zendriver Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Is this doable with a relatively low amount of grief compatible wise ? The 02' is a manual 87' automatic Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrariowner123 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 While it is, TECHNICALLY possible, i really wouldn't do it for our rigs. For the money i would just get a facelifted Pathfinder and throw a centrifugal supercharger on it, something off a Z car, and make it work. While the VQ does fit in our rigs, EVERYTHING is different. Trans, transfer case, axles, new interior pieces to make the parts function as intended from factory. Its a big list, and since there isn't a huge demand (if any) for this swap, parts are pricy as they are marketed at people who need the parts to fix their existing rig, so they go for retail prices. I've seen short blocks go for $500!! you could get a whole VG with accessories for that! The only way i see it being a viable option is if you scored a wrecked (preferably rear end collision) face lifted pathfinder with all of the wiring, sensors, and anything else you might need right there. Plus you can part out what you don't need. I did this with a buddy with an 87 BMW 325is. He paid $700 for a damaged car. Kept the engine, diff, driveshaft, much of the interior and few other misc things and ended up selling the parts he replaced out of his car and what was left from the parted car. He was left with a bout $3,000 in his pocket! Now i attach this with a warning, part outs are VERY tempting, if you have the space and patience for it. When that same friend moved to Korea, we parted his current car to help fund the trip. We ripped the thing down to its most valuable pieces in two afternoons in my driveway, and scraped the shell. Put everything in a storage unit close to my house and put everything that we had on craigslist. It took 6 months before we had enough of the stuff sold to where i could move the handful of items left into my house and wait for the last of the items to be sold. Keep in mind also, that E30's are cult cars, with HUGE followings and being practically a classic, are always needing parts, so there is a healthy market for them. The same cannot be said of Pathfinders. While there is a good crowd on here, and people who are looking for parts (me included), you would never to be able to sell EVERYTHING in a reasonable time and make some of the money back. So yeah, that's just my opinion on the matter. I day dream constantly of putting some sort of V8 power plant in my pathy. Something with lots of grunt, tons of torque down low, and a freeway gearing, because i plan on keep my rig forever. and will drive it as much as possible. Thats what i would do. The LQ4 and LQ9's from the GM trucks are readily avialable are a well known for reliabilty, and are basically just IRON versions of GM's famous LS engines. The same engines found in the Corvette, Camero, and just about every competitive Formula D drift car you will find. Hope that helps, i hate being the bearer of bad news, but i'd rather see someone put their time and effort into something that they will actually enjoy, since pathfinders are usually people's DD's or trail rigs and need to be reliable. -Kyle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jyeager Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It sounds like Kyle took you to mean turning a '97 into an '02 completely! I think you were asking if you can put an '02 engine in your '97. But he did include the answer there, in that it uses a different bell-housing. But I wouldn't be surprised if there were other incompatibilities in the sensors (I do NOT know that, just something to look out for) If you want more power, there are probably other good options that don't require retrofit headaches. What are your goals? What has you thinking of an '02 engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendriver Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'm sorry I just meant pulling an engine out of s wrecked 02' and putting it in a nice 97' Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Doing so means an entire retrofit unfortunately. There's zero shared parts between the two. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendriver Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 I did not realize there were two different engines. Was the last year for the 3.3 1999? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96Pathfinder4x4 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I thought about this at one point also...more power. It might be cheaper and easier to buy the newer model and swap all your parts to it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendriver Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 Even though I have almost 300,000 on a 97 is in super shape with the exception of a camshaft is seized up from the distributor locking up. I just want to build it up for a winter beater for a wife who can't drive her sports car in the snow Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3DN1CK Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 10/95-07/02 - VG33E 0100+ - VQ35DE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferrariowner123 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Doing so means an entire retrofit unfortunately. There's zero shared parts between the two. I thought about this at one point also...more power. It might be cheaper and easier to buy the newer model and swap all your parts to it.... I suppose i could have just said this. Im sorry if i caused confusion with my post, i was just trying to give you the scope of the project that was required. I need to stop coming on here after taking my sleeping pills, lol -Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 You just need to stop taking sleeping pills... 10/95-07/02 - VG33E 0100+ - VQ35DE I'm not sure what this was supposed to mean, but US Pathfinder model years 1996-2000 had the VG33 motor, 2001-2004 had the VQ35. B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltaR50 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) do it why not. if yuo have everything you need i dont see its not possible. its the same chassis. only thing i would see need to work on is the harness and pipings. if this was done by someone and actually have a first hand experience doing it and actually failed then i would probably listen, but if its not. go for it Edited July 27, 2015 by deltaR50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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