As for the chassis for this motor swap. The S13 chassis will be just fine. If you plan to use the 4.0 VQ like me, combined with a supercharger/turbo setup and even if your crazy enough to use the 4.0 block and a sleeve kit (approx. 4.8 - 5.0 stroked), you'ld better be ready for some major chassis strengthening. A turbo/super charged setup like that will create torque numbers relative to a dragster. That's easily remedied. While the car is torn down for the swap, just remove the rear subframe as well and jack the car up on its side (use a car rotisery...spelling?.... if you have access to one). Sand off all of the undercoating and weld all of the frame where it meets the body. Next weld in 1" - 2" pipes between the frame rails (like a ladder) in places that wont hender the driveline. Next crossbrace the rear of the car inside (between the strut towers). Recoat the bottom of the car with Nissan undercoat or a similar spray on liner. This will prevent rust. Of course you can always 2/3rds backhalf the car (tube frame rearend). Add a roll cage and your done. If this sounds like alot of work, dont even think about doing the 4.0L forced induction swap. The swap is more involved than the chassis stiffening.

S14s will handle more power. But any car making huge power should be stiffened for safety. The S14 is also a coupe style, this increases strength exponentialy. I personally am a huge fan of the S13 coupe, and hope to find one soon, but I'll take what I can get, so the hatch was mine. Besides, I traded a 1989 Honda CR-X with a gazillion miles, oil leaks, nissan ignition (I put a nissan ignition in because it was free), 2 seater, and just plain wore out for my hatch. Both cars need work, the S13 supposedly couldnt be brought to life. The guys I traded my car to, tried for a year to get it to run. I got it running in 2 hours. It needed alot of work and has a nasty oil leak on the front cover (they did a timing chain and didnt seal it properly) but other than that, the car is really nice. Back to the S14.....basically, if you have it, use it. The speedo is digital opposed to the analog in the S13, the fuse box is more compact and closer to what it used in the Z, there is alittle more room for everything, but the engine bay is pretty much a direct copy of the S13 (you can swap strut bars and such).

Ok, getting off topic again, Im bad about that. You guys keep posting. Atleast while we wait for parts, we can shoot the sh**s about this stuff. Later!

cool, if the guy buys my s13 then I will buy the s14. I have had two s14s before, but they where not mean eyes. That is the body style I have wanted since the first time I knew what a 240sx was. The swap would seem to be a little easyer because of the wiring. I will let you know which path I go down as soon as I take it.

If you want to do this to my 95 s14, please contact me. This would complete my car and keep me Cali legal.

[email protected]

very motivated over here

Things are still moving along very slowly on the east coast. as for working on anyone elses car, the man who started this thread is the one to talk to.

Mark.....Its Josh. Havnt heard from u in a while so i thought id check on the progress of your VQ swap. Now that ive seen it running, Im going out to look for a s13 shell This weekend! Ill send it to you with one of our discarded vq blocks behind parts! Just Kidding. man this is looking very clean. Im so happy this project is almost complete. Nice Shift Knob! HA When r you going to come Back to Infiniti here in H-Town? Keep up the Bad A$$ werk man. P.S. Changed phones and lost ur new # Call me when you get a chance.. Hows ur Golf Swing Later

Hey, Mark! What's goin on with the 240? Driveshaft come in yet? When are we going to get an update? I wanna see this thing on the road!

i hate this driveshaft BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DRIVESHAFT>>>>>

So we gave up on using a Nissan shaft. Basically, we're taking a G35 shaft to a shop and having it shortened and re-flanged for the smaller diff flange of the old R200.

BTW: Origional, old Q45 diffs are direct fitments for the 350Z. Not to mention the same bolt pattern on the flanges, and same hole sizes on the ring gear (mounting bolts).

Also, if you are running J30 rear rotors like I am, you can now get them cheaper by getting the ones from a Base model 350Z. They are the same thickness and diameter, though I havent ACTUALLY fit them to my car yet, we are waiting on them to arrive. The model numbers are only different by one, and that is the last (AD14 something).

