7th Gen Engine and Accessories Full Wiring Swap
 

Swap using the 7th gen accessories and engine and 5.5ecu

4th gen part list:
Flywheel to modify to 3.5 timing or 6 spd swap
Power Steering Hose (will fit 7th gen pump)
Engine mounts and brackets (95-03)
Passenger carrier bearing axle bracket
Rad hoses

02/03 5.5Gen:
Oil Pans and Crankshaft Sensor
ECM and Engine Harness
NATs (Nissan Data Scan can reprogram keys)
​E-Gas Pedal
Gauge Cluster
PS Pressure Sensor (replaces 4th gen switch)
EVAP solenoid
O2 sensors
A few connectors from dash harness (see pictures)

cam trigger wheels need modified and cam signal inverters like the nisformance guide

nissan data scan 2 is needed to reprogram a key

The 97-99 AC lines have the right size ports, just require bending to fit otherwise these need fabricated

PS pulley needs room, pound in the passenger side with a 5lb hammer and be sure to make room anticipating tight turns and when your motor mounts degrade

I used an i35 cluster, the wiring is basically the same if you're a manual trans but the cluster is a lot nicer IMO

Many people say the oil gallery gasket problem was fixed in 2012, probably replace it with the improved gasket nisformance sells if yours is 2k12 or older

The EL sections of FSM will be a huge help mapping out where the connectors are, and the EC and foldout can help identify some of the wires corresponding to fuses.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....fc67c30e15.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....f4f1a6ab88.jpg

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....8ac6bfe4b3.jpg


Here's a diagram for wiring up the 09+ throttle body
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....d747c2533a.jpg




Credits and thanks to eng92, SuraTT, AustinGolde, User1, schmellyfart, Wizard, Vingodine, and a couple usernames I can't remember

What transmission are you using?

I assume 6 speed hence the flywheel comment but why does it need to be modified if your doing a full 3.5 ecu swap?

1. What do you mean will need 02/03 flywheel to have timing ring modified to fit?

2. You used your 4th gen upper/lower oil pans on the 7th gen motor aka 2nd gen vq35de aka fwd hr motor?

1. The 3.5 uses a different flywheel signal plate than the 4th gen. So you either need some sort of adapter to attach the 3.5 signal plate to a 4th gen flywheel or do a 6 speed swap and use a regular 6mt flywheel.

I stuck with the 5spd, kept the old flywheel unbolted the signal plate and had a machine shop cut the timing ring/signal plate off a 3.5 and weld it to a bolt on 3/8 spacer
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....a4e5a7765c.jpg
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And yes I used 4th gen oil pans for exhaust clearance.

You almost sound jealous? And just like me with the weight and when I'm trying to explain to people why I did this swap. the 3.5 on 3.0 timing is absolute dogmeat. my 3.0 was way more fun to drive, the 3.5 was like I was towing another car until getting to 3500-4000rpm

pretty excited. Hopefully it all starts going in the bay tomorrow night, gonna be hard to fight the urge to stay up all night and go for a spin

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My 3.5 on 3.0 wasn't dog meat. It was like adding a turbocharger . Went from 13.8 to 12.72. I ran a 12.72 with stock fuel,timing and rev limit. 95 maxima stock ecu.

Mods to the engine was 350z JWT behive springs and arp rod bolts. I was in the process off getting engine management. But the car was totaled.

The 13.8 was a JWT ECU set at 8000 rev limit.

The car was about 120lbs lighter with 3.5 ,very few other changes. It was a monster.

correct. I wasn't sure if he went 6 speed hence the confusion on modified flywheel comment. I'm aware of others retaining their 5 speed or AT.

I went 6 speed, everything PNP for me. IMO that was easier and cheaper but I also had a 5.5 parts car so that helped tremendously.

Nice. Was just curious from your post as it was kinda vague on that but dope you kept the 5 speed.

Cool on the 4th gen oil pan swap, good to know. I didn't know 4th gen oil pan could be utilized in full 3.5 swap w/ 2nd gen de, I knew of hybrid swaps but usually everyone doing 2nd gen swaps on 4th gens are 3.0 timing and the 5.5 use old 5.5 parts so that was new to me to lol

+1 5 speed also weigh a lil less than 4AT and 6MT I would imagine.

+1

Do that sh!t.

My buddy helping me make a proper bracket/plate for the compressor giving it a lot more stability luckily asked if I had used a clutch alignment tool, which I'd never heard of. O'Reilly's has one waiting for me in the morning.

