The swap is complete but I need some ideas....
01-31-2008, 04:06 PM
#121
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Are you saying you did an engine swap, such as same motor type, or totally different type? Cause I knew what I was getting in to and it was still a lot more than what I thought it would be to go from SOHC to DOHC. Hell, I grew up working on cars....doing anything from small jobs to complete overhauls, and even an occasional swap from an I-6 to a V8 chavy in a '68 Camaro, and I promise you....this was way more intense. I am not trying to discourage you, just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. 
01-31-2008, 05:26 PM
#122
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yeah same motor, but like i said if i am willing to do it, then i would do it but if im tight on cash then i won't go for it unless i start sourcing all the parts. the one thing that will be hard for me to find is a VE 5-speed tranny. other than that everything else i can get little by little. i know you are not trying to discourage me. but im willing to take that chance. hell, anything is possible, its just the matter of taking the initiative of actually attacking that type of job. but im thinking about doing this swap so im not really sure if i will do it or not. but at least you did and you saw what you were getting yourself into and at least you are sharing your experience with all of us.
'Tis all good.....
Write up coming soon to a thread near you.......
01-31-2008, 05:36 PM
#123
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The much awaited VG to VE engine swap write-up!!!
This write-up is not to be considered a bible or an all inclusive step by step instruction manual. You need to have knowledge of removing an engine before even thinking about doing this swap. Heck, the engine swap is the easy part! It is all the wiring that is the PITA!!! I am sure there is a way to cheat the wiring and make it work without swapping the driver’s side harness, but my goal was to do this and make everything look stock. I think I achieved this in my endeavor.
Now to the swap!!!!
Find a 92-94 SE donor car. (You will see why as we go along)
Remove the engine and transaxle from the donor car.
Remove the ECU and entire harness on the passenger side of the car that connects to it.
Remove the right fender well.
Remove the harness that connects everything else under the hood. This is the harness that connects to the headlights, fogs, turn signals, corner lights, horns, windshield washer fluid reservoir and all of the relay boxes under the hood. I will say this, this is A BIG DEAL! Anything electrical under the hood needs to be disconnected.
You will have to move, notice I did not say remove, the fuse box under the dash.
Disconnect the two SMJ’s behind the fuse box.
Remove the two bolts that hold the main SMJ box in place. (Needed to be able to access the hole where the harness goes through.
Remove the body ground located behind the left kick panel.
Disconnect the wires going to the clutch inhibitor.
Disconnect the wires going to the back of the fuse box that are connected to the back of the blue relays.
Remove the steering column cover.
Disconnect all connections on the steering column.
There are two plug-ins on the steering column between the clutch and brake pedal. These need to be disconnected also.
Now with a little convincing, remove the grommet in the firewall.
Remove the left fender well.
Pull all of this in toward the driver’s side fender well.
Once all of this is out of the driver’s compartment and into the fender well, it can all be pulled into the engine compartment and should all the loose and ready to set aside until ready to install into the swap car.
Remove the fuel pump from the donor car. There is already a write up on this, so I will not go into details here.
Now remove the engine and all of the harnesses from the swap car, including the fuel pump.
Install the harnesses and fuel pump that were removed from the donor car.
Swap the motor mounts from the VE into the VG car.
I changed air conditioner compressors as I did not want to do any wire splicing.
I also used the power steering hoses from the donor car as the VG setup did not have the pressure sensor that the VE has.
Swap out the y-pipe also. While the VG pipe will bolt up to the VE, I could not get mine to seal up.
If you use the VE5 tranny, you will have to replace the hubs for the front wheel too.
On a side note, any wear parts should be replaced while the VE engine is out of the car. They are A LOT easier than after you put it in.
In short, this is NOT a job for the inexperienced or the faint of heart. This is NOT something that can be done in one day. You ARE going to get dirty! You are going to get several scrapes and cuts! It is just going to happen. There is no way around it.
But if you have been contemplating this swap and feel you are up to it, then go for it. It CAN BE DONE!
I did the swap because I have always wanted the DOHC in my car. When my VG died I saw the perfect opportunity to make this happen. If you are looking for something to get you by, swap VG to VG. This is a lot of work and the DOHC VE is a lot more expensive to maintain. But if you just have to have something different, go for it.
Now to the swap!!!!
Find a 92-94 SE donor car. (You will see why as we go along)
Remove the engine and transaxle from the donor car.
Remove the ECU and entire harness on the passenger side of the car that connects to it.