On the 350z motor in this 240sx, I found I can reshape TITAN exhaust manifolds (remove rear cylander pipe and shave front of flange, slot the mounting holes). Flip them over and install them to the opposite side of the motor. They are about 25% larger and fit very nicely. Heat shielding will need to be made if you go this route, as they are extremely close to many water pipes. This is a good idea for those doing this swap at home without access to a trustworthy manifold builder (plus, its way cheaper).

To JOSH, whats up man?! I need a block actually, if you guys dont mind shipping one to me. I know how stingy RAY is, I know he's got a few back in Car Wash. I gotta send you pics of my ride. We're gonna put the 05 G 35 taillights in it (skyline style with rectangular reverse lamps as opposed to the circular reverse lamps of 03/04). We are also going to install the 07 G sedan headlamps to the front and ditch the flips. If you want one of these built, send it on man! I got room for you. (side business is an 8000 sq foot shop). I'd love to come back to WH Infiniti, but I dont think I can get the fam to go. Besides, 7-7 is a long shift and wouldnt leave much time for stuff like this. Tell Lil Justin I said what's up (gotta do the W I hand signs too! lol). Tell Terry I said hey too. Later man!

So gang, we're gonna send the dimensions for that shaft to the builder next week. All thats left after that is finalizing the exhaust and wiring in the speedo/tack. More pics soon.

Later gang

SpecD, since you're a Nissan/Infiniti mechanic would you have any techinical drawings that you could post? Ones about the suspension and its measurements would be pretty sweet. Do you know about any good ways to improve the aerodynamics of a 240? I know I don't have one yet, but I'm trying to get an idea for which chassis I want. I've been thinking of getting a Chuki S13 hatch, but then you were mentioning that the VQ swap would be a bit easier in the S14 chassis and that coupes were more rigid, so I'm leaning towards a S14 now. Is there a difference between the Zenki and Kouki? Thanks.

Ok, first off, I appologize if I'm not up to par on the JDM lingo. I know the two models are called Zenki and Kouki by the public in Japan, but these were never actual nissan names, so I dont know what series (year models) you are refering to. I can say this, there are pros and cons for each one.

Aerodynamically, the coupes will be the best (S13/S14), either one. The slope of the back glass reduces the amount of time the air is being "bent" over the vehicle, this reduces lift and in itself, plants the rear tires better. By adding a minor spoiler (1-2" lip on rear deck), adequate downforce can be made for most power ranges. Get technical and you can install an adjustable front and rear spoiler to the vehicle, install under panels with channeling aroung the trans, and get a car that will lower itself at extreme speeds due to a pressure drop beneath the vehicle (this is 200 mph+ stuff here). So, since all that is fairytale for 99.9% of us, lets talk realistically.

The early S13 with the Single Cam has less wiring, the P/S resovior is located in the correct spot for the VQ swap, and the price of one is a bit less due to the ugliness of its front facia (like a fat girl at the pool, nobody wants them). The later S13 while a tiny bit more stylish, requires relocating the P/S resovior, but tends to have more options (power windows, rear wiper, sunroof, etc) that can hurt the performance by adding weight. I personally like power everything and a sunroof.....again, 99.9% of us will never see a track with our cars, so shaving 100 lbs of sprung weight is pointless (sprung weight vs unsprung weight, its like jumping on earth and again on the moon, loose a few pounds on earth, you still jump about the same height, go back to the moon, jump, and you'll travel a thousand times faster). The S14 is heavier than the S13's, but is newer, meaning it should be in better condition than most of the S13's you find, and should have more parts available for it should repairs need to be made. The later S14 (meaneyes, S14MC, whatever) is the most desired, and with this motor swap, should sell in the near $20,000 range. Upside to using an S14, it doesnt matter if its OBD or not, you can wire in the OBD II system to operate normally and still pass the OBD testing for emissions county's/states. The S14 seats are a bit more comfortable and the dash doesnt crack. There's more leg room in the rear and they are all coupes (no heavy hatches). The downside to each is that the S13 is less rigid, and cant handle high HP, but then again, does anyone really plan on making 1000+ hp out of their VQ. If you do, you would most likely install a roll cage, which would stiffen the car beyond normal means anyway. The dual cam S13 has a little bit more wiring,, no big deal. The S14 has a lot more wiring, but that wiring is closer in relation to the Z33 than the S13, so this can be a benefit as well as a henderence.

