I am doing a 3.5 swap with 3.0 timing chain and stock 3.0 cams. But I may have gone a little too fast with this. Its been nearly 2 years since Ive done this. I forgot to set piston number 1 to TDC before removing the VQ35 chain. But the crank has not been rotated at all.

I am at the point where I have the water pump out, all chains out, all tensionners out and all timing chain cover bolts off. The cams and inner timing chain cover are ready to go off, basically.

I am just really worried about the crank rotating in relation to the valves-heads-cams and whatnot. Again, the motor is on the engine stand with a metal rod to simulate a flywheel locked in place and thus has not rotated at all since the removal of the VQ35 chain.

How do I go about from there without fxcking everything up? Should I put all the 3.0 stuff in, install everything, and then play with the timing and re-check it 14 times to get it right?

 

you may know most of this anyways but I'll put it anyways for anyone that may be wondering the same thing....

It doesnt really matter since I took off the cams and all the valves closed. When you go to install the secondary chains you "sync" the cams on each head (remember the cams can turn until they're more or less how they should sit per the FSM, you then mount the secondary chains of them as they are, making sure that the blue or gold marks on the secondary chains are lined up with the dots on the sprockets).

With the secondaries done how I did it was I lined up the primary chain at the top (blue links to the arrows on the primary cam sprockets) then at the bottom on the crank sprocket I put the crank bolt in and spun the crank until the Gold link lined up with the nudge on the sprocket.

With that done your cam timing is dead on perfect... but just like doing it with #1 @ TDC, make sure that tensioner is taking out all the slack on the chain. The chain jumped a good 5 times on us as we tried to set it.

EDIT- I did it like this during the engine swap AND at the headgasket replacement with no problem

 

Yeah after thinking it over several times I went ahead and started installing the 3.0 stuff. My logic was that as long as the cams and crank all move together, it will be fine.

I have the inner 3.0 cover in and sealed, all bolts done, and all 4 3.0 cams in. Last night I stopped at the point where I have to hammer the 2 dowel pins out of the 3.5 cams and put it in the 3.0 cams (those 3.0 cams came off my original VQ30 from my 95 max, so we used the 2 dowel pins from them on the first swap).

Im hoping to have the engine ready to go in by tonight (mainly, the timing chain and oil pan-windage tray stuff).

 

You can set TDC with all the equipment off.

You'll set each Bank to TDC then the crank.

For the crank you'll rotate the flywheel and line up the crank like so (forgive the blurry pic)


for the bank closes to the fire wall (still havent remembers the right bank number). You'll rotate the cam bolt to rotate the cams. cylinder 1 should looke like this.


they will point inward towards each other like "/ \"

You'll line up the cams the same way on the bank closes to the headlights, but it will be cylinder 4 that the lobes will need to point like "/ \"

When you've done all three you've set TDC, similar to if you didnt take off the chains and set it.

 

Should I use the VQ35 tensionners on the secondary VQ30 chains for the cams? I cant remember which tensionners I used the first time. All points to using all 3.0 stuff but I have DE-K secondary chain tensionners and only the one on the rear head matches the bolt pattern in the head. The secondary tensionner on the front head does not match the bolt pattern its like 5-6 mm off from the second bolt hole.

 

you can use the 3.5 secondary tensionners.

 

did you use 3.0 cams because you couldnt get the 3.5 ones drilled?

 

No im using 3.0 cams for now because this is a temporary setup until April or so. I will go straight from stock 3.0 cams to nismo 262 VQ35 cams while I do ITBs, lower IM thermal gaskets, ARP rod bolts, crank case bolts, JWT oil pan spacer, oil cooler, cleaned DE-K injectors, aftermarket FPR and returnless setup, among other things. It will be an engine refresh to safely handle the 7300 RPM rev limiter once I get the E-U.

Thanks for the answer Deezy. Now I can make more progress.

 

no prob

and good luck

 

Uh one last thing. I absolutely do not want to mix up the exhaust and intake cams. My 3.0 cams have been collecting dust in a box for about 20 months, and I simply assumed the two cams with removed dowel pins were the intake cams. But that doesnt mean I removed the dowel from the intake cams. I could have switched it. I never though Id use them again so I didnt label them.

Two of the cams seem to have a longer dowel pin. Are these the intake cams since the intake cam sprocket is thicker than the exhaust cam sprocket.

