Ok, so here's the scoop:

I've currently got a '90 Maxima, maroon, its in kinda rough shape (My stupid self rearended a truck earlier last month, replaced hood, lights, some other things). So late last month my transmission goes, won't engage any forward or reverse gear, I suspect the main oil pump in the auto. I can't complain too much - I paid $150 for the car with a bad auto (the first time). The engine has 160k and runs like a top, absolutely purrs.

So I'm watching classifieds and ebay, find a black '88 maxima, V6, 5 speed, nearly no rust, engine is toast as it threw a rod.

Now what I'm curious about, is how hard it would be to swap the motor from the 90 into the 88. I replaced the transmission once in the '90 and I'm ready to say fork it, I want a manual transmission and I really don't want to replace the auto again. What significant changes are there between the 88-90 motors? As far as I know the top end of the motor in the 88 is good, are the bottom ends the same if I wanted to pull the top end off the 88 and throw it on the 90?

Thanks for the help guys

 

a vg30 is a vg30 just make shure its a vg30 and not a vg30de or a ve30de but the engines are the same stuff acording to hayes..

 

Yours is a 90, so you'll have the VG30E. The block & heads are the same...but most everything else is different. You'd have to pull both engines, and swap over the entire intake, fuel injectors, etc...all of the sensors, the access. brackets, etc...but beyond that, it would be a direct swap...the long block assembly is a driect swap...

Good luck...

 

A VG isn't a VG. As MaxWgn mentioned there are differences. There is a pretty sizeable difference between 84-87 and 88-newer in castings, crankshaft nose, and water galleries.

S

 

oops my bad

 

Ok, well I'm comfortable changing everything over so long as the block/heads are the same. And I'm very comfortable getting rid of the nissan auto, which seems to be manufactured from tissue paper...

I won the car for $202.51, here's the ebay link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...e=STRK:MEWN:IT

 

hey,

the at on our gen is not from nissan,

it is from Borg warner,

why don't you find a 90se that has a 5spd and swap that over to your car,

so you don't have that much work,

all you have to do is drop in a cluch and drop in a manual swifter into your car so there not that much work, if you did to do this swap then swap your ecu from your car to the 88, and good luck on what you decide,

 

Well either way, the (stock) 3rd gen auto is made from friggin tissue paper. This car has eaten 3 of them now (2 at the hands of the PO). As I said the car was $150, it has holes in the body from rust in the back of the rockers, top of the rear fenders, inside rear PS fender, starting in the doorframes/floors and the trunk lid is shot, as well as both front fenders, a corner light and the bumper cover and grille need to be replaced for the car to look right again - and I definitely won't be able to do all that for inside of $300, whereas the one I won on ebay is $202.51 and it has almost no rust, a 5 speed and no body damage.

 

if you swap the engine from the two cars it going to take a lot of work and it will be time consuming,

first you have to swap all the wiring on the 88 and take all the engine wiring from your car and swap it in to the 88,

you need to swap motor mount and do a lot of modification to the 88 in order for your engine to work in a 88,

why don't you jump on to a 92-94 se with a ve car and a 5spd instead of spending all that money on swaping the two engines,

 

Like I said before, short of minor differnces, the engine swap is not that hard...just swap the intake, mounts, etc, over - treat it like a basic long-block swap, and all will be fine...as long as the 2G intake, injectors, etc, are all good, there shouldn't be any problem.

He's likely to need to pay about $100 or so for new gaskets to swap the intake over, and MAY have to buy new mounts -or fill the old ones, depending upon their condition. While the engine is out, unless he knows it's been done, I'd change the t-belt, h2o pump, and various seals, to ensure as trouble-free a swap as possible. This would ALL be MUCH easier to do with the engine OUT of the car.

Also, just a side note, if the exhaust manifold studs have not been replaced in the past, I'd also go ahead and upgrade them NOW, with the engine out. Go to the 10mm studs from the VG30ET, or some ARP 10mm studs...prevent yourself from having one break AFTER the engine is installed...

As I stated above, I'd change the front and rear crank seals, the cam seals, the t-belt, the h2o pump, any common to fail sensors (CHTS)...

then, swap over the valve covers, and the intake, the mounts, and all sensors, and then drop it in...if you have all the tools and equipment, and as long as you source, and buy all seals and parts prior to beginning, I can see it taking as little as a weekend - especially if you have a helper or two.

Good luck...

 

after you get that car and take what you need you could probably sell some parts on here. It looks like it has a few sought after items in decent shape. Such as the front air dam, and the rear spoiler. I may be interested in the grille if its in good shape. Goodluck with the swap.

 

wow yea, good deal for ~$200...just with any car/engine with any mileage on it change the timing belt!