MiniMan
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869 posts
Canada
12-16-2003
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The swap has been done before as far as I know... but it involves a great deal of mods to the TT 5 speed. I'll let the experts key in on what has to be modified/swapped/etc.IMO, I don't like the auto tranny either and would rather spend $3k somewhere other than on a Level10 rebuild. If it came to that I'd buy a 5 speed myself and have it modded to fit. The big problem for us Q guys is finding a place for the e-brake, modifying the tranny to fit (and in the right place) and making room for the clutch. We've been discussing supercharging the VH45DE for the last little while. If you're looking for more power, I believe this is the way... running 7psi intercooled with a modified exhaust should run you at LEAST 500 crank horsepower if I'm not mistaken. Keep us updated with the project and good luck. Corey
 Rides: 1994 Infiniti Q45a (100k) - Navy blue, cream leather interior, located in NV, TOTALLED and SOLD 1983 BMW 533i (283k) - Dark gray, cream leather interior, 5spd, undergoing turbo swap, upgrading transmission, SOLD 1985 Dodge D-50 (135k) - Old Daily driver, half blue and half rust, 5spd, leaky gas tank SOLD 1990 Nissan 300ZX TT (53k) - Silver, 5spd, modified to the TITS, Former daily driver SOLD 1993 Audi S4 (105k) - Silver, 5spd, Quattro, gray leather interior, 16psi of boost 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R (33k) - Gunmetal Gray, 5spd, HEAVILY modified, current daily driver
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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I'm more of a turbo guy myself. I'd probably do a custom SS manifold into a nice collector in the front of the engine with a big turbo. I don't want the turbo too big so that it can spool pretty soon but I can go with my regular T3 hybrid that I'm used to. Have to make up for the additional 1.5 liters and 2 extra cylinders. Damn... the more I think of it the more it gets my adrenaline pumping, lol.However... I wouldn't mind having an s/c and pushing 500 chp either :D (especially in a sub 2800 pound car) edit once again. Anyone know what these engines weigh? Being all aluminum (if i'm not mistaken) they should be pretty light bit I've not been able to find an exact weight of one.
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MiniMan
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869 posts
Canada
12-16-2003
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How can ya turn down a centrifugal supercharger! (Gah, I can't wait til the day we have one in our Qs)Keep in mind a supercharger won't be as harsh on the engine as turbos, speaking heat wise. Though there may be a fellow joining NICO soon whom turbo'd a VH45DE. There's more than a few choices for the VH, as long as you have the cash to back it up. Cheapest method of boost I'd think you're looking at is around $4.5k total, you install. The VH45DE weighs about 220Kgs or just under 600lbs. Though I remember reading previously they were closer to 550lbs... Corey
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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Actually, I don't think the s/c runs much cooler than the turbo. There is minimal heat transfer between the turbine housing to the compressor housing, especially if you have a coolant line hooked up to your center section (when applicable).There would be a heat difference but the only difference is that the turbo gives full boost sooner meaning, higher compression air for longer and since compressing air makes it hot, there is a longer period of time that hot air is going to the engine. Since the centrifugal s/c builds boost with rpm's and doesn't quite reach full boost till redline. This means that there will be less compressed air throughout the rpm range compared to the turbo's near entire rpm range. That would be the only reason the s/c would run cooler than the turbo. If they were both pushing 12 psi the heat output should be nearly the same. From there, it all comes down to your intercooler (cough aftercooler cough) setup. For the best cooling you could go with an air to water setup, but for street applications its not very practical. If you get a pretty efficient air to air setup you can gain quite a bit of power but moreso gain the ability to crank the boost up. Hmm... I don't quite have 4500 for a turbo setup... so I'll try to make it cheaper. Usually takes a while to sort out the parts for the cheaper route but, I've done it once on my Maxima so I can probably do it again. For the Maxima, when I was told it would cost 2500-3000 dollars for a turbo setup I did mine for 1500-2000. It could have been less but there was a lot of screw ups a long the way and many things purchased that should have never been. This time around I know a bit better about what I'm doing so I should be able to keep costs low.
