Hey everyone. I just joined a couple days ago and have done some looking around in the forum, but haven't found what I'm looking for. If it's here somewhere and I missed it, forgive me for starting a new thread.
I just bought a '91 Maxima from a friend with 254,000 on the odo. It sat for a while and needs a lot of work. The engine is still decently strong, but not as strong as it once was when I used to drive it years ago. I plan to turn it into a track car in one of the Performance Touring classes in NASA of which I'm a member. I do plan on either building another VG30E or (leaning more towards) building a DE for it.
Anyway, that's all for the future. My question is in regards to the 30E it currently has. Are there any problem areas I should be aware of right now? Some engines (like some Hondas) need the timing belt changed periodically etc. Is there anything like that for the Maxima or should I just give it a good tune up and go? I'm planning on using the engine that's in it now to do my HPDE stuff while I'm building another engine that'll be more (shall we say) "competitive".
Thanks in abvance for any info you can give.
Any known problem areas?
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MinisterofDOOM
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Re: Any known problem areas? (p144)
Yeah, the VG has a timing belt which needs to be changed. I think dealer recommendation back when the car was new was every 60k miles. Newer VGs (like in the late-90's Pathfinders) had a longer belt change duration, probably due to better belts. I'd ask your dealer to be sure...Mine went nearly 130k on it's second belt with no ill effects, but I don't know that I'd recommend chancing that.
The VG is really a good motor. It's fairly simple and therefore not very problem prone. There were issues with bad exhaust manifold studs that cause leaking exhaust manifolds (generally the leak seals at normal operating temp), and there were common issues with cruise control. Aside from that, they're very stout and dependable. The exhaust stud issue is merely an annoyance and doesn't inhibit performance at all (unless you're running turbo...). Cruise control issue is the same--it won't cause problems, it simply doesn't work.
The automatic transmission is another thing entirely. They're prone to failure from heat, and also not the best for tons of power. If you were to build one up, it'd be okay, but stock they're pretty weak. If you have a 5 speed you have nothing to worry about.
I'd recommend building the VG30E rather than swapping. The VG30DE isn't anywhere near a drop-in affair (the two motors are more different than their names imply). You could also look into turbocharging it. If you were to refurb it to like-new, you'd have a pretty good car, though. 160 hp and 180 ft lb sounds low, but the car's pretty small and it's enough to move it. Put some effort into suspension and chassis stiffening and the VG's wide powerband will be more than enough for some fun on the track.
The VG is really a good motor. It's fairly simple and therefore not very problem prone. There were issues with bad exhaust manifold studs that cause leaking exhaust manifolds (generally the leak seals at normal operating temp), and there were common issues with cruise control. Aside from that, they're very stout and dependable. The exhaust stud issue is merely an annoyance and doesn't inhibit performance at all (unless you're running turbo...). Cruise control issue is the same--it won't cause problems, it simply doesn't work.
The automatic transmission is another thing entirely. They're prone to failure from heat, and also not the best for tons of power. If you were to build one up, it'd be okay, but stock they're pretty weak. If you have a 5 speed you have nothing to worry about.
I'd recommend building the VG30E rather than swapping. The VG30DE isn't anywhere near a drop-in affair (the two motors are more different than their names imply). You could also look into turbocharging it. If you were to refurb it to like-new, you'd have a pretty good car, though. 160 hp and 180 ft lb sounds low, but the car's pretty small and it's enough to move it. Put some effort into suspension and chassis stiffening and the VG's wide powerband will be more than enough for some fun on the track.
Re: Any known problem areas? (MinisterofDOOM)
Thanks for the info. As far as the VG30DE goes, is it actually a different dimension or is it things like exhaust, motormounts, etc. that make it a difficult swap? Also, how much reliable hp can you pull out of a VG30E? I'm not just blasting down the strip for a few seconds. I need something that'll last awhile, but yet be as competitive as possible. And yes, I've got a 5spd.