Why does no one do VQ35 rebuilds?
05-31-2012, 01:39 PM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: NJ
Posts: 417
Why does no one do VQ35 rebuilds?
I have been making some calls, and searching the Internet to investigate the possibility of having a VQ35 engine rebuilt.
Many shops just say "no". Others give prices of $5K-$7k (which is more than you can buy a complete engine at the dealer for!). With the supply of junkyard motors all seeming to have high (70K+) miles on them, it is surprising.
Is it just that cars these days are disposable?
I notice the cams ride directly on the aluminum in the heads, maybe this design makes it hard/impractical to rebuild?
Any suggestions on shops that do reasonably priced rebuilds? I am in New Jersey, so closer would of course be better.
Many shops just say "no". Others give prices of $5K-$7k (which is more than you can buy a complete engine at the dealer for!). With the supply of junkyard motors all seeming to have high (70K+) miles on them, it is surprising.
Is it just that cars these days are disposable?
I notice the cams ride directly on the aluminum in the heads, maybe this design makes it hard/impractical to rebuild?
Any suggestions on shops that do reasonably priced rebuilds? I am in New Jersey, so closer would of course be better.
05-31-2012, 02:03 PM
#2
uhhh you can do a 'race build' for 7k.
Most people don't do rebuilds because of the labor. Also, when you spend all of that cash why not spend a bit more and get a 'race built' engine made to spin out to 8k.
Why do you want to do a rebuild anyways? If your engine is toast it is cheaper to just buy a used engine vs. a rebuild.
this thread is flame bait.
Most people don't do rebuilds because of the labor. Also, when you spend all of that cash why not spend a bit more and get a 'race built' engine made to spin out to 8k.
Why do you want to do a rebuild anyways? If your engine is toast it is cheaper to just buy a used engine vs. a rebuild.
this thread is flame bait.
Last edited by FastnFuriousMax; 05-31-2012 at 02:14 PM.
05-31-2012, 02:09 PM
#3
^wat?
People dont do it because its cheaper and easier to go buy a VQ. To rebuild a motor requires taking it too the machine shop, removing the head, timing equipment etc. Its not worth the time and effort unless you are building it for a reason.
People dont do it because its cheaper and easier to go buy a VQ. To rebuild a motor requires taking it too the machine shop, removing the head, timing equipment etc. Its not worth the time and effort unless you are building it for a reason.
05-31-2012, 02:18 PM
#4
I have been making some calls, and searching the Internet to investigate the possibility of having a VQ35 engine rebuilt.
Many shops just say "no". Others give prices of $5K-$7k (which is more than you can buy a complete engine at the dealer for!). With the supply of junkyard motors all seeming to have high (70K+) miles on them, it is surprising.
Is it just that cars these days are disposable?
I notice the cams ride directly on the aluminum in the heads, maybe this design makes it hard/impractical to rebuild?
Any suggestions on shops that do reasonably priced rebuilds? I am in New Jersey, so closer would of course be better.
Many shops just say "no". Others give prices of $5K-$7k (which is more than you can buy a complete engine at the dealer for!). With the supply of junkyard motors all seeming to have high (70K+) miles on them, it is surprising.
Is it just that cars these days are disposable?
I notice the cams ride directly on the aluminum in the heads, maybe this design makes it hard/impractical to rebuild?
Any suggestions on shops that do reasonably priced rebuilds? I am in New Jersey, so closer would of course be better.
05-31-2012, 03:49 PM
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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Sorry, I did not realize such a basic question would generate a hostile response.
I have purchased 4 engines already, all were duds. The last one was in the car less than 4 hrs (never ran it, it had low/no compression).
My thought was, after 4 engines, maybe id be better off with a rebuilt one. Clearly I am in the minority here, and just having bad luck with them. My garage is filling up with broken engines.
I have bought from Ebay, from yards on the internet, and a more local yard. I find AT BEST they have no clue what they are selling you. Mileage numbers are made up, and engines are never tested. All engines have even come with the oil still in them (yeesh! at least drain the oil and see how bad it looks!) They just buy a wrecked car, pull it, and sell it. Worst case for them is they have to take it back and give me a refund (not so easy when I had to ship the engine), they take NO risk- I take all of it..