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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How are the internals on these engines? Are they forged and such? Are there any off the shelf pistons/rods for them?
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1992Q45A
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1183 posts
5-31-2004
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How are the internals?"The Infiniti motors are incredible - the standard bottom end looks like it has been race preped! The crank is held in place by a side bolted massive cradle with additional 4 bolt mains. If you want big hp, this motor is a good place to start!!" From someone with a Nissan patrol with a twin turbo VH45DE
http://home.iprimus.com.au/pro...l.htm
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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SWEET!! that is exactly what i'm wanting to hear :D
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maxnix
NICO Supporter

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21170 posts
1995 Q45, 1995 Q45t, 2000 Q45
Austin TX
7-22-2002
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But there is no oil cooling of the piston bottoms, and neither are they forged.
Brian 1995 Q45 & Q45t & 2000 Q45
Discover the power of the button!
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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yeah, i kind of guessed that the pistons wouldn't be forged. i was planning on dropping the compression with some forged pistons in the future though.
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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Yay.... even more questions.Do you guys know the size of the stock injectors and would you guys happen to know the basic dimensions of this engine?? Just trying to get all the info I can before I swap it so I know what I'm dealing with. Thanks again!!
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1992Q45A
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1183 posts
5-31-2004
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370 injectors I believe
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MiniMan
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869 posts
Canada
12-16-2003
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If you find some lower compression pistons out there, pass the info on to me! :) I know there are some 9.0:1 pistons out there that fit the VH45DE... unsure what else though. That is, without going custom.Best of luck with the setup. I'll pass along any additional engine specs I find. Corey
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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Are those 9:1 pistons forged? I wouldn't mind having 9:1. That isn't too bad of a compression for boosted engines. You retain some good low end yet its low enough for high boost. Where can you get those at?
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motorhead
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52 posts
4-22-2004
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Just my .02: I built a 74 260Z with a 350V8, and was very happy with the conversion. There is one big downside that will be more important with the Q engine: weight. I used the JTR manual for the conversion, and it set the motor back right at the firewall, and it still added about 100lbs to the front end. The Q engine is a good 50/75 lbs heavier than an iron block+ alum head 350. No power steering on the Z, my wife could not drive it in a parking lot.It sounds like you have a pretty generous budget, so you might want to look at an LS1, they sell a carb version of it now, so wiring would be much easier than the Q engine. That is a 457lb engine ready to run, mabey 20-30lbs less with a carb instead of fuel inj. HP with cam and headers should be approaching 500, as you can get away with a pretty radical cam with a 2800lb Z car and a manual trans.
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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I was thinking about a 350 chevy but I want to stay all Nissan when at all possible.I think if lighten up the front a little bit the weights should even out some. I can take the bumpers off, maybe get fiberglass fenders and a cardon fiber hood. With those it will probably still be a bit front heavy but not as bad as having all stock items on there.
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MiniMan
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869 posts
Canada
12-16-2003
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Yes, I do believe they were forged. Contact Paul Zigouras for more information. If you can, ask to get their specs... I'm unsure if he'd sell them straight out (as he uses them for engine rebuilds).===== Zigouras Speed & Marine, Inc. 110 Market Street Brockton, MA 02301 US 1-866-773-7654 AOL - pzigouras [email]paul@zigourasracing.com[/email] ===== Corey
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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Just sent him an e-mail. Hopefully he does sell these.
