how is the compatibility ? install difficulty ?
Do you think this is worth it or is there a better alternative?
I think the 2000 is good cuz it gots the 00vi plus it yields a few better hp/ tq #'s than the 95-99 VQ's. Then again, I am a n00b when it comes to this cuz I never dug into the VQ this far. Help?
THanks

 

Yes there is a better alternative. 3.5 V6. it gots the extra .5 liters.

 

Its got the extra .5 liters but has a host of its own problems. Oil consumption being the main one. As well as gasket leaks into the sparkplug chambers. 3.0 engine is my vote but I am bias.

 

Yes, I am WELL aware of the 3.5, but there is a lot of other issues that it drags with it, to be NOT more of a plug and play type.

 

you can have tilley prep the engine for you so its basically plug and play, just some soldering iirc

 

To tell you the truth, if you are doing the work for an engine swap, the 3.5 isn't that much more difficult to swap in than a DE-K. Yes there are issues with the 3.5. There was oil in my spark plug chambers when I purchased the engine, so I bought another VC for $28. No big deal.. As for the oil consumption issue, people supposedly have fixes for that. And for me, I will know if its a problem for me the next time I change my oil.

I knew these problems existed long before I did my swap. But that didn't stop me from proceding. The power increase is well worth the extra (minimal) trouble.
Bottom line is, if there isn't anything wrong with your current motor, the DE-K engine is just not worth it. Just simply install the 00VI.

 

I have had two 3.5's and no oil consumption at all and I drive the bejeezus out of them so its not that common.

The 3.5 is head and shoulders above the 3.0L in power and not just because its .5 larger it feels like its 2.5 larger.

 

The oil consumption is very common in the higher mileage 3.5s check out recent threads in the 5th Gen forum. Head & shoulders in power?? I would disagree along with many others. If were talking about daily drivers & not strictly track cars then the differnce is minimal & if your talking about track days well the only way to go with a Maxima is forced induction Spray/Turbo/Supercharger what have you & if so then your better off with the more reliable 3.0 & the thicker walls. If you were comparing the 5.7 hemi and the 3.0 then you could say head & shoulders but not in this comparision. The 00-01 3.0 VQ is the most refined engine ever made by Niisan.

 

I'm glad your happy with your 2000 3.0L. There is so much of a difference between the 3.0 and 3.5 that my wife was absolutly astounded the first time she took the 3.5 for a drive, I almost didn't get it back.

All my cars are daily drivers. With the same mods my 3.5 auto was 1.4 seconds quicker at 11 mph faster in the 1/4 mile than my 95 3.0 auto,(the 2k's are even slower) that is huge.

BTW I am not going with forced induction next year but I will tell you this, you are going to see a 3.5 N/A auto run 12's in the spring with bolt-ons.

 

Do you SERIOUSLY think a supercharged 3.0 is more reliable than an N/A 3.5? Wow. That's the biggest load of crap I've heard on the .org for a while.

There are 350z's pushing 600WHP on stock internals. One of them recently went 10.9@12x mph boosting only 13 PSI. Not bad for a supposedly sh*tty engine that wasn't even designed to handle FI in the first place, eh?

Agreed. Does this say anything about the 3.5? No.

I am absolutely sure 110 mph trap speeds can be had N/A. That is seriously quick and forced induction is NOT required to make these cars fast.

I think some of the 3.0 guys need to quit talking sh*t about an engine they don't drive with everyday. There has been a backlash against the new engine ever since it came out, especially from 00-01 guys who are pissed that the 02-03's are almost a second quicker and to tell you the truth it is seriously pointless and more than slightly annoying. Put up or shut up.

Yes the 3.0 is smoother. That's it. I get the same gas mileage, and with the bigger VQ + bolt ons went from 15.0 stock to 13.6 on the same (stock) tires with a whopping 14 MPH increase in trap speed. WHO CARES that it's not as smooth. That is so much more than a "minimal" difference. Some guys throw on Supercharger kits and do not even gain 14 mph in trap speed.

The VQ is STILL on the 10 best engines list after 5 production years with the 3.5. If it sucked they would've dropped it.

And my car doesn't burn any oil between oil changes (change it every 3k). I have 250 timeslips this year alone and it's a daily driver. And it is MUCH faster than it was stock. 'Minimal' difference my @ss.

 

Where in my post does it say a 3.0 Supercharged is more reliable then a 3.5 NA?? What it says is "IF" you were to go FI you would be better to go FI on a 3.0 then a 3.5. Thicker walls, shorter stroke & better push rods.


My understanding & I am no guru but 3.5s were running safe & reliable at like 6.5 PSI on stock internals. A question which I do not know the answer to is............ Are the stock internals on the Maximas 3.5 VQ the same as the ones used on the Zs VQ? If not that could be the reason for the 600 WHP numbers you stated above. I never said that the 3.5 was a sh***Y motor. Any link or article the the 600 wheel horsepower numbers stated above?



It says that the VQ 3.5 is not the most refined Nissan engine.


Fast is in the eye of the beholder. I am waiting on the 110MPH trap as well.

I will take almost a second slower & 5 more years out of my car otherwise I would have bought a Ford with *****. Reliabilty & perfromance is why I went with Nissan not just perfromance. I dont drive a 3.5 VQ everyday but I drive it enough. The torque is nice if you can put it down on the floor with your tires. But I will take the most refined engine evemade over it for its reliablity. There is a reason you see so many 11 year old 3.0VQs on the road. The older the 02 Maximas become the more you see there owners starting to complain about problems with there motors.

Damn right! Here comes the 4.0 VQs after only what 4 years?

It wont be your daily driver for long if you have 250 timeslips in one year. Minimal difference was used by be me in my post to say the difference between the two for everyday driving not on whether your bolt ons got you more power. I also stated that the problems on the 3.5VQ with oil consumption were happening on the higher mileage Maximas. Read my post slower instead of jumping to conclusions.

 

All the VQ35's have the same internals and cams except for the 05+ 'rev up' motor. It's just the intake manifold, exhaust and IM that changes.

I don't have a direct link right now (the number was 619whp) but here's a thread asking about the VQ35's ability to take boost. You will notice that it is more of an issue about inexperience, tuning and the engine being new than actual stoutness. http://www.my350z.com/forum/showthre...tock+internals

If nissan had designed it for boost they wouldn't be using those lightweight rods. When they boost the engine they will lower the compression and change the rods. Meantime the fact that an N/A motor with 10.3:1 compression and an all aluminum block can take 500+whp in stock form is pretty f*cking amazing if you ask me.

Someone made a comment about the open deck. The block is NOT a weakness. That is still the stock block in the 6-second race car.

Hey 1300whp on the stock crank not bad, eh?

Go tell Greddy to get working on that crank sensor signal.

No. 5th gens (including 00-01's) have electrical issues and it's not really related to the engine itself. It's still new but I've seen VQ35's with over 300,000 kms on them (186,000 miles).

What the hell are you talking about? The VQ40 is designed for trucks. All low end. When did Nissan tell you they were gonna replace the VQ35 with the 4.0 in the Z, G35, Maxima, Altima, Murano, ect. ?

When was the last time you heard of a stock N/A VQ blowing from runs at the dragstrip? The drivetrain gets raped, not the engine.

The oil consumption problems happen on cars that weren't broken in