Ceasars Chariot Maxima meets bitter end ! No rev limiter takes down the 3 liter.
Sorry to hear that ceaser. That DE has been good to you. I say you do the 3.5 swap and do another walkthrough like you did for the 00VI. I know I wouldnt have been able to do my swap wiithout it.
When you're talking 8000 rpm I believe you need the bottom end balanced. I don't think the revup pump would survive for long in a 3.5 either at that rpm without balancing.
Last edited by DandyMax; Dec 2, 2007 at 02:49 PM.
Man, this sucks! I'm sorry to hear that. Are you allowed to have a 3.5 in the class you race in the most?
There are a lot of nationally accepted sport compact classes in the US that do not allow NA motors bigger than 3.0L. So all the B18 and H22 Hondas are dominating these classes and any NA 3L in a heavier car never stands a chance!
There are a lot of nationally accepted sport compact classes in the US that do not allow NA motors bigger than 3.0L. So all the B18 and H22 Hondas are dominating these classes and any NA 3L in a heavier car never stands a chance!
Man, this sucks! I'm sorry to hear that. Are you allowed to have a 3.5 in the class you race in the most?
There are a lot of nationally accepted sport compact classes in the US that do not allow NA motors bigger than 3.0L. So all the B18 and H22 Hondas are dominating these classes and any NA 3L in a heavier car never stands a chance!
There are a lot of nationally accepted sport compact classes in the US that do not allow NA motors bigger than 3.0L. So all the B18 and H22 Hondas are dominating these classes and any NA 3L in a heavier car never stands a chance!

aaron we dont have any limits in this class minus you must be 10.99 and higher, and you can only use DOT legal tires. Besides this the sky is the limit. we had a ford/mazda truck in the class this meet running a lexus V8 but he wasnt close to being a threat !

Are you able to get your hands on a used 3.5 in your area? If not, then I'd just swap in the DEK and see if you can keep up the great times you are currently doing.
Engine swaps with our older cars are much cheaper and easier than a rebuild.
well its the same old sad story about my lack of knowledge and skills. I have a VQ30DE-K sitting in the garage. I removed the parts i needed for the swap (upper and lower IM, fuel rail and injectors) I would need to put these parts back on the DE-K.
Questions I dont have answers for:
1. Engine came out of Maxima that was an automatic. Does this even matter since mine is manual ?
2. Wiring the electrical stuff and engine stuff up. Not a clue on this. Would I just leave the ecu/greddy eu setup on the inside of the car the same, and on the engine side of things, do you just hook up all that wiring to the engine?
3. I dont know the condition of the engine, when doing a swap do you just take a chance and do the swap and see if it cranks up ? lol
4. Would I need a retune on the greddy eu side of things for the new engine ?
5. Dont really even know what questions to ask, could I rightful use the de-k red strip spark plug cover after a de-k swap, lol !!!! sure i could
If anyone can take this information and lead me in the right direction I could start the project and of course create book two in the series DE-K swap for dummies.
Questions I dont have answers for:
1. Engine came out of Maxima that was an automatic. Does this even matter since mine is manual ?
2. Wiring the electrical stuff and engine stuff up. Not a clue on this. Would I just leave the ecu/greddy eu setup on the inside of the car the same, and on the engine side of things, do you just hook up all that wiring to the engine?
3. I dont know the condition of the engine, when doing a swap do you just take a chance and do the swap and see if it cranks up ? lol
4. Would I need a retune on the greddy eu side of things for the new engine ?
5. Dont really even know what questions to ask, could I rightful use the de-k red strip spark plug cover after a de-k swap, lol !!!! sure i could
If anyone can take this information and lead me in the right direction I could start the project and of course create book two in the series DE-K swap for dummies.
cash payouts. yes but it depends on which strip. Last race at lakeside I came home with 300 dollars for first place (earned that racing evo's rx7's and sti's) at Masterton its smaller 90-40-20 for 1st 2nd and 3rd. But its still some green to put in your pocket for a days work out on the track.
i could kick myself, max would have cleaned house this meet and yet again make people wonder what on earth is a us spec maxima ? lol
short term de-k sounds promising long term 3.5 swap would put me in the top bracket in all motor here. civics up north run mid 12's and you have to run that to have a chance to win it all ! it sure would be something to see a maxima on top of the pack. i tell dandymax all the time to move over and take his rightful place as king of the hill! lol !
i could kick myself, max would have cleaned house this meet and yet again make people wonder what on earth is a us spec maxima ? lol
short term de-k sounds promising long term 3.5 swap would put me in the top bracket in all motor here. civics up north run mid 12's and you have to run that to have a chance to win it all ! it sure would be something to see a maxima on top of the pack. i tell dandymax all the time to move over and take his rightful place as king of the hill! lol !
cash payouts. yes but it depends on which strip. Last race at lakeside I came home with 300 dollars for first place (earned that racing evo's rx7's and sti's) at Masterton its smaller 90-40-20 for 1st 2nd and 3rd. But its still some green to put in your pocket for a days work out on the track.
i could kick myself, max would have cleaned house this meet and yet again make people wonder what on earth is a us spec maxima ? lol
short term de-k sounds promising long term 3.5 swap would put me in the top bracket in all motor here. civics up north run mid 12's and you have to run that to have a chance to win it all ! it sure would be something to see a maxima on top of the pack. i tell dandymax all the time to move over and take his rightful place as king of the hill! lol !
i could kick myself, max would have cleaned house this meet and yet again make people wonder what on earth is a us spec maxima ? lol
short term de-k sounds promising long term 3.5 swap would put me in the top bracket in all motor here. civics up north run mid 12's and you have to run that to have a chance to win it all ! it sure would be something to see a maxima on top of the pack. i tell dandymax all the time to move over and take his rightful place as king of the hill! lol !
The Civics run mid 12s NA with street tires?
In the US classes for NHRA SC and NDRA, they are running high 11s and low 12s NA with drag radials! I can't compete with that! Not in a 3L Maxima! I would have a good chance with a 3.5 swap, but they don't allow it!