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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i wanted to do an RB into a J30, but the availability of parts for that motor in the us kinda turned me off. its nice to know the parts you need are at the dealership 15 mins away.anyway, ive compiled a parts list for a stable high horse VH. since the pistons arent forged or oil cooled, i would like a set of ross pistons in a high silicon alloy as to limit thermal expansion and cold wear. since there are no oil squirters, a swain gold coat ceramic would be best on the heads and piston tops, and a moly coatin on the piston skirts and bearing shells. the main bearings are only .78 inches wide and need protection. *ross pistons [8.5-9:1] *pauter 4340 rods *custom copper head gaskets *swain tech coatings [loved them in my DSM] on combustion chambers, pistons, and bearings *550 cc inj. *aeromotive 700hp fuel pump, FPR, custom fuel rail, swirl tank. *mild head work, sheet metal intake. *external oil filter, oil cooler, and 3 quart accumulator with solenoid *log exhaust manifolds with dual garrett gt25 turbos [.64 ex A/R] *split downpipes, dual 3" exhaust, high flow cats *custom FMIC with dual opposed bottom inlets and a single top outlet feeding a 3" GM blow thru maf, and translator. theres more, but thats the basic rundown. and as far as the tranny goes, i would have a 1" adapter plate machined, and i would mount a Z32TT flywheel to the vh with a spacer disc with integral pilot bushing. this motor is a long ways away due to the cute little $14,000 pricetag all the parts come with. ive already contacted pauter and ross for prices. ARP hasnt gotten back to me about fasteners. i work on cars, and i have very good connections with machinists, so that price is based on parts only, not the labor required to replicate it. i abandoned the RB26 idea because the price got to this level, i would rather spend that money on a 4.5l dohc v8 rather than a 2.6l six. [well, that and my project J30 got stolen, so if i go with this, im gonna build the motor over time, then get another j. i dont know how well the factory parts hold up, so i cant say if this extreme overkill for a street motor that would occasionally see 10 psi. with a built block that would obviously be higher.]
thats why i dont like opening motors. once you start, theres no end. everything goes hand in hand, and you wind up with a pricetag like that.
but its not that bad considering that includes everything related to the engine [supporting mods/durability mods] and for its operation.
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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it may be easier to mount the Z32 manual trans if you have a machine shop fit the correct pilot bushing to the vh, mate the trans to it, and redrill and tap bolt holes.i cant say for sure how to go about it untill i have them next to each other.
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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If the bell housing is different then I would think the Q bell housing would be able to bolt to the TT gear box as long as the holes and such didn't change the bell housing between the auto and manual. anyone have any pictures of a Q tranny? (perferably to where the bell housing mates the gear box)
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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i have the service manual for the Q45 and J30, and from eye it looks off. not too far off, but enough.whie looking at the service manuals, the J30 came with a VH41DE in other countries, and i dont know how much bigger the VH45 is than the VH41. it would suck if the 45 wont fit easily. it would have been nice if someone knew what the reasonable power handling of the stock rods and pistons. thats one parts list that i would like to shrink a little. but what good is something if it just blows up? makes sense to take the time to build it right.
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1qckser

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1151 posts
my wife, daughter, q45T,G20T,SE-R
CT
7-24-2002
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I didnt know if you guys seen these, if so please disregard http://speed.supercars.net/Boa...17113

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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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Yup, saw that beauty a few days ago. If I remember correctly they're estimating 720 hp and are hoping to hit 9 seconds flat in the 1/4!! :eek: :ylsuperIf you don't want to deal with Supercars.net's pop up bs you can check out the info and pictures here: http://www.zparts.com/showcase....html
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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also, found this thread on the site. part way down the page the guy talks about how he mates the TT tranny to the VH http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....E+S13
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IvoryJ30t
Offline
3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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thats a good thread. if they have room to fit the motor in the S chassis with the exhaust clearing the shock towers, i shouldnt have trouble fitting the motor in the J.ive been having dreams about building the motor, and then needing to pull the motor if i wanted to change spark plugs or remove a valve cover. i would definately take the time to make a new intake manifold. that stocker looks like hell to deal with. plus, with the design im working on, you could tune the runner length. i would post a pic of what im thinking, but i cant draw for ****. nice find on the manual conversion!!!!! now i dont have to worry about making a mistake cutting the adapter plate and fubar'ing the input bearing on the Z32 tranny. i already ran the numbers on the Z32 tranny, and my goal wheels and diff. the numbers came out beautiful. now if we only knew the limits of the stock internals. i dont wanna be the ******* that drops 6 g's on internals when the stockers could handle it.
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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road speed at 7000 rpm, 3.916 diff, 285/40/17 wheels, Z32 trans-1st-43 mph 2nd-72mph 3rd-106mph 4th-138mph 5th-184mph that 3rd gear would pull like a mother****er with boost.
