Anyone actually have a VH45DE in a Z32?

[myidea7]

Does anyone on here have a VH45DE in a Z32? If so do you have any pics you can post and did you have to hack the car up bad to get it to fit? What wiring issues were had to be overcome? Thanks

[npez]

Does anyone on here have a VH45DE in a Z32? If so do you have any pics you can post and did you have to hack the car up bad to get it to fit? What wiring issues were had to be overcome? Thanks

craigztoys and I are working on it currently and there's another guy that has already done it - haven't seen any pics though.

If you look here:zerothread/336734

and here:zerothread/335689

You'll see what's involved with pictures for the engine install and wiring integration respectively. You'll also find other posts throughout NICO for more information as well.

We are doing it without hacking up the car at all - mine will be especially tight as it will be a twin-turbo application. It is no cakewalk, but it is very doable. Hope this helps.

Thanks,Nick.

[myidea7]

Thanks for the reply npez. The link for the wiring doesn't come up do you have another link?

[npez]

Thanks for the reply npez. The link for the wiring doesn't come up do you have another link?

You're welcome. As far as the link - it comes up fine for me. Do you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed? The file is a PDF to try to keep the size down. If you don't have it installed you can go to http://www.adobe.com/products/....html and download it. It's free....

Thanks,Nick.

[myidea7]

OK Thanks, I got it now. Did you make your own adapter for the transmission or buy one? I have found a VH45 complete for next to nothing but I don't know if it needs a rebuild. I would at the very least like to put news bearings and rings in it, but I'm afraid to tear it apart bc I would have to have the cylinders honed for new rings (if it didn't have any damage to the cylinders and need to be punched) and how would I get it honed with the nikasil coating on the cylinder walls from factory and if it did have to be bored over, where are you huys getting pistons and are you having the nikasil coating put back on? Sorry for being longwinded just trying to pick your brain a little.

[npez]

OK Thanks, I got it now. Did you make your own adapter for the transmission or buy one? I have found a VH45 complete for next to nothing but I don't know if it needs a rebuild. I would at the very least like to put news bearings and rings in it, but I'm afraid to tear it apart bc I would have to have the cylinders honed for new rings (if it didn't have any damage to the cylinders and need to be punched) and how would I get it honed with the nikasil coating on the cylinder walls from factory and if it did have to be bored over, where are you huys getting pistons and are you having the nikasil coating put back on? Sorry for being longwinded just trying to pick your brain a little.

I bought a Mazworx adapter for my TT manual trans to mount onto the VH45 motor.

As far as the motor, try to find out if it runs or if it's damaged. With this kind of swap, you'll be pulling and installing the motor several times to get the positioning, clearances, etc. correct. If the motor at least runs try to get the swap completed and running, albeit poorly, and once you have everything right, then pull the motor and do the rebuild. Worse thing you want to have happen is to rebuild the motor and find out that the swap isn't going like you want/expected and you abandon the project - not saying that you would but it could happen. In that scenario you're out the cost of machining, pistons, etc.

I know about the moly coating on the pistons, but wasn't aware of the nikasil coating; if you want to just clean up the motor, I've heard that it can be done with a sunnen type hone. Not sure on how much plating there is though and how much material you're planning on removing so you may or may not be ok. As far as boring it out, I think someone on NICO has done it (made the VH a 5.0) and basically bored the sleeves out during the machining. They then re-sleeved IIRC - not sure if anything was coated though. If you go that route you can bore it to match pistons that will fit. In my case I'm planning on low compression pistons of the same size and will most likely custom order them.

There are a whole lot of people here on NICO with a lot of knowledge with these types of things, so maybe they can add their perspective to this. Hope this helps....

Thanks,Nick.

[myidea7]

Thanks again npez, found out it can be honed but it has to be honed with a diamond hone as the regular honing stones aren't hard enough for the nikasil coating ( I don't know how thick the coating is though as you mentioned above) and you can have the nikasil coating put back at a cycle shop, as this is the same coating used on most crotch rocket engine cylinder walls. I am assuming if they can coat it then they can hone it as well. The nikasil coating was put there for longevity of the engine and decreased friction. That's why these engines don't break a sweat getting to 200K miles +

[npez]

Thanks again npez, found out it can be honed but it has to be honed with a diamond hone as the regular honing stones aren't hard enough for the nikasil coating ( I don't know how thick the coating is though as you mentioned above) and you can have the nikasil coating put back at a cycle shop, as this is the same coating used on most crotch rocket engine cylinder walls. I am assuming if they can coat it then they can hone it as well. The nikasil coating was put there for longevity of the engine and decreased friction. That's why these engines don't break a sweat getting to 200K miles +

You're welcome and thanks for the additional info. I'll keep that in mind when it's time to get mine rebuilt.

Thanks,Nick.

[T45]

Here's a link to my thread with a few pics and some of the big obstacles to overcome. I would check your sources about the nikasil because I have never read anything regarding that and also I heard nothing from my machine shop regarding it when they bored my block, just cnc'd due to the deep walled cyl's. They are a very reputable shop also.

zerothread/316518

http://www.abacusracing.com/

[npez]

Here's a link to my thread with a few pics and some of the big obstacles to overcome. I would check your sources about the nikasil because I have never read anything regarding that and also I heard nothing from my machine shop regarding it when they bored my block, just cnc'd due to the deep walled cyl's. They are a very reputable shop also.

zerothread/316518

http://www.abacusracing.com/

Ben,

I hadn't heard about nikasil either, not even in the SAE document on the motor - and that's pretty comprehensive. Myidea7, where did you hear/read about the nikasil coating? Please advise as my curiosity is peaked....

Thanks,Nick.

[myidea7]

I was actually ptting a VH45DE in an S14 about 3 or 4 years ago and I got into a discussion about rebuilding it with some peolpe from the Q45 forums and that is what they told me. I have e-mailed some peolpe in the know on these engines to verify. It would be possible to bore through it without effort if the cylinders were wore I'm sure, and you could run it without the coating just like any other engine. I wouldn't want it after reading about it, it had some very negative side effects and is not the same coating use in cycle engines now.

[myidea7]

My info is wrong there is no nikasil on the walls of the VH45. Sorry guys

[craigztoyz]

[elwesso]

yeah i was going to say, where did you hear about the nikasil.. Never heard of that. you must not have been in our Q45 forum, or got a BMW V8 forum confused for a Q45 forum!!

[T45]

...or got a BMW V8 forum confused for a Q45 forum!!

lol, that's about all I found when I googled for nikasil on vh's. Poor bimmers.

[craigztoyz]

Does anyone on here have a VH45DE in a Z32? If so do you have any pics you can post and did you have to hack the car up bad to get it to fit? What wiring issues were had to be overcome? Thanks

Mine is just waiting on a set of bolts to hold my flywheel to my crank, and my centerforce II to my flywheel.

Wiring was easy, I did it once, and then over last couple months did it again to be sure it was right. As long as you have some experience, and knowledge, and are dedicated. Lots of work, but well worth it, as most swaps are. Good luck.

[tmorgan4]

Did you end up ordering 8 Z32 bolts from Nissan? Those are expensive little bolts.

Funny how it comes out cheaper to buy 2 packs of 6 ARP bolts for a different application.

[craigztoyz]

Na a guy in San Antonio, was sending them last week, but still have not gotten them. SO Tell me more on the ARP bolts...... #'s for which application if you have the info. I remember you posting about it before, but never saw info on which app fit. 10mm x 1.0 x about 30mm and need clutch bolts too, 8mm 1.25. I am just waiting on them. Bites!!! But too many other cars to work on to worry about one problem.