Engine swap?

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

OK, please don't flame me. I have 92' Q45 with about 87k miles on it. As old saying goes ignorance is bless but since I read some problems other owners are having I am starting to loose confidence in reliability of my engine... Well, some background. I had fuel pump replace and one of injector replaced last year for rough idle and got severe sticker shock. And now I have rough idle again and top of that my TCS light came on and staying on both TCS and slip light. That being said, has anyone done a swap with good old chevy 350 or ford 351??? I know this has been done with Jaguars back in 80's. It would really be easy to get massive power and on top of that it would be less expensive compare to our engine and easier to work on. Any productive comments would be appreciated.

Post by **maxnix** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Reading the previous posts and doing searches on topics of interest might shed some light on your problems.

If you want a Chev or a Ford to tinker with, I would say get one. While GM has stuck with pushrods and iron blocks, Ford and everyone else has tended to move away from them for passenger car use.

Post by **Q45tech** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

It is illegal to install a non family engine after 1989 and even the same engine must be the same year or newer!Clean Air Act of 1990.

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Thanks for the replies. I learn new things everyday. Thanks. I used injector cleaner you put in gas tank and it is helping somewhat, idle isn't as rough, should I still check the injectors, like checking resistance? What should I look for? Also, I did search on TCS and not much came up. I think its sensor or connection problem. because it works when engine is first started then slip light comes on no more TCS... I

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Hehe, hit the enter by misstake...I was talking to Infiniti mechanic and they say I needed new TCS motor?! and it was going to cost me $1500. Does this sound right?

Thanks.

Post by **maxnix** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

And you checked the connections?

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

maxnix, Problem is I don't know which connections I need to check. I got Q45 factory manual but it reference to consult which I do not have... If you could guide me through few things such as where the connections are what I should look for, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

Post by **Q45tech** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Maybe I'm missing something but pages BR-81 thru BR-134 all show how to test TCS/ABS with a voltmeter/ohmeter and blinking code lights on TCS/ABS ecu...........a Consult is not involved.

Very detailed step by step description in Service Manual.

Have you read and studied each of the 50 pages?

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Gotta be kidding me right?!

I skimmed over. I will study it when I get home today.

Thanks.

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

I guess its better tahn driving mom's car but still...How many more post til I get rid of hubcap?

Post by **longrunQ** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

s2kysk,

you may take this advice or you may not ,depending on how much you like your Q. Get your Q running to where you can sell it and then sell it. Cut your losses. If your engine quits, it will run you $7500 to replace it with a used engine. To replace your oil pump will run you $1200. Everything in this car is darn expensive and too expensive to justify cost nowadays, since you can get a good 91q for less than $4000.

My engine died and I was calling junkyards to see if they have engines. No. The recurring theme was that all the first gen Qs they had were in PERFECTLY good condition, with the exception of the engine. There are quite a few nice Qs with dead engines in junkyards.

I too would love to put a chevy 350 in my Q. I would be thrilled if a mechanic could do it for $4000 because it would be easier to get parts, to work on, etc. and I could get 300 horses easy.

Post by **PalmerWMD** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

My engine is still for sale and darn cheap and darn perfect.

VCH45DE's arte mechanically almost indestcructible, barring chain guide failure, or chain failrue due to guides jamming in chains.

Oil pumps hardly ever fail, if only reasonable oil change habits exist.Part of a $1200-1300 chain guide job is the replacement the oil pump chain and oil pump chain guide, this together with semi-decent oil changes will make oil pump failures exceedingly rare (certainly much rarer than the majority of brands)

Fred...

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

LongrunQ, I am thinking about selling it... Don't get me wrong I love my Q45. I love the smooth power and precise handling of Q, but, cost of up keep and lack of resale value makes hard to justice me keeping the car.

palmerwmd, Don't forget the common failure of fuel injectors and fuel pump on your list. Of it itself it's no big deal but repair cost is ridiculous.

Young.

Post by **longrunQ** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Someone told me to cut my losses and sell the car but I was enjoying it too much. Less than two weeks later, it locked.

This car is nice. If I could put a chevy 350 in it I would keep it, but the cost of upkeep on this thing is too darn horrible. I know its a luxury car and my mistake was getting a luxury car, I changed my valve cover gasket and that set me back over $500. It costs like $60 to do that on a chevy.

Anyhow, I am now looking for a honda. Its not luxury but hondas run forever and are cheap to fix.

Post by **longrunQ** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

ANd what gets me is that I babied the car. Always drove at under 2000 rpms and never did anything aggressive with it. And it still put me back a possible -7500

Post by **maxnix** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

s2kysk wrote:Don't forget the common failure of fuel injectors and fuel pump on your list. Of it itself it's no big deal but repair cost is ridiculous.

Young.

Compared to Lexus, MB, BMW? And their guides and injectors don't fail? And are so much cheaper?