Or is it impossible to mix them up. For instance if both dowel pins on the rear head point downward, there should not be any other way to install them.

 

All cams have identifying marks for Left, Right, Intake, Exhaust. Check your FSM.

Intake cams will have a drill mark on the outer diameter of the sprocket mounting flange.

 

Yeah I just caught this section in the Haynes manual. I just switched the dowel pins from intake to exhaust cams because the VQ35 dowel pins I use on the exhaust sprockets are shorter. The 2 longer VQ30 dowel pins will go on the intake cams. Thanks anyway.

 

I'm very interested to know how this motor behaves man. I can't wait till you post results. Do you plan on dyno'ing it or just going on feel?

We discussed this already, but to others, I'm planning on doing a similar temp setup in my car. I'd like to just slap it together so I can get all the fuel rail/injector and IM stuff worked out; plus I don't want to drill the 35 sticks for an NA setup and then have to buy new ones to drill for boost?

Anyone have any ideas of how this thing will behave? Are there any rules of thumb related to this? Ei: This much less duration makes this much less HP/TQ? Or this much less lift makes this much less HP/TQ? I would imagine if there are they'd be very vague because of huge variations in head design.

Sorry, threadjack...

 

Pehaps a tad late now but............Why not keep the VTC's and manually control them?

 

how?
outside of using the 02+ ecu

 

Interesting point. I've never looked into that. How would that be done?

Two reasons(For me and I imagine J thinks the same)

1. Cam sensor.
2. The 35 chain cover is ugly. Polished 30 cover is t!ts! (Why is t!ts sensored?)

 

No idea, but it has been done/thought of before.


http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...4&postcount=22
Also, Yashio Factory's Z33.

 

After pricing everything out it is cheaper to build a 3.5 with no VTCs and aftermarket cams and ARP rod bolts than it is to have a stock 3.5 with stock ECU. Once aftermarket cams go into the equation, the 02 ECU gets less and less tempting because it is not variable after 6000. So if you keep to the 5000-7000 range and youre shifting at 7000-7100, the minimal gain from 5000 to 6000 is simply not worth it at all. And since im dead set on ITBs, good old simple cable throttle is a whole lot easier to work with.

Its a traction thing, too. You just dont need VTCs at 2100-2200 lbs. Ask Broaner how he feels about a simple non variable VQ30s low end torque in his S13.

And yes, I like the stupid timing chain cover a lot more. And I already have like 14 spare wiring harnesses. Only need a 50$ ECU.

Back when I had my maxima my mods, weight, trap speed and similar setup dynos all pointed to a 270 HP, 270 ft-lbs crank number, or about 230whp, 230wtq.

Its not just the 3.0 cams that will make me slower, my temporary exhaust system will be a crime against the automotive world. The two 2-inch tubes will go from the headers and into a Y-shaped section that ends with the el cheapo aftermarket exhaust and resonator that came with the car. It will cost like 15$ total lol

All in all I am expecting maybe 240-250 hp tops at the crank. Something like 205-210whp. The restrictive exhaust and 3.0L cams all point to a powerband that will probably peak around 5500 and have me shifting at 6000-6200 like a stock USIM maxima. Im not planning on dynoing this crappy setup.

But I just might hit the track with it this spring since our local track always opens like April 2nd. The track will suck the big one though. My totally out of the left field and uneducated guess says 13.50@108ish on street tires spinning through the first two gears badly.

 

I never said to use the 02 ECU.

 

I prefer making small modifications to an OEM ECU than having to make maps from scratch (megasquirt and the like). When the time comes to put crazy cams in, I will look into 2001 pathfinder VTCs. That way I get to keep my VQ30 ECU+Emanage Ultimate setup, and then find a way to run them somewhat independentally. But with the mild nismo cams, its still driveable without VTCs.

Anyway I got the timing chain stuff done and cranked the engine over 5-6 times. The **** spins fine so I sealed the cover up. The two yellow marks line up with the intake cam sprockets at TDC, the secondary chains make sure the cams follow one another (Example, both dowel pins point UP together) and I set the mark for the crank sprocket just right. I did not skip any teeth at all and the chain was as tight as a senior high school girl.

Now onto the oil pan stuff. I need to modify the FWD windage tray first.

 

THE KIDS!!!!!

 

I like torque at idle.