Where are you buying your engines? If there is some source for RELIABLE engines at a reasonable price, I'd be all for it. Funny thing, the engine that lasted me the longest (a 2002 VQ35 purchased in 2005) only cost me $600. The rest have all been significantly more expensive.
I have purchased 4 engines already, all were duds. The last one was in the car less than 4 hrs (never ran it, it had low/no compression).
My thought was, after 4 engines, maybe id be better off with a rebuilt one. Clearly I am in the minority here, and just having bad luck with them. My garage is filling up with broken engines.
I have bought from Ebay, from yards on the internet, and a more local yard. I find AT BEST they have no clue what they are selling you. Mileage numbers are made up, and engines are never tested. All engines have even come with the oil still in them (yeesh! at least drain the oil and see how bad it looks!) They just buy a wrecked car, pull it, and sell it. Worst case for them is they have to take it back and give me a refund (not so easy when I had to ship the engine), they take NO risk- I take all of it..
Where are you buying your engines? If there is some source for RELIABLE engines at a reasonable price, I'd be all for it. Funny thing, the engine that lasted me the longest (a 2002 VQ35 purchased in 2005) only cost me $600. The rest have all been significantly more expensive.
05-31-2012, 03:50 PM
#6
because its not some honda 4 cyl engine you can just drop and work on in your living room floor. PITA to remove and install parts.....and for the price just buy a better car....or do the 09 swap on the 5th gen...still cheaper!
05-31-2012, 03:54 PM
#7
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I was considering an 09 engine, but have not heard of anyone running it with the VQ30 timing components. I have VQ30 ECU from JWT tuned for my setup. The cost to go with a haltech (or swap for a 09 ECU) would be significantly more expensive. It also seems that my 350Z Lower/upper intake would not fit the 09 heads.
05-31-2012, 05:26 PM
#10
05-31-2012, 05:46 PM
#11
I have purchased many used motors and for the most part had positive results. I have never purchased a motor on ebay or anywhere else online that required paying for shipping mainly because if the motor is garbage then you loose big bucks on shipping.
I buy "locally", within driving range (~100 mile radius). Or arrange for the junk yard to deliver the motor, in worst case scenario, I pull it out and get it exchanged.
More times than not, if I need an expensive motor (over 1000$ junk yard price), I opt for a salvage vehicle that I strip for parts. A salvage car cost more upfront but I pull the motor out, strip some of the good parts to resell and scrap the shell, this way I can test the engine before I pull it out and know that I am not wasting my time swapping motors 2-3 times.
I have purchased through craigslist also. A lot of times you can find someone locally parting out a car and you can run it and check it out before they pull it out of the vehicle. Usually you can check the speedometer for mileage.
As far as junk yards and accuracy of mileage, I have found that it differs from one JY to another. Some have meticulous records of when the car came in, when it was tested, etc. While others simply check carfax for last mileage reported which could be way off. I have received some motors with stated "70k" miles that looked like they had 170k. I don't take those and ask for another one.
Oh and as far as rebuild go,
I had the same issue when I started a rebuild on a BMW 4.4 motor. No one wanted to touch that motor. Used engines where in the $3,500+ range with over 100k miles. After searching around, I ended up rebuilding it myself. Took my time and everything came out great.
I am planning on rebuilding a vq35 also, just haven't had the time for it.
Why won't you try it your self. If you have mechanical abilities to remove/install and engine, then you could try with the rebuild. Get a rebuild kit and a copy of the factory service manual. Go step by step and take plenty of pictures. You'll be fine. Once everything is stripped, send out the block and heads to the machine shop, then reassemble yourself.
Good luck.
I buy "locally", within driving range (~100 mile radius). Or arrange for the junk yard to deliver the motor, in worst case scenario, I pull it out and get it exchanged.
More times than not, if I need an expensive motor (over 1000$ junk yard price), I opt for a salvage vehicle that I strip for parts. A salvage car cost more upfront but I pull the motor out, strip some of the good parts to resell and scrap the shell, this way I can test the engine before I pull it out and know that I am not wasting my time swapping motors 2-3 times.