My vote, S13 coupe. Harder to find than S14, lighter, stronger, and will be less likely looked at by police officers as a "hot rod".

Or you could go the route my friend is taking. We have a spare AE86 that will be getting this swap. We pick the motor up a week from today.

As for the swap, again, nothing new, the driveshaft is getting built by a custom shop and the headers have been replaced with Titan manifolds (slightly modified). Basically, we just need to install the speedo converter box and get the tach working. Later all.

SpecDRacing wrote:The early S13 with the Single Cam ... is a bit less due to the ugliness of its front facia (like a fat girl at the pool, nobody wants them).

i can't believe you just said that! you're going to hear it from the pignose crew now...

i agree though, chuki s13 > zenki s13

i'll give you some info on the zenki, chuki, kouki lingo: zerothread/183490

any pics of exhaust manifold setup? i'm curious to see how this looks... i'm not sure if i'm visualizing it correctly.

keep up the good work. props to you, sir.

That was quite the answer and exactly what I was hoping for, thank you. I guess then, based on what you said and recommended, that I should go with an S13. I do have more questions, if you don't mind. When you say "adequate" (for the spoiler size part), do you mean the adequate that people say when the refer to the capability of a full-out-drift 240 at D1, or adequate in the sense of using a paper filter over a K&N? Is the 97-98 S14 most desired as a project car or in the general sense of value? I'm in Michigan, so as far as I know there are no emission laws except for using a cat, although plenty of the people who drive trucks in my town skip that one...I'm hoping to get a 240 and make it a pretty good all-around car, so this swap looks very nice to me. Since virtually no one seemed to care/ask about the gas mileage of this swap, would it be unreasonable to expect ~30mpg highway with this swap, even with a 3.9:1 final drive? Also, I haven't heard many good things about a 240 in the winter, so since I might be in Michigan with a 240, is there anything aside from regular good maintenance and winter tires that you would recommend to make it more drivable in the snow?Thanks again!

Looks like things are still moving along pretty slow for you too. I plan on going with the s14(mean eyes), if my buddy buys the s13(pig nose) I have right now. I always wanted a 97-98 240sx and I do not plan on going to drift events in my car so I do not mind the extra weight. For the headers I am going to buy some after market ones for my 350z and before I put the on the 350z I am going to play with in the 240sx/vq35 swap to see what I will need to do to get some exhaust on that works. I will keep you posted on how things turn out. I do think the wiring will be a little less of a pain in the butt with the 97-98 240sx. I also might get my hands on a complete set of hubs and brakes off of a 04 350z base model real cheap, I am going to play around with those and see what can be done, if anything at all. keep up the good work!

Thank you for absolutely killing my productivity at work today. My eyes hurt after reading all this in one sitting. You are my hero. Hero! Anymore news on that J30 rear brake swap? The junkyard by me has a couple j30's that I already pulled the front calipers off of. I can always go back for the rears. I also think I saw a couple maximas so I might be able to get everything in one place. Kudos for the amazing work you are doing.

