I honestly don't see a problem with tightening the ARP bolts 20 times to 28ft-lbs. Wouldn't you agree? Sure it's excessive, but would overdoing it cause any potential problems?

 

Also, I took apart my revup and non-revup oil pumps to compare. I figured I'd start a new thread with my findings:

http://forums.maxima.org/all-motor/5...oil-pumps.html

 

After talking with nismology. He mentioned that he's seen the ARP bolts not stretch to spec (.0065" longer) even after 5 tightens at 28ft-lbs. So I went back and tightened it another 3 times to make for a total of 6 since I do not have a stretch gauge.

 

I tightened mine only 3x.... . Is a rod going to fly through the block skirt when I rev to 7300ish? x2

 

naw just slap the valves maybe

 

What did you do exactly to clean it? I'm planning to do the same thing but just want to see what other people have done. Example, Acetone, wire brush, etc.

Edit. just read your post 20. never mind.

 

Got my stuff from DaveB!!

1) HR Head Gaskets (stronger and better coolant flow)
2) HR Valve Springs (stiffer)
3) HR Head Bolts (stronger and longer)
4) HR Valve Seats (double shimmed)
5) Valve Seals
6) 6th gen RH Valve Cover (must cheaper than 5.5 gen)
7) Valve Cover Gaskets
8) Exhaust Manifold Gaskets
9) Crank Seal, Orings, CVTC Gaskets, Oil Pan Seals, Axles Seals, etc

 

I used acetone, rags, soft wire brush, plastic gasket scrapers, and several hours of elbow grease.

 

Beautiful job in true DIY spirit....BTW, I never thought of plastic scrapers for cleaning soft metal surfaces. Not to sound like a moron, but where did you buy them? Same as the plastic putty/drywall scrapers/blades you can get at Home Depot,etc?

Thanks

Jeremy

 

I got my plastic scrapers from Harbor Freight. They worked great for cleaning the top of the cylinder walls where the carbon builds up and forms a ring. I didn't want to touch the walls with a wire brush.

 

Just uploaded this video. It shows how easy it is to remove the valve keepers and valve springs with this tool. Installation of the keepers is just as fast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLfU0Cg47L4

 

nice

 

damn... makes me want to change my valve springs just for the hell of it. not that my motor will ever rev high enough to float the valves....... but still. so the installation... how do they not get sucked up in there? or is there an attachment thingy that goes in there for installation, and for removal you just use the outer part of the tool? i thought i saw it as a 2-piece tool in an earlier pic.....

what song was that in the background btw?

 

Yes, it's a two piece tool. The one piece that I used has a magnet in it and the keepers are sucked up when you push down on the spring and retainer.

When you want to install the keepers, you just load them into the retainer and use the black part of the tool which has a spring loaded rod that keeps the keepers towards the outside. Push down and they click right into place perfectly.

 

Disassembled the heads last night. Now it's time for the headwork!

 

so far so good. keep it up.

 

niiiiiice!!!! good work man!

 

I'm wondering why you don't get it installed and on the road before spending so much time and money working on the engine. If you get it in and it's an oil burner or you want to eventually build it up, you can always spend a day pulling it back out and then do what you want with it. I'd personally want to get the custom part of the job over with first though. If it were another VE you're throwing in there I'd understand, but I think you would be pretty safe leaving a 50k miles VQ as is. Anyway best of luck with the swap, seems like you have a pretty solid plan.

 

To me, it's a very solid plan. I am certain I can get this engine installed. So I might as well build it up while I have it out of the car and only do the engine install once. The compression and leak down tests were just fine. The cylinder walls and the rod bearings are in perfect shape.

Plus, I am going to pay my neighbor to use his lift and help me install the engine. So it's better for me to just do this engine swap once.

 

this is the smart way of doing things. i have told my dad to do things right the first time around but he is such a hard headed person. he made me work on his motor so many times when we could have done it the first time while the motor was out but he never listens and i know you know how that feels.

 

anything new now that the holiday's over?

 

OT: but I took a cool pic today aaron


should've used manual focus....maybe next time

 

Nope. Nothing new yet. Got the heads disassembled. I'm in the headwork stage.

Very nice! That looks pretty good!

 

Well after 6 weeks of hassling with a salvage yard in SC, I finally got my engine wire harness. Just one little problem though, he said all the connectors were in great condition.





Anybody have any tips? I can get my hands on a good ECU connector pretty easily. But, I will either need to splice and solder every wire or somehow remove each pin maybe.