So I am researching the local Battle of the Imports type races at various tracks on the US east coast that allow power adders. But if I want to run on a national type event like NHRA or NDRA, I'll have to be running deep in the 10s if I want to have a chance. It's possible with the VE motor with turbo and nitrous, but that's a LONG LONG ways off!
My best chance to win races is to polish up my RT skills once again and get into ET Bracket Racing. It pays out MORE than the heads up classes just b/c they get more racers to attend. But with my nitrous, I'll have the option of running in the <13.99 or the 14.00+ class. I'll just have to determine which class I'll have a better chance with for the particular track while looking at the previous year's results.
well its the same old sad story about my lack of knowledge and skills. I have a VQ30DE-K sitting in the garage. I removed the parts i needed for the swap (upper and lower IM, fuel rail and injectors) I would need to put these parts back on the DE-K.
Questions I dont have answers for:
1. Engine came out of Maxima that was an automatic. Does this even matter since mine is manual ?
Questions I dont have answers for:
1. Engine came out of Maxima that was an automatic. Does this even matter since mine is manual ?
2. Wiring the electrical stuff and engine stuff up. Not a clue on this. Would I just leave the ecu/greddy eu setup on the inside of the car the same, and on the engine side of things, do you just hook up all that wiring to the engine?

3. I dont know the condition of the engine, when doing a swap do you just take a chance and do the swap and see if it cranks up ? lol
4. Would I need a retune on the greddy eu side of things for the new engine ?
5. Dont really even know what questions to ask, could I rightful use the de-k red strip spark plug cover after a de-k swap, lol !!!! sure i could
I have a grey DEK engine cover kickin around still that I never put on, but I never got the spark plug cover.. hehe
words of wisdom neal, that sorry old tranny is half the reason i stuffed up the shift.
few photos from the meet:



(photo below
ok seriously, what sorta drop is this ? eibach prokit springs and kyb agx shocks ? maybe the car is just to light now, no idea, but this is another project i need to figure out lol !
few photos from the meet:



(photo below
ok seriously, what sorta drop is this ? eibach prokit springs and kyb agx shocks ? maybe the car is just to light now, no idea, but this is another project i need to figure out lol !
Last edited by Ceasars Chariot; Dec 3, 2007 at 12:00 AM.
Sad to hear about the loss, hopefully you can get the Chariot rolling again soon. I vote on a VQ35 swap. Maybe you can find a engine/transmission combo. While it does involve much more modding, that six-speed is a very very sweet (at least compared to the 5-speed).
Best of luck to ya.
Best of luck to ya.
well i guess i would be the only honest one here and say maybe you should step up to a better platform thats available to you over there. older evo's, sti's, maybe some holdens, heck even a skyline if you can swing one. i've always liked your car and what you have done with it but maybe its time.
but what ever you choose to do good luck.
but what ever you choose to do good luck.
I'm fairly sure the DEK will be far and away the cheapest option at this point for him (based on what I know of his situation) and he won't miss the season. Buying and installing a VQ35 over there is nowhere near as easy/cheap as in North America. And if you purchase another car, well obviously that's costly, plus starting over with whatever mods he'd need to do to get the performance desired.
Sorry to hear about your loss man. I always enjoyed watching your video's and hope you soon have it back up and runnin'.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
PS - Glad us "auto" guys dont have to worry about mis-shifting, yikes!!
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
PS - Glad us "auto" guys dont have to worry about mis-shifting, yikes!!
o yeah ! i will always keep the chariot
just getting close to adding another ride to the stables and just looking around to see what would have some potential in all motor drags. 350z could have potential if one was willing to do what was necessary. Judging by their 1/4 mile times, its a bit discouraging though, I was hoping to see much lower e.t.'s out of the Z33.
just getting close to adding another ride to the stables and just looking around to see what would have some potential in all motor drags. 350z could have potential if one was willing to do what was necessary. Judging by their 1/4 mile times, its a bit discouraging though, I was hoping to see much lower e.t.'s out of the Z33.
^ not for long i hope !
Man Im just speechless at the moment. We drove over to pick up the chariot to tow home today. Kevin one of the Pro Import drag racers here who lives nearby gave me a hand. Anyways to make a long story short, he knows heaps about cars and built his 800 or 900 hp supra.
He had a look at the DE-K and had a look at my engine in the car, and asked me how I would feel if he came over and did the swap for me. I was speechless ! I said for sure man ! If all goes as planned the chariot will be back in time for the next meeting at the end of Decemember. Im stoked ! Couldnt hardly believe the offer, man am I grateful!
So I will start a thread in the all motor section. Kevin said he wants me to remove the hood, upper IM, battery, radiator, and unbolt the headers. (dan if your reading, i have a few more tools in my aresenal) So im a bit worried with the header removal part on the rear. But will discuss that in more depth in all motor. Im hoping it may be easier to get access to them with the upper IM off, not sure.
So I will get this going. As for as a DE-K swap for dummies, i think most of the info I may need would be on advice regarding what I need to label, and any differences in the DE-K i should know about ahead of time.
Neal im going to see if i can replace some of the transmission parts as much as I can, bearings, syncros, etc. will have to see whats up in there and what kinda shape its in.
Also im pretty sure i will need a new clutch and really need to find out from you guys what would be the best replacement. im not sure how happy i am with the exedy stage 1, maybe some sort of ACT setup would be better.
I also wanted to thank everyone for there support and after being so down about the situation it looks like things are turning out better than I could ever had expected.
thanks everybody !!! fingers crossed on the condition of the engine going in... but I could be back soon terrorizing any honda in site !!
cheers
photos:


