Ohk, i'm sure someone on this forum knows aomething about the new 3.5 engines in the Max. This is what's up, i came across a almost new (250 miles) 3.5 engine and transmission. I can get it cheap, but what i was wondering is Will that engine mount into the 3'rd gen. Max with minor mods? I figured since my engine is tired and in need of replacement that i would just go ahead and jump well into the 240-250 N/A hp range and install that engine. Engine Management wouldn't be a problem, i have a Tec-II running the current engine and would also use it on the 3.5. Plus if this swap will work out, i'm planning to fab. together a turbo kit that i'm probably going to sell to the public. Thanks for any info you can give, it is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Shaun

 

3.5 in a 3rd gen ... plus turbo ... !

Now I have seen it all.

 

Yeah... if if it's worth doing, do it right!
Melt the tires!

 

yeah, maybe so. But you gotta think, you don't know me and my abilities. It's car i'm building, not a nuclear weapon, so why stress?see ya on the street one day....one can only hope!

 

I kind of wonder. We all flame these guys trying to do extreme stuff to the maxima. "you can't do it" "what are you smoking?!?!" "why would you spend 2-3 times as much as the worth of the car on it?" Yet, if these one of these guys actually pull it off (unlikely, but anything can happen), they will become an instant god and everybody and their mother will want a writeup, cost analysis, performance figures, and praise them like a rock star. I say, go ahead, try it. You wanna do something risky and hard? It's your call. Most of the people on this board are old, family people, who just wanna improve the family grocery-getter and don't wanna try anything that might take a little risk. There's a lot of financial effort and time which will undoubtedly be put into something like this. But if you wanna have fun with it, go ahead. What ever happened to pursuing your dreams and passions, even though people say it can't be done? I guess it goes out the door after you're 30...

 

I don't get why you guys flame every lurker/newbie here with wild ideas. At least this guys seems somewhat knowledgable about what he's talking about. he's not mtcookson. It's natural to assume that since Honda engines all swap into each other with not too much work, that maybe Maxima engines will be similar. It may not be feasible to do the swap, but it's most definitely possible. He asked for help, none of you guys can help him, but you don't have to flame him.

 

Right on. Here in my neighborhood there are a lot of guys in their 40's, 50's and 60's building radical Harley street choppers, drag racing motorcycles (10 second class) and really cool old hotrods. There are two guys with shops in their home garages, in walking distance, who have national reputations for racing motorcycles at Daytona, Bonneville, etc. Anyone can do it with will, passion and bucks. I'd say the older guys might even be better, because they've been working on their craft a long time and know how to go about stuff like engine swaps and chopping a lower roofline (now THAT'S a mod I'd love to see on a Maxima!!!)

 

if you can save on labor and if ya have hookups in the area its not that much out of the question, maybe it wont be perfect or anything but good luck!

 

To get this thread back on topic, you can do it, all you need is the wallet and the time to do it. Money is the key here. Just figure this. For that new engine you will need that transmission. Then you will need those drive shafts for the tranny and probably a ton of custom work to mount the tranny and the engine. Then you need an ECU to actually run the engine, which means a lot of wiring. On top of this, you will probably need a new fuel pump. This won't be just replacing your current engine, this will be replacing EVERYTHING under your hood.

 

Do your thing first, show pics while project is in progress, don't talk out of your a$$, and then people will not flame, then people will bow down to you like a god. *cough*UncleMax*cough*

Most of the people on this board are old family people? You sure you're in the right forum? No ... most of us just have common sense to realize the enormity of the task. Dreams and passions are fine. But you don't see me going to Liv Tyler's official website asking if she'll marry me do you? (I don't, honest. )

 

...You go boy.....

 

Now that is someone who should be flamed before they even post.

SuDZ

 

I was reading about the RUF Turbo. It's so expensive that the Porsche motor is 37,000, and the tranny is 12,000. 49,000 and then you need a body, chassis, and everything else! What about the 6 investment bankers who spent $63,000 at dinner on the wine alone in London??? It's been all over the news today

 

I think if you posted pics of the EXISTING TecII install on your current Maxima, that would be a great start. You do have some pics right??

 

if you have the money to do this, why not sell the heavier 3rd gen and buy a cheap lighter 4th gen? ahh nm waste of money imo, but to each his own...i think

 

Just of the outside. Like the famous quote I have seen around here about the guy with the turbo setup but only took pics of the outside of the car hehe.

SuDZ

 

You never know, for every 10 bs'ers there's one legit guy. We are about due so let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Hell I WANT him to be legit! hehe

 

I thought you already had dropped one in the 92.






Than that wreck mysteriously occurred.

 

Woah!! TRIPLE post... One with a spelling error. Tsk tsk.

 

what some of you guys don't understand is that i didn't neccessarly say that i was going to do it, just asking if it could be done. Yeah sure i'd love to do it, something different you know. the point is that i've been building custom cars and trucks since i was 16-17. I'm 23 now. I know that's not long, but long enough to know what works and what doesn't. When i don't, i ask just as i did on this forum.
Now think of what all comes in a turbo kit, it's not really anything hard to put together. the hardest part is the manifolds and as far as the ECU and wiring issues go, that's why the world has Stand alone ECU's. You can flame my *** all you want for what seems my lack of knowledge and my radical ideas, but at least i'm the one with the ideas.