 

It has a screw to hold it right? Should be fine to plug in the way it is, or at least it seems that way based on the photo.

Edit: also I believe you can pop out those colored connectors from the massive grey one, so you shouldnt need to splice/solder.

 

Aaron - I believe all of the connector pins actually come out quite easily. If you take a pic of the wire side of the connector, I can point out how to do it. Just make sure to keep them in order, heh.

mikekantor - No, they have a release latch that locks them into place, much like the Z33/V35.

 

Yeah, some of the pins are in the large grey connector. So those large pins are the ones I'll swap over. But those colored connectors do come out I noticed. I just don't know how hard it would be to get those colored connectors out of the new connector without damaging too much.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/4828217-post34.html

kinda like that? just from the rear side?

 

Maybe you could use some epoxy to fix it?

 

I'm lazy splice and solder for me, I would be worried that one of the pins not getting a good connections

plus it would be a great time to make a sub harness for any pig back, monitors devices you may have

 

The A33 connector is more labor intensive than the Z33 and A32. I can see why companies like Autosport do not like working with it.

Here is a new one disassembled



IIRC each of the white terminal blocks has a little plastic "latch" on either end. You release the latches by inserting a pin (or very small precision screwdriver blade) through access holes in the face of the grey connector housing.

Once you have popped the white blocks out, you have to release the pin locks. If you look closely at the picture above you will see that the sides of the blocks open slightly.

Even after opening the sides of the blocks, you still have to unlock each one by prying up lightly on the small white retaining tab to release the terminal.

Once you get the hang of it, it moves along quite quickly.

 

I am probably going to use the UTEC after I get this all swapped. But I haven't researched how to install that system. I guess now would be a good time to do so before installing this wire harness in my 3rd gen. It sucks laying down underneath your dash for hours splicing wires.

Thanks. I know you've done this thing before. All I need to do is remove those colored connectors from the gray housing. Then release those larger pins from the gray housing. I know I saw a couple in great condition at my salvage yard when they cut the wiring harness at the firewall. I may just have to pay them another visit.

 

bump

still just doing headwork? or other NWP stuff been keeping you busy? just curious how it's coming along (and when i might be allowed to ride out and see it for myself )

 

lol Not quite ready. Still doing headwork and NWP stuff keeping me busy. I haven't actually touched the heads in the past several days.

This headwork takes several labor hours to do. I'm expecting to spend over 15 straight labor hours using this die grinder. That's a lot of hours to be hunching over a head or manifold.

I knew it was going to take a while to do the headwork phase. But I really want to get this engine together as soon as possible. But yet, you know I can't rush headwork.

 

never rush headwork. thats just a big no no! just be patient and take your time on the headwork.

 

Yeah, it will be perfect when it's done. I am only doing a very mild stage of headwork. I'm really only concentrating on port matching the intake ports and not reconstructing the airflow.

There are a few restrictions I've seen just under the valve seats that can be smoothed out. That is the most crucial spot. Cause if I bump the valve seat with the bit, I am in trouble!

The exhaust ports are just going to be polished to a mirror finish to prevent carbon buildup. I don't plan on port matching them to the headers since you want the headers to be slightly larger than the exhaust ports on the heads.

But as far as the intake, everything needs to be matched perfectly.

 

you do what you have to do and just keep us updated.

 

Little update: I modified my stock Tstat by installing a little .0750" thick spacer. Now it opens about 15 degrees sooner than before. Thanks Jime!

I just cut a slot in the head of the screws with a dremel cutting disc.



Then I cut a chunk off a spare bolt that I had and filed it down to .0950".



That caused it open around 20 degrees sooner than before. So I took it apart again and filed the spacer down to .0750" and it's about where I think I want it right now (15 degrees sooner). Jime used a .0625" spacer and he says it opens 10 degrees sooner.

http://forums.maxima.org/general-max...hermostat+jime

Also, this headwork is taking a while. So not much of an update there. Here is one finished intake port on the LH head. It's not suppose to have a polished finish.

 

Aaron that looks great!

Question, Im not a big expert on headwork so please, LEARN ME!

Why is it that you do not want to mirror-finish the intake port?

I understand that yes for the exh side it avoids carbon build up and this helps airflow overall. However, why does the same idea not apply to the intake side? Does keeping it SLIGHTLY rough create a tumbling effect for better mixing with the fuel vapor prior to entering the chamber (which of course, is a good thing! lol)?

 

The few times I've looked into head work at all, that's the general idea I got; the rough surface helps with air/fuel mixture or somesuch.

From a VW forum: