VG33ER swap

[svairman]

The 3.3 L (3275 cc) VG33ER is supercharged and produces 210 hp (157 kW) at 4800 rpm with 246 lb·ft (334 N·m) of torque at 2800 rpm.

has anybody ever attempted this swap? It seems with it being a USDM produced engine there would be more parts and units available than some of the JDM options like the SR or RB series, and with torque coming in pretty low like that and the design (lower compression) already being aimed towards forced induction a blower upgrade or turbo setup would seem capable of decent numbers.

[blacksrjdm]

A stock s13 SR20DET makes 205HP at stock boost. There is more aftermarket support for that engine than anything for supercharged xterra engines. Thats just for starters. Second is that you are going to have to do this all custom and on your own, because I havent seen any 3.3l swaps done. So, there is going to be alot of troubleshooting.It would be interesting to see the swap throughout the swap and when done, but, for the money, hassle, and lack of support for that swap, I'd just as soon put a 1jz or 2jz in it for alot less trouble and probably money. There are alot of other options out there and I suggest searching and searching and find out for yourself what engines are most commonly swapped into these bodies with minimal issues and/or to find out what may be involved in the swap you have suggested.

BTW, I had 426 HP on a stock SR20DET. Upgrades were, GT30R turbo, 750cc injectors, HKS 272 cams, enthalpy tune, Cometic head gasket, and 3" exhaust. At 14 lbs boost the car was scary fast. And I probably only spent close to $5000 not including swap and suspension and seats and...

[KAbezon]

I agree...while the swap would be rare, it really wouldn't be worth the extra dough to do, unless uniqueness was your motive for this. You could do many more swaps for less money, and have not only much better support both OEM and aftermarket parts, but performance gains as well

[svairman]

I agree that the SR is a capable engine, I had a 92 with a redtop in it and basic mods but I always wanted that more responsive pedal feel you get with an NA or supercharged engine. Also horsepower isn't what moves you down the road, its torque. That's why a diesel engine can have 210hp but make 500ft/lbs of torque and pull so 9000lbs. HP isn't doing the work. Also have there not been VG30 swaps into 240s? This is the same family, and i'd have to check but, wouldn't any part from the 30 swap to the 33? Other that the custom work that comes with any swap (sr wasn't so easy routine until it'd been done over and over and over) Wouldn't it be nice to go down to the local parts shop and get almost any part you need? I know with the SR most anything can be ordered off the web and this can be pulled from that and this from another will work with a little modification.....etc. The Vg33 was sold here, parts are available here, that's one of the bigger advantages for me atleast.

[KAbezon]

You could probably do an LS swap for less than a VG and have much better numbers if you want an N/A setup...and do it with a lot smaller headache

And if you want OEM and aftermarket support, it doesn't get any bigger than that engine

[blacksrjdm]

U want torque then put in an LS1. With that 426hp I had around 300ft-lb of torque and that car like I said was scary fast. I'm not gonna be here all day argueing with you about torque and horsepower. Just to tell you that the SR swap is a direct bolt in engine, and depending on the body car you put it in it is between 8 and 16 wires that need to be spliced. The swap you are talking about has been available since 2000 or 2001. Obviously if there isnt an abundance of 240s swapped to VG33ER's than there may be a reason. I know that those 3.3L s/c engines are not very strong and arent going to handle too much over stock boost. Good luck though.

[svairman]

didn't nissan offer a version of the s15 (200sx gt in Australia) with an available v6? (vg30)

[svairman]

the SR

U want torque then put in an LS1. With that 426hp I had around 300ft-lb of torque and that car like I said was scary fast. I'm not gonna be here all day argueing with you about torque and horsepower. Just to tell you that the SR swap is a direct bolt in engine, and depending on the body car you put it in it is between 8 and 16 wires that need to be spliced. The swap you are talking about has been available since 2000 or 2001. Obviously if there isnt an abundance of 240s swapped to VG33ER's than there may be a reason. I know that those 3.3L s/c engines are not very strong and arent going to handle too much over stock boost. Good luck though.

the SR is an easier swap, yes we've already established that, the VG is harder I know. Don't you think thats why the VG hasn't been done 10000 times? Wasn't the RB considered a near impossible swap and way to expensive until only a few years ago? now more and more swaps are popping up? And since when are the VG's weak under boost?

[svairman]

didn't nissan offer a version of the s15 (200sx gt in Australia) with an available v6? (vg30)

nevermind this was the older S12

[KAbezon]

No, the VG30E (SOHC V6) was used in the S12 generation Nissan Silvia

[svairman]

Horse power is this and only this: hp= torque * rpm / 5252. Torque is twisting force measured in lbs ft. Torque is what moves your car down the strip and the better the torque curve is the quicker it will be. HP is typically a good way of knowing the approximate potential of an engine and that is why we use it so much. Keep in mind how important the torque curve is cause if you build a 400hp SR and a 400hp VQ/VG all things being equal the VQ/VG is going to be quicker in a drag car because of the extra torque down low to get the car outa the hole.

