My Mazworx adaptor plate finally made it in. Took 3 months for it to come off back-order.
So I continued working on the swap.

Does anyone need any parts from the automatic before I toss it?
What parts do i need to keep?

here are some pictures:

haha good job, i installed my clutch pedal without removing the dash also. i opted for a 240 clutch pedal and master as they were already spare parts laying around and kept the stock brake pedal.
[QUOTE=Jtmroczk;259441]
the pedal ended up a little high, but I just had an extension welded on





If you reshape the trans tunnel well enough you should be able to make use of the stock Q45 transmission bracket, a friend helping out the night it all went in told me about another guys car out in St. Pete that came together the same way with a Z32 transmission


Before you take your Q45 starter out, bolt up your new Z32 bell housing and see if it fits around the stock Q45 starter. I used the stock starter with my swap and was curious of it could be done with a Z32 transmission also?

hmm, i took out my stock g50 starter, but i went back and looked; the mazqworx adaptor blocks the stock starter, no go there.

did you use an extender for your clutch bearing? mazworx has one, but i didn't get it.

did you have to modify your exhaust?

what wiring did you do to make it run?

how is the speedometer?

any help or tips would be great, as i have only 3 half days to work on this and i want to get it all done in one swoop.

thanks!!!!!!!!

hrmm, i just noticed you have pre-cats. I don't. interesting.... is your car a 95 or 96?

subtle_driver wrote:hrmm, i just noticed you have pre-cats. I don't. interesting...

Was your engine replaced with a JDM take-out? As far as I know, all USDM Q45's had pre-cats, but cars for other markets did not.

Heath

Subtle_driver, is your car perhaps a Canadian-market car? You can usually tell by the emission sticker, or Carfax it...

Not sure why, but all the g50 1990-92 have no pre-cats in the junkyard here. they look just like mine.

My car has a normal smog sticker, and has a normal engine. The vin checks out as a normal base model.

anyways, I'm going to install the modified clutch pedal tomorrow, and the hard lines, along with the flywheel, clutch, transmission, adapt the crossmember, and get measurements for the custom driveshaft. If the exhaust needs modification I'll do that at this point for starter clearance.

If i have more time, I will bang the crap out of the floor pan and possibly cut the engine starter bracket (according to mazworx instructions) so the starter will fit, cut a hole for the shifter and wire it up.

while I wait for the driveshaft, I'll install the timing chain guides and install the lower dash cover and components.

Then I will install the adjustable front and rear control arms, and the tension rods. and set the front to-2 and the rear to -1 degrees.

You mean 1990-1993?

All United States Domestic Market Infiniti Q45's have pre cats, Junk Yards remove them to make money.

subtle_driver wrote:Not sure why, but all the g50 1990-92 have no pre-cats in the junkyard here. they look just like mine.

How many are there in that junkyard? What state are you in?

subtle_driver wrote:hmm, i took out my stock g50 starter, but i went back and looked; the mazqworx adaptor blocks the stock starter, no go there.

well that sucks, but maybe with some grinding of the adapter plate? The starter itself doesn't take up much space off the side of the ring gear.

subtle_driver wrote:did you use an extender for your clutch bearing? mazworx has one, but i didn't get it.

nope, I used an N/A flywheel with the Q45 ring rear and the stock starter but thats all in conjunction with the Z33 transmission stuff, you'll probably need to call Mazworx and have them send that spacer.

subtle_driver wrote:did you have to modify your exhaust?

nope, i could be running the full stock exhaust with all of stock mounts, IIRC Elwesso only had clearence

subtle_driver wrote:what wiring did you do to make it run?

just start messy like this to make sure it runs,

if you open the picture in a new tab on your browser and you can see the green and black wires picture again in the middle coming from the same cluster of connectors. The other wires are blue and yellow for constant Park and a two wire(black/white) plug from the starter, just jump this plug as shown and and give it a test start. The transmission malfunction light should have disappeared from the dash if you did it right. if it all works, redo wiring ahead of the harness plugs and pull it all up into the car.

subtle_driver wrote:how is the speedometer?

hahaha haven't rewired that yet

subtle_driver wrote:any help or tips would be great, as i have only 3 half days to work on this and i want to get it all done in one swoop.

what i posted about the transmission bracket yesterday and the wiring above should save you hours.

subtle_driver wrote:thanks!!!!!!!!

good luck

subtle_driver wrote:hrmm, i just noticed you have pre-cats. I don't. interesting.... is your car a 95 or 96?

94

Infinitiguy19 wrote:You mean 1990-1993?