I have purchased through craigslist also. A lot of times you can find someone locally parting out a car and you can run it and check it out before they pull it out of the vehicle. Usually you can check the speedometer for mileage.
As far as junk yards and accuracy of mileage, I have found that it differs from one JY to another. Some have meticulous records of when the car came in, when it was tested, etc. While others simply check carfax for last mileage reported which could be way off. I have received some motors with stated "70k" miles that looked like they had 170k. I don't take those and ask for another one.
Oh and as far as rebuild go,
I had the same issue when I started a rebuild on a BMW 4.4 motor. No one wanted to touch that motor. Used engines where in the $3,500+ range with over 100k miles. After searching around, I ended up rebuilding it myself. Took my time and everything came out great.
I am planning on rebuilding a vq35 also, just haven't had the time for it.
Why won't you try it your self. If you have mechanical abilities to remove/install and engine, then you could try with the rebuild. Get a rebuild kit and a copy of the factory service manual. Go step by step and take plenty of pictures. You'll be fine. Once everything is stripped, send out the block and heads to the machine shop, then reassemble yourself.
Good luck.
Last edited by NmexMAX; 06-01-2012 at 07:06 AM.
05-31-2012, 06:36 PM
#12
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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Posts: 417
What is osiris? My ECU is from a 95 Maxima.
Why won't you try it your self. If you have mechanical abilities to remove/install and engine, then you could try with the rebuild. Get a rebuild kit and a copy of the factory service manual. Go step by step and take plenty of pictures. You'll be fine. Once everything is stripped, send out the block and heads to the machine shop, then reassemble yourself.
I considered rebuilding myself too. One of my concerns is that the engine I would most likely do this to was supposed to be pulled from a 2007, 20K car. The inside of the engine looked clean (no varnish), but it had no oil pressure. When I pulled the bearings they were shot- BAD.. Yeah, I can replace those and the crankshaft, but what about the heads? There are no bearings where the cam rides, and if that aluminum is damaged I will be shopping for new heads.. Of the 2 other engines I still have (one of them I already sent out for scrap), the other was my 1st engine (2002) and I think I broke a ring/piston in that one (smoke was blowing out of the crank case). That may actually be the best candidate to rebuild if I go that route.
Hopefully engine #4 (I was told it has 37K on it, from a 06 Maxima but the inside looked more like 237K) will be going back to the seller for a refund this weekend. It had no compression in one cylinder, and very low in the others.
05-31-2012, 08:17 PM
#13
its funny that i just came across this thread. i have just finished rebuilding a vq35 for my car from the ground up. i was lucky enough to have a friend rebuild it for me for only $1,000 and i provided all the parts. i know what you're saying about the insane shop prices because i had a few of those quotes. while it may not be the easiest thing i definitely agree with those that say there's a good reason for you to rebuild it with the availability of vq35s out there.
05-31-2012, 11:14 PM
#14
I have been making some calls, and searching the Internet to investigate the possibility of having a VQ35 engine rebuilt.
Many shops just say "no". Others give prices of $5K-$7k (which is more than you can buy a complete engine at the dealer for!). With the supply of junkyard motors all seeming to have high (70K+) miles on them, it is surprising.
Is it just that cars these days are disposable?
I notice the cams ride directly on the aluminum in the heads, maybe this design makes it hard/impractical to rebuild?
Any suggestions on shops that do reasonably priced rebuilds? I am in New Jersey, so closer would of course be better.
Many shops just say "no". Others give prices of $5K-$7k (which is more than you can buy a complete engine at the dealer for!). With the supply of junkyard motors all seeming to have high (70K+) miles on them, it is surprising.
Is it just that cars these days are disposable?
I notice the cams ride directly on the aluminum in the heads, maybe this design makes it hard/impractical to rebuild?
Any suggestions on shops that do reasonably priced rebuilds? I am in New Jersey, so closer would of course be better.
NO, the cams do NOT ride directly on the aluminum in the heads. It's a journal bearing where the oil pressure supports the cams. If the motor was run out of oil, then the journal bearings there would be shot and you'd have to replace the heads.
