pathfinder vs. maxima engine

[ditchdiggerjcf]

Hey guys, how much difference is there betweeen a maxima engine and a pathfinder engine. They are both early 90's vg30e. I can see that the injection is different, and the oil filter adapter. Also, there are some lines that come off the passenger side valve cover and go to the back of the maxima engine. What's up with those? How much of a difference is there in HP between the two engines? Thanks for the help.

[Kingman]

They are pretty much the same, just a few things were moved around when adapting it to be in a front wheel drive platform. The injection shouldn't be different, since the are both MPFI VG30E engines. But there were probably little things changed hereand there, and I also think that the Maxima engine is rated closer to 160hp instead of 153 but that's something to research.

 

Now the VQ30DE in the 1995+ Maximas are twin cam and pack a serious punch with 190hp and 202ft/lbs of torque. But that's not what you were asking. I thought I'd just share that anyways.

Edited July 3, 2009 by Kingman

[unccpathfinder]

i built an 86 maxima engine up for a 94 pathy...both were VG's

 

to make it work in your truck you have to swap the oil pans, relocate the dipstick tube, swap intakes, swap mounting brackets for accessories and engine mounts, pilot bushings may be different so they need to be swapped...one thing to verify is the snout length on the front of the crank shaft...

 

On my engine I didnt want to pull the crank gear and swap out the aluminum timing belt case so to get the correct water pump I had to get a 2wd D21 water pump. For the timing belt you need to verify what type of gears you have on the cams/crank if you get square but have round on your current engine I would suggest swapping them out so you have a longer interval between changing the timing belt...

 

Pretty much all VG engines have the same block castings and the different applications use different mounts, pans and intakes

[MY1PATH]

the Intake manifold on the pathfinders (both 3.0 & 3.3) is something that has been uniqe to the d21, r50 & r51 platforms. The long runner design as been swaped on to z31's 2's and maximas (w/ a litte hood modifacation) to get away from the boxy and short runner square tube mainifolds.

this may be what you had mistaken for injection. the lower manifold is pretty much the same and the injection stayed the same but possible w/ differant fuel rails to dance arround differant upper manifolds.

the maxima got more power out of a lighter drivetrain, gear ratios (less weight so it can run 3.70 gears instead of 4.36) and differant ecu tuning.

[ditchdiggerjcf]

Hey guys, how much difference is there betweeen a maxima engine and a pathfinder engine. They are both early 90's vg30e. I can see that the injection is different, and the oil filter adapter. Also, there are some lines that come off the passenger side valve cover and go to the back of the maxima engine. What's up with those? How much of a difference is there in HP between the two engines? Thanks for the help.

So there is no real advantage to replacing my engine with one from a maxima. What about an engine from a 300zx?

[MY1PATH]

So there is no real advantage to replacing my engine with one from a maxima. What about an engine from a 300zx?

same thing;

the z31 300zx is the same vg30e but with a box mainifold

the z32 300zx is a vg30de which had wider(DOHC) heads put out quite a bit more but has been rumored to bee too wide to fit in a pathy.

 

a z31 turbo would work if you moved it to a down-stream turbo rather than a manifold turbo but then it might get whacked on the trail.

If your looking for and easy bolt to your tranny engine swap go with the r50 and r51 (pathinfinder & fronter/xterra) vg33 block. keep all your manifolds and electrical so you can run the stock ecu but with 10% more displacement you'll get 10% more power.

 

or.... VG33ER; supercharged found in the 02 special edtions put out like 250 ftlbs add a cam, pulley and headders and you'll prolly have the fastest vg pathfinder arround.

Edited July 5, 2009 by MY1PATH

[jbdevega]

I own a 97 Maxima and a 95 Pathfinder, and first thing i did was give the egines a good over looks.

 

they both seem to be the same block, but beyond that everything else appears to be different. i imagine they both create the same amount of power and torque but the maxima seems more powerful because its dramatically lighter.

[MY1PATH]

I own a 97 Maxima and a 95 Pathfinder, and first thing i did was give the egines a good over looks.

 

they both seem to be the same block, but beyond that everything else appears to be different. i imagine they both create the same amount of power and torque but the maxima seems more powerful because its dramatically lighter.

your 97 maxima is a VQ30DE, Very diffeant; 10:1 compression ratio, 190 HP 217ftlbs. It is an "open deck" block whereas the VG was a closed deck. the list of differances prolly goes on...

[ditchdiggerjcf]

same thing;

the z31 300zx is the same vg30e but with a box mainifold

the z32 300zx is a vg30de which had wider(DOHC) heads put out quite a bit more but has been rumored to bee too wide to fit in a pathy.

 

a z31 turbo would work if you moved it to a down-stream turbo rather than a manifold turbo but then it might get whacked on the trail.

If your looking for and easy bolt to your tranny engine swap go with the r50 and r51 (pathinfinder & fronter/xterra) vg33 block. keep all your manifolds and electrical so you can run the stock ecu but with 10% more displacement you'll get 10% more power.

 

or.... VG33ER; supercharged found in the 02 special edtions put out like 250 ftlbs add a cam, pulley and headders and you'll prolly have the fastest vg pathfinder arround.

The girlfriend just bought a miata, and since we are soon to be married, it looks like kids will be along in the not too distant future. The way I figure it, the only family car we will have will be my pathfinder. Since it looks like I will have to keep it at least 4 more years(length of loan on the miata), I would like it to do a little better job pulling my bassboat.