hi. My name is Geoff and i have a 1989 nissan pathfinder, that has custom long arm suspension front and rear with Dana 44 straight front axle with 35 inch tires,
and a very, very tired VG30i.
so i already bought the 1995 Q45t that has 143K and i just pulled the engine out of it yesterday.
i still need a manual Z32 front half of the bell housing, an adapter, (which one should i use?)
im at the point to where I need to make some decisions about what i am going to do to the engine or not...

the upper intake is off, the accessories are off.
im am gonna have to decide if i want to drop it in my truck just the way it is or over haul it at all....
i just want it clean, and to run well.
and also what can i do to an aluminum block to make it look cool?

here is also a list of what i think i need.
1) a manual tranny front half of the bellhousing from the 300zx Z32.
2) get it machined and adapted.
3) Z32 clutch ans flywheel to match.
4) some kinda gizmo to make the rpm gauge read correctly.
5) hydraulic assist steering stuff.
6) dual battery relay kit.
7) electric fan? or keep the clutch fan,,,???
custom radiator??? or use the Q45 rad or my stock rad?
what else?
what am i forgetting?
any pointers at all?

Its getting done, i work on it every day just about. i need to get my spare truck running and pull the pathy engine out soon...
i found a mazworx adapter on nico for $300...
i am not sure what i need to make the speedo and tac work correctly,,
i still have to find the Z32 bell housing,,,
im just gonna clean the engine up and leave it completely how it is, since it runs right now and i don't have to extra money to overhaul it right now, besides the fact that i don't think it needs it either.
as far as exhaust goes, if i cut the precats off and did custom exhaust with dual test pipes for cats, do you think it would pass emissions still?
and im thinking magnaflows... somewhat quite with good sound, until you get on it, then its still a goood sound with a decent volume...
im also planning on gettin the Q45 fuel tank under my truck as well, since it already has the fuel pump in it, and it is bigger...
i am not sure which radiator to use, or if i should get a custom/ after market one,
also concerned if the oil pan is going to be in the way ...
a 90 degree V8 is gonna take up a lot more room than that 60 degree V6 did... i hope it fits........

so i got my spare truck up and running, so i can pull the engine out of my pathfinder here soon, maybe next week? i am in search of a bell housing from a manual 300 ZX Z32TT. i cant seem to find one anywhere... i will also need the z32 clutch and flywheel as well as the starter.
i think i am going to be using a new adapter thats being made by elwesso, that is a full ring, no machining necessary, instead of mazworxs $475 plus shipping the bell housing back and forth to florida to get machined.... but i still need the bell housing first either way.
i will also need to get all the hydraulic assist steering stuff going as well, those are the final two big purchases, i think... all of the small odds an ends is what is gonna add up to the third big expense that i cant really calculate., anyways, just kinda waiting on some funds, and doing research and things that are cheap/ free like cleaning the engine and stuff.
the main crank pulley has two chips in it,, so i think i am going to have to replace that... they are about the size of a half a quarter and along the back side of the edge by the block...
i think i am gonna get all the pulleys, valve covers and stuff i can easily pull off the engine powder coated either like a bright blue or a lime green secondary options would be black or red. but my truck is blue, but i would like to paint it lime green some day.
dual magnaflows with test pipes for cats is what i will be doing for exhaust along with choping the precats off the manis and keeping the stock manis.
custom bracket for the ps pump,
engine mounts and wiring,
which rad with which efan,
removable front core support would be nice as well....
plumb the AC and the hydro steering stuff...

I have a VH45 sitting in a 93 Pathfinder and I don't think ou will be able to run the factory fan. In fact I'll go as far to say I don't think you'll fit any fan between the engine and the rad so will have to go with pusher fans. My solution is to remove the firewall and shift everything back 6".
The other thing you will have problems with is the steering column. I've made the factory one work by shifting it al sideways and then shifting the mount under the dash as well.
So it can all be done but I hope you have some skills or it is going to cost a lot more than you think.
I think you need to do a rear sump conversion or the motor will have to sit to high. That does depend on where you set the front axle though. I've got mine sitting about 6" foward of the factory so I don't need to touch the back of the guards to fit 36's on it.

No after saying all that, I'm about to pull the VH and replace it with a turboed LS1.

so i have been doing some research lately about how the heck i am going to make this work, and i have some major concerns and questions.
1) the engine mounts. how do i mock those up without putting the engine in there, and how do i mock them up somehow with the engine in the bay for test fitting.?
2) the steering column shaft looks like its gonna hit some where on the engine i have read it hits right where it comes out of the firewall on the corner on the head, or somewhere on the manifold.?
since i want to keep the gear box and use hydro assist steering, then i have to figure out a way to make all of it work.
my first idea was to use some steering u joints and add them in to the shaft and reroute it around the engine using mounts to hold the middle of the shaft away from the engine. is there any other ideas to fix this problem?
is there a way to make the engine sit high enough, mount it high enough to clear the steering shaft, since i do have a three inch body lift, to make it all mesh together without having to slide the whole steering column over a few inches like i read Darinz has on his D21.?

those are my two major concerns right now, basically just having to do with fitment of the engine.

thanks for the help.

ya i know, that would make it easier. i still have the Q45, i can cut that whole mounting crossmember out and try and figure it out.