Remove the right fender well.
Remove the harness that connects everything else under the hood. This is the harness that connects to the headlights, fogs, turn signals, corner lights, horns, windshield washer fluid reservoir and all of the relay boxes under the hood. I will say this, this is A BIG DEAL! Anything electrical under the hood needs to be disconnected.
You will have to move, notice I did not say remove, the fuse box under the dash.
Disconnect the two SMJ’s behind the fuse box.
Remove the two bolts that hold the main SMJ box in place. (Needed to be able to access the hole where the harness goes through.
Remove the body ground located behind the left kick panel.
Disconnect the wires going to the clutch inhibitor.
Disconnect the wires going to the back of the fuse box that are connected to the back of the blue relays.
Remove the steering column cover.
Disconnect all connections on the steering column.
There are two plug-ins on the steering column between the clutch and brake pedal. These need to be disconnected also.
Now with a little convincing, remove the grommet in the firewall.
Remove the left fender well.
Pull all of this in toward the driver’s side fender well.
Once all of this is out of the driver’s compartment and into the fender well, it can all be pulled into the engine compartment and should all the loose and ready to set aside until ready to install into the swap car.
Remove the fuel pump from the donor car. There is already a write up on this, so I will not go into details here.
Now remove the engine and all of the harnesses from the swap car, including the fuel pump.
Install the harnesses and fuel pump that were removed from the donor car.
Swap the motor mounts from the VE into the VG car.
I changed air conditioner compressors as I did not want to do any wire splicing.
I also used the power steering hoses from the donor car as the VG setup did not have the pressure sensor that the VE has.
Swap out the y-pipe also. While the VG pipe will bolt up to the VE, I could not get mine to seal up.
If you use the VE5 tranny, you will have to replace the hubs for the front wheel too.
On a side note, any wear parts should be replaced while the VE engine is out of the car. They are A LOT easier than after you put it in.
In short, this is NOT a job for the inexperienced or the faint of heart. This is NOT something that can be done in one day. You ARE going to get dirty! You are going to get several scrapes and cuts! It is just going to happen. There is no way around it.
But if you have been contemplating this swap and feel you are up to it, then go for it. It CAN BE DONE!
I did the swap because I have always wanted the DOHC in my car. When my VG died I saw the perfect opportunity to make this happen. If you are looking for something to get you by, swap VG to VG. This is a lot of work and the DOHC VE is a lot more expensive to maintain. But if you just have to have something different, go for it.
01-31-2008, 06:21 PM
#124
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FINALLY!!! it has been proven that it can be done. i have always thought about it since day one that i got my car back in '99. everyone kept saying no it can't be done and no its not worth it. but yet you see other cars like HonDuh that go from the regular civic to getting a k20 motor and an accord in getting a j-spec prelude motor. don't get me wrong there have been members on here that have argued that it can be done and others that said the opposite but in the end we all knew it is possible. its just a matter of having time, money, and experience and a spare car. i remember when the 5-speed conversions were being discussed about and it was the same crap until someone actually did it and made it work. the same for other small things like VE SE gauges and HUD units and other parts. but im glad that it worked out for you (Mike90SE). i guess we can all rest assure that this is it.
01-31-2008, 06:36 PM
#125
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FINALLY!!! it has been proven that it can be done. i have always thought about it since day one that i got my car back in '99. everyone kept saying no it can't be done and no its not worth it. but yet you see other cars like HonDuh that go from the regular civic to getting a k20 motor and an accord in getting a j-spec prelude motor. don't get me wrong there have been members on here that have argued that it can be done and others that said the opposite but in the end we all knew it is possible. its just a matter of having time, money, and experience and a spare car. i remember when the 5-speed conversions were being discussed about and it was the same crap until someone actually did it and made it work. the same for other small things like VE SE gauges and HUD units and other parts. but im glad that it worked out for you (Mike90SE). i guess we can all rest assure that this is it.
01-31-2008, 06:54 PM
#127
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yeah, and if it performs anything like it did in the donor...it is gonna be wicked exciting. It should perform better, as I replaced the coils and plugs, and fixed all the vacuum lines, every one of them were busted. 
01-31-2008, 08:33 PM
#128
different connector or different harness arrangement? VG has a pressure sensor, maybe just not in an area where you can get to it from the VE harness. On my VG, it's right next to the passenger side hood support.
01-31-2008, 08:53 PM
#129
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I'm not sure if I missed it somewhere in the thread, but did you say how many miles were on the VE drivetrain before you swapped it? If so, how many?
