VQ35DE in S13 in progress.....

[irax]

never mind, I thought you were implying that you were doing the swap as well soravia.
Modified by irax at 6:54 AM 2/18/2008

[miami-z]

First off id like to say that i have been following your build alot and its the motivation for mine. The question i have is: Can i use a vq from a murano for my build? i plan on doing pistons, rods etc. along with boost. I acquired the engine for free. That is why i am considering it. Thanks in advance for any input.

[thefro526]

I'm no expert on VQ's but I think the blocks are essentially the same but the ecu tune is different model to model. It may work but it may be a bit more difficult.

[SpecDRacing]

I WAS WRONG! The J30 rear spindle does not bolt directly onto the 240 rear a-arm. The ball joint is slightly too small. To correct this, I had my machinist make a small insert to go over the ball joint. I am researching to find the correct ball joint to press into the 240sx, 300zx/Q45 rear lower link. This is still a very inexpensive upgrade for the S13/S14.

As for the ECM's, only manual trans ecms will work, unless you pony up for the auto transmission. I recently tried an auto ECM and it was horrible. Any manual trans ecm will do the job, but a Front wheel drive ECM from a 2002 or 2003 Maxima/I35 will also need to see a functioning EGR valve in order to stay out of fail safe. Too much work if you ask me. So stick with the 350Z/G35 ECM and you should do ok. The only difference in those is if it is for regular O2 sensors or A/F sensors.

I didn manage to get my front 5 lug conversion done, so now Im looking real goofy with 350Z 18's up front and my crappy 15's in back! My rear hubs should be here monday and I can finish up the wheel. For anyone doing the front conversion, TRW front lower control arm ball joints for the S14 are only $28.00 each from Advance Auto Parts, and will press directly into the S13 lower arm. If you use a 1" socket to press the old ones out, you can save them, as they should not get damaged durring removal.

[chaosli]

i sounds like is gonna be fast and good luck

[SpecDRacing]

Hey gang,

Not about the swap, but I just wanted to share this with everyone. I finally took my ASE tests. For years I was told I didnt need them, but to get a corporate Nissan job, I have to have them. So I took them a few weeks ago and passed them. So now I am an ASE Mater Technician (wooooo.....lol). Yeah, not exactly a big deal....but what is, is that by getting that, I became qualified for the Advanced Nissan Master Technician program. Once qualified, a participant must take three online tests as prerequisits for three hands on tests. Once all test (online and hands on) a technician becomes eligible for Nissan Master Status (I believe there is still one or two regular courses he must take to become master). In any case, 350 people have tried for this since 2005, only 24 have made it through with most not making it through the three online tests. I can see why, they are freaking hard!!!! And I mean really hard! But I passed them, so now (or sometime within the next few months), I'll be off to California for the hands on tests. I am really hoping to pass them, so wish me luck!!!!!

By the way, the three tests were open book, with no time limit. Each had thirty questions with 24 correct being passing. Those 90 questions took me 5 hours! Thats how hard they are!

[SpecDRacing]

Thanks for the props, and yes, you can use a murano block. You might even want to keep the rear exhaust manifold, as it will easily be modded to accept a T4 turbo. The outlet of that manifold is almost perfect for that. Good luck and post up some pics when your done!

[Soravia]

never mind, I thought you were implying that you were doing the swap as well soravia.

Modified by irax at 6:54 AM 2/18/2008

I will be soon enough. But on a lot cheaper scale, no 5-lug conversion, etc.

Just need to decided if I want it on an S-13 or on the other car I like.

[miami-z]

Thanks for the props, and yes, you can use a murano block. You might even want to keep the rear exhaust manifold, as it will easily be modded to accept a T4 turbo. The outlet of that manifold is almost perfect for that. Good luck and post up some pics when your done!

Thanks man! and thanks for the tip. I plan on making big power, hopefully 500+whp of course on boost. My bro who is helping me with the build has a gt42 turbo ihe said i can use. he was going to use it on a 4.6 cobra motor build he was going to do for a mustang he has.

[bball212000]

we at ford have a very similar program, where any ford master tech(you can be senior master, chassis master, or drivetrain master) you take one online test, and then if you do well you get to go to regionals. from there you can go to dearborn, mi. and they have the hands on and cool stuff to win such as a new f-250 lease, a gigantor snap-on box with keyless entry, and a bunch of other cool stuff. anyways, congratulations on passing your ase. does nissan make you do online certs. to get nissan master certified? these past two years i have done so much work on the online ford certs. and now i am finally about to graduate from ford asset and become a full time tech. and not just a low paid helper. also did you take the L1 advanced engine performance? this reminds me that i need to study for my ase in may.

[irax]

I WAS WRONG!.... but a Front wheel drive ECM from a 2002 or 2003 Maxima/I35 will also need to see a functioning EGR valve in order to stay out of fail safe.

where do you get this?

people that have done this swap using 02/03 electronics on maxima.org completely disagree.

http://forums.maxima.org/showp...nt=37

04 and UP have EGR

02/03 do not.

