Wow congrats Aaron! Just hearing the idle and throttle response that engine definitely sounds like a real downright beast! Really, really impressive stuff. Dang, I remember when you first started modding your 3rd gen, and now you go and bust this one out Really good job man.

 

Thanks James. We definitely go back a long ways.

I got a chance to drive the car for 30 miles today on open headers. It is annoyingly loud when you give it just a little bit of gas. But, this beast just WANTS to do something when I give it only quarter throttle! When I am cruising in 3rd gear around 40mph, I give it just 25% throttle and the car takes off just like 4500rpm in 2nd gear of my VE would do! I can't believe it! That was 3rd gear at 40mph! It's tough to get lower in that gear.

I can NOT imagine what this engine will do when I let her rip above 6K for the first time.

Also, earlier today, I punched about 50% throttle from a 10mph roll and the tires lit up! Scared the crap out of me and I instantly backed out. The highest I've revved it so far is 3800 rpm. I will be keeping it below 4K for the cam break in procedure and because I still don't have my Ypipe and my wideband installed. I won't get on the gas until I know my AFR and check ignition timing, which I haven't bothered checking just yet.

 

hahaha nice. i guess wider front wheels and tires are in your future then aren't they?

 

Well for right now, not really. I'm sure my mentality will change, but right now, I am not concerned about street traction. I'm only concerned with hooking up at the track and having the car ready to race by MAXUS 09 Drag Showdown!

 

hehe Nice job aaron...that thing has a real nice lobe to it.

 

wow... so slicks really do grip THAT much better that they will handle it as they are? i really have to see this myself . good thing i'm definitely coming to maxus (just got an excellent job offer on monday, which gives me enough time to save up so i can afford the trip!!!). Are you gonna have a passenger seat in it for those of us 3rd genners who might like to feel the difference in person? if i'm really really lucky i might even have a new engine so i can race again (my injector problem is preventing me from racing unless i had a WBo2)

 

Oh yeah, slicks help a lot when everything is set up properly and track prep is good. Think about going from a 2.1 60 foot at best to somewhere around 1.8 with slicks. It's a big difference. Stall it up a tad at the line and just STOMP on the gas as hard as you can, the slicks should dead hook and you shouldn't hear a single chirp if you have everything set up properly as far as suspension and tire pressure.

Yeah, I will have one passenger seat in it, which I will remove during the Drag Showdown. I'd be happy to take a 3rd genner for a quick ride.

 

hehe. keyword 'quick'. can't wait.

obviously my car won't be fast enough to need slicks or anything, or chirp tires on a well-prepped track. though it might eventually, since i'm 95% sure i'm doing a VE swap though, which I'll probably tear into after maxus.

but it's a good thing you made this thread, because apparently there's a few people in our forum that are getting pretty interested in the VQ swap, so this will be a good place for them to start. Are you planning on doing a swapper-oriented writeup when things calm down a bit in the fall?

 

Great job Aaron. Definitely admire the dedication & the hard work that you certainly put into swap. I'm in the process of doing the same thing & putting parts together now to start the build & install.

I'll definitely be asking you questions within the next few days as I'm trying to get this done before MAXUS as well to bring the 3rd gen down.

Would be nice to have two 3.5 3rd gens there. lol

 

Would be nice to have two 3.5 3rd gens there. lol[/quote]

might be 4 3.5 gen there if i can get my brother to come.

 

I plan to update the original post in this thread to include all the things I did to build up the engine and some basic things I did to make everything fit properly. As far as all the INSANE amounts of wiring, you will have to study the schematics like I did to understand everything before you cut and solder.

I don't mind questions at all. I'm happy to help out. That's why I kept updating this thread throughout the project. Most everything has been discussed right here in this thread. If you are serious about the swap, all I ask is that you read this entire thread from beginning to end first. That won't take that much time to do when you compare it to the entire scope of the project you are about to undertake.

Most people don't know about mmg23max since he doesn't post all that much here on the org. But he has the first VQ35DE 3rd gen Swap that I know of. Instead of swapping full ECU wiring, he had a 4th gen parts car at his disposal and decided to swap timing components instead to use the 4th gen ECU.

might be 4 3.5 gen there if i can get my brother to come.[/QUOTE]

I hope your brother can come!

 

Finally!

The full initial engine start up video has been uploaded to Youtube!!

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4_Pg3KAWHM

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTyMHOtJtPg

 

this makes me miss my 3rd gen.....

 

Cool. Thanks Aaron.