The donor VEauto I just got has about 173k on the drivetrain, so I am not sure whether I should swap the engine or sell it to buy a JDM VE w/ low miles.
The donor VEauto I just got has about 173k on the drivetrain, so I am not sure whether I should swap the engine or sell it to buy a JDM VE w/ low miles.
Last edited by mrkanda; 01-31-2008 at 09:02 PM.
01-31-2008, 09:21 PM
#130
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Also, the hose from the pump up to the sensor tucks in a little tighter on the VE than the VG did. Another reason to change.
01-31-2008, 09:26 PM
#131
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I'm not sure if I missed it somewhere in the thread, but did you say how many miles were on the VE drivetrain before you swapped it? If so, how many?
The donor VEauto I just got has about 173k on the drivetrain, so I am not sure whether I should swap the engine or sell it to buy a JDM VE w/ low miles.
The donor VEauto I just got has about 173k on the drivetrain, so I am not sure whether I should swap the engine or sell it to buy a JDM VE w/ low miles.
My donor had 134K and the input shaft bearing in the transaxle is shot. So, I am not sure if the mileage is correct or not. I am using my VG5 tranny until I can get the VE5 massaged. 
01-31-2008, 09:51 PM
#132
The hoses will connect on either engine, but my '90 VG arrangement did not have the pressure sensor. I opted to switch to the VE arrangement that does have the sensor. Not sure, but I guess the pressure sensor was something added sometime after 1990.
Also, the hose from the pump up to the sensor tucks in a little tighter on the VE than the VG did. Another reason to change.
Also, the hose from the pump up to the sensor tucks in a little tighter on the VE than the VG did. Another reason to change.
02-01-2008, 12:49 AM
#133
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I don't know about the internals of the pump, but I do know the '90 and the '93 are identical externally.
02-01-2008, 05:48 AM
#134
02-02-2008, 04:12 PM
#136
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We got it all together today and actually took her for a spin.
Onliest issue that I can see that I have at this point is I have no turn signals (I think my flasher may have gone bad). They worked for a few minutes, but now they don't. I checked the fuse and it is ok. And my cruise will set but will not hold speed (I did not swap the ASCD or the actuator for the donor). Other than that, this thing is silk!
VE =
Onliest issue that I can see that I have at this point is I have no turn signals (I think my flasher may have gone bad). They worked for a few minutes, but now they don't. I checked the fuse and it is ok. And my cruise will set but will not hold speed (I did not swap the ASCD or the actuator for the donor). Other than that, this thing is silk!
VE =
02-02-2008, 04:16 PM
#137
We got it all together today and actually took her for a spin.
Onliest issue that I can see that I have at this point is I have no turn signals (I think my flasher may have gone bad). They worked for a few minutes, but now they don't. I checked the fuse and it is ok. And my cruise will set but will not hold speed (I did not swap the ASCD or the actuator for the donor). Other than that, this thing is silk!
VE =
Onliest issue that I can see that I have at this point is I have no turn signals (I think my flasher may have gone bad). They worked for a few minutes, but now they don't. I checked the fuse and it is ok. And my cruise will set but will not hold speed (I did not swap the ASCD or the actuator for the donor). Other than that, this thing is silk!
VE =
02-02-2008, 04:52 PM
#139
02-03-2008, 11:41 AM
#146
noooooo.....do wat dieselmax did....vq30DE-K.......OR a vq35DE.......could you just imagine the power a 3rd gen max would have with a 3.5 270 horses with NO BOLT ONS AT ALL......damn....i just nutted myself thinking about it....
02-03-2008, 12:12 PM
#147
(now think about turbo...)
02-03-2008, 12:19 PM
#149
02-03-2008, 12:56 PM
#150
I mean the talent and the kills mechanically and with fabrication to take on something like this. Alex V hasnt done it yet so maybe you can beat him to it 
02-03-2008, 01:49 PM
#151
Meh... I did some research and was tempted. But it would set me back another 2k if I found parts cheap enough, IN addition to making the vq hubs work with our front suspension. But I've always want to own on a turbo car and it's just more cost effective putting another vg in.
02-03-2008, 09:00 PM
#153
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ok, on to a couple of issues since the swap......
1) My turn signals were working after the swap, but when I would turn them on my stereo would turn off....same thing with the headlights. I found the problem there as I found a body ground I had accidentally left loose. Anyway, now the radio works all the time, the headlights work like they are supposed to, hazards work as they sould, but I have no turn signals at all. Any ideas?