Post by **Q451990** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

maxnix wrote:Compared to Lexus, MB, BMW? And their guides and injectors don't fail? And are so much cheaper?

But with Lexus you get to adjust the valves, change old-school spark plug wires, replace the timing belt (2x=1 guide job $), power steering pump replacements, etc. I'm sure overall the maintenence cost is a bit less for the Lexus, but in the used car market you pay for it in a higher purchase cost. I don't know about BMW and MB, but I'm sure they're no bargain in the maintenence department either.

Hey, look at it this way... if you ever do much work on a Q, everything about a "normal" car is a bargain! I couldn't believe how cheap brake parts are for my friend's Chevy Corsica...

It's a balancing act. Do you like the Q enough to pay for it? And if no, are you willing to go back to something else after the Q? I think in an old Q ad they say something like "a luxury once had becomes a necessity." There's a lot of truth to that.

Heath

Post by **maxnix** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Precison does have a price! That's why the engines don't come apart after 5 min. at 120 mph. And why the good cars still handle at speeds over 60 mph. Nor do they rust through in 5 yrs.

Post by **Eswift** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

maxnix wrote: That's why the engines don't come apart after 5 min. at 120 mph. And why the good cars still handle at speeds over 60 mph. Nor do they rust through in 5 yrs.

sounds like my old 94 plymouth acclaim on all counts...

if there was a word which signified the inverse of "robust", it would be the perfect consise descriptor of that car.

Post by **maxnix** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

I think an antonym of robust is weak.

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

O.K. How about fitting Nissan 6 cylinder engine. Has anyone try this?

Post by **PalmerWMD** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

I am sorry about your misfortune longrun.

but acually most members here drive their cars very hard.When the new guides kit is in there is a lot of confidence to do so.

Fred...

Post by **Himura-Kenshin** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

what i want to do in the near future...is put a RB26DETT engine with 6 speed transmission in a Q45..that would be awesome....

for those of u that dont know...that engine came in...it came in a skyline gtr32

that would be a fun q then, what yall think?

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

palmerwmd. I drive my car hard but not my Q45. I have S2000 for that. Q45 is great highway car nothing else IMO.

Himura-Kenshin, How easiely could that be done? I know cressida engine is pretty much same engine... will that bolt onto stock transmission without much modification?

Thanks,

Young.

Post by **Himura-Kenshin** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

i dont know how easy it will be..i ahvnt done it yet..i dont care how easy it will be

im going to do it, cause it will be fun...to say i did it...

i havnt really gathered much info about doing the swap yet...cause it will be a while until i do it...for several reasons...

but never the less...sorry i couldnt tell u more...hehe..im almost 100% sure i will have to make my own mounts...and drive shaft..well have the drive shaft made....and i seriously doubt it will bolt to the stock transmission....but i dont know...i will have to tear into it too find out...cause i really doubt anyone has done it before...but please people correct me if im wrong....i have never heard of it being done before...

Post by **longrunQ** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

hey sky2sk,

that's a good idea. Maybe a nissan maxima or other nissan six-cylinder will fit. It'll be certainly much cheaper and more bullet proof than a q engine.

Post by **maxnix** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

longrunQ wrote:It'll be certainly much cheaper and more bullet proof than a q engine.

VH 45DE is bullet proof provided 1.) It is using the metal reinforced chain guides that became standard in the 1994-1996 engines, and 2.) It is maintained well.

I will bet Q45tech will say he has never seen an oil pump fail on a VH45DE unless it was associated with a chain guide failure, or failure to change oil and filter every 3K-5K miles, or the oil pan has been damaged so that the pickup in the sump cannot function or is damaged also.

It costs no more, and usually less, than BMW, Jaguar, MB, Lexus V8 engines to maintain. If you want a cheaper engine, get a four or a six cylinder, preferably installed in the car for which it was designed.

Post by **s2kysk** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

maxnix. Where do you get your car serviced in seattle? Kirkland Infiniti or do you take it to independant shop?

young

Post by **reggiegsd** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Has anyone noticed that the members with significant engine problems always seem to "baby the car and never drive above 2000 rpm" and those of us that run the thing like a dog never have engine problems?

I had a Ferrari 330 twenty plus years ago and my mechanic (they were mechanics back then) read me the riot act because he couldn't hear the engine screaming as I approached the shop.

I always put my Q away sweaty at night and it is always EAGER to go in the morning.

I suspect periodic visits to the red line is as important as aggressive maintenance to engine life.

Post by **Q45tech** » Mon Mar 03, 2003 9:20 pm

Not nercessarily to redline but at least seeing the 4,000 rpm torque peak and 6,000 rpm HP peak everyday [or at least a few times per week] to blow all the idling low rpm crud out.

But if the oil isn't clean and proper - excursions can do more damage than idling around.

Engine swap?

Engine swap?

hubcap?

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