idea. Maybe I will for the install half of this.

 

As for removing the front end stuff... I was hoping to get that rad support and AC system completely out of the way, which I only realised to be more work than necessary... Pulling the engine out through the rad would have been nicer than lifting it out, but oh well... Time will tell.

 

 

Thanks everyone for your advice. I hope that bolt doesn't cause too much trouble. I'm dreading the time when I need to put them back in.......

 

-edit- I removed the exhaust at the cats aswell. All six nuts came off without any trouble at all. So far I've only broken a stud and a bolt. Neither of which are needed for the re-assembly.

Edited May 22, 2007 by Orangetang

[Orangetang]

All tranni bolts, out, front axle removed, engine mount bolts removed and ready to lift, and I noticed through the starter housing that there are bolts in the flex plate that need to be removed. That would be fine and dandy except the engine is siezed. So I decided to remove the oil pan, and whatever is seized, be it a piston or whatever, or just the crankshaft all together. Oil pan wont come out. It gets hung up on the stiffiner, which is bolted in retardly tightly with torx bolts. I'm kind of stuck now. I tried to smash the oilpan apart with a pipe and sledge but its actually quite sturdy. This is a total piss-off project. What should I try next? I'm thinking if I drain the transmission and remove the cooling lines the pan might come out over the steering.

[nissandoms47]

you will have to do what i did, remove the torque converter with the engine very carefully. Then destroy the engine. I had to disassemble my entire old engine to get the torque converter off. Piston rods 1 and 2 were thrown. Rod 1 was jammed between cylinder 1 and 2 in a U shape. But make sure when you take the torque converter out with the engine that you replace the input shaft seal. I didnt notice that i ripped mine or whatever and my tranny started leakin bad.

[Orangetang]

Would it just slide out on the spline? I'm guessing the TC is fairly thick, it must be tight for room to have the engine slide forward enough for the TC to make it out of the bell housing. How'd it go for you?

 

I referenced service manual AT-286 which shows it more or less just coming straight off. I'll want to drain it first?

[nissandoms47]

Its a whole lot easier then in real life. Just trying to get the heavy engine out of the engine bay is tough enough, trying to take it out with a torque converter attached it even more difficult. You dont need to drain it. But what I was saying was that even tho the TC just slides off the splines, if you put any other kind of force on the input shaft, like up and down or side to side it'll mess something up. For me it messed up the input shaft seal. The only kind of force you want to put on that input shaft is outward force.

[Orangetang]

Thanks!

 

I decided to give it a try, and after realising I was only mostly hung-up on the transmission dipstick bracket, the tranni and engine seperated and lifted out very easily. We're now transferring some pieces between the engines such as lines and brackets that were not included, or damaged on the one from the wrecker, etc. I'll probably use the sensors, injectors and stuff but keep the old stuff for spares or troubleshooting. A mystery wire on the alternator has shown up...I hope someone can identify it. I can't figure out where it goes, if it even does... With the engine on a stand, it was easy to tear apart the bottom end and see what was going on. Two piston rods are bent, one not as bad as the other, and the worst having a small notch taken out of it by the crank counterweight. Also, the oil director in that cylinder is broken off. Totally rebuildable I figure, but I'll just cash in for the core I think. Pics...

 

The alternator wire is in the picture. It comes out of the harness that connects to the alternator, and is about a 20guage or so tiny ted wire. I wonder if it was ever connected to anything at all... Or one of the screws on the alternator... Any help would be great. A poor photo I realise, but it's a camera phone and dark...

[02silverpathy]

The alternator wire is in the picture. It comes out of the harness that connects to the alternator, and is about a 20guage or so tiny ted wire. I wonder if it was ever connected to anything at all... Or one of the screws on the alternator... Any help would be great. A poor photo I realise, but it's a camera phone and dark...

 

 

Since I don't have this rig yet, I am only guessing........BUT ! I would guess that this wire runs directly to the ECU so that the trucks computer "knows" what voltage/amperage the aly is putting out as well as regulating the current for itself, hence tiny tiny wire....an alternator remote wire if you will. My BMW has this same wire that taps into the crimp connector on the alty. WAY TO GO MAN!! Tear that thing down!

[Orangetang]

I was also thinking that is what it was, but it doesn't appear to have been pulled out of any connectors... It doesn't exactly reach any.... I'll have to investigate further. On my way to buy belts, gaskets etc... Just looking up some torque specs and i'll hopefully have it in by the end of the day.

[Orangetang]

Thanks everyone for the help. The engine started up on the first try yesterday and the only thing I broke on the install was the AC pulley, which has been ordered. I re-used the exhaust gaskets and they aren't making any noise yet, so I hope they're good to go. For coolant gaskets, I used "Right Stuff" by permatex. Now to put the heavy front diff/axle in which I'm waiting on help with, return the winch I destroyed and install my OME lift which is still in the box.

 

Thanks again.