first of i apologize if this question is stupid and offends anyone...on that note, my question is...

I've been reading up on here about doing this 3.5 swap and everyone is talking about swapping and changing timing chain etc...from what i gather, that is only recommended when using 4th gen harness and computer...

I'm getting my hands on a 03' 3.5 engine complete w/ comp + harness...how difficult would this be using these components...any additional parts needed?
Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Mike

 

This is from the sticky:
How hard could the wiring for the 02-06 ECU really be?
Here's what JCLAW had to say about that.....

The thing that really f*cks everything up is drive by wire. Sure, you can simply swap in the main harness and not worry about anything else, but then oh no, the drive by wire harness is part of the body/electrical harness, a bunch of taped-together wires the size of your d*ck, pick and choose, find the good one, then you have to buy the steering column from a 02 Altima or Maxima, rip both apart, and try to fit the ignition equipment from the newer car in the older column, which leads to another problem.

Oops, the airbags are on the same harness, so won't work. Then oops, you're trying to fit the 02 Altima drive-by-wire gas pedal and it wont fit, it should be on the floor right where the steering column base is. No problem, just try to shape/weld some complex bracket there so the gas pedal is where it should be.

Then you have to drill 2 1-1.5" holes in your firewall, because the 02 Altima has more electrical hardware in the front than your 4th gen does, and those harnesses are essential because, remember, the drive by wire (10-12 wires I believe) is part of it, so you have to use it, that means you have to rip apart your entire interior, and hope to hell that the 02 Altima you got it from has a sunroof if you have one, if not, no more sunroof.

Then, you have to hope as hell the wires will plug into your electric door motors, and oops, they don't, so you have to buy the 02 Altima door motors for your electrical windows to work, that's in addition to the engine (1 grand), and another grand's worth of ECU, 3 complete wiring harnesses and an electronic gas pedal whose signal no one can crack. So you hope like sh*t that the electrical door motors from the Altima will fit in your 4th gen, but the f*ckers won't! So now you gotta weld complicated brackets into your doors (!!), thus adding weight to your car, just to make the f*cking window motors work!

Then you have to rewire all connectors for every single light in the car, and hope to hell the gauge cluster from the 02 Altima works in your dash... oops, it doesn't. No problem, right? Just cut the dash apart. Then you have to fit all the electrical hardware in the engine bay, in a platform that wasn't made for it.

Fans? Radiator? AC? Forget it. And the transmission? Nope, not the same sensor, plug is different, aw sh*t car won't start, you need the immobilizer. Big black box.

No problem, go back to a junkyard, if you can find one that'll sell it to you. Oops, sold. Get the immobilizer from another car, right? Sh*t, the ECU, ignition key, and immobilizer ALL MUST come from the same car, so if the immobilizer doesn't match the ECU and ignition key of the very same car, it won't start, ever, and since you don't have the same exact immobilizer, means you're quite completely f*cked now, doesn't it?

 

Although definitely very amusing to read, JClaw's rant doesn't necessarily reflect how the wiring experience has to go.
His biggest mistake was trying to use components from an Altima.

Here is a thread from a while back that outlines my experience.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=400371

I have had mine back on the road for about 2 months now with no codes and it is running great.

I can guarantee you that going the 02/03 ecu route will cost you more money and a lot more time than the 3.0 ecu method.

Is it worth it? ..... Probably not.

 

When are we going to see some pics and dynos dave? Your also using the 6speed tranny correct?

 

Besides using the 03 ECU, and engine harness, you will also have to make the antitheft key work and use e-gas, IMO not worth it.

 

Currently I am waiting on a warranty replacement Emanage Ultimate unit to arrive. I also have a 350Z IM that I am puttering around with.

It will probably be late May before I get a chance to dyno.

I am using my original 5-speed VLSD tranny.

 

Dave I see just recently another EU on the Yahoo group had the same problem. Must have been a bad lot or something. I haven't kept count but I have seen this issue pop up a few times now.

Hope you didn't have any hassles with the replacement. I'm sure you wouldn't have though if you got it through Sharif. He's a good guy.

 

well, juz wanna say thanks to everyone for the helpful info. its a little more involved that I'm willing to go...wouldn't have been bad considering i was getting engine/computer/harness for $1200....oh well...again...thanks everyone!