Believe me. I've been reading this thread since it first started & then began putting parts together. Just been in awe at the work done. lol I will be going a similar route to how mmg did his swap. Using mostly 4th gen parts (ecu, 3.0 timing, harness, mounts, etc.). The only difference is that I will be throwing an 03 tranny w/ vb mod in & just have to get high stall tq. Will also build the engine prior to putting it back in (cams, springs, gaskets).

I fought with myself as to whether to rebuild VG w/ turbo or just 3.5. Finally decided to go 3.5. Plus I had bought some of the 3.5 parts to start turbo build on 4th gen but decided to finish the 3rd first to help recoop from $$$$ spent. lol

But thank you again Aaron because you started a pretty good blueprint here. Now I'm really going to step this up a bit.

 

Awesome! I'm happy to help out whenever. Anything to get more 3.5 swaps in 3rd gens.

 

CONGRATS!!! HARD WORK PAYS OFF DUDE, MAN IM SO JEALOUS LOL

 

It's been a long day today. But I got my custom Ypipe made! I found the ONLY exhaust shop in the entire state that has a mandrel bender on site. I had to drive 1.25 hours all the way to Raleigh, NC on open headers, but I'm certainly glad I did! I had to pay a little bit more, but it was totally worth it overall.

If you ever need any welding or exhaust work done, this is the guy to go to! His name is Ron and he runs RJ's Custom Piping.

http://rjscustompiping.com/

If you need a performance exhaust, it's a no brainer to go see Ron! He's a great guy to deal with! If you visit him, tell him Aaron (the 92 Maxima with VQ35 swap) sent you. He even has a Datsun Z with an RB swap.

I'm sorry I don't have pics just yet. But I will be sure to snap some decent ones under my car.

Also, I spent this evening trying to make my TCM happy. I provided the TCM with a proper TPS signal and there was no change. So something else fishy is going on with my stock TCM. The shift points are set according to speed and do not vary with throttle position. The 1-2 shift always happens at 20mph, 2-3 shift at 35mph, and the 3-4 shift at 55mph. The TC locks up a little later depending if OD is on or off.

So the tranny is shifting just fine. It's just not getting a proper throttle position signal or is not happy b/c of some other reason. I will dig into a tad more tomorrow and try to solve this issue as fast as possible. I now have about 150 miles on this engine and it's time to rev this beast over 4K rpm!

Also, when I had the Ypipe fabbed up, my wideband now works. Closed loop operation puts me right around 14.5-14.6 AFR. But when I give it some gas, my AFR doesn't richen up at all. My fuel pressure is set at 51psi and the fuel does get cut when I let off the gas. It's just when I got half throttle in any gear, the AFR is always right around mid 14s. So I don't want to really get on the gas right now until I solve that issue. I am running the stock ECU and the AFR should be much richer than this.

If anybody has any crazy suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks.

 

trade for a 2006 Ninja???

 

Haha yeah. You're right. I can't get my tranny to shift at the right points after only trying for a couple hours. It's a lost cause. lol jk

 

true.. hahahahh ill drive the bike out, and we can swap titles, and keys.



to bad i dont know much about autos, or i could help, (auto FTL )


good luck tho!

 

What do you mean, you provided it with a "proper signal"?

By "stock" TCM, you mean the one out of your 3rd gen?

 

I mean proper signal by providing my stock VE TCM with the TPS voltage signal it needs. The VE isn't drive by wire. So I used the APP-1 signal on the gas pedal to mimic the normal voltage range that the VE TPS puts out.

Yeah, I'm using the VE TCM with VE Auto.

One other thing I forgot to mention was that I noticed a weird voltage leaving my cluster going to my TCM. The cluster should be giving out a 0-5v VSS signal. But I see it's a constant 11v regardless of vehicle speed. I don't know where it's getting that voltage from, whether it's a short or a bad cluster.

But the speedometer works just fine. I just need to give the TCM a correct speed signal and am not sure where to get it from.

Thanks.

 

Aaron I had the same problem with my Suprastick, none of the signals would read properly on the SS, very erratic speeds etc. I ended up installing an ABS sensor on the front wheel and i ran it direct now it works fine.

 

Did your speedometer show the correct speed though? Mine does.

 

The speedometer always worked fine as did the speed to the ecu but the suprastick speed had very erratic readings using the cluster out connection. Also tried both speed signals from the trans same thing. Something different about the signal. As soon as I hooked up the abs sensor it was fine.

 

I mentioned earlier that the 5.5G cluster outputs a much higher frequency VS signal than earler models. Your voltmeter is not interpreting the voltage correctly. A scope is the only way to verify the signal,

I would go with Jime's suggestion.

 

Ok thanks guys. So I will need to get my hands on a speed sensor for the abs? I have abs, but I am not sure if my 3rd gen abs is sending a correct signal right now.

