xterra engine swap Q

[jonja]

does the xterra have the vg engine?

if so, should it be possible to swap in a 300zx twin turbo motor but use the awd xterra transmission and oil pan? love my xterra, and this thought just popped into my mind.

[Desert Rat]

Xterras through 2004 have the VG33 engine.

Isn't the 90-96 300ZX engine is an early 3.0 VQ, or is it still a VG? It'll definitely be wider than the Xterra engine due to the twin cams. That said, I don't know if it would bolt up to the Xterra transmission, and I'm also not sure if the Xterra transmission is up to the task of the increased HP. You'd need to take all the electronics from the donor Z to work with that engine as well as fabricate a custom exhaust, but it sounds like a heckuva project for someone with the skills. The exhaust might be tricky to snake down between the framerails, which are fairly narrow under the engine.

Xterras are not AWD. They're part time 4WD. AWD typically uses some sort of viscous coupling to direct power to the front and rear wheels and can be run on hard surfaces that way. Part time 4WD positively locks the front and rear axles together and forces rotation at the same speed, and cannot be used on hard surfaces.

Yes, I'm nitpicking.

[Big-Bird]

Here's some stuff we have kicked aorund over the last year or so on the topic.

zerothread?id=241996

zerothread?id=194902