The VQ35 is NOT at all hard to do a basic rebuild on. Oversize pistons are available as are the bearings, rods, valves, etc.
If you got a 08+ engine, not only is it better in every way, but you'll get lower mileage and cheaper prices. Junkyards have a difficult time unloading newer engines that are as ubiquitous as the VQ35. Older engines are in greater demand and lower supply.
I bought a 2005 VQ35 in 2005 with 800 miles on it for $1000 shipped to my door. I have no reason to doubt the mileage because everything was sparkling brand new and the residual oil in the engine was completely clean.
You could probably get the 08+ engine to work with VQ35 timing, but that would require some engineering. Save yourself the hassle and just get a 5.5gen if you want that engine.
Also, if you want to dabble in custom engines, tranny swaps, and engine/tranny builds into cars, its unfeasible financially for most mortals to do so if you have other people do the work.[
Sounds like you should tear down your original motor and see if it's salvageable. If you broke a ring land, just replace the pistons with HR or 08+ DE pistons. If the bearings are in good shape, call it a day.
IIRC, the 08+ pistons and rings are like $280 from a discount dealer like Courtesy Nissan.
Last edited by NmexMAX; 06-01-2012 at 07:05 AM.
06-01-2012, 05:39 AM
#15
Sorry, I did not realize such a basic question would generate a hostile response.
I have purchased 4 engines already, all were duds. The last one was in the car less than 4 hrs (never ran it, it had low/no compression).
My thought was, after 4 engines, maybe id be better off with a rebuilt one. Clearly I am in the minority here, and just having bad luck with them. My garage is filling up with broken engines.
I have bought from Ebay, from yards on the internet, and a more local yard. I find AT BEST they have no clue what they are selling you. Mileage numbers are made up, and engines are never tested. All engines have even come with the oil still in them (yeesh! at least drain the oil and see how bad it looks!) They just buy a wrecked car, pull it, and sell it. Worst case for them is they have to take it back and give me a refund (not so easy when I had to ship the engine), they take NO risk- I take all of it..
Where are you buying your engines? If there is some source for RELIABLE engines at a reasonable price, I'd be all for it. Funny thing, the engine that lasted me the longest (a 2002 VQ35 purchased in 2005) only cost me $600. The rest have all been significantly more expensive.
I have purchased 4 engines already, all were duds. The last one was in the car less than 4 hrs (never ran it, it had low/no compression).
My thought was, after 4 engines, maybe id be better off with a rebuilt one. Clearly I am in the minority here, and just having bad luck with them. My garage is filling up with broken engines.
I have bought from Ebay, from yards on the internet, and a more local yard. I find AT BEST they have no clue what they are selling you. Mileage numbers are made up, and engines are never tested. All engines have even come with the oil still in them (yeesh! at least drain the oil and see how bad it looks!) They just buy a wrecked car, pull it, and sell it. Worst case for them is they have to take it back and give me a refund (not so easy when I had to ship the engine), they take NO risk- I take all of it..
Where are you buying your engines? If there is some source for RELIABLE engines at a reasonable price, I'd be all for it. Funny thing, the engine that lasted me the longest (a 2002 VQ35 purchased in 2005) only cost me $600. The rest have all been significantly more expensive.
06-01-2012, 06:37 AM
#16
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: NJ
Posts: 417
Sorry, I sensed some hostility from "FastnFuriousMax". My comment on that was not directed at the masses.
The car is out of the shop now, under a cover.. so I am in a position now to take some time to explore/consider my options again.
On the idea of replacing the pistons/rings on the 02 motor with 08 pistons, is there somewhere I can get more information on that? Specifically pros/cons of the piston options, and any modifications I may need.
The car is out of the shop now, under a cover.. so I am in a position now to take some time to explore/consider my options again.
On the idea of replacing the pistons/rings on the 02 motor with 08 pistons, is there somewhere I can get more information on that? Specifically pros/cons of the piston options, and any modifications I may need.
06-01-2012, 07:43 AM
#17
Sorry, I sensed some hostility from "FastnFuriousMax". My comment on that was not directed at the masses.