...thinking.
just came up with an idea...


now i think the other issue of the steering column is the idea i need to work on now.
thinking about putting a ujiont right where the shaft comes out of the fire wall, aim the shaft driectly straight down towards the frame, and put another ujoint down by the frame, and have it hug the frame to the gear box using u joints and have it fixed to the frame between the mutiple ujoints with something that allows it to spin.
no i have to put the engine in and test all my theories out. and make a couple trips to the junk yard....

i almost got the dash apart last night in the pathy, any help or advice would help if you have done this before.

list of things i need:
300 ZX (Z32) manual bell housing.
z32 clutch/flywheel/bolts/slave/starter.
psc HO ps pump.
psc hydro assist ram.
psc ps cooler/ resevoir.
vh45 crank pulley. (chipped)
rear hatch hinge 89 pathy
pass side electric miror.
unbreakable motor mount hinges to make motor mounts.
efans.
dual core rad.
cold air intake/or snorkel.

to do:
everything.

and now im being told that i prolly NEED accusump. something i dont know anything about, like how to do it, what it is exactly, how much is it? how hard is it?

i pulled the pathy tranny today, power washed the engine bay and both trannys, with oven cleaner degreaser...
i measured some things today as well. i am gonna have to make alot more modifications to get this to fit than i thought.
oh well. just gotta do it.
i might have to even push my drivetrain back a few inches to get everything to clear in the front... fans/ rad, condenser, ps cooler, oil cooler if i do one, the measurement i took, with the tranny in the original location put the engine about 1 inch from the core support,,,
if i push it back, i might clear the steering gear, but i dunno. i will have to modify the tranny crossmemeber mounts or just make new ones along with new cross member...
i will have to get new driveshafts or get these ones modified.

i still am not sure how the steering is all gonna work, i know i really need to keep the gear box if i want to DD it, which i have to, so somethins gotta give.

more to come...

Last week I had a look at a D21 that has a VH45 sittin gin the engine with the standard steering hooked up. They have the motor high but still clearing the bonnett. It has been converted to 2wd but the main thing is it fits, the steering is hooked but they haven't fitted the rad yet and that is tight!

is the tranny and the driveline in the stock location or did the move it some how.
and that is kinda what i was thinking. just have the engine mounted high enough to clear the gear box and things to make it fit, im not racing it like you so little things like weight displacement is less of a issue to care about for me, i just want it to run again you know?
please let me know what else you know about the truck you saw, that info could really help me as i am going to be attempting a first time test fit here pretty soon.

i cut out my fire wall and i am going to rebuild/widen the frame so the engine will fit between the frame rails .
drive train is together mocked up in the truck. engine needs to go lower so the frame is gonna get moved. not to hard considering everything else ive already done and what else i have to do...




will have to make a custom dash and do the wiring...

ok pics are uploaded over on NTR here is the link
http://nissantrailriders.com/forum/view ... 3&start=50

i took some pics of the most recent work done tonight. i will up load them tomorow prolly.

i got the new tranny mounts done and the tranny mounted , so, the engine and the tranny are now mounted in the truck and supporting themselves freely.
i want to do quite a bit more gussets, and then i want to take out the drivetrain again ( hopefully for the last time plug up the old starter hole and a couple other things on the drive train, and on the truck, weld everything and gusset the $%!T out of everything, maybe redo the one little corner i really dont like if the plasma starts working again, grind it all down so it doesnt look quite as crappy as it does right now, and paint the new frame, then drop the engine back in (hopefully for good,) and assemble the complete engine back together, then try to weld in some kinda firewall and start figuring out where to put everything and mount everything inside the engine bay , like batteries, ac condensor, radiator, efans, accusump, emissions crap, CC, EVERYTHING,,,
once all that is done i have to figure out the super fun part of wiring the whole freaking thing.
once that is started and close to being done, i will have to design and make some sorta custom dash

i have ideas for pretty much everything i mentioned floating around in my head, but if anyone has any ideas for any or all the things i need to finish please chime in and help stir my thoughts up...
and hopefully i will have the new pics up by tomorow.

fresh pics here :
http://nissantrailriders.com/forum/view ... 721#p12721

Geoffs89Pathy wrote:so i have been doing some research lately about how the heck i am going to make this work, and i have some major concerns and questions.
1) the engine mounts. how do i mock those up without putting the engine in there, and how do i mock them up somehow with the engine in the bay for test fitting.?
2) the steering column shaft looks like its gonna hit some where on the engine i have read it hits right where it comes out of the firewall on the corner on the head, or somewhere on the manifold.?
since i want to keep the gear box and use hydro assist steering, then i have to figure out a way to make all of it work.
my first idea was to use some steering u joints and add them in to the shaft and reroute it around the engine using mounts to hold the middle of the shaft away from the engine. is there any other ideas to fix this problem?
is there a way to make the engine sit high enough, mount it high enough to clear the steering shaft, since i do have a three inch body lift, to make it all mesh together without having to slide the whole steering column over a few inches like i read Darinz has on his D21.?

those are my two major concerns right now, basically just having to do with fitment of the engine.

thanks for the help.