It is not in the 02/03 FSM for maximas

BUT is in the 04+ FSM for maximas

PLEASE tell me is there some sort of secret EGR valve on the 02/03? that does not have a matching port on the intake manifold?

[SpecDRacing]

I havent looked that deep into the maxima systems, due to the lack of power. I could quite possibly be wrong on the 02-03 maxima. I am not sure if it had it or not. I know the newer ones did, up till 08(?). I will have to go look under the hood of my Maxima to see if it has an EGR. Now that I think about it, it doesnt. So it must be 02-03 that has EGR, and 04-08 doesnt. ............(ran outside to look at my car).......ok. Our 04 Maxima has EGR, and I know the 3.0L Maxima had both mechanical and electric EGR depending on the year. I will have to check on the 02-03 stuff, I cant remember. The newest maxima however, I know does not. In any case, the 02-03 ECM is different then the Z ECM, so if you go that route, thats it, no other options. If you use a Z harness, then you can run any RWD ECM for a 6 cylander (including 4.0L), but if it was from an Auto car, it will be slow.

Thanks for bringing that up! Best thing to do is to stay away from the EGR cars, its too much work to trick that system.

As for the Fort program, ours is very similar. I am taking the accelerated mater technicians program, so I have a few online tests that I took to place into the hands on tests in Tennessee. Once I pass those tests, then I will only need to take the automatic class to be a master. We have online training that is available to every Nissan technician, and it too must be completed to be elegible for the AMT program. Four areas, Engine, Driveline, Chassis and Electrical. One area gives you the rank of Specialists, two areas gives you the rank of Senior and all four give you Master.

I got the wheels on the car!!!!! Looks good, but I think an 18 is just too big. Once I get the right body kit for it, maybe it will all mesh better. Pics soon!

Did everyone see the pics from the Tokyo Auto Show???? Wicked!!!!

[SpecDRacing]

" I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would caller'er" - Skee Lo



So I finaly got them on, and before I can even roll on them for 24 hours, I had to go and start hacking up the front end! Im installed some new headlights to get rid of the crappy pop ups. Now dont get me wrong, pop ups are definately cool, and keep the streamline of the car smooth....but I am tired of aligning them, fixing them and generaly worring about the reliability of them. So........



This is the front bumper (we know!)....anyway, there is a seam that runs across it from end to end. I had to cut it away and beat the bumper down some allow the proper angle of the headlamps. Before final assembly, I will weld the seam back together to keep the rigidity of the front bumper. Got too much invested to remove this...and I'll mention it here....anyone who removes the front bumper for "weight savings" better be in a full on road race or drag race situation. Not only does it not produce a significant drop in weight, it also keeps the engine from crushing your legs in the event of a serious frontal collision....and face it, we all know we cant drive 55!!!!



Here they are sitting in so I can make the brackets for them. Luckily, the S13 had pop-ups, and this leaves me many places to bolt new brackets to, in order to get the perfect fit.



A shot from the top. This shows how deep they sit, which is actually perfect! So after breakfast, I'll be heading to home depot to get the stock I need to make the brackets (and one can of black paint). Once they are able to be securely mounted into the car, I will remove them, get the wiring straightened out and go get some new bulbs!

By the way, these are from the next to last years of the Mazda Mellinia (sacrilege!!!!). I know, I know. A Mazda part on my S13!?!?!?!? I chose these because the J30 headlamps are the wrong angle....and lets face it....the S13/S14/S15 Silvia front ends have been played OUT! Also, the Mellinia headlamps have about 95% of the same curves as a 240SX. Combine that with the projector low beams and narrow angle high beams and you get a seriously sweet looking headlamp!

More pics once I get farther along!

[hungryjoseph]

Damn, those wheels look fresh on a coupe, do you have any full shot pictures of them on the car? I also sent you an email

[Neejay]

" I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would caller'er" - Skee Lo

Damn, I haven't heard that song in a loooong time. LOL

Those are the only 350z wheels I would put on a s13.

+1 for more pics of the whole car with the wheels on (or at least with the hood closed from the side since you dont have the front end completed yet)

I haven't seen a s13 with those wheels before.

[Soravia]

you're going to do a whole Mazda front swap?What about something like a MX-6 front?

Personally, I'd keep the pop-ups and mod them to be lighter and better looking. Crack open those Mazda lamps and mod them into perm-sleepy eye popup with projetors. You still get the projectors, you still save weight, you still have reliability, you still have looks and you can get instant on lights.

As for the bumper, I suggest cutting it up and using aluminum bars to save weight and increase strength (aluminum is stronger than steel of same weight) at the same time.If you got the stuff, I recommend looking for a newer model Audi bumper. I read that those cars have a lot of aluminum parts.

http://www2.partstrain.com/sto...66841$185.00

[irax]

Thanks for bringing that up! Best thing to do is to stay away from the EGR cars, its too much work to trick that system.

I can't agree more. It is just SAFER to get wiring and ECU from a NON EGR car. Even if your doing a VQ30/35 hybrid.

I know SpecD I had you quote me everything for the swap but I have pretty much everything now except a few small things, and a local shop that has allot of VQ experience and they are giving me a great deal so I am going to go with them.

btw clearly you are mistaken if you think s13 headlights are played out

Modified by irax at 3:36 PM 3/2/2008
Modified by irax at 7:49 PM 3/4/2008

[EMK]

Ok maybe I missed it but since you have all four wheels on I suspect that you have found the solution to the ball joint.

Please do share with us.

[SpecDRacing]

The ball joint didnt work out quite right. Well, not for a bolt on situation. The spindle had to be machined to accept the spacer on the 300zx/q45 ball joint. The other thing I havent checked yet is to see if the S14 front ball joints will fit.

Hey gang,

Had an odd situation today. Im sitting at a stop light in town behind this little pos 80's something civic. It was brown and very rough looking, complete with the "I (heart) my honda" bumper sticker. This was a real beater. I'm thinking nothing of it, just figured its one of the many ghetto rides from my corner of town. Well, when the light turned green, it took off. I was like, hmmmm.....that little thing is getting on it. Then I noticed he was REALLY getting on it, as in, pretty damn fast. I had eased through 1st and into second when I realized that this guy was trying to show me something. I cant let that happen, not from a honda, so I put my foot to the floor. Third does what it always does, ruins tires, and Im beside this little S***box. I didnt really want to race, but he was in it and I wasnt about to let off. The light we were comming to was red, and I had about 2 car lengths on him. Slowing down for the light, I know he's gonna gun it when it turns green. Just as I predicted, the light turned green before I was even stopped and he nailed it! I was in the middle of second gear and punched it again. I pulled up beside him at the top of second and looked over. He had this little smirky type grin on his face like he had me....(LOL)....., so with my left knee working the clutch and the steering wheel, my right foot in the gas and my right hand shifting to third, my left hand was freed up to give him the classic peace sign. The tires screamed in third as I pulled about 2 car lengths on him. The road becomes one lane here, so I passed another car that we were coming up on and got over.

I'll say this. I wasn't expecting him.....but he wasn't expecting me either! If the little guy driving that old @** piece o' s*** civic ever reads this, that is one hell of a sleeper! Guys, I mean this thing was puke brown, complete with faded paint and rust spots. It had the "family" style decorations of bumper stickers and dirty windows. I dont know what he had in it, but it definately wasn't stock! In any case, I still won (and at first, didnt even know I was in a race...lol, go figure).

[SpecDRacing]

As for the front end. No way man, Im not using any factory bumpers. Im making a new front facia from scratch. I dont want anything too agressive, but I do think I can get the point across while still retaining a smooth style. I need to lay the foam on the front end, then carve it. After that, I'll get a few opinions from some friends and then lay the fiberglass. Well see. Once the weather gets a few degrees warmer, it will be time.

More pics soon. Later gang.

[Soravia]

When you get it all done, would you kindly let me know what mileage you get on normal driving around the town and highway using 6th most of the time?Thanks

[mrcheeze36]

Hi SpecDRacing,

I sent you a few emails to your nissandoctor.com emails and your yahoo email. Did you by chance get them?

Thanks,

Eric

[Asmar]

Lookin' good, lookin' good.

[irax]

what are you going to do about a hood?

[hungryjoseph]

I also sent you an email on nissan doctor, did you get it?

[gregfarz78]

Looking real good

I'm going to be starting a similiar project soon I got my hands on a 89 coupe and a rwd 04 vq35 with 6 spd manual trans. I've been following this thread for a while now. The wiring sounds like its going to be my biggest headache, has anyone got a working speedometer yet?

I want the car to be functional in the end.

[irax]

easyest way to get a working speedo is to get a dakota digital converter or w/e

the way i'm doing it, is using an s15 gauge cluster (it fits into my s14s dash) s15 abs computer, and a diff that has a abs output on the input shaft.

thats how i'm getting speedo to work

the A33 gauge cluster is similar to the s13 so if you want to wire up everything you should be able to use it no problem
Modified by irax at 2:23 PM 3/13/2008

[irax]

btw i forgot to ask, do you think ill run into any problems by using the return fuel system instead of a returnless fuel system? I have replaced the fuel pump with an upgraded walbro 255 and using a z32 fuel filter? that should be enough fuel for stock right?

[tbaerg]

I was just wondering if I could get a quick confirmation that the Xterra tranmission is not only compatible, but bolts on easier than the z33/g35 transmission. This thread is simply unreal by the way.

[tbaerg]

scratch that last post, i should have just re-read page two. This thread is supremely awesome.