Man Im just speechless at the moment. We drove over to pick up the chariot to tow home today. Kevin one of the Pro Import drag racers here who lives nearby gave me a hand. Anyways to make a long story short, he knows heaps about cars and built his 800 or 900 hp supra.
He had a look at the DE-K and had a look at my engine in the car, and asked me how I would feel if he came over and did the swap for me. I was speechless ! I said for sure man ! If all goes as planned the chariot will be back in time for the next meeting at the end of Decemember. Im stoked ! Couldnt hardly believe the offer, man am I grateful!
So I will start a thread in the all motor section. Kevin said he wants me to remove the hood, upper IM, battery, radiator, and unbolt the headers. (dan if your reading, i have a few more tools in my aresenal) So im a bit worried with the header removal part on the rear. But will discuss that in more depth in all motor. Im hoping it may be easier to get access to them with the upper IM off, not sure.
So I will get this going. As for as a DE-K swap for dummies, i think most of the info I may need would be on advice regarding what I need to label, and any differences in the DE-K i should know about ahead of time.
Neal im going to see if i can replace some of the transmission parts as much as I can, bearings, syncros, etc. will have to see whats up in there and what kinda shape its in.
Also im pretty sure i will need a new clutch and really need to find out from you guys what would be the best replacement. im not sure how happy i am with the exedy stage 1, maybe some sort of ACT setup would be better.
I also wanted to thank everyone for there support and after being so down about the situation it looks like things are turning out better than I could ever had expected.
thanks everybody !!! fingers crossed on the condition of the engine going in... but I could be back soon terrorizing any honda in site !!
cheers
photos:


Last edited by Ceasars Chariot; Dec 5, 2007 at 01:59 AM.
Wow that's amazing news Chris, and that's partly what makes NZ a great place.
As for the swap, I'm a little confused though.. not sure why he'd want you to remove the radiator and headers?
If he's got an engine hoist with a leveler it's a piece of cake to pull the engine out the top with the headers still on (but not the y-pipe). No need to remove the rad, and you don't even need to remove the cross member out of the car, just undo the bolts going through the center of the mounts and pull the engine up and out. The tranny you can either take off before hand or if he has a good leveler you can undo the tranny mount but leave it attached to the engine and angle it before pulling it.
We'll have to catch up on AIM/MSN soon or PM me, and I can help you with a lot of the details.
As for the swap, I'm a little confused though.. not sure why he'd want you to remove the radiator and headers?
If he's got an engine hoist with a leveler it's a piece of cake to pull the engine out the top with the headers still on (but not the y-pipe). No need to remove the rad, and you don't even need to remove the cross member out of the car, just undo the bolts going through the center of the mounts and pull the engine up and out. The tranny you can either take off before hand or if he has a good leveler you can undo the tranny mount but leave it attached to the engine and angle it before pulling it.
We'll have to catch up on AIM/MSN soon or PM me, and I can help you with a lot of the details.
thread to be continue in all motor. DE-K Swap for Dummies "chariot making a come back !"
link: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=547083
link: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=547083
Last edited by Ceasars Chariot; Dec 6, 2007 at 12:00 AM.





Thats great news ceaser! Wish someone could swap a motor for me. Cant wait to see the chariot back up and running.