2) My aftermarket alarm system was working fine, but now since the turn signal has reared its' ugly head, the alarm system will activate but will not lock my doors. Matter of fact, I can't lock the doors unless I use the key to lock them or unlock them.
Other than those two things the car is silk, I have already driven over 100 miles and still have close to a full tank showing on the gauge.
I really could use some help on these two problems if anyone has any idears.
1) My turn signals were working after the swap, but when I would turn them on my stereo would turn off....same thing with the headlights. I found the problem there as I found a body ground I had accidentally left loose. Anyway, now the radio works all the time, the headlights work like they are supposed to, hazards work as they sould, but I have no turn signals at all. Any ideas?
2) My aftermarket alarm system was working fine, but now since the turn signal has reared its' ugly head, the alarm system will activate but will not lock my doors. Matter of fact, I can't lock the doors unless I use the key to lock them or unlock them.
Other than those two things the car is silk, I have already driven over 100 miles and still have close to a full tank showing on the gauge.
I really could use some help on these two problems if anyone has any idears.
02-04-2008, 06:15 AM
#155
ok, on to a couple of issues since the swap......
1) My turn signals were working after the swap, but when I would turn them on my stereo would turn off....same thing with the headlights. I found the problem there as I found a body ground I had accidentally left loose. Anyway, now the radio works all the time, the headlights work like they are supposed to, hazards work as they sould, but I have no turn signals at all. Any ideas?
2) My aftermarket alarm system was working fine, but now since the turn signal has reared its' ugly head, the alarm system will activate but will not lock my doors. Matter of fact, I can't lock the doors unless I use the key to lock them or unlock them.
Other than those two things the car is silk, I have already driven over 100 miles and still have close to a full tank showing on the gauge.
I really could use some help on these two problems if anyone has any idears.
1) My turn signals were working after the swap, but when I would turn them on my stereo would turn off....same thing with the headlights. I found the problem there as I found a body ground I had accidentally left loose. Anyway, now the radio works all the time, the headlights work like they are supposed to, hazards work as they sould, but I have no turn signals at all. Any ideas?
2) My aftermarket alarm system was working fine, but now since the turn signal has reared its' ugly head, the alarm system will activate but will not lock my doors. Matter of fact, I can't lock the doors unless I use the key to lock them or unlock them.
Other than those two things the car is silk, I have already driven over 100 miles and still have close to a full tank showing on the gauge.
I really could use some help on these two problems if anyone has any idears.
Try swapping the turn signal/headlight stalk with the one from your donor car.
If that doesn't do the trick,then go back through your under dash wiring again throughly...you may have left another ground strap or something off?
02-04-2008, 06:21 AM
#156
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02-04-2008, 06:48 AM
#157
ok, on to a couple of issues since the swap......
1) My turn signals were working after the swap, but when I would turn them on my stereo would turn off....same thing with the headlights. I found the problem there as I found a body ground I had accidentally left loose. Anyway, now the radio works all the time, the headlights work like they are supposed to, hazards work as they sould, but I have no turn signals at all. Any ideas?
2) My aftermarket alarm system was working fine, but now since the turn signal has reared its' ugly head, the alarm system will activate but will not lock my doors. Matter of fact, I can't lock the doors unless I use the key to lock them or unlock them.
Other than those two things the car is silk, I have already driven over 100 miles and still have close to a full tank showing on the gauge.
I really could use some help on these two problems if anyone has any idears.
1) My turn signals were working after the swap, but when I would turn them on my stereo would turn off....same thing with the headlights. I found the problem there as I found a body ground I had accidentally left loose. Anyway, now the radio works all the time, the headlights work like they are supposed to, hazards work as they sould, but I have no turn signals at all. Any ideas?
2) My aftermarket alarm system was working fine, but now since the turn signal has reared its' ugly head, the alarm system will activate but will not lock my doors. Matter of fact, I can't lock the doors unless I use the key to lock them or unlock them.
Other than those two things the car is silk, I have already driven over 100 miles and still have close to a full tank showing on the gauge.
I really could use some help on these two problems if anyone has any idears.
100 miles and still shows a full tank? dam I drive 100 miles and I'm usually just about 1/2 tank
02-04-2008, 02:03 PM
#158
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Seriously, I only had to make one connection into the new harness, at least that is all I saw anyway.
OK, I have about 150 miles on this tank now and have 3/4 left. This thing rocks!!!
