After a long hard debate on fixing my maxima or sending it to the junk yard, I have decided to fix it by swapping the engine, as that seems to be the cheaper, easier way to go. (See previous thread for original problem: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....3519&highlight=)

Is there a good how-to on removing the engine? Or can someone give me the basics and let me know any potential issues I might run into along the way?

 

I'm not sure, but i'm gonna be doing one also soon, i think on a 96 Max SE 5SP. I'm going from a 213,000 motor to a 108,000 motor, redoing axle bearings on 5sp and checking everything and fixing what needs to be.

 

My bro has 96 w/ 242,000 with no engine tick, no oil leaks
And still pulls hard

 

Don't drop the engine on yourself.

 

I i have a 95 with 280k no engine tick no oil leaks and still pulls hard stock... 5 spd tranny getting crunchy..my .01 cent.

 

To the op... get a cherry picker... unplug everything... get a haynes manual for help but dont drop it out from the bottom like it says unless ure on a lift. And then just yank it out with the tranny Imo its easier to pull it with the tranny. Look on vqpower.com and look at the 3.5 swap guide and see how they remove the engine.

 

Last year my headgasket on my '96 Max with 190k miles blew (not sure how it exactly did but the mechanic that did a inspection on it didn't know about it till I was already overheating) After sitting for like 8months I finally got some money together thanks to my wonderful wife and started working on swapping the motor.

I used a mixture of these forums, haynes, FSM, and http://forums.nycmaximas.org/showthread.php?t=19270 (requires registration). I had never done anything this major before. Luckily I had a 2nd car to drive so basically I just took my time working on it whenever I could.

If you have a digital camera take plenty of pics of the engine bay and areas you are doing work so that you have something to reference later on in case you forget. Ziplock bags are good for storing bolts/screws/parts and label the bags too. I labeled all the connections on my engine wiring harness (using masking tape and a marker) but most connectors are color coded and sized a certain way so you may not need to do that. Also helps to have several drain pans since you'll be draining all fluids except for fuel and A/C refrigerant from the car.

One of my y-pipe to cat nuts wouldn't come off so I ended up taking out the y-pipe and cat together (cat to b-pipe bolts are easier to remove). I actually dropped the transmission and then pulled the engine just like how they did in the VQ35 swap write up.
Since I had to get a hoist I also decided to use it to lift the transmission back into the place after I put the new engine back into the car. Don't use the position switch on the manual transmission to drain the car (or if you really want to be very careful cause its easy to break). I never did drop the cross-member and not sure why the VQ35 write-up says to do it but maybe that makes it easier to drop the engine and transmission in at the same time.

I had most of the tools already since I do some small projects here and there on my mom's car. A compressor and impact wrench is very helpful but there are some cases you can get by with just a breaker bar and PB Blaster (definitely get some of this or liquid wrench). I borrowed the 36mm axle nut from autozone (just a $15 deposit you get back when you return it).

Don't forget to sand the transmission and engine mating surfaces cause I now have an occasional starting issue due to bad grounds. Always helpful to have a friend around too (one of my best friends, a former a Nissan tech was very helpful).

 

1. Always label. Label, label, label.
2. Never give up. I got really pissed off dropping mine the first time. If all else fails, sleep on it and come back the next day.
3. Get a really big 1/2" breaker bar, exhaust bolts suck.
4. Make sure you have all the tools when you start. And make sure your jack can go up high enough.
5. If you come up on something else that needs attention with the engine out, do it then! It is a thousand times easier to work on your car with no engine in it.
6. Clean the engine bay really good with a power washer before you start working. A clean environment is way better than an inch of crap over everything.
7. Wear safety glasses when spraying chemicals under your car when directly underneath...

 

By the way, I can email you a PDF of the factory service manual if you like.

 

Just a BTW - http://boredmder.com/FSM/

 

Thanks guys for all the info. I will be starting to take everything apart in about a week or so. I'll be taking a ton of pictures and i'll post up how everything went.

 

This, I found it extremely easier to do it this way, granted it might be considered extra work by some. less of a headache to take your time.

 

i am going to do an engine swap. i am glad i found this thred.

 

Old thread resurrection.... I just got my daughter her first car... shes in college and we are on a severe money budget. The engine has oil leaks out the wazoo and a very noisy timing chain. I want to swap the engine and I am having trouble finding "free" documentation and swap procedures. I have no garage to work in and being able to work out in the elements as quickly as possible is what I am going for. I do have air and air tools. I tried most of the links on this thread and all of them link to non existent web sites.


any help would be appreciated. Mevjen, I have sent you a visitor message for a copy of that PDF service manual.

