Hey guys, i road in 97 max this weekend with a de-k swap and was shocked at how much faster it was than my 96 max. I have y-pipe back and i thought my car was pretty darn quick, but this kid had the swap and headers back. He paid someone 1500 to do it all(engine and tranny incld). I would never pay someone to do it because its a far greater learning experience to pull an engine yourself(with the help of someone who knows what they're doing). I thought about visiting a few junk yards with some banged up maxs to look at engines but i dont really think thats the best idea for some reason. I was asking what my price range should be and if there are any things i should be aware of or avoid. Thanks and i hope i can pull this off!

 

Well basically the only place your going to find a motor is a junkyard. All you need to do is find a used low mileage one out of a car that hasnt been sitting for a while and as long as it hasnt been in a front end wreck.

Go to www.car-part.com It supplies junkyards all around the country and shows what junkyards have that part. Alot of places will ship.

 

wow totally hate to sound like a n00b, but i have never heard anything of a DE-K swap, can somebody fill me in please, thanks

 

its the engine from a 00-01 maxima, it has some slight changes inside the engine and a variable intake manifold, which makes most of the difference from our vq30de's

 

thanx mxrider52 i'm pumped to check that website out because i just got like 600 bucks for graduation money and its all goin underneath my hood!

 

hey, does anyone know what a DE-K junkyard motor is going to cost? (approx) thanks.

 

I would think it'll cost more than $600. You need a lot of other parts with the de-k. I havnt even found a complete list of whats needed to swap yet.

:edit: id realy like to find the list of parts because I found a pretty cheap 2001 de-k with 69k on it for $292 6 month warranty. Awesome price I'd say. I would need a new tranny tho right? What else?

 

i'll be going to old saybrook next week. i have the "other" engine swap in my car. i'll take you for a ride. tell me if you still wanna do the dek swap then.

:-D

 

A word of advice- Mechanically, the DE-K swap is a lot easier and manageable for the relatively unskilled/people without time. That said, there are still fundamental differences between the engine and your 4th gen engine. The gains aren't particularly great per dollar, either. A supercharger would provide greater gains for less money (and more stress on your drivetrain components/transmission)... The 3.5 is even more expensive and requires even more work, but provides a LOT more power than a DE-K swap. Just make sure you are considering the value of each along all those different continuums- price, the amount of work involved, the amount of potential power gain, and the effects upon the longevity of your drivetrain.

 

so, with that being said RichMax, whats your take on 00vi and what would you do? 00vi, Mevi, V2, or DE-K keeping all of those things in mind. thanks.

 

I am installing a Vortech V1 this weekend. So I am pretty committed to my engine as-is. However, my next step is almost definitely an 00vi and headers (on my current stock 4th gen engine) I wish I had the V2 instead, but only because it would make it easier for me to sneak up on people

There is very little debate on the MEVI vs 00vi front. The 00vi is better, though my understanding is that an IACV bracket has to be fabricated or something, which makes a complete 00vi kit harder to piece together. However, if your car is an older Max (95, 96, 97, 98), you have access to re-programmed ECU's that can raise your rev-limit enough to somewhat negate the low-end loss you get with the MEVI (my understanding is that you won't have a low-end power loss with the 00vi, even without an altered ECU). So if you have an older Max, you will benefit from an altered ECU (with altered ignition/timing maps and rev limit, etc) with a MEVI, and that's a really good option. As a solution, the MEVI will cost the average Max owner more to implement, but EVERYONE but the 99 will gain more if they buy a new ECU+MEVI than if they just got an 00vi.

My 99 has 110k miles and is NOT by far in the absolute best of shape mechanically, but it is mechanically sound. A supercharger should run you about $3300 installed (you can scrounge around and do better- or install yourself), and at that price it looks as though you can safely run 10psi of boost with what comes to (at most) $2700 worth of equipment. Boosting is probably about even with dropping in a 3.5 in terms of the wear on your drivetrain, though no empirical studies exist... The main advantage of an engine swap is... a newer engine, which, in theory should be more fuel-efficient and is more powerful.

IMHO the gain with MEVI/00vi makes a GREAT start if that is all you can budget for, but before you consider a complete engine swap, you should consider taking your car to a mechanic who can evaluate whether your car can run a few psi of boost (they can run compression tests, etc). If your car has been well-cared for, 100k+ miles is no reason not to boost. If you are planning on keeping the car for more than 5 years, go with an engine swap...

 

the other swap > de-k

ive decided when ive got the cash im goin 3.5 swap then boostin the 3.5

 

I think people have different tastes in what they consider to be the best (and ofcourse wah they can afford). For example Richmax is going S/C and i on the other hand want to go with the 00VI. I after all is said and done it would fit my budget and a lot less problems associated with FI. To my understanding the whole DEK motor should be a direct bolt on. If someone can confirm this for me. The 3.5 swap rigth now looks like its a little more involved.

 

So with my 98 the ECU+MEVI should give me good gains?

 

how is the 3.5 swap most expensive? I could do 3 3.5 setups for the price of a decent supercharger setup. It's involved, but it's not that bad. I think it was definitely worth it. I'm also boosting the 3.5, cause i'm getting a little tired of all motor.

 

the 00vi will get you more gains than any MEVI can. the MEVI is outdated technology, and the 00vi is less outdated, and doesnt give losses anywhere in the powerband.

 

well I have done the dek swap..and bought 2 dek's the second was a sludge ball luckly I caught it before dropping it in. check any motor you buy before you buy it. tell the junk yard to flip it and take the bottom of the oil pan off. then decide if you think you want it.

The dek swap wasnt hard. all motor mounts bolt up, your 4th gen tranny bolts up. you have to re wire injectors, get an egr guide tube if yours didnt come with one if you are going to run egr. and u will have to swap over egr from your engine and figure out how to hook all the hoses up. you will have to buy new lower intake manifold gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets. you should take the swirl valves out if yours has them and jb weld the holes. you need to buy an rpm switch to open the intake up.

thats all I can think of right now. and its a lot easier than the 3.5 but no where near as fun to drive and must I say..slower..but its a good place to start for newbies.. : )

 

So the 00VI is a much better idea. Any need for the ecu or such? Can I grab the 00vi off car-parts.com or do I need to go somewhere else? Plus I need to find all the extra stuff to add right?

 

I'm pricing a 3.5 swap based on the only price I have heard given by an experienced hand- Tilley in PA, who at last check charged $3500 installed for a 3.5 swap. He may have since dropped his prices, but one of my assumptions was that the average user wasn't going to tackle an engine swap themselves. Sorry for any confusion.

That said, if I had the money to have a boosted 3.5 in my 4th gen I'd definitely do it!