You only made 300ft/lbs with a 426hp SR, the VG makes only about 50 less with 210hp and it makes all its torque by 2800rpms. Im willing to bet your turbo was barely spooled by then.

Also the the LS swap had crossed my mind by i'd like to know which is lighter the LS or VG

Oh and some more details on the stock VG are a cast iron engine block and aluminum heads. Roller followers and forged steel connecting rods, a one-piece cast camshaft, and a cast aluminum intake manifold.

[svairman]

No, the VG30E (SOHC V6) was used in the S12 generation Nissan Silvia

yeah i read a little more and saw that thanks, and no need to get defensive. I'm not arguing with you or knocking the SR or your setup, this is just a infomation exchanging thread.

[KAbezon]

Well considering most of the LS engines are all aluminum, and the VG33 is a cast iron block and aluminum head, I would go as far as to bet the LS is probably gonna be about the same if not lighter than the VG33R...

[KAbezon]

Wait...what?

I was simply giving you information about the question you asked. How was that being defensive?

I personally think the SR is a waste of money, but that is a different discussion for a different thread. The best swap for the money is the LS. With simple bolt-ons a mild tune and a larger cam, you can easily get to the 400whp mark, and do so cheaper than rebuilding a KA, or SR, if you know what you're doing

[svairman]

according to mtcookson here on Nico, the vg30det is 469.8lbs dry with no transmission and according to LStechs forum a LS1 is 459 lbs. So the LS1 is a little lighter, though the V6 VG might be shorter in length so you could play around with the location in the engine bay some (moving forward or back) to adjust weight dist.
Modified by svairman at 1:47 PM 11/18/2009

[svairman]

Wait...what?

I was simply giving you information about the question you asked. How was that being defensive?

I personally think the SR is a waste of money, but that is a different discussion for a different thread. The best swap for the money is the LS. With simple bolt-ons a mild tune and a larger cam, you can easily get to the 400whp mark, and do so cheaper than rebuilding a KA, or SR, if you know what you're doing

yeah sorry that bit was ment to be quoted to blacksrjdm, who was getting appearently twisted over something.

[KAbezon]

There are swap kits made for the LS into 240 swaps that set the motor as far back as possible. do some research and you'll find em...

Trust me, it may be the newest fanboi trend, but it really is the best bang for the buck swap there is...if you have the money for it. With this platform, if the VG33R swap was worth it, it would probably have already been done. That's how you have to look at it. The engine is not sutible for any kind of mods, and the stock supercharger is at it's max already...if you did it, you would be kicking yourself after for not doing something else

[svairman]

There are swap kits made for the LS into 240 swaps that set the motor as far back as possible. do some research and you'll find em...

Trust me, it may be the newest fanboi trend, but it really is the best bang for the buck swap there is...if you have the money for it

I guess that i should say too that im not interested in which swaps are easiest or can be bought of shelf or in a kit. This is a project car that I dont intend to be finishing in less than a year, just merely a side hobby to tinker with in spare time. So like I said while the SR and LS are good options they just don't interest me.

[KAbezon]

I just don't think that the VG33R is going to be worth the time and effort in the end, regardless on your time table for finishing it.

you wanna do a cool swap that hasn't been done in a 240, but would be really cool to see...

VK56DE, just as light as the LS, good power, really rare to see as of right now, and would sound like heaven when done

[svairman]

here another thread right here on Nico of someone upgrading the boost on one of these engines. while the vehicle of choice isn't to my taste it proves it possible and for reasonable cheap.

Also this isn't ment to be a 700hp monster when finished. Just something reliable, a good project car, easy to work on, and something fun to take to the track. To me Hi comp NA cars or SC cars with quick response "feel" faster and more entertaining in the corners than a turbo car with more power.

zerothread/324069

[KAbezon]

Hey more power to ya...if that is what your heart is set on go for it. I personally wouldn't do it, but in the end it's all about what you wanna do. I hope to see a build thread soon, good luck!

[svairman]

VK56 swap

http://www.turbo-infiniti.com/...2d53b

i'd like to stay away from having to cut the firewall or tunnel

Nice VK45DE swap

zer...age=1

[svairman]

I just don't think that the VG33R is going to be worth the time and effort in the end, regardless on your time table for finishing it.

you wanna do a cool swap that hasn't been done in a 240, but would be really cool to see...

VK56DE, just as light as the LS, good power, really rare to see as of right now, and would sound like heaven when done

to me projects and cars like this are just toys for bigger boys, the best ones are never practical

[blacksrjdm]

There are swap kits made for the LS into 240 swaps that set the motor as far back as possible. do some research and you'll find em...