**** man. I better come up there and hit up the punny. Every senior girl I know is roast beef curtains. You better get in by Sophomore. LOL.

 

Okay so heres the situation. The motor fully assembled, coil packs and all, save for the intake. Oil pan, both trays, ect. I decided to retain the stock VQ35 oil cooler so I had to mod the passenger side motor mount a little.

Now, I thought I had a stock VQ30 throttle body lying around (for the cable bracket) but it looks like I threw it as far as I could when I was cleaning the garage a few weeks ago.

I am still going to drop the engine in the car tomorrow as planned. But it will be without an intake for now. Then I will start the harness.

All this has me reconsidering the whole intake deal. Wednesday I start working again so I will call junkyards in my free time to try to find M3 ITBs. The 02 intake is very tall and I dunno if I want to have a 3-inch buldge in the hood, even if the car generally looks like @ss. I figure, instead of doing a temporary intake and TB, why not the real deal right now and call it a day - even though Im broke as fawk.

 

Sorry to interrupt you guys! But the 15 post rule prevent me to PM JClaw directly. I've already sent a PM to JClaw on the www.npclub.com furum.
So, JC, if you visit us again, please read my message.

I'm planning a VQ35DE swap in my 97 GLE (automatic). Here is how we (my friends and I) planned our set-up;

VQ35DE from 2003 maxima
01 Pathfinder TB (to keep the cruise control)
97 ECU and wiring
3.0 timming assembly
3.5 cams
Drill the cams and use cams spacers from Tilley in Pennsylvania
3.0 oil pan
Vacuum activated VI
IACV plate from Stephen Max
S-afc2 (for proper a/f settings and 100% injectors duty cycle)

Question about the EGR system. Should I keep it or not? Why?

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks alot!!

PS to JClaw: I would really apreciate to have few words with you.
I live in Laval, so it would be very easy to.

 

Hé JClaw!!! je suis sur le npclub en ce moment....

 

There's a reason why you can't start threads, and this proves it.... you #$%^ up good threads.

 

Good luck with that automatic transmission. Say goodbye to it!

 

I cant post on npclub since we brainwashed the computer. I had the option to log on automatically on for so long that I forgot my password and now since the computer has been defragged Im not logged in anyway. I tried several times to get an e-mail with the password but for some inexplicable damn reason it wont give me that fawking password. So I tried creating a new account but it says my e-mail is unauthorized or something, whatever email I type in.

Anyway the 02-03 VQ35s have no EGR so I just deleted mine. I do suggest keeping the IACV though. And I dont know about the auto trans. You have the VB mod and oil cooler, which is good. Do yourself a favor and ask Jime, another Canadian member, about what else can be done to help the transmission handle the power. The best mod you can do to relieve stress from the drivetrain will always be significant weight reduction though.

Otherwise your setup seems well thought out and the SAFC is definately a good idea - that VQ35 will run too rich at first. The other thing I suggest is an aftermarket FPR setup returnless, so you can run the correct fuel pressure. Check the 3.5 swap FAQ on this forum. But the FPR can be done later on if you want to.

Just the SAFC and FPR will make the car run very well.

 

I thought the A33B 3.5's had EGR but it was controlled by the exhaust cams.

I am just throwing this statement out there ... who will be the first to do a full 3.5-HR swap?

 

They can't control anything if their timing is static.

 

question Nismo ... are you implying that you need VTCs in order for the EGR to work. If that is true then why does that even work ... I thought A33B VTC was intake cam only.

 

UPDATE: I just picked up the Nismo cams at the post office.

I could search for months for this BMW ITB crap so I went with the cheaper Plan B. A trio of VG30E 89-94 maxima throttle bodies. The SOHC engine has dual throttles.

And get this: Both TB valves match the VQ35 lower IM port holes diameter almost perfectly. And by almost I mean like half a pubic hair off. Im gonna start tearing them down and check how I can make this fit tomorrow.

So the engine will be 100% Nissan. Well 100% maxima in fact!



Times 3.

 

oooops.....

 

Llololol. u know u COULD delete your own posts on the advanced edit window , for next time I guess, lol

 

Would you like to explain this useless bump?

 

out of embareesment/stupidity.....Not really. but I will. 1: I found it very interesting last night at 3:00 am, I think I had had a little to much to drink while removing my timing cover in the car. 2: updates

My apologies.