All United States Domestic Market Infiniti Q45's have pre cats, Junk Yards remove them to make money.

I said 90-92 because mid 93 had changes. I separate those in a sub category.

the junkyard can't remove the pre-cat if its not there. they all have regular downpipes like mine. I live in San Diego. you can see my sig.

There are usually 6-10 q45's over here at one time.

JTMROCZK, thank you for all that usefull info! You are the bomb dot com!

This may answer some questions about the starter working or not. I can't cut the adapter, that is where one of the bolts goes through.

subtle_driver wrote:

Infinitiguy19 wrote:You mean 1990-1993?

All United States Domestic Market Infiniti Q45's have pre cats, Junk Yards remove them to make money.

I said 90-92 because mid 93 had changes. I separate those in a sub category.

the junkyard can't remove the pre-cat if its not there. they all have regular downpipes like mine. I live in San Diego. you can see my sig.

There are usually 6-10 q45's over here at one time.

JTMROCZK, thank you for all that usefull info! You are the bomb dot com!

I find it offensive and pleasing at the same time that you think the 1993 Q45 fits in its own category.

If thats so then this is how the Q45's should be split up:

1990

1991

1992

1993

Because all the above Q45's had changes which made each one different.

What changed from 91 to 92?

subtle_driver wrote:This may answer some questions about the starter working or not. I can't cut the adapter, that is where one of the bolts goes through.

yep that does it, awesome thanks

good stuff man, keep posting your progress up

goody90q45 wrote:What changed from 91 to 92?

Some software changes on Control Units, The door lock timer is different on some late '92 Q45's.

Got some work done tonight:
Installed new rear main seal (old one not leaking; did anyways),Installed the flywheel, pulled the automatic trans "bushing" from the crankshaft, clutch, pressure plate, trans adapter, cut the starter "loop" for z32 starter clearance, air hammered in the passenger foot well 2 inches for starter clearance, air hammered in the transmission tunnel for shifter clearance, removed lower-right engine brace for starter clearance, drilled holes for the shifter, cut off the right exhaust down-pipe for starter clearance.






































I'm going to make a custom bracket for the q45 transmission cross-member so i can reuse it. I'll show you later when it's done. Stock drive-shaft is just 4 inches too short, DOH! ordering custom drive-shaft locally.

Still need to wire it, and install the custom clutch pedal assy.

And install the metal backed timing chain guides.

Re-flash the ECU on the dyno. I'm hoping for at least 20-30 more hp to the wheels.

Woo!!! getting close!

Did final modifications to the Clutch pedal assy. Installed hard line and slave cylinder, waiting on drive-shaft to be made. Still waiting for the rest of the adjustable control arms and the timing guides.

Also had to clean off j+b weld from the clutch pedal, the last guy had some ricer aluminum pedals. Ordered new pad.

You guys that have already finished the swap.

Have you had any issue with the firewall flexing when using the clutch pedal?

Different car, but a lot of the 5th Gen Prelude guys that did auto-manual swaps had issues with tearing the firewall unless they reinforced it where the pedal assembly attached.

It was later discovered that Honda actually put some extra material on the firewall in the manual cars.

DeatschWerks wrote:You guys that have already finished the swap.

Have you had any issue with the firewall flexing when using the clutch pedal?

Different car, but a lot of the 5th Gen Prelude guys that did auto-manual swaps had issues with tearing the firewall unless they reinforced it where the pedal assembly attached.

It was later discovered that Honda actually put some extra material on the firewall in the manual cars.

I found that the stock firewall on the Q is pretty thick. However, on my car we used the stock bolt locations for the E brake bracket and fabbed up something that way... That way theres not as much force being applied on the firewall..

Subtle_driver... looks good, did you run into any issues with the tunnel needing to be cut in order to line everything up perfect.

elwesso wrote:

DeatschWerks wrote:You guys that have already finished the swap.

Have you had any issue with the firewall flexing when using the clutch pedal?

Different car, but a lot of the 5th Gen Prelude guys that did auto-manual swaps had issues with tearing the firewall unless they reinforced it where the pedal assembly attached.

It was later discovered that Honda actually put some extra material on the firewall in the manual cars.

I found that the stock firewall on the Q is pretty thick. However, on my car we used the stock bolt locations for the E brake bracket and fabbed up something that way... That way theres not as much force being applied on the firewall..

Subtle_driver... looks good, did you run into any issues with the tunnel needing to be cut in order to line everything up perfect.

I may install a brace from the firewall to the strut tower later, but for now its pretty good. I have a big bolt on the top of the pedal assembly going into the cross bar, it is the same one that is used by the brake pedal. So a lot of the load is taken up there.