From experience, you mock it up, with it hung in place, using a cherrypicker engine lift, with a leveler on it to be sure all is in the right alignment.

On the steering, you already have to reinforce the $hit out of the firewall, so (been there done, pain in the butt) move the steering shaft hole in the firewall to a more appropriate place, and be sure to use new joints-- flaming river.

thanks. im past all of that except i might just get a custom steering wheel... thats about the only thing you mentioned i havent done. i have mocked up the original one, i had to modify it. i had to cut the entire firewall out, move it back 6 inches and reweld. the steering fits, but its ugly and i dont like it. might be a thing to upgrade later down the road... after its drivable lol

i almost got the rest of the fire wall welded into place last night. the engine is back out now,again. to finish welding the firewall, and gusset the frame and do some things on the engine.
i really REALLY dont want to, but i think i might have to pull the tranny off the engine again
...(its a freaking pain in the a** cause f the adapter plate, the bolts that hold it on are welded and the welds broke two times so after being welded three times, they dodnt line up to the bell housing perfectly,)...
to grind down some welds i put on the front side of the bolts, because they are not allowing the bell housing to sit flush to the adapter plate. and i dont want chit getting in there plus i dont know if the clutch will shift properly if there is that gap.
i already cracked the bell housing in a spot on the outside of where one of the bolts go through the bell housing. and chipped it in two other places.
thats about it for now.
do a couple of other little things to the engine before it goes back in,
im gonna try to have all this done and engine back in the truck by thursday night.
we'll see. prolly wont happen. depends on how much stuff i get done today.

ok folks. the firewall is complete and welded, the frame is done and painted, the manifolds and valve covers are painted. the engine is in for good, as far as im concerned. i put the intake plenum back on finally... i still need about 2 grand to finish the project thoroughly, and thats about the only thing slowing me down... money.
things i need:
if anyone has any of the parts i need, let me know...
PSC hydro assist ram
PSC reservoir
PSC PS cooler
aluminum 2 or 3 core radiator
(good) electric cooling fans.
matching aftermarket gauges (Tach, speedo, fuel level, oil pressure, temp, voltmeter.)
Vintage Air under dash unit.(or something similar)
dual battery wiring kit.
custom hosing done on PS and AC and accusump systems
two magnaflow mufflers for dual exhaust.


i still have to get all of those things and mount them all, i also need to make a custom wiring harness by combining the q45 harness and the pathfinder harness,
i also need to make the dash,
modify the fuel tank for the q45 fuel pump,
modify the intake into a snorkel.
do all the vacuum lines on the engine.
modify both driveshafts to fit

i could skip some of the steps but i would end up spending more and i dont like doing things twice.

if someone has any of the things i need or knows someone thats has it please let me know.

I got the intake plenum on and All the freaking vaccuum hoses and other hoses hooked up finally, (i think i got them all...)
still debating whether jb weld will hold the q45 fuel pump together that i broke...
getting the new radiator fixed. gotta mount some stuff, and do a test start...

but there is two major things holding me back, money, and WIRING... aaaaaaaah...

mounting, (which i need to buy more stuff before i do ALL the mounting,)
then wiring and making the custom dash, (need to buy gauges and wiring supplies)
i also need to:
modify the pedals,
do all the hosing and plumbing for the ac, power steering, accusump, raditor and underdash core,
buy and get done all the hydro assist steering components,
get driveshafts modified/ built
exhaust system, need another cat for test pipes and another flowmaster to match my old one.

get this stupid thing running and back on the road basically. I NEED MONEY! and time to get this back to the shop to get all the mounting done.

so i go to fill the engine and radiator with coolant and the engine is leaking coolant out from underneath the water pump it looks like. i have no idea why or how but i guess i have to take it all apart now and see whats wrong. ...sucks after just pouring 50 bucks of coolant on the ground.
also. wiring issues. i HAD power to the gauge cluster and then it touched something somwhow and now i dont.... i have no idea to fix this wiring issue. if anyone knows of anyone local that can help me.... please chime in.
also. just payed a bunch of bills so i am still waiting on the cash to get the steering stuff, exhaust and drive shafts... and now maybe a water pump or something... idk. this SUCKS.

You should do this...lol

TB48DE

http://www.streetfire.net/video/nissan- ... _50393.htm

Update. Failed miserably on the engine swap. DO NOT TRY UNLESS YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE as i did not. i do now but it cost me my first truck and A BUNCH of money. complete vh45 now sitting on my garage floor along with two entire harnesses, the q45s and the old pathfinders, along with the doors and interior., scrapped the 89 pathfinder i destroyed, and currently finishing up my new 91 pathy with coil overs and a custom roll cage. swapped over all my 4wd parts and components from my straight axle and upgraded the front with a locker and chromolly shafts and new hubs. heading to the for sale section next..


YA for my 100th post!!!!