I found these specs on the web:

2001 Nissan Pathfinder Performance & Efficiency Standard Features
- 3,498 cc 3.5 liters 6 V engine with 95.5 mm bore, 81.4 mm stroke, 10 compression ratio, double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder
- Premium unleaded fuel
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- Power: SAE and 179 kW , 240 HP @ 6,000 rpm; 265 ft lb , 359 Nm @ 3,200 rpm

2003 Nissan Maxima Performance & Efficiency Standard Features

- 3,498 cc 3.5 liters 6 V engine with 95.5 mm bore, 81.4 mm stroke, 10.3 compression ratio, double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder
- Premium unleaded fuel
- Multi-point injection fuel system
- Power: SAE and 190 kW , 255 HP @ 5,800 rpm; 246 ft lb , 334 Nm @ 4,400 rpm

I noticed the Maxima has higher compression, and higher HP, but lower torque... I'm guessing the pistons are a little different...

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Kaz

 

The Pathfinder engine was made for a RWD vehicle, so it boils down to whether the block has provisions for the Maxima engine mounts, and whether the 4th gen tranny will bolt up.

 

Well most have said, a VQ block, is a VQ block, is a VQ block... so I believe all VQ35 blocks are the same...

Or at least I'm hoping... lol...

 

I'm going to say no.... based on stuff I've read on my350z.com, where guys are looking for blocks to build up for FI applications, everyone there seems to think the Pathfinder/Maxima/Murano VQ35 blocks will not work in their Z's. If this is the case, I would imagine the same to be true for a Pathfinder block into your Maxima.

 

Tranny will bolt up but good luck with the mounts.

Just buy a cheap Altima/Maxima VQ35 off car-part.com for 800$. Plenty of them.

It's not worth it at all. Dynos have shown over and over and over that while the VQ35 Altimas and Maximas and Patfinders are rated anywhere from 240 hp to 265 hp and 246 lbs-tq to 255 ft-lbs or whatever the hell specs Nissan wants to pull out of their asses depending on their mood and the temperature of their ***** on that specific day, ALL FWD VQ35 engines are really putting down 240 HP and 260 Pounds of Torque.

Altima, Maxima, Pathfinder, Murano-- doesn't matter. It all boils down to 2-3 hp differences in intake/exhaust systems, which is moot since you're probably gonna throw on aftermarket headers and intake on there anyway. The actual engines are identical, the only ones that are really different are the Z/G35 versions. Get a FWD VQ and sleep well that night.

 

It may just be that all VQ35 blocks have bosses cast into them for both types of mounts, but the mount holes are drilled based on application.

 

Probably. 350z VQ might put out more power but it's not even worth trying IMO. A stock 3.5L in a 4th gen is probably just as fast as a stock 350z, thank you curb weight.

 

VQ35 in the Pathfinder is different then later gen VQ35s.

What I've read is that it has a cable TB, less agressive cams, different pistons, smaller VTC range, and low angle intake port heads which allows the VQ30 LIM to bolt up.

 

Which makes it easier to use the 00vi

 

Judging from an illustration in the SAE document you sent me, Alex, all VQ35s have the same mating angle at the IM to head interface (look at figure 8 of "Third Generation of High Response and High-Output 3.5L V-6 Engine").

The difference is the intake port shape, which is rounder than the VQ30. The VQ30 lower IM will mate with the heads without a vacuum leak, but flow will suffer due to the abrupt transition from one shape to another at the interface.

However, if I remember correctly, the Pathy VQ35 has intake ports identical to the VQ30.

 

"The difference is the intake port shape, which is rounder than the VQ30."

AND

"However, if I remember correctly, the Pathy VQ35 has intake ports identical to the VQ30."

You're saying the later gen VQ35s(Atly,Max,Z,G) have rounder shaped ports then the VQ30s and Pathy VQ35s, so the VQ30 LIM on a Pathy VQ35 should be fine, right?

 

Yes, a VQ30 lower IM matches the Pathfinder VQ35 cylinder heads exactly. I tested that myself.

 

The heads would be more ideal for a conversion since we could use the MEVI or 00VI, but there are other problems to work out. The starter location, oil pan clearance, and the engine mounts will not be the same.

Also there is no real evidence TMK to suggest that the 00VI is in any way better than the 02IM nor anything substantial to suggest the opposite.