But I hope I can curb the pictures wanted apetite with these. (Much more coming, especially dumbing down the full 3.5 wiring because it's way too easy for only 3-4 people to of done it, as well as PS and compressor fitment and any other noteworthy things I come across)

15k miles, thing of beauty internally, externally not so pic worthy engine lost it's shine to aluminum corrosion and I won't be keeping up with the polishing being a daily driver in ohio
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....5be050db62.jpg
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yes I neglected to cover my intake ports, I'll be attaching small rubber fuel hose to snake down in there and thoroughly suck any debris up
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....7dce8d32a5.jpg


For those whom hadn't seen it, my engine bay was real bad. A thick layer of grease/rubber from belts on the left side, a brush and simple green made it ez-pz.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....d53f62c06a.jpg

Tie them together? I'm aware of the coolant delete on the UIM for the vq30 I assume that's basically what you're talking about

If it is I haven't given much thought to it. I know I'll probably be teeing the vacuum lines between the two variable intake solenoids since the 02/03 ECU only has one output and I think according to slamrod he said they activate at the same time

Got my plastic $5 clutch alignment tool that cost me quite a bit of progress last night, I'll get the ball rolling in a couple hours I don't have classes or think I work this weekend so over the next couple days this should all be wrapped up

As far as weight is concerned the vq35s weigh something like 20-50 pounds lighter, plus I've got the weight savings in aftermarket exhaust cat deletes and coilovers suspension. I'd like to think I weigh in around 2800. And my grandpa said I'd never win the Daytona 500, non-believers.

FACTS

Love your Retro R34 setup


Yea I also did the tb coolant bypass although I have a 1st gen DE same sh!t lol

Yea the 2nd gen DE you can use one solenoid and T'ee the vacuum source to both VIAS

One time I had a clutch alignment tool and misplaced it so I just winged it by using the biggest socket w/ extension I can fit into the clutch/pilot hole location on engine and also eyeballing the clutch alignment and position on flywheel as I slowly torqued the pressure plate and checked the clutch disc was centered as best i could get it.

Fun Times lol

Morimoto mini h1s, there's actually only 2 projectors with 2 empty shrouds for the quad retro look. Didn't wanna dump all the money into an extra set of headlights. I regret cheaping out on the Halo rings and I got eBay ones, remote control any color, I just like the look of the opaque white halo covers. Still need to make a bracket to aim them they are just butyl glued in place but I live in town so it hasn't been a problem but as soon as I get it running that's my next project

Push back to next weekend. Took apart tranny to clean out crap that got inside and spent all day today getting it back together correctly because I had 1 "extra" interlock ball that fell out when separating the case and had to figure out where it went with no help from the fsm. Was convinced to replace the clutch at this point (cheap but functional xtd with 20k miles on it seemed like it only had 15k miles of life left) so I ordered a nice ACT kit

Wiring done, trans mounted in car, will clean up a little this week and take some pics, just waiting on the clutch to come in and my buddy to come through with the finishing touches on that AC bracket

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https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....6d6454a203.jpg

Spent the night making the bracket for the compressor and removing a broken pressure plate bolt. Trans is mounted, wiring is 3/4 done and I'll finish it in the morning, no ifs ands or buts, this thing is getting fired up tomorrow

Update on below: 5lb hammer did the job making room for the pulley no problem. I previously separated the trans to remove debris and have an extra shiny metal ball that fell out when seperating that i didn't put back in the right spot. It's half the size of the check balls. I already dropped the engine and trans back on the ground and I'm on spring break so I'll be up early in the AM figuring out where it goes and then I can go back to reassembly

My back hurtshttps://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....3b38b5203d.jpg


As User1 ran into with his 5.5 gen, there's no clearance with the PS pulley.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....15d7905621.jpg

I guess the 5.5gen engine harness is 2 piece so I've only got 3 injectors and 3 ignition coils on my harness and have to go to a junkyard

Translation please? The pulley in the picture is touching and needed space as user1 did in he swap I smacked it in. I was initially hammering the wrong spot which was why I was making no progress with my hammering to begin with but the part next to the pulley will dent right in with a 5lb


I would love to of finished this today I got the subharnesses for the engine harness I was missing but then I spent all last night puking and pissing out my *** I'm doing much better today. I feel exhausted spending 2 minutes looking for my phone so I'll have to wait a little longer, haven't even been sick enough to puke in over a decade this happened at the best possible time

Drink plenty of water! You'll feel better when it fires right up :)

​​​​​It's so close:( Going from a worn eBay XTD racing style 6-puck clutch to the ACT street performance is gonna feel great, I threw on a TWM short shifter which I'm excited to try, the test shifts seemed almost non existent. Plus I'll finally have variable timing, this thing should be much more street able and fun to drive. Got a wallbro fuel pump but I don't expect to see any difference from it, figured it was time to replace the old one if it would even be able to keep up with the new engine, and now it's 1 less thing to worry about

Nice dude.

