Once i get my car running this week i have told myself i am pretty much done w/ the max Now i am starting to plan for my next project.I have been thinking alot lately about what i am going to do w/ my vq30 i have. I graduate next year and i plan on getting a 240sx(been wanting one for about 2 years) so i figure i will use the vq30 to swap in it or (god forbid) swap it in should something happen to my 3.5L. I see this as pretty viable since i have most of these stock parts laying around or can get them for next to nothing

Here is what i plan to do so tell me if it will work:
Vq30 block(100mm bored and sleeved)
Vq30 crank
Vq30 custom rods
Vq35 piston (undecided and need to calc desired compression ratio)
Vq35 heads
Vq35 Rev-Up cams
Vq35 oil pans
350z intake manifold
VTC timming equipment
350z ecu & wirring harness


I plan turbo the car of cours and would like to get to 600whp. Now i know most of you are saying to yourselves" whatever dip$hit", but this will be a project that will be carried out over a couple of years. Hell if these hurricanes keep hitting here i will hopefully be getting paid mucho dinero since i am graduating in construction management

 

sounds like my next project: vq30de turbo 240sx. That's what most of the 3.5L swapped crew are doing next.

 

Hey I'm all for it. VQ 240's might the next H22 civics (well, hopefully not). But I dunno about you but I'd rather have VQ30 and VQ35 S13's and S14's running around than swapped civics.

I haven't completed my swap yet but it's a relief to know first hand that there's no "heavy steal hammer to the firewall" crap involved. But a few things to keep in mind (just so those little "problems" don't slow you down like they did for me):

1. I have managed to sit the engine literally literally 1/4 of an inch from the firewall, but to do that, you want to relocate your steering rack 3-3.5 inches to the left. That means custom length tie rods. I also changed the steering rack for a junkyard econobox manual steering rack (no power steering; much quicker ratio).

2. Ask Broaner about boost piping, he says it's a bit hard to deal with cleareance for that in the engine bay.

3. You will have to modify the hood in one way or another. It does not need much, and at the end of the day you should get it to look almost stock but the timing chain is in the hood.

As for the motor: I know the stock VQ35 crank is forged and they kept it until 1300whp in that 350z drag car. You'd have to find out if the actual VQ30 crank is as strong. If it isn't I would seriously consider simply going the way MardiGrasMax went, but in a 240. I.e. forge the 3.5 and get a big snail.

Oh and you will miss your maxima. Sometime. Whether it's the back seat or the extra doors. Or the one-car-does-everything polyvalence. Or whatever the hell it is that makes us want to mod our family sedan. I dunno. But it seems everyone that has had a good experience with their maxima, but sells it for a more performance-oriented RWD/AWD platform ends up missing the car at one time or another. I'm gonna have to buy a cheap early 4th gen as a beater sometime down the road. Hey... it was my first car

 

Well, they're about to get considerably more popular, I can say that for sure.



Are you saying the coolant pipe is 1/4" from the firewall or the heads?

I've raised the hood in my S14 at the rear 3/4" to make room for the Z33 intake manifold.

 

I already do...

 

Coolant pipe. But with the new manual steering rack I can sit in there and use aftermarket headers.

I was gonna smash or cut in a buldge in the firewall where the coolant line is but NHRA requires a full cage between 10.00 and 10.99 if you alter the firewall. If the firewall is unaltered, I can use a simple 5 or 6 point roll bar between 11.49 and 10.00. Gotta think ahead

 

i think its a great idea...especially if its gonna be a multi year projec tu can take ur time and do it right........just use a standalone instead of 350z ECU

 

My max is my first car, and it's been through hell. I will never sell it. This VQ 240 will be my project car, made 100% for race. I'll take the FWD VQ30 or 35, and just add a 350z intake mani (that I already have), and a nice turbo kit. Should make some nice power.

 

By moving the motor so far back are you running into crossmember clearance issues? You would on a S14 I know, unless you've modified the Z upper oil pan. Also, that will mean some modifications to the tranny mount, no biggie really.

Also, what did you get your manual rack off of if you don't mind sharing?

Fred

 

No, the oil pan clears the crossmember and manual steering rack just fine. I made sure there is a 1 cm space between everything, too.

 

This is some great stuff you guys are doing with s13/14s.

we should have another subforum for you, all this info seems to get lost in the all motor section

 

I've got most of the necessary details here as well as a couple other's doing the VQ3x swap:
www.engineswaptech.com

Fred

 

Sounds like my plan...doubt it will ever happen though.

I would find a VQ35 crank cheap and use the inexpensive yet strong enough $450 or so Eagle VQ35 rods you can find on eBay instead of custom VQ30 rods.