well done!

 

Nice work! That's some seriously ingenuity, after reading the first post I thought it would cost a lot more than you stated, looks like you got a great deal and an interesting car to tool around town with.....I know your pain about the Rex flooding, I had an 88 that used to flood all the time, pain in the *****.

It also had a problem with overheating, which I solved by only driving it on trips that didn't require too much stopping - the problem eventually solved itself when I got stuck in traffic on the way home one day, and instead of shutting it down, tried to make it home - ended up driving it until it caught fire in a beer distributor parking lot, car was toast - literally.

 

SO PIMP!!!![Bow down]

 

and we think putting a de-k manifold on a 4th gen is hard. Way to go man. Props to you and any one who contributed to this Rx-MaxZ-7.

 

What The!!!!

 

Man, I saw this post many times today and wrote it off as another "Can I put a Skyline motor in my maxima?" thread. Boy, am I glad my curiosity got the better of me. This is incredible. Can't wait to see some track times when you get all the bugs worked out.

 

I busted a nut over this ! LOL maaan I got a lead on a cherry looking Turbo II 89 RX-7. I was thinking of SR20-ing it... but now I'm thinking VQ33DE-KTT w/6spd Z tranny..... 240SXs are soooo hard to find cheap. Awesome job, makes my SR20DET swaps into 240SX and Sentras I been doing for a living.... look like an oil change ! haha great job once again.

 

That is pretty damn cool .. .major props to ya for getting everything to fit and work out. Cant wait to see some numbers on this.

 

Congratulations on your swap! I am sure you will have tons of fun scaring unsuspecting victims on the street or I mean at the track Enjoy the ride

 

wow... man.

 

Good Job! very nice swap...

 

I think that is awesome but how does the A/C and the the interior stuff like radio work. i thought that was ECU specific stuff.

 

This is very interesting to read. Good work, Thaniel!!!!

When you get all the bugs worked out, when are you gonna take it to the track?

 

next we may actually see someone put a skyline motor into a maxima...

 

Much props. Not too many people actually go out an DO what they said they were going to do

FYI- When you guys picked the engine up, the guy on the right...DONT EVER pick anything up with your back like that again. Thats unless you want a herniated disc in your lower back or something

Keep your back flat & locked in place. Use your legs to push, dont pull with the back.

 

Wow... That Is Fluckkin Raw, Hopw Everything Goes Well With It.

 

A true artist. Kudos, my friend, Kudos.

 

HAHA tell me about... its all about angle and form. I can deadlift 350+ but stupid me picked up an empty olympic bar by itself the WRONG way and i was out of the gym for 2 months. Back problems still occur and this was 2 years ago. Im ONLY 21!!!

 

The slip yoke is the part of the drive shaft that goes into the transmission. Nissan generally stakes them in so they are not reusable or sold seperately. Apparrently there are at least 10 different nissan slip yokes. 9 of the styles have aftermarket replacments available. Likely there would be one made for the trans I have sometime in the future. I guess it is just too new. (odd problem to have)

I did look at RWD VQ motors like the VQ30DET and the Pathy VQ35DE. I wasn't 100% sure I could get the VQ engine into the rx so I didn't want to drop a lot of cash and find out it didn't. The pathy intake was really tall and I had a hard time getting dimensional details on either engine.

Yes, I think buying a rear drive made engine would be the easier way to go. I did find out AFTER I had started my project that the rear drive blocks are different from the front drive blocks (motor mounts are farther forward on the rear drive engines allowing the exhaust to pass behind the mount instead in front). Attahcment of a starter would be much easier as well. However the pathy oil pan is not suitable for install into a car due to the very deep sump.

Seems about the only way I was going to find out what I needed about the engines were to buy one. I bought my engine for $250 + shipping. It was a deal I just couldn't pass up.

I gotta go...I'll post more later.

 

That wont be happening any time soon.

VQ's were made to be both FWD and RWD. Now with a chassis like the RX7 which is already RWD all you have to do is find a tranny that will fit in and turn the engine around.

With a Maxima theres no way to fit a transmission and rear diff. Unless of course you build a full RWD frame with a Skyline motor and bolt on a maxima body.

 

holy crap, thats awsome. Congrats. Now we need a vid of the thing in action.

 

I would love to hear how it sounds with a set of custom headers

 

man u can EASILY have ur beast posted in a magazine.

 

Right now I am running it with no exhaust (just the exhaust manifolds). It is WAY loud. Deafening. Especially inside the car as I don't have the sound deading or interior in it right now.

 

The engine mounts weren't a big deal. I bought some used OEM maxima mounts and used those. I had to cut a inch or so off the bottom to clear the subframe on the Rx-7. I then welded in some 1.5 square tube into the subframe, cross drilled it welded some small dia pipe into the square pipe (to guide the bolts and fill up space) then drilled the maxima mounts to match. That part was maybe one saturday and kind of fun.

