Engine Question

[90awdturbo]

Would this engine be a direct swap for my 99 Pathfinder?

http://www.jdmtigerjapanese.com/nissan- ... -only.html

[4xq]

JDM refers to Japanese Domestic Market. That engine is from an Xterra, so while the basic engine block / heads are the same, there are differences in some of the external parts hung on that engine. It is not a direct fit.

JDM engines also often have different parts hung on the engine as they come from Japan, and manufacturers often use different parts in different countries Your mechanic will probably have to do some parts swapping to get a JDM engine to work.

A better idea I think, is to go to car-part.com. Input your vehicle info, and select "engine" as the part. You will need your VIN to select the correct option - one of the letters in the VIN code tells you which engines match yours - selections are as follows:

3.3L, VIN A, 4th digit, VG33E), from 12/98, VIN 5 (7th digit)
(3.3L, VIN A, 4th digit, VG33E), from 12/98, VIN 7 (7th digit)
(3.3L, VIN A, 4th digit, VG33E), thru 11/98

It looks like the fourth digit is A, and the seventh digit varies - either 5 or 7.

Click on the correct option and you will get a list of wrecking yards with engines - stick with parts grade "A". You will see prices starting at 1500+ (highest) down to 350 or so. Find a couple close to your area, and pick the best price / mileage combination. I don't think you will have a problem coming up with an engine, and they will be out of a Pathfinder, so they will be direct fit.

You may want to have your mechanic talk to them once you select one so he agrees with your pick - also, check what the warranty is. It will vary from 30 days to six months. Shiiping is pricey because of the weight - they can tell you shipping when you call.

That should get you started!

[90awdturbo]

Thank you for the detailed response! It would certainly make sense to see the engine before buying it.

[90awdturbo]

Alright so I took the plunge and found a great deal on an engine with 85k on it. Even came with a 6 month warranty. My next question would be, what should I replace on this thing before throwing it into the truck? I'm going to replace the water pump and the timing belt for sure, and then i was thinking it'd be smart to replace the rear main seal... what other gaskets should I replace?

Thanks so much for your help, you've been a life(and cash) saver my brother.

[asoomal]

Pretty much any seal and gasket you can get your hands on.

I'd also take the intake manifold off and give it a good cleaning and maybe sand and clean all of the grounding points.

I'd also see if the exhaust manifolds can be easily removed and coat all of the threads with some anti seize when you slap it back on.

[4xq]

First thing, before you do anything to the engine, is to do a compression test while it is sitting in the crate. If you get a bad cylinder, back it goes. It will probably be ok, but you need to confirm that.

Balance what you do against your skills - the timing belt makes sense. Pull any new parts off of your old engine (plugs, plug wires etc.) and put them on the new engine. Remove the throttle body and clean it well.

Doing exhaust manifolds - you have to be prepared to possibly deal with a broken stud if you try those. Your call. You do need to inspect them for cracks. A crack of course means it has to come off.

Main seal - thats relatively easy with the engine out. Torque wrench required. I prefer NAPA for engine parts - don't cheap out on the main seal.

Old engine - save your distributor, any sensors (cam, crank, etc.). Might as well have them for spares.

If you haven't done this type of work before, take a lot of pictures with the digital camera as you disassemble stuff so you can refer to them when reinstalling.

I hope you have a warm place to work - its about 3 degrees here in Denver right now. Are you going to do the whole swap?

[90awdturbo]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm going to have my mechanic do the install as I don't really want to deal with the headache and issues I may run into. So at this point I'm just trying to figure out what I want him to do before he throws the new engine in. I definitely don't want to have him rip the intake manifold off and replace the valve cover gaskets, as that's something I can do down the road. At this point I'm just looking to knock out the things that will be a ton easier with the engine out of the truck.

So to confirm...

Compression Check
Rear Main Seal
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Clean the Throttle Body
Rip all the parts I can off the old engine

Any other gaskets that I should consider while the engine is out?

Thank you!

[4xq]

Ok, I thought you were doing some of the work. No need to pay the mechanic to clean your throttle body. You can do that later.

I think you are good.