 

I just tested each wire going to my front LH ABS sensor and they don't put out voltage. I didn't think they would.

Please let me know which wire you are using Jim. I can't seem to find any signal that puts out the 0 to 5 volt speed signal I need. Thanks!

 

It only generates voltage when the wheel is turning. Ground one wire and feed the other to the tcm.

 

Oh. What I did was simply tap my multimeter into the white wire of the LH sensor and rotated the wheels off the ground up to 25mph. I didn't see any voltage at all.

Should I disconnect the sensor completely and ground one of the wires like you said? If I have to disable my ABS completely, I guess I will.

Thanks. I'm in the middle of working on my car right now. So I will be able to try something within a few minutes.

 

I thought you removed your ABS sorry. Not sure if you can do both, just have to try I guess. I would try disconnecting it completely if you aren't getting any voltage.

 

No, I only removed airbags. ABS is still working.

So, I can unplug the ABS sensor and cut both wires and route one to my multimeter and one to ground. Does that sound right? Once I see 0-5v, then I will send it to the TCM.

I also think that if I install my stock VE cluster and let the signal pass through it, that the TCM would be happy. But I'd be running TWO clusters.

 

Also, you said you tried the wire straight from the VSS itself? There are two wires on the VSS. i sent one straight to ground and the other straight to the cluster. I haven't tried splitting that cluster input wire and sending it to the TCM. Shouldn't that work? Or does the 3rd/4th gen cluster modify the signal somehow before it gets sent to the TCM? I am thinking that it does modify the signal, just in a different way as the 5.5g cluster does.

 

I just unplugged my ABS sensor, grounded one wire and tested the other for voltage. I still get zero volts.

Are you saying a stock 4th gen ABS sensor is suppose to put out 0-5v as the wheel turns? The FSM doesn't specify. But, the resistance spec in the FSM is the same for both the 3rd and 4th gen ABS sensor. So I assume the sensors are identical.

 

Ok. I really appreciate everybody's help. Without you, I don't think this project would have ever happened!

I could have sworn I read somewhere where it told me to test the speed signal in DC. I don't know where I got that idea. I knew the VSS is measured in AC. But all this time, I was measuring the ABS sensor in DC voltage. I think my brain is burnt out from all this wiring!!!

Thanks Jime and eng92! I will go give this new ABS sensor signal a shot and see if my TCM is able to shift properly instead of at those predetermined speeds I mentioned.

 

Well I'm certainly confused. My VE TCM still isn't happy. Why does it shift at those predetermined shift points? I just connected a valid 0-5v signal from my ABS sensor and there is no change with how and when the TCM shifts.

I am missing something. I was thinking the TCM only needed a speed and tach signal to be happy. I also have a TPS signal going to it from the APP-1 sensor which looks like it will work.

I am also unable to run the TCM diagnostic procedure cause I was unable to give it a wide open throttle signal. I connected the full throttle switch signal to it which I thought would make it think I pushed the gas, but that didn't work. Pressing the throttle is required to complete the TCM diagnostic procedure.

If anybody has any ideas, please let me know. Cause I am out of ideas right now.

 

The only idea I have right now is to hook up every single wire on the TCM one at a time. I don't think I have to do this.

I will probably start with the Throttle Valve Closed and Full Throttle Switch terminals. Right now, the Closed terminal thinks I'm giving it gas and the WOT terminal thinks I'm not. So I'm hoping the entire TCM is confused and not allowing the shifts to vary according to TP.

 

I also just found a thread where Jime said he used the Crankshaft Position Sensor for his tach signal for the Suprastick. So I gave that a shot and no change in shift points. I was originally using the tach signal that the 5.5g ECM has.

But if I can't figure this TCM problem out within the next couple days, I will probably just buy a Suprastick just so I can have correct shift points.

 

Have you tried running the VSS signal to your VE cluster and running the output wire from the VE cluster to the TCM yet? If it works, it'd narrow your problem down a bit further, and it's not like you'd need to swap out the entire cluster to test, just set the cluster on the floor and run those single wires (plus other necessities like power, ground, etc).

 

Yeah, that is a possibility. I haven't tried it yet. But after Jim suggested to use my ABS signal, I feel I have a perfect 0-5v signal going to the TCM right now. So the speed signal is ok, I believe.

Tach signal is still very iffy! I first tried the signal from the 5.5g ECM. My tach works great. But since the TCM isn't happy, I tried the crank angle sensor ECM wire and that didn't help my situation at all.

I really don't get it. The TCM isn't working right now cause I've missed something. I made sure it has power and all the grounds it needs as well at TPS voltage.

I think I am going to have to order a Suprastick just to solve my issue.