 

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=101254

 

Although I do agree with that, since they usually seem to share the spirit of Hot Rodding...

People like him are the reason we generally flame newbies. Plus it seems to be sort of a weeding process for people that can't contribute anything useful to the org.

 

Why would you flame him for this? So dumb. People like you are the reason that every maxima has a ypipe, exhaust, stillen body kit... and that's it.

It's the people that go out of their way to do "extreme" stuff that push the limits of our cars. People like Don, Shadow, Mardigras, Emax, Greg, Sx7r, Malthus, Unclemax, etc. all do things we "shouldn't" do maximas and the maxima community benefits GREATLY by their efforts. Instead of putting down, you should encourage growth, product development, and most importantly, the RISK TAKERS.

Also, for some reason people assume that everyone who's ever done something good with a maxima is on this board. There's a whole big world outside the internet folks, and I guarantee the most extreme maxima anywhere is one we have never heard of. Think of this... if Steve Millen came on this board and wanted a poll about a new turbocharger for a maxima, would you roll your eyes at him? He would after all be a "lurker".

[/soapbox]

 

I guess this whole thread begs the age old question, "why?"

 

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this yet, but YO ITS OK is the guy you should talk to. He's doing something even a bit more radical. Taking a 3.5 block and heads (or was it 4th gen heads), mating it to a 4th gen variable intake, and computerzing it with a early 4th gen ECU. If it works, that's gonna be one helluva Maxima Frankenstein!

I'll admitt, I used to be one of those skeptics, saying never convert an auto to a 5 speed, don't add ABS to a non ABS car, don't add an afetrmarket sunroof etc, but hey, there are people who have done it with success. Surprised me a whole lot! Now I just say do it but its gonna be quite expensive.

DW

 

yeah...I hope we don't hear "well I wrecked the car on my way to buy a camera..." or "I forgot to take pics of the engine bay..." not syaing this is true for this guy, but 99.9% of the time thats what "they" say.....

 

3.5 VQ, hmmm...
All aluminum motor, 255 Naturally Aspirated horsepower, I dunno how much torque, available with factory HLSD, 6 speed, smoother than a VG, plus it's all-aluminum, which means it should be a little lighter. Hey, if he can get it in and decides to divulge the necessary information, then NOS + SC/Turbo won't be the only way 3rd gens (esp. VG's) can approach 300fwhp. Now, a turbo/SC is the only way for a VG to make a good, solid, constant 250hp. With a 3.5L motor, we'd have a good, solid 255hp, HLSD, 6-speed foundation in a nice, sleeper sedan with 4-wheel independent suspension. We could then (possibly, with much more $$$) add a turbo, supercharger or dry-flow NOS kit with 60hp shot. An installation kit plus a NOS kit equals an easy 300+ hp 3rd gen Max, which BTW are going for $1,000-$8,000 depending on year and condition. Start off with an early VG SE ($2500), buy the kit, VQ35DE with HLSD 6spd. tranny ($6000??), add SFC's($300), Sway Bars, Exhaust($800) and some gauges for good measure, you've got yourself maybe $10,000 for one fast, well-handling car.

 

WOAH there!!! way too many numbers and $$'s in that one.....

 

3.5 VQ, hmmm...
All aluminum motor, 255 Naturally Aspirated horsepower, I dunno how much torque, available with factory HLSD, 6 speed, smoother than a VG, plus it's all-aluminum, which means it should be a little lighter. Hey, if he can get it in and decides to divulge the necessary information, then 3rd gens (esp. VG's) can approach 300fwhp. Now, a turbo/SC is the only way for a VG to make a good, solid, constant 250hp. With a 3.5L motor, we'd have a good, solid NA 255hp, HLSD, 6-speed foundation in a nice, sleeper sedan with 4-wheel independent suspension. A VQ35DE-HLSD-6spd installation kit plus a NOS kit equals an easy 300+ hp 3rd gen Max. Buy a Max w/o a motor/tranny ($500), wait for VQ35 prices to come down, do your own work and it could be done for not a whole lot of money.

 

Yeah but..but, why? Is it worth it? This isn't like dropping a Chevy into a T-Bucket or something. This means swapping over all your electronics and wiring harnesses. Now make that work with the older 3rd gen wiring harness. Plus I'm sure there would be a need for all kinds of custom bracketry and such...what a pain in the ***.

Hey, anything can be done I guess. But I'll tell you what, I've seen a lot of abandoned projects in my day. People who had an brainstorm and then stopped when they finally realized they were in over their heads. And the ones who indeed can do it aren't asking questions on this message board that's for sure. They already know all the answers.

The only reason I can think of to do it is to say you did it...

 

my eyes are melting... i need ****ing sleep and i need to stop taking painkilers..

why the **** did i just post this?

 

You may have to do some major electronics homework to get this done. The 3.5 VQ has drive by wire throttle. I've read some posts saying that adapting that to a cable throttle setup is hard.

DW

 

Uh, do you honestly believe that is the most difficult portion of this project?

 

Of course he'll need a big shoe horn for all the other challenges

I think it was yo its ok who mentioned the drive by wire throttle. It looked like he killed his engine project b/c of it.

DW

 

Next Month i am going to also create a new id and ask this question...

 

Friggin' grave diggers.