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This first post will be edited quite a bit. I will answer questions as the thread goes on but hopefully the edit functions hasn't changed over the years and I can continue to edit this first post so you don't have to scroll through pages.
anywho....
this place still exist? Lol.
I'm in the middle of a 6mt swap figure I'd post it here because fb is a mess and full of idiots
I will also shamelessly plug my sleeper garage FB page here as well
Anyways. I'm pulling the whole motor and trans assembly out of an 06 6mt and dropping it into a 2008 because I thoroughly enjoy everything about my 08 except the trans.
Initially to get it running I will use the stock 08 ecu with the trans computer unplugged.
I plan on putting in the 7th gen maxima motor later which is why I won't bother with finding a late model manual non revup 350z/g35 ECU (the best ecu to use for this swap) to finish the car.
When I 2nd gen DE swap the car I will use a rev-up ECU.
Right now I just want to get it running and retire the daily 5.5 TE
As of now I have the power train out ready to install. Into my 08.
It has 271k and needs a little TLC which I may or may not give since I don't plan on keeping a 271k vq35de on the road.
So far new parts are just some ebay chino motor mounts, new slave and master cylinders, and a stainless steel clutch line.
.... annnddd that is all for now. I'm going to come back and add images and progress here. Feel free to post questions, or ****post (ghustling for the OGs).
6th gen section is pretty dead. 5th gen is probably most active, but dead lately. I Swapped my 5th gen late last year/early this year and read through quite a bit of your old material. Thanks for that.
Sounds like you enjoy removing motors and trannys. I'd wait for the 2nd gen DE then do everything. Looks like fun though. I was always most partial to the 5th gen, but the 6th gen became an acquired taste over time after driving the 5sp version over one summer a while ago. More info on the rev-up ECU you mentioned would be awesome. No one will touch my stock 5th gen ECU as I have no "mods" but still want a tune.
6th gen section is pretty dead. 5th gen is probably most active, but dead lately. I Swapped my 5th gen late last year/early this year and read through quite a bit of your old material. Thanks for that. -Glad i was able to help!
Sounds like you enjoy removing motors and trannys. I'd wait for the 2nd gen DE then do everything.
--i do it too often it's no biggie for me. Right now I'm trying to consolidate to 4 maximas. I currently have 6.
Looks like fun though. I was always most partial to the 5th gen, but the 6th gen became an acquired taste over time after driving the 5sp version over one summer a while ago. -when I had a 6th gen for a short while as a daily I fell in love with the overall improved design of the vehicle, it's just a better designed car. I use the word design with emphasis because the Mexican/Canadian parts are of clearly inferior quality than the 03 back Japanese part orgin Maximas.
More info on the rev-up ECU you mentioned would be awesome. No one will touch my stock 5th gen ECU as I have no "mods" but still want a tune.
This is almost a plug and play mod for the 6th gen guys wanting to do the 2nd gen Maxima DE swap. The rev up has intake and exhaust variable cams phasers so no haltech needed.
Your 5th gen ECU can be reflashed via Rom Raider. I had mine done by Matt Riney first then re done by AdminTuning. I am unsure if they still offer thier services for the 5th gen. Even with a stock vehicle I'm sure there's power to be had just by using a 350z map. Even though you'll get 350z fuel economy.
Moncef will do a mail-in tune, but says it's a big waste of time without logging, and I agree. Darren doesn't want to bother putting it on the dyno stating that it wouldn't be cost effective with me being out of state (Tampa, FL) and no mods, and offered to do a mail-in, but I'm just not sold on a map that throws a bunch of fuel in and calls it a day. Still not sure why he cares I'm out of state if I'm paying him the same as anyone else would. And aren't most of his customers out of state anyway?
I read up on and downloaded ROM Raider but not enough to start digging into it myself as I don't have the time. Right now I'm running IVT but obviously no EVT with the 5th gen ECU.
So yeah, I haven't heard of a plug-and-play for the 5th gen swappers OR the 6th gen guys. Are they compatible? I average 20mpg across the board (city/hwy, AC ON/OFF). My 2014 DE has now 55k mi on it, 44 when I installed it.
I'm glad that you are doing this swap. I've been thinking of swapping my 2006 to a 6mt. I've already sourced a donor. I just wasn't sure of what all is involved in doing so. I'm subbed here. Keep posting your progress bro.
Made some progress today. Here is where the current carnage looks like:
I have the motor just about ready to come out. There are quite a few problems with the vehicle's chassis but I think they are relatively easy fixes.
The car was in a front end collision, but the repairs that were attempted are abysmal. As far as I can tell the unibody remains pretty intact, I just need to work on the upper fender well portion and then I believe an OEM radiator support will bolt on cleanly with out needing 80 million shims everywhere (yes they actually used shims and home Depot screws to fix a front end collision).
The motor will be used for my daily 5.5gen, it seems to be in pretty decent shape and the vehicle up until it's recent years appears to have been cared for, so I think worst case scenario I got a nice donor motor for my other car.
Rant:
How dare Nissan change to 13mm, 18mm bolts, this is non sense. I will be using as many 12s and 17s from my donor car as possible, I am pretty pissed about having to change sockets every 3 bolts. Took me over an hour to get the motor ready to come out because I spent probably 20 minutes changing sockets!
