Second Generation Maxima's

[Moore_75]

I just recently bought a sec gen max, '88 to be exact. I totally fell in love with the car, almost love at first sight, but I also found out that there not as popular in forums as the 3rd, or mostly popular 4th and 5th gen. So I'm trying to find something about the engine VG30e. Ive read that they're the same engine as the 88 300zx or at least close. What I want is streetable 12's by going all engine rebuild. I would settle for 13's but low 13's. It's a fun car to play with but keep coming up with dead ends. Please any information would be greatly appreciated. Currently I put a throttle body off a 90 240sx because of the larger inside diameter.Where as stocked it was tapered. Also I picked up a intake manifold off of a 92 Pathfinder for the longer intake running ports, but i haven't put it on yet. I work at an all import wrecking yard so parts are usually easy to find. At least stock parts. I've read about stroking a inline 6 from 1st gen's using 710, 510 parts. Is anything like that for mine. I have a chance to get an '88 300zx VG30i, complete running with uneven compression, which I'm just rebuilding anyways for 150, or a '92 Maxima DOHC engine, complete with a burnt hole, again I'm rebuilding, for 100. Can it be done? What can the VG30i be bored out to? Where can I go to help with this I'm stuck Can you help point me a direction. Thanx for your time Tony

[NISTECH]

tony the 84 to 88 max and the 84 to 89 z all had a VG30E engine in them. The pathfinder and D21 had The VG30i the "i" indicates throttle body injection. Your car is not all that often modded. but if your gonna upgrade it to accomplish times you have a couple options, you could go with the VE30DE[from the 92 to 94 maxima only] There are not many if any at all mods for the VE engine as it was a limited 2 yr production. As far as the original engine in your car it has quite a few options and has been modded for some time. The VG30 in its various forms has been nissans longest running production v6 engine. That engine came out in 84 in the max and 300 z and had its last year of production in 1995 in the pathfinder. A form of the VG30 ran in the quest untill 97 but that version of the engine was non interferance. The VG's engine desigantions where VG30E, VG30I,VG30DE [90 to 96 z] VG30ET ,VG30DETT The DE is for dual overhead cam and the T's represent turbo.

[audtatious]

Guide.com has cams and ported-polished heads for the VG30. pacesetterexhaust.com and Stillin have full cat-backs and high-flow cats available. Not sure about the size of the 240sx throttle body, but others have used the TB from a U12's (Stanza) KA24E motor (60mm and requres removing the collector and port-matching the collector inlet to 60mm). unorthodoxracing.com has lightened flywheels and UDP's. Get a high-output fuel pump and larger injectors.

Other than some over-bore and PnP work, I'm not sure what else are out there for 2nd gen Maxi's....

[MinisterofDOOM]

First off, I love the second gen.Post some pics! They're hard to come by.

Secondly:84-94 Maxes had VG30E. There's VERY little aftermarket for the engine. The VE has a bit more (stillen makes a supercharger for it, some other stuff).I'm not aware of space under the hood, but my recommendation, if you've got the resources, is a swap to a VG30DE or a VE30DE. If you have a choice, go with the VG. The question here is weather there is a transverse VG30DE. From what I understand, the tranverse and longitudinal VG's are different enough to make a swap from one format to another impossible (accessory mounts, motor mounts, etc.). That means the best option may be swapping out heads, but I'm not sure how feasible that is either. Also, you could put a second gen Pathfinder crank in your VG to increase displacement. I'm not sure what to...in the pathy it came out to 3.3 liters, but I don't know if the bore is the same between the pathy's VG33E and your VG30E.There are all options I've looked into for replacing my engine (if it ever dies, that is...it's indestructible. 180k miles and just getting broken in).

[NISTECH]

The first gen 300z had the same engine as the 2nd gen maxima VG30E.the 90 to 95 pathfinder and hardbody[D21] had a VG30E [the intake system is different on the path and truck though]. There are plenty of mods available for that engine.

[MinisterofDOOM]

When did the pathfinder move to a VG33E? My grandfather has a second gen ('97 I think) Pathy with a VG33E. That's why I was saying he could gain displacement from the crankshaft.

Also, WHERE are there plenty of SOHC VG mods? I've spent a lot of time trying to find even simple bolt-ons and can't find squat.If you can tell me some manufacturers or something, I'd REALLY appreciate it.

[NISTECH]

The pathfinder started with a 4 cyl and 6 cyl set up in 1987. The first vg3x was the VG30i ,this was a throttle body version of the engine, in 1989 or 90 it want to the VG30E engine then in 1996 [when the frame mounted WD21 pahtfinder became the unibody R50 pathfinder] It went to the VG33E which it carried until 2001 when it stepped up to the VQ35DE and in 2005 it changed bodies again and is back on a frame with a VQ40DE.

As far as mods I will get some links and post them for ya. But most of the mods are geared toward the Z and not the max, not to many people seen the max as a "performance" vehicle during those years. Thinks like cat back exhust are likely not gonna be found for the max unless you have it custom fabed. But CAI can be had with some alterations of the ducting,unpgraded airflow meters can be used, intake manifold options can be used. AFC could be used. let me get some links for ya.