Squires1337 wrote: Also, I haven't heard many good things about a 240 in the winter, so since I might be in Michigan with a 240, is there anything aside from regular good maintenance and winter tires that you would recommend to make it more drivable in the snow?Thanks again!

uhm, this guy lives in a warm part of the country - they don't know what to do in wintery driving conditions! you know what happens when it snows down there? the governor declares a state of emergency, all the schools, businesses, and everything shuts down. then they wait for it to melt because no one has a snow-blower, plow, or snow-shovel. you'd think the 11th plague finally came.

even though it's partly true, i joke.

anyways, the best thing to do is run skinny tires with good traction. the wide tires will make your car float on the snow like a raft. skinny tires on the other hand will cut through the snow like a ski. siping or tractionizing wouldn't be a bad idea either. that really helps on icy conditions.

unless you live in the sticks, mdot does a decent job of clearing the roads. however, as soon as it's dry the salt clings to everything. you need to wash your car religiously - especially the underside.

you could always buy a sub-$500 car for the winter months to beat on and do powerslides with. [/threadjack]
Modified by DeXteR at 8:28 AM 2/9/2007

HAHAHAH......I agree....down here, we get ice about 3 times a year, for one night, and thats it. The occasional snow is great, because like said above.....most things close. Which leaves alot of empty parking lots for my friends and I to do the worlds slowest, biggest drifts! It's also said that drivers down here are instant idiots...just add water (any form should do).

Having not spent too much time in the snow, but knowing physics, yes, slimmer tires with traction that is designed for your enviornment will be needed. I'd honestly save some stock S13 steelies and put snow tires on them....save the nice wheels for the summer. That way if you slide into something, it wont hurt the nice wheels, and also, snow tires for 15"s are way cheaper than snow tires for 17's +.

The titan headers will work, we fit them to the motor the other day......and at the same time, found an exhaust pipe supplier that will sell me enough piping for two sets of manifolds for $65.00. I also made a trip to my machinist, and after talking, we've designed a really nice set of headers. So once the pipes are in (1 3/4" runners, 2"-2 1/4" collectors), the headers will get built. I agree, this stage of the build is taking WAY TOO LONG. The deminsions were givin to a driveshaft shop and a flange for the diff is on its way there. The final driveshaft for this car will consist of a yoke from a chevrolet turbo 400 trans and chevy u-joints.

As for the exhaust manifolds, my machinist has agreed to make more than one set of these.....order by order. So if anyone is interested, and would like a qoute, I will post the total just as soon as they are finished and installed. After that, its as simple as giving us a call. I need to talk to him again about motor mounts, possibly he can make them from alluminum.

So yeap, no more new news. The J-30/Maxima brakes are working great! I found a set of wheels today for my 240 I will be purchasing here very soon. As soon as those are on the car, we will be uping the front brakes once more. This combination will be Murano rotors, Murano caliper brackets and J-30 Calipers. Murano calipers are single piston and heavier than J calipers. I hope this setup will work together. If I remember correctly, that puts my front rotors at 13" (or more). In any case, that should decrease heat and make a really long lasting brake system (less pad wear, cheaper pads, thicker rotors, etc.). Downside to running those Murano rotors....they are huge, and wont clear a 15" wheel.

Later gang

Hey, man. I got a question about those J30 rear brakes. Are the lines the same as the stock 240 lines or did you have to make some kind of funky hybrid. Thanks for the info!

They are the same. Well the front ones definately are at least, so I do not see why the rear ones would be any different. I have a pair of front ones lying around. They can eat the stock ones for breakfast.

man...this thread is simply insane..i just spent the last hour or so reading from beginning to end. i must say. you have provided me with the info imma need for my swap as well as i plan on doing the vq swap. did you have to remove the cross member??? or just fabricate motor mounts???

simply amazing...where is teh new video???????? i eagerly await

any more updates?!?!?! i read every single page...

this thread is awesome, this dude is so muthafreaking smart. I been up for an hour reading all of it. its crazy how this dude know all this info about all these different car. this is too crazy!!!!!!!!

I have 2 questions:

1. UPDATES!?!?!?!?!

2. Have you fit those 350Z rear rotors on yet? Do they fit? Also, how is it that a newer car (350z) has cheaper rear rotors than an older car (J30)?

That's all!

i guess mark hasnt been on in a while but i can probably give a couple of updates... my car is almost finished. All that is really left is exhaust, the full-pressure regulator i believe, and a lil bit more wiring. Im just trying to be of some help until he gets a chance to post on here again.