Trust me, it may be the newest fanboi trend, but it really is the best bang for the buck swap there is...if you have the money for it. With this platform, if the VG33R swap was worth it, it would probably have already been done. That's how you have to look at it. The engine is not sutible for any kind of mods, and the stock supercharger is at it's max already...if you did it, you would be kicking yourself after for not doing something else

This is all I'm trying to get accross to you OP. I am not getting twisted about any of it. Do as you please. Honestly just trying to get the point accross that the VG33ER may not be the best option for you at this point. though if you are stuck on it then just be prepared for disapointment as BOOST_myantidrug is saying is all.

[blacksrjdm]

Also, the reason why I listed my old setup and supporting mods is so that you had something to compare your numbers too. Wasnt bragging or anything like that. It was fast, but, my friends LS1 coupe used to get me by a car. He had alot of mods also, spent less, and made more power, so, thats why the one I own now has an LS1 in it, and I would never install another SR20DET in another 240sx I own. I like the touque of my LS1 and the sound is simply orgazmic.

[simmode1]

Ahhh... this takes me back. Reminds me of when I was researching and gauging interest for VQ30DET swaps... lol

I looked into the VG33DER as a candidate as well but rejected it based on several factors:

-The OEM superchargers are known to fail and require replacement at regular intervals.

-The HP is not impressive at at considering the VG30DE makes more HP with even less displacement and no turbo.

-The torque is only 247ft/lbs, which is meh compared to other options available.

-The weight. zerothread/425965

-Maintanance parts will be easy to come by, but what about aftermarket?

In the end, I found the FWD VQ35 conversion and the VQ30DET conversions far more tempting. But kudos for thinking outside of the box...

[OutToWinPAHC]

VK56 swap

http://www.turbo-infiniti.com/...2d53b

i'd like to stay away from having to cut the firewall or tunnel

Nice VK45DE swap

zer...age=1

Psst

The VK56's aftermarket support is almost non-existent. And there is a more detailed website of that build and all of the work and time that went into it. tons and tons of fabrication, took him a few years to get it in there and running.

And that's a VH45.

But people have done VG swap in these cars before. Its very wide, and a tight fit. I say go for it.

[killernoodle]

Horse power is this and only this: hp= torque * rpm / 5252. Torque is twisting force measured in lbs ft. Torque is what moves your car down the strip and the better the torque curve is the quicker it will be. HP is typically a good way of knowing the approximate potential of an engine and that is why we use it so much. Keep in mind how important the torque curve is cause if you build a 400hp SR and a 400hp VQ/VG all things being equal the VQ/VG is going to be quicker in a drag car because of the extra torque down low to get the car outa the hole.

You only made 300ft/lbs with a 426hp SR, the VG makes only about 50 less with 210hp and it makes all its torque by 2800rpms. Im willing to bet your turbo was barely spooled by then.

Also the the LS swap had crossed my mind by i'd like to know which is lighter the LS or VG

Oh and some more details on the stock VG are a cast iron engine block and aluminum heads. Roller followers and forged steel connecting rods, a one-piece cast camshaft, and a cast aluminum intake manifold.

I'd like to address this nonsense...

Torque may be the force an engine can exert, but horsepower is the work an engine can perform.

For instance, my electric impact gun can dish out 600+ ft lbs of torque. If I were to rig my impact gun up to my driveshaft, the car probably wouldn't even move.

ENGINE TORQUE IS NOT WHAT MAKES A CAR ACCELERATE QUICKLY.

Its how quickly that torque can be applied that matters.

Consider this, engine 1 makes 200ftlbs of torque at a 5250 rpm redline. Engine 2 makes 100 ft lbs at a 10500 rpm redline. Engine 1 and 2 actually have the same horsepower, and if you gear engine 2 to a 2:1 ratio (2 rotations of the crank to 1 of the driveshaft) the final torque output for both motors would be the exact same.

HORSEPOWER is the only measure of how quickly a car can accelerate. As long as the gearing takes advantage of an engine's specific characteristics, a car with more horsepower will always win the race.

People who say torque wins races obviously hasn't seen how much raw power can be exerted from a 600cc sportbike making *only* 40 foot pounds of torque. A cruiser with 100+ft lbs of torque may *look* stronger, but the 600 would rape it any day.

Go take some physics classes.


Modified by killernoodle at 2:49 PM 11/18/2009

[svairman]

hmm thanks for the imput, maybe I'll stick a Saab B234 in there instead

With all the gm talk i'd considered sourcing a 4.3L from an old syclone or typhone also, having the same block design as the chevy 350 im sure I could adapt a LS conversion kit. These engines used a B-W awd system also hmmmm....

[OutToWinPAHC]

Or you could do some research and find out that SBC conversion kits are available.

Zing

Had to do that, but yeah I'll find you the link to SBC mounts.