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AZhitman
CEO

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51125 posts
03 G35C s/c, 93 S13 Vert KA-T, 09 Cube, 72 240Z RB25, 63 NL320, 67 WRL411, 67.5 SPL311, 05 Frontier
Phx, AZ
4-29-2002
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Transmission internals?You don't want to go much beyond 350 RWHP on the stock tranny. Dennis has expounded on this at length. The S/C Q with 6lbs of boost was RIGHT at the limits of transmission usefulness, and ultimately broke the trans within 5000 miles.
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IvoryJ30t
Offline
3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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i would do the intercooler setup and intake much differently.if i was to have two intake manifolds, i would want to feed the charge from one turbo into the opposite bank to keep in balance. optimally, i would like a single throttle body on a common intake, with a single output, dual input intercooler. that way i could run a blow thru maf and bov's prior to the intercooler to keep the computer happy and avoid shift bogging.
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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| Quote » | Originally posted by AZhitman Transmission internals?You don't want to go much beyond 350 RWHP on the stock tranny. Dennis has expounded on this at length. The S/C Q with 6lbs of boost was RIGHT at the limits of transmission usefulness, and ultimately broke the trans within 5000 miles. | come on now, the auto trans would be up for sale before i got the heads off the VH. the auto is specifically what made me pass over the VH in the first place.
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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I believe the TT tranny is said to handle 600 hp or somewhere around there. I could be wrong though.
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IvoryJ30t
Offline
3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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no, AZ was talking about the stock auto tranny.
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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yeah, i was just stating the TT tranny holds 600. :D
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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yeah, the TT trans is nothing to worry about. they used the same gearset in the R32-33 GTR. if they can handle AWD, they shouldnt have a problem with RWD.with a sprung hub clutch, it should be fine as long as your not banging gears and dropping the clutch on some stickies.
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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i just wish someone would blow a VH up so we can get an idea of the internal limit stock. it might be a good idea to have the pistons, heads, and bearings coated and see if it would hold up. the compression would be slightly higher with the .002 coating on the heads and pistons, but the even surface temperature would help with controlling detonation, so it might work out. i just cant settle on a setup. if im gonna take it apart to send stuff to swain, i might as well upgrade. im giving myself a headache again...
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AZhitman
CEO

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51125 posts
03 G35C s/c, 93 S13 Vert KA-T, 09 Cube, 72 240Z RB25, 63 NL320, 67 WRL411, 67.5 SPL311, 05 Frontier
Phx, AZ
4-29-2002
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If you've ever seen the inside of a VH, it'll take a HELL of a lot more than 600hp.Took 7 lbs of boost with NO problem, as well as a 100 shot of NOS.
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IvoryJ30t
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3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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wow, wait now, you hit it with nitrous WHILE it was under boost????see, im afraid of a rod making a side exit out the block. because then im out 1800 for the block i blew up, and i get to buy another block and wait the 8-10 weeks for the rods and pistons. no point in ordering them and letting them sit. ahh, i got plenty of time. we'll see what develops boost-wise with other people. custom internals come with a price tag that makes me cry...
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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Isn't the VH the motor they based the Infiniti Indy car after?? Or is that the VK?
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mtcookson
Maxima - VG/VE Moderator

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2926 posts
1991 Z32, 1992 Q45, and much much more
Howard KS
11-21-2002
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| Quote » | Originally posted by AZhitman If you've ever seen the inside of a VH, it'll take a HELL of a lot more than 600hp.Took 7 lbs of boost with NO problem, as well as a 100 shot of NOS. | Also, is that with modded internals or just all stock stuff including compression?? If all stock.... :eek: :eek: :eek: :ylsuper
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IvoryJ30t
Offline
3077 posts
95 Maxima GLE, 95 Maxima GXE
Harrison NY
8-17-2003
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| Quote » | Originally posted by mtcookson Isn't the VH the motor they based the Infiniti Indy car after?? Or is that the VK? | im pretty sure it was based off the VH, it was 3.5 liters if i remember.
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