The harder part was deciding where to locate the engine. I refused to cut the hood for clearance as I am going for a stock (sleeper) look. Putting the engine low enough to clear the hood had it right were the rack and pinion and subframe were. I ended up pushing the engine back which required modifying the firewall and moving the steering rack forward. I cut and basically remade the front subframe. Oh and since the oil filter is on the front of the maxima engine, it hit the steering rack as well. I used an oil relocation kit to move the oil filter.

Other fwd to RWD problems were:

-The TB and intake pointed the back of the engine. I cut and reglued the intake so it pointed fwd. Sounds simple but I didn't know if it would work. I only have about 10 miles on the car now so I'll wait to say it does.
-moving the TB and intake parts require reworking the wiring harness.
-The Starter on FWD cars is on the trans. On RWD cars it is on the engine. I cut part of the oil pan on the maxima and used a modified pathy starter. Actually this part of the project isn't quite done but I have it functional although ugly.
-Several cooling pipes route to the back of the engine where they now need to go to other places. Just route them the right places =)

That's basically it. There are other minor things but those are the major issues.

 

I suppose I should have chosen I better title fo the thread. Didn't think I guess.

When it is all done I'll have to take it to a drag strip and see what it can do.

 

Those are all reasons why I did the swap. More power, better gas milage, less hassles (hopefully). I just don't see the down side to this swap other than the work involved

 

The ECU does recieve info from the A/C system and can shut off the a/c if the engine gets hot. Currently I don't have A/C so I don't have any of that connected (the ECU just sees it as the A/C is never turned on). There are quite a few systems that I did need to integrate into the ECU. Fuel pump, Power, electrical load, Guages, Cooling fan etc. Currently I have the minimum amount of things connected. When I get time I will hook up more.

The ECU doesn't connect to the radio. My Alpine aftermarket Stereo and speakers (including 10" sub consealed in the spare tire) from my '86 will transfer to this car when the time comes.

That reminds me. For my birthday my family bought me a set of 2000 SE guages to integrate into my car. I think it will look a lot more modern than the rx-7 guages and will be easier to hook up the speedometer (rx-7 is mechanical speedometer and the max, 350z electric speedometer).

Anyone parting a 2000 max? I could use a couple electrical connectors and odds and ends that slavage yards don't inventory and would charge way too much to pull.

 

absolutely amazing lookin forward to more updsates

 

wow man props on the install!

 

Well here's an update.

I FINALLY got the exhaust installed saturday. Well sort of. I am missing the gaskets that go between the manifold and the y-pipe. The stupid autoparts store gave me ones that don't fit. I bolted it on anyway and will put the gaskets in when I get them. I included a catalist in the exhaust (may be moving to an area requiring it soon) and three o2 sensors.

The car is much more enjoyable with the exhaust. I was able to put my foot down and let it go. I was casually running against my wife in her maxima and my rx-7 with the maxima engine is definately much faster.

I have hooked up the dash cluster I have from a 2000 maxima but I found that the 350z trans does not have a speed sensor (signal comes from the ABS). So rignt now I don't have a speedometer. I have to go by the tach.

I still have lots of things to do including hooking up the alternator. I have yet to find anyone willing to sell me the Idler pulley assy for the alternator belt.

I've put quite a few miles on it and so far it is working well.

 

simply amazing..... goodluck with the rest.

 

Any Numbers yet????

 

bring that bad boy to MAXUS 2004!

(if we have it)

-vq

 

excellent job, Thaniel! That hard work is certainly paying off!

I noticed you're also a fellow michigander, where is Freeland and how far is it from Detroit?

 

Freeland is right next to saginaw. 1.5 to 2 hrs north of detroit. Kind of depends on where you live.

 

wow! amazing project!

Linked this over to v6performance.net

http://www.v6performance.net/forums/...ad.php?t=32729

 

Good job. You went w/the VQ since it was the cheaper route? why didnt you drop an LS1 instead? I am only asking? One of the boosted LS1's I raced told me he saw a RX7 with a LS1 motor on the streets. He was wooping on anyone that lined up against him. Very impressive. Never the less great job. All that time you put into that car will pay off. Very rare swap indeed.

 

I agree with the LS1 swap. You can do so much with that engine

 

No denying the LS1's are fast. The number of times the swap has been done so many times before. Probably could do the swap in a week or two (after collecting the parts). I was looking for something that was more of a hobby (less $, more time). I considered many engines. I even looked up pricing and sources for LS1 engines. Came down to the fact I just wouldn't feel good owning a GM product. I've had too much pressure from UAW workers to buy their products that I kind of go the other way.

Infact the Plant I work for now, the production workers are UAW. I love it when they see Mazda or nissan in the lot (now a Mazda/nissan). It would ruin the effect if my car had a GM engine. When they hear of my project they growl "why are you wasting your time on a foreign car". I love it when they say that

I hadn't seen too many Nissan engines in the Rx-7 other than the SR20. I'm not into the 4cyl so this is where I am.