The car is out of the shop now, under a cover.. so I am in a position now to take some time to explore/consider my options again.
On the idea of replacing the pistons/rings on the 02 motor with 08 pistons, is there somewhere I can get more information on that? Specifically pros/cons of the piston options, and any modifications I may need.
The car is out of the shop now, under a cover.. so I am in a position now to take some time to explore/consider my options again.
On the idea of replacing the pistons/rings on the 02 motor with 08 pistons, is there somewhere I can get more information on that? Specifically pros/cons of the piston options, and any modifications I may need.
The HR pistons also seem to have all the issues fixed regarding oil consumption and will raise your compression ratio to around 11.5:1. They do cost more money though, but are still cheap for OEM parts. IIRC, it's like $500. The HR pistons need to be fly cut slightly or you need to use a thicker Cometic head gasket to avoid piston and head interference issues.
06-06-2012, 09:26 AM
#20
buy a junkyard motor you can find em easily around $1000 slap it in and call it a day lol
06-07-2012, 09:00 AM
#23
06-07-2012, 09:12 AM
#24
Don't forget to assume anything with over 80k is an oil burner. I would look for an engine with the oil issues fixed if I was going to swap in a VQ35DE. I think that is 2004 or 2005 and up but don't quote me.
You can buy a rebuild kit for 1 grand and do the work yourself: http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=3546
Or spend a little more: http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=4266
Don't forget you can run higher than 11:1 on pump gas. But the higher compression doesn't give you 1hp. I think 12:1 is the most on 93. 13 and 14 require race gas which is stupidly expensive.
You can buy a rebuild kit for 1 grand and do the work yourself: http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=3546
Or spend a little more: http://www.z1motorsports.com/350_g35...oducts_id=4266
Don't forget you can run higher than 11:1 on pump gas. But the higher compression doesn't give you 1hp. I think 12:1 is the most on 93. 13 and 14 require race gas which is stupidly expensive.
06-07-2012, 09:32 AM
#25
The most you can get is 12:5 safely on 93 pump you could switch the compression higher to 13 or 14 and still not spend as much on gas by switching to e85 ...
shoot if you're gonna spend 5-7k on a REBUILD (LOL) might as well buy a built long block
shoot if you're gonna spend 5-7k on a REBUILD (LOL) might as well buy a built long block
06-07-2012, 09:53 AM
#26
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Location: NJ
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I am running a ProCharger C2, so I would stick with stock compression..
$1000 is not bad for all of that. I am still fighting for a refund on the last bad JunkYard motor, so when that is resolved I will look to move forward.
$1000 is not bad for all of that. I am still fighting for a refund on the last bad JunkYard motor, so when that is resolved I will look to move forward.
06-07-2012, 10:09 AM
#27
wow 12.5:1 eh? decent bump from 10.3.
06-07-2012, 07:00 PM
#28
They are still out there, just have to look. I actually found quite a bit with around 60-70k miles which still isnt too bad.
06-25-2012, 10:36 AM
#29
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06-25-2012, 10:40 AM
#30
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06-25-2012, 11:19 AM
#31
I would love to see a VQ35DE engine with 11.1 CR pistons, rods, bored from 95.5mm to 96mm, HR heads ported and polished, some agressive cams and a nice big custom intake manifold with an 80-90mm TB with a rev limit of 7500-8k......I would say close to 350whp!
06-25-2012, 11:19 AM
#32
I would love to see a VQ35DE engine with 11.1 CR pistons, rods, bored from 95.5mm to 96mm, HR heads ported and polished, some agressive cams and a nice big custom intake manifold with an 80-90mm TB with a rev limit of 7500-8k......I would say close to 350whp!
06-25-2012, 11:28 AM
#33
06-25-2012, 07:08 PM
#34
I too had bad luck with engine purchases, first I bought a DEK, turns out the cams were messed up and the buckets for the valves were all broken. Then I bought a 3.5, did the usual 3.0timing/3.5engine, ended up having a bent rod which snapped in half shortly.