Thanks guys/gals

Steve

 

Oil leaks are just rubber gaskets needing replaced and timing chains need replaced eventually too. Idk how many miles are on your motor vs the one you wanna get. The cheap thing to do would be replace your gaskets and the timing chain/tensioner.

As for removing the motor it's in there by 4 motor mounts. You will need to drain oil and coolant, remove both axles, all the vacuum hoses and electric plugs as well as the power steering hoses, ypipe, the crossmember (2 bolts in front 2 in back and the bolt for each motor mount), attach cherry picker/engine hoist, remove the motor mount bolt for the passenger and trans mounts. the motor will not be supported anymore so you need to have the hoist jacked up enough to where it's holding the motor already.

 

It has over 220,000 miles. I have no interest in trying to replace the timing chain and guides while the engine is in the car. im afraid to spend alot of time and money on such an unknown engine since i am the 3rd owner.

 

Wife said that the oil leaks are leaving puddles on both driver and passenger side underneath..... oil sending unit/ front/rear seal?

 

Steve, photos would be helpful..

you might just need valve cover gaskets.

an enfine with 220 k on it might continue to function for quiet a while.

A replacement engine should have many of the same seals and gaskets replaced as the one you have. I don't see how replacing the engine would be doing any one a favor.

 

1. timing chain sounds crunchy while running.... its not making sharp noises but I can definitely hear the chain traveling around the gears.
2. when I changed the serpentine belt, I noticed the front of the timing cover had a sheen of old oil all over it.
3. Losing a quart of oil after 2 days. wife went on 3 hour ride with it from charles town WV to Morgantown, WV (WVU). She checked oil when she left... was full. Stopped at a rest stop near halfway point and had to top oil off again. This morning she said the oil was between the marks on dipstick.
4. While under heavy load going up the mountains she smelled what I think is oil burning off from the leaks.
5. 229,000 miles and not taken care of very well at all. Motor still feels strong and snappy on take offs from a stop.
6. We are on VERY limited means money wise and cant just have daughter just take the car to a garage every few weeks. We are 3 hours away from her college.
7. I like the piece of mind that comes with dropping a 40,000 - 60,000 mile engine with a warranty from the used engine suppliers out there.
8. Was quoted 700.00 labor by a mechanic to swap the engine.


If any of you members are close to my location, I would gladly supply pizza and beer for help fixing it up and possibly some cash as well depending on work done.

Someone physically here showing me what the problems are and such, will be the only way to convince me to NOT throw a motor at it.

 

Also, previous owner said he changed the valve cover gaskets on both heads.... not that he didnt botch the job, but he did replace them.

 

I do have plenty of tools and an air compressor and air tools.... just not alot of knowledge on imports. Last time I worked as a mechanic, cars had distributors and carburetors.

 

 

I've just done this swap by myself and it's a fairly straight forward, label everything and take pic's. I removed the bonnet (hood) before lifting engine out also oil filter to give a little more clearance and used some thick cardboard to protect the air-con condenser.

 

looking for step by step procedure. I hate to get started on a job and break something I didn't know about and cannot replace it easily.

 

You do have quite a bit of oil loss.

I can see your reason for wanting to replace the engine.

you need to be aware of some things.

while you certainly can just replace what you have with a low mileage engine, you are still dealing with 20 year old seals and fuel injectors.

The water pump tends to go out on these engines at some point. It's a bear to work on in the car. But would not be bad on an engine stand.

The fuel injectors are known to leak or flood the engine due to cracked pintle caps. The front ones are easy to fix, the rears will require that the upper intake manifold is removed. If the car is run with a bad injector, it wI'll be difficult to start, and might ruin the cat.

the egr system tends to get plugged wit carbon. It's easier to fix while the upper manifold is off.

Might as well check or replace the knock sensor while you are in there.

Oh yes, replace both valve cover gaskets as well. Certainly the rear one.

All this work is mostly due to age, not mileage. The car should be quite reliable for years once the work is done.

But if you rush the project, expect leaking valve covers, leaking injectors, difficulty passing emissions, or a leaking water pump. All of these fixes are not too costly if you do your own work.

Yet would cost quite a bit while your daughter is in another town .

your existing engine might have a clogged timing chain tensioner, or bad chain guides. Your replacement engine probaby won't.

These engines are very good. It's just that the seals are old. Replacing them in the car one by one is much less convenient than doing them all at once before you install the new engine.