This is my issue fellas, my oil consumption has went from a qt. Every 1K to now being about a qt. Every week, and I just rolled over 160K, on my 02 . The thing is really annoying because I keep getting random misfire codes and that annoying rattling sound when changing gears at low rpms.

the question is this, when choosing a replacement VQ 3.5, do I have to really stick with that 4th digit code in my vin which is D. I know the nissan/infiniti VQ engines are comparable except the intake manifold set up and i would have to swap my harness and fly wheel since I have a stick, but what else would limit me to a vin code D. I want to purchase a newer engine and not be stuck with another first Gen 3.5 with the same issue/ worn out piston rings. Any help or personal experience is performing a swap I'll be helpful. Thanks in advance. Adding a qt of oil a week is embarrassing for such a good looking car. The loud rattling is the icing on the cake, to the point that I hear it on other maxima's.

 

Are you doing the swap yourself or having a garage do it?

 

Me and a friend Will be doing it, he did a swap on his I35 last year, his Catt clogged and messed up his original engine.

 

Nobody has nothing to share, damn what's happened to this site?

 

Just to be on the safe side, choose something from a 02-03 Maxima or 02-04 I35. Almost everything on those cars are cross compatible. The Altima or Murano engines might work, but I wouldn't risk it.

 

Thanks for the input I was looking around and coming up with pretty much the same thing. I'm sticking with a closer to 04 year low mileage engine. But I can't believe more people haven't went about changing out their oil consuming engines, I guess it's better to just get another vehicle sometimes. But I'm the second owner of this car and, it being from California and rust free is the only reason that I'm willing to keep the car.

 

It's not.
Just rings and gaskets is like 200bux probably, and there you go.
Cheapest fix ever.

I would LOVE to see pictures of these 3.5s with blown rings. What made them wear out so fast if that's what actually happens.

 

Nothing happened. You posted 1 day ago.
Noobs can't wait 1 day for a response.

 

Since it's a 5.5 and if you really like the car, do an HR swap. Search nisformance there are instructions and Darren sells the conversion parts you'll need.

 

https://maxima.org/forums/all-motor/...s-lengthy.html

 

https://maxima.org/forums/all-motor/...to-2002-a.html


Look at this dude here he's cheap
Or you can spend the money and go nisformance

 

Are you getting black smoke from tailpipe. Usually you can take your finger and run it around the inside of tailpipe if your finger comes out black it's burning right?
Could be valve stem seals too?
What a bout a rebuild ? This way it's the original engine it was built with.

 

one things for sure, people STILL don't know how to search

 

No smoke from the tailpipe at all, and the burn off in the tip of the tailpipe is black but with little oil, most times dry. But as I said there's no smoke while the engine is running. Weird ain't it

 

Check my date, I've been on here less than a year after you, I'm not new in here, I just don't say much often unless I know what I'm speaking about. Still a noob after going on 11 years. See what you just did there you commented without offering me anything worthwhile that's what I stay we away from. I don't care about post counts.

 

it's not your post count or when you signed up.
It's how you act.

 

I know that All Out Motorworks in Hempstead do about 2 conversions a month. It may be worth a shot to ask on their facebook page. Harjit was very involved with Maxima's back in the day and his garage always has at least one other Nissan in the shop when I go there for work.

 

So how did I act for you to call me a noob? I came asking for opinion on something that I don't know about. 60+ people read my post and offered nothing, that's it. Anyways I appreciate all the suggestions that I'm getting, and I'll look into then further. Thanks guys.

 

In late 2014 I noticed that I was losing oil a lot faster as time went by. I checked it all the time, but one thing that added to my concern is how sometimes it is difficult to read the dipstick on this particular engine. Anyway, in the week before I lost all compression, I noticed oil dripping from the inside of the hood when I opened it to check the oil level. I believe what was happening is that pressure from inside the crankcase was dislodging the dipstick and spurting oil out from the opening. I read some material that led me to believe what might have caused this is combustion pressure sneaking past the rings. So this summer, after having a 2+ year disagreement with my wife about what to do with the Max, I have the opportunity to finally work on the engine. It will be my first ever teardown of a car engine, and I am relying on a youtube video series that a fellow in NC uploaded in which he gives a play-by-play account of himself doing a partial teardown of an 03 Max GLE. I'd like to share the link to the first video here for anyone interested. But just want to say thanks to all for the advice I have received just from reading this forum. You guys are amazing. I hope to be able to share insights as I get started on my project. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtPOkjP_VS4" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtPOkjP_VS4

 

PCV valve?

 

I'm not the kind of person to say atodaso, but you know what? Atodaso. I ****ing atodaso.

There was nothing wrong with your rings until the precats got hungry and ate them along with the cylinders.

 

A buddy mentioned this about one week before the engine failed. I haven't taken it out to look at it yet.

 

I'm interested in any insights. My intention is to tear down and have someone help me look at the innards and see if I can learn what happened.

 

Precats degrade due to extreme heat and rich fuel mixture. IVT allows the particles to be pulled into the cylinders. Metal/ceramic sand and engines don't mix.

​​​Do the altima "HR" swap aka 5.7 swap.

Unbolt the top of the cats and you'll see what happened. There's no reason to look at the engine internals.

 

I will be checking out the cats on my way to fully dismantling the engine. Oddly enough the guy in NC who posts the Youtube videos discovered a damaged pre cat too. My budget is very low, so the only way I will be driving my beloved silver bullet again is if I can make use of the engine that's in it. If I find that my block is irretrievably compromised by what you describe, I will bear witness to that here and with pictures. If it's the rings, I can probably afford to replace them and whatever gaskets I need. Maybe if the engine is beyond saving I can consider a replacement engine, but my skills are not there to where I can spend money on a swap engine and be confident of making it pay off for me working by myself. I appreciate your point of view, and I have read some of your posts. At this point everyone on this site knows more than I do, so I need everyone's help who is willing. Thanks for your attention.