I have a walbro 255 in my 98 full 1st gen 3.5 swap using a Aeromotive AFPR (Adjustable Fuel Pressure Regulator) set at 51 psi constant no vacuum hooked up just like stock 5.5 gens vs stock 4th gens 34psi idle/43.5 WOT w/ vacuum source hooked up.

I also went from stock clutch/flywheel to Fidanza lightweight and nisformance stage 2 clutch after 1000 mile break in clutch feels good along with custom STS for 6 speed.

I've had a TWM on my 5 speed along with a weighted shift knob and loved it.

How's the progress? Curious if you would post your hex inverter setup? Hope you're feeling better!

Was going to avoid posting until tomorrow after I attempt to fire it up. Still wasn't feeling like a superstar today so I just spent some time repairing and replacing connectors on my new subharnesses and connecting everything and I traveled to my precalc class tonight. Couldn't find the pack of crush washers I got for my oil pan so I'll pick another up tomorrow.

As far as my inverter set up I followed Austin's footsteps (scroll down a little ways https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...g-5-7-gen.html) Did you guys tap into the 5v at the PS sensor and feed both cam sensors? I have the 12-5v regulators just curious. I got my 7th gen cam connectors and held off on soldering today bc the inverter gets 5v but I'm assuming I'll have to also splice in the power wire for the cam sensor? I'll update with pictures and links tomorrow

After 1oclock i got all day for the intake manifold, small ****s like trimming my new hoses and adding fluids, complete the wiring for the engine bay, double check everything and as long as my signalplate/flywheel combo are good it should start right up. I even got a spare 03 MAF. I am probably overworrying about the flywheel but at this point it would not surprise me that the machine shop somehow magnetized my signal plate and I'll have to demagnetize it

I'm not sure about the sensitivity of the signal plate, but I understand your concern if there was machine work involved. In fact, the FSM even states not to lay/store the signal plate on it's face (IIRC) and the only rationale that crossed my mind was magnetic polarity, but alas, I overthink everything.

Re: Intake camshaft signal inverters,

I have the second gen kit from Nisformance running off the 12V leads from the stock harness, requiring no reference voltage modification (did not have to tap into 5V PS source as was necessary with their 1st gen kit). If your hex inverters are 5V, I would just tap into the 12V cam signal sensor harness with a buck converter down to whatever your data sheet reads for the inverters. I wouldn't mess with PS electrical. Buck converters are a few bucks a piece. I actually have a buck converter and hex inverters laying around and as soon as I have time I'll build and test a set myself.

Edit: Like these

I've done a few 5.7 swaps, and tapped into the 5v PS sensor to feed the signal inverters. Its a pain running the wire across the engine. Since you have the 12v to 5v regulators, just run those off of the cam sensor 12v line.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....0ec652007e.jpg
So i did this to the firewall end of the compressor line while trying to bend it, happened without much force actually felt like it was made out of playdough. Junkyard in town didn't call me back in the hour before they closed to tell me if they had "cut" this to remove the engine or not

I may be driving an hour to the pull yard in the morning how hard is this to remove on a stock car? Just an adjustable wrench for the job? The nut in the picture came off easy with just an adjustable wrench after the line broke and came out

​​​​​​Should I wait til then to start it? I know I need to get some fluid for the compressor (and learn how to add it in)

Just cap it for Now. They are very brittle, Just alum. Iv'e been Following.. I wanna Finally see it run... Nice Work Man.

Nice, that thing is going to be a beast. Well done on the swap. Looking forward to the update on this.

Just unplug your compressor harness and start the car. I've been running my compressor capped and unplugged since first start, -2k miles. I've been working (see: procrastinating) on my evap coil replacement. Should be done with that this weekend and I'll finally have AC and heat!

Do your best to keep contaminants out of the AC line set and compressor in the meantime. When it comes time, we'll get you squared away with the AC.