/Rant.
As long as work doesn't keep me busy with crap I should have the motor our and should start doing the fun part of the 6mt swap (drilling holes and what not).
Been really busy but now I haveeee to get the car moving before this weekend soooo made some major progress today.
Before / Afters
Master Cylinder, 6mt motor and trans installed.
I swapped over the complete power train to save effort and time.
It does seem that the CVT oil pan will work with the 6mt but it's one of those things that may look like it works until you actually do it. Do not take this post as "I can use 07/08 oil pans on 6mt transmission vehicles!"
More like a.... You might have another oil pan option.... Might not.
i am running the CVT y-pipe and manifolds with no issues as far as I can tell so that may be another option.
Cool thing the 6.5 has is a nice handy cut out to make your markings for the clutch pedal and master cylinder.
Unfortunately my 6.5 does NOT have provisions for the 3rd bolt on the clutch pedal. I will have to make some kind of L bracket that bolts to the existing portion of the frame to fully support the clutch pedal.
Anyways that's all for now. I have to look up the pin diagram for the CVT plug to wire it into the manual transmission (park/neutral switch) and do other random what nots before it's able to move under it's own power.
FYI, I will make a separate post on my wiring endeavors. I plan on using the signal wires through the shock tower f33 connector (the one with the obnoxiously large start signal wire going through it) to mimic the park-neutral signal and reverse lights. It's muuuuuch easier than using the CVT connector, and I believe mimicking the CVT solenoid signals (which based on the fsm are way more complicated than the previous 4at or 5at trans wiring) will be useless without the actual transmission for more complicated reasons than I care to explain.
Basically what I'm saying is i think it's better to fake the park/neutral signal on the shock tower connector and not the CVT connector.
In the past on my i35 swaps I've used the trans connector to mimic these signals and it was super easy and convenient. On 07/08s it's not.
Further explanation.
The Maxima MT has netrual and reverse output signals. I wire these to the neutral and reverse signals into the AT harness to solve problems. So instead of clutching in, I put the trans in neutral and the car will start only in neutral. When I goto reverse the reverse lights come on and on some vehicles even the dash will light up in reverse.
Yes I do NOT swap engine harnesses on MT swaps from 95-03 and I will venture to say the 04-08 will be a pointless endeavor as well to swap engine harnesses.
on the 07/08 the TCM is under the dash, and YOU CANNNNNN wire the clutch switch to the TCM on the other side of the dash... maybeeee.... but I don't think it will be fully functioning since there's a lot of input missing to the TCM since the trans is gone.
Bonus: on 09+ it is easy because the TCM is underneath the hood, but that's just a bonus pro tip and not the point of this thread.
For some reason the 08 ECU would not fire the injectors, I borrowed a flashed 350z ECU and boom car runs.
Quick run down I did send 12 volts to the body side of the f33 connector through pin 2 (green/orange) and that activates the P/N relay in the IPDM to allow the starter to work.
Clutch wasn't fully disengaging, I though I could get by with just two bolts but I was wrong. a top support is definitely needed so I had to mock up something to bolt up to what currently exist on the 07/08.
I got some metal from home Depot and shaped and welded it to bolt to the dash support.
Pic (need to drill a hole at the far end but this is pretty much it).
Moar progress please So when you say you prefer 6th gens....is that compared to both 5th and 4th gens? You mentioned design, are you referring to looks, or the way the car was engineered?
Hell yeah on the home depot clutch re-enforcement. On my 4th gen I got a new clutch pedal bracket then welded a BOV flange to the master side and more metal around all wimpy spot welds to re-enforce the sections that failed.
Moar progress please So when you say you prefer 6th gens....is that compared to both 5th and 4th gens? You mentioned design, are you referring to looks, or the way the car was engineered?
It's done? Lol the clutch was literally the last issue from me putting it on the ground and rolling around. The rest of this car's life will live on in member's rides. The 6mt aspect was all I wanted a separate thread for because I don't think anyone tried to detail the few minor hiccups on this swap.
The way the car is engineered. It's built poorly, but engineered well. Odd I know. But god damn this car is the pinnacle of what a Maxima is IMO. From the looks, to the way it feels, both just sitting in it, and driving it. The features are just what I want... Honestly I can see this car replacing my old black I35 in my list of all times.... Only time I felt more at home in a car was in an Infiniti M.
Originally Posted by 95naSTA
Hell yeah on the home depot clutch re-enforcement. On my 4th gen I got a new clutch pedal bracket then welded a BOV flange to the master side and more metal around all wimpy spot welds to re-enforce the sections that failed.
Jeez I didn't expect the 4g clutch to fall apart.... I've had many Altimas fall apart on me and heard the 6th gen was just as bad.... But not a Jap Built 4th gen! oh noooes.
Anywho I think that's it? lol... ask away on 6mt swapping your 07/08 or 6th gen! I think this applies to all 04-08s? If not post up!
Yes this thread sucks but at least it got some decent info out there.
12-03-2019, 10:51 PM
So when you say you prefer 6th gens....is that compared to both 5th and 4th gens? You mentioned design, are you referring to looks, or the way the car was engineered?