I just want somebody to make a video of the thing in action. I've seen it run, but I want to see it drive and get some 1/4 times or something!!!

Gang,

I appologize I havent been on in awhile. Things with this particular 240sx swap are going really slow. It still at the driveshaft shop. As soon as it leaves there, it will be going to my other shop (not the dealer) in charlotte for the exhaust to be finished, as well as a few wires.

As for what I've been up to.....well, I just finished rebuilding the engine in a 200sx V-6. I have got to get pics of this car and post it. All stock (sorry hot rodders...this is a restoration) but it looks show room new.

As for the NEXT vq swap. I had mentioned doing some crazy stuff for my personal car......well, its underway. I opted not to go VQ40 for two reasons, different trans and too tall. So I stuck with the VQ35DE.

My donor engine is a VQ35DE from a 2003 Altima. The transmission is from a 2006 350Z. I have completely rebuilt this motor. Top to bottom. I'm waiting on 2 stupid o-rings to get here so I can finish it (o-rings for the timing chain tensioners on the heads, without those, you can't do much else). So here's a few pics.....

Enjoy.....



Freshly torn down, stuck an HR piston in it to see what the difference is.



Stock 10:1 piston at TDC. Compare that to this...... --->



10.6:1 piston from the new 07 VQ35HR. I'd bet the compression will be higher than 10.6:1 though.



The block after I cleaned it and rehoned it.



All the Part #'s you'll need for the bottom end, if you want to go this route. Be prepared, my rebuilt (with my nissan discount) cost me over $2200.00 in parts (motor only).



Ready to build in my garage at home. Yeah, it's trashy, I know. We plan to lay concrete as soon as it gets a little warmer.



New Bearings are always recommended. This block had 109,000+ miles on it. So a good cleaning and inspection was needed. Be carefull if you order bearings. The block is marked as is the crank. Both are needed to get the correct bearing. Nissan has moved away from the 1,2,3,4 days and back to the old Matrix chart.



Clean cylander head. Nothing like stacking together an engine you could eat off of!!



New rings. Not much to see. Just make sure the 1st and 2nd rings are 180 degrees from each other, as with the oil rings, but put those at 45 degrees from the 1st and 2nd rings. Confused yet???? Oh, and line up the oil ring (like a spring) with the 1st ring......lol...its really not that bad. If you think that sucks, wait till you bolt the heads down (72 ft/lb, loosen completely, 32 ft/lb, 90 degrees, 90 degrees again....and that second 90 will take all you've got!!!)



Pistons are in!!!!!!



A veiw from the deck.



Now for the dress up. I've modified some old VQ30 valve covers to fit with the VTC solenoids. I am even using the same front coils from the older motor (brand new of course), so they'll fit under the trim. The part that says 3000 will be sanded off and either 3.5, VCT or 3500 will go in it's place...depending on what I can find that fits.



It fits nicely. Oh, and if anyone is brave enough.....the VQ30 heads will bolt onto the VQ35 block. The chambers are approx. 2.5 mm smaller (bore is 93mm vs 95.5 in the 3.5). Use a 3.5 headgasket and you should see a seriously high compression VQ.

So thats where Im at now. Gotta polish the timing cover and the intake manifold (after I have it built...lol).

So hopefully you guys are still interested in whats going on over here. As soon as I get the engine finished, I'll mate it to the trans, slap a starter in it and get a basic compression reading.

Later guys!

ummm omg?

you have skills my friend

Thanks!

Beautiful. I just want to see a VQ powered 240.

Both will be done shortly. I promise! I do appolgize for the delay. Soon enough though, alot of people will be cruising in them.

my boy Tilly from a shop called Elevated auto body has had his VQ in his 240 for a couple weeks now hes like a mad scientist with the VQ running 11.30's in a maxima already now he moved on to the 240. i will see if i can get him to sign up on this forum he is one to talk to if your interested in getting this swap done.