I was really close to calling it a night with just needing to finish the underhood and ignition switch wiring, feeling pretty tired but I'm gonna power through and have a good night's sleep after it (hopefully) fires up


Here's an example of my cam inverter wiring. I got a 5v inverter, so i took the 5v output from the regulator and tied it in with the power for the sensor and I did the same thing with the ground. The output for the sensor signal will go to the pin directly next to the W/R input wire

I plan on liquid taping the inverter to the regulator and sealing all the wires in place after it's confirmed working properly. Might mess with wire lengths I haven't decided on where I'm going to tuck/ziptie this
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....9223356850.jpg

Here's a link to the inverter I got under symbols and footprints is the pinout. I assume the diagram is from the topside where you can see the dimple indicator, so everything in my picture may look backwards. They are still doing free overnight shipping, I spent like a dime earlier on a resistor for my KS that'll be here tomorrow.

Your wiring isn't matching 2002 or 2003 FSM diagrams. What year Maxima is that harness connector from?

These photos are for 2002 but are the same for 2003. Regardless the wire colors for each year, the leads are the same. Black is the same on both, works for plug orientation. The outside leads are power and ground, and the center lead is to the ECU.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....04746d186e.png


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....ed881b86f8.png

They are just connectors off my 2k14 harness that came with the motor, could be exhaust cam connectors or some other random identical connectors.

Stolen from the Nisformance v1 Cam Inverter Guide

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....82d4e1e832.png
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/maxima....897e19959e.png
I gotta call it a night and finish in the morning I'm whooped it's 1:30am I got all my wires sorted in the bay and when starting to solder I got a nice reminder of just how dim the lighting is in the garage. with the garage door open in the morning it will be 10x easier to see, especially with the few wires inside the car. I need to get a new help light. Gotta bleed my clutch too but I've got a 1 piece line and a hand pump so it should only take a cpl minutes as long as I'm not looking for my pump

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Interesting. Not sure I understand, but as long as you do that's all that matters!

Til next time.

Its a little confusing bc it seems backwards. The DE only matters for the wires on the car going to the input on the regulator, in which case Black is round and the Red/Green wire is the 12v. The signal wires are Yellow or Red depending on which bank you're looking at.

The HR matters for your connector to inverter connections. The order in the diagram is if you were looking from the inside of the connector or terminal side.

Cool! As long as it works! I don't remember how I wired mine up. I tend to figure out what I need to do when I do something then generally forget never to recall again after it's done. Just how my brain works (or doesn't, but whatever), and the sensors work and the car screams, so whatever!

Well I'm right there but also headed to work. All the wiring is done except snaking the power lead for the O2 sensors and the throttle motor relay negative coil wire through the firewall (this is also needs split for powering ECM 43 IGNSW and 7L? A little confused on the O2 circuit wires and 7L). And I need to pick up a 15amp in line fuse in the morning for the throttle motor relay, this isn't on 4th gens instead you wire one in

Also need to extend the 2 cam solenoid connectors down by the pulleys since they aren't long enough to reach.

I swapped the new alternator connector on bc they aren't the same, theres 3 wires instead of 2 but the blue wire isn't used, just the matching Y/B wires go together and the remaining connection is for your alternator malfunction lights on the dash

​​​​​​And lastly I need to register/buy Nissan Data Scan so I can reprogram my blank key. I'd like to cut it to match my old key and have functioning NATs instead of just taping it like most ppl seem to
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Almost there! Yes, extend cam solenoid leads. Bank one solenoid connector is a pain in the *** to clip in once the engine is in, so there's a heads up. While you're at it, extend the EGR solenoid harness. I did. NDSII will be useful. I've used it a bunch now. 5523 is the PIN for key reprogram. Wish I could help more with wiring stuff but I'm not familiar with 4th gen to 5th gen wiring/harness integration and computers.

I'm pretty much just going by the wiring sheet and referring to the FSM for diagrams when needed. In the foldout for the 98 FSM its got the fuse block labeled and it says wire from 3P in the fuse block to engine harness connector 68 terminal 13 (ECM #43 IGNSW) and also 7L, which is another fuse. But in the notes for the ECM #43 connection it says power thru 7L? And for the 7L connection it says same circuit as O2 sensors, but you can see that the o2's are pulling power from under the hood at connector E13.

All listed connections will be made and nismology's notes to himself will be ignored if vingodine can't help clear this up by morning, that way I can get it fired up before my short shift in the middle of the day tomorrow and then I've got tomorrow evening and all day Sunday to get the wheels back on for some cruisin

Sounds like you got it figured out. Don't forget to get first start on video!