But still, good point. I'll just have to make a piece that goes from bottom of the master cylinder and bolts onto the strut tower. I might also add more rigidity and spread the load out with a piece of thick sheet metal that goes on the inside of the firewall and weld it in place.

The o2 sensors are definitely easier to get to without the automatic transmission. But There is no need to replace them now, because they are reacting fast and accurately according to my wideband and Nissan Consult. I'll mess with them later, I'm broke from all the money needed for the custom driveshaft, adjustable control arms and the timing components. lol

Here are the adjustable control arms and tension rods I ordered.

The tension rods are made in USA and machined from stainless steel, no aluminum.
The upper camber arms are forged steel, and ball bearings instead of bushings, and the ruca's are double reinforced with stainless ball joints.

The driveshaft will be done Tues, $485.00 ouch! there goes my paycheck The timing chain guides are coming from New York, they are going to be here Monday...
You have to buy tension rods or the ball bearings will fail early on the front upper control arms. There cannot be any for/aft movement.

The timing chain kit came in early, so I worked on that, THANK GOD I DID!
MY 1990 Q45 has 118,000 miles. But look at the plastic guides! pieced them together like a puzzle and I'm missing two, 1 inch segments. Prolly in the oil pan stuck in the pick-up. I need to pull the pan soon.

You can see grooves sliced into the oil pump.

Does this increase the value of my Q45, having done the guides and converting to a 5-speed, in case I decide to sell it...

anyways, here are some pictures.

Ya, I was thinking to do that, But I'll wait till it starts to leak. It will only take 10 minutes to change, lol! I am low on funds, so I have no choice.
Just picked up the custom made one-piece driveshaft with spicer joints from SHAFT MASTERS on 11th ave in National City, ca! They know what they are doing!

subtle_driver wrote:Ya, I was thinking to do that, But I'll wait till it starts to leak. It will only take 10 minutes to change, lol! I am low on funds, so I have no choice.
Just picked up the custom made one-piece driveshaft with spicer joints from SHAFT MASTERS on 11th ave in National City, ca! They know what they are doing!

shaft masters is a very good place to get driveshafts from what ive heard... did you get a 1 piece?

here are some pictures, you will see it is a one-piece, feels 75% lighter.

I GOT MY SHAFT FROM SHAFT MASTER in National City, CA San Diego. 619-474-2408! Mention SD Club Racing and get a lower price. They are sponsoring us!

Made a custom bracket for the transmission, and for the clutch slave.

rabsusa wrote:is the one piece drive shaft same dimensions as the old one? meaning can old still be used after mod??

rob - now i want to do this and add turbo hehehe

The driveshaft needs to be just a bit longer. I dont know about the 6 speed, but with the 5 speed it just needed to be 6 inches longer.

I kept my stock 2 piece and just made the front section longer...

elwesso wrote:

rabsusa wrote:is the one piece drive shaft same dimensions as the old one? meaning can old still be used after mod??

rob - now i want to do this and add turbo hehehe

The driveshaft needs to be just a bit longer. I dont know about the 6 speed, but with the 5 speed it just needed to be 6 inches longer.

I kept my stock 2 piece and just made the front section longer...

same here for the six speed, just had the front section extended a few inches

The shaft was 63 inches i believe. from the facing of the rear flange, to the base of the front spline, the spline extends a few inches in the transmission. the total measurement from the transmission seal to the diff flange was 64 inches. the inch less was so i can install it and remove it, and to compensate for the chassis flex.

I opted for a one piece because I don't want to break the stock rubber coupler. I broke my 240sx coupler and I can't get a replacement. I had to buy a JDM unit with the u-joint instead of the rubber. Plus that stock unit is pretty darn heavy!

I can't wait to see how much quicker it accelerates with the improved gearing.

I have different RPM's selected for the middle, to compare freeway speed. I haven't even maxed out 3rd gear in my car with the automatic, It was 140mph and still climbing. My tires are not rated for that so I let off.

I also Have the max RPM at 7,000 close to stock.
Mine will be set higher lol! Cams are going in soon!

Stock cams hit peak at 5,500 and fall off slowly starting at 5,700 RPMS

All done! Just need an alignment! -2.25 up front and -1 degree in the back is my goal!

It is faster than before, and is just plain awesome to drive! I have no rear tires left ;-p The engine revs faster than the tachometer with the lightweight flywheel!

Who else needs a 5-speed conversion?

This car just feels strange with a manual transmission.
Next Project is a Hydro e-brake, or a hand e-brake.

Looking forward to Autocross this weekend! www.SDclubracing.com