So.. I ended up getting a bare block, putting in pistons, rods, got the same heads from the broken engine, and now im in 40K miles deep with zero engine issues. Moral of the story, you cant go wrong if you get it rebuilt. I also built it myself (first engine i have ever built, first time i even held rods, pistons, bearings in my hands).
So.. I ended up getting a bare block, putting in pistons, rods, got the same heads from the broken engine, and now im in 40K miles deep with zero engine issues. Moral of the story, you cant go wrong if you get it rebuilt. I also built it myself (first engine i have ever built, first time i even held rods, pistons, bearings in my hands).
06-25-2012, 07:58 PM
#35
car-part.com, you have to search but there some good mileage ones in there.
The motor I bought actually has 45k.
Here are some not as low as mine but still decent and at a good price.
63,000 $394.95
Speedway Auto Parts USA-AR(Forrest-City) 1-866-630-9866
75,000 $450
Dallas Auto Recycling USA-TX(Dallas) 972-286-4707 / 972-642-2222
If you wish to spend 5-700 there are some real low mile ones available
The motor I bought actually has 45k.
Here are some not as low as mine but still decent and at a good price.
63,000 $394.95
Speedway Auto Parts USA-AR(Forrest-City) 1-866-630-9866
75,000 $450
Dallas Auto Recycling USA-TX(Dallas) 972-286-4707 / 972-642-2222
If you wish to spend 5-700 there are some real low mile ones available
Last edited by Flava_24/7; 06-25-2012 at 08:00 PM.
06-25-2012, 08:42 PM
#36
06-26-2012, 05:55 AM
#37
06-26-2012, 12:24 PM
#38
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: NJ
Posts: 417
car-part.com, you have to search but there some good mileage ones in there.
The motor I bought actually has 45k.
Here are some not as low as mine but still decent and at a good price.
63,000 $394.95
Speedway Auto Parts USA-AR(Forrest-City) 1-866-630-9866
75,000 $450
Dallas Auto Recycling USA-TX(Dallas) 972-286-4707 / 972-642-2222
If you wish to spend 5-700 there are some real low mile ones available
The motor I bought actually has 45k.
Here are some not as low as mine but still decent and at a good price.
63,000 $394.95
Speedway Auto Parts USA-AR(Forrest-City) 1-866-630-9866
75,000 $450
Dallas Auto Recycling USA-TX(Dallas) 972-286-4707 / 972-642-2222
If you wish to spend 5-700 there are some real low mile ones available
As common as the VQ35 is, I am amazed that they are so hard to find at a decent price... Meanwhile, I am stuck with the "low oil pressure" engine I bought on EBay. I listed it twice for $290, and got no bids.
Always expensive to buy, but impossible to sell.
09-01-2012, 04:12 AM
#39
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Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 10
Good thread ... me in middle east
with same situation and 99 maxima VQ30DE engine
At one side there is japanese engine from scrap which cost me 1000$ with 30 days warranty ,
and other side mechanics said there labor charge is 550$ ...
they didnt said anything on the cost of parts which i wil buy
they said you can buy oem parts or the other.
my car smoke is normal ... just it was hesitating due to oil in spark plugs,
now its hesitating hell too much ... mechanics said your two cylinders not working ... many times it turns off at red signal and immediately i start again.
I am so confused and here in middle east there is no good mechanics.
how much parts will cost me for total rebuilt.
with same situation and 99 maxima VQ30DE engine
At one side there is japanese engine from scrap which cost me 1000$ with 30 days warranty ,
and other side mechanics said there labor charge is 550$ ...
they didnt said anything on the cost of parts which i wil buy
they said you can buy oem parts or the other.
my car smoke is normal ... just it was hesitating due to oil in spark plugs,
now its hesitating hell too much ... mechanics said your two cylinders not working ... many times it turns off at red signal and immediately i start again.
I am so confused and here in middle east there is no good mechanics.
how much parts will cost me for total rebuilt.
09-11-2012, 08:39 PM
#40
this will most likely answer all the question of why not... but then again with all the proper tools, space, and motivation everything is possible
http://forums.maxima.org/general-max...ine-video.html
http://forums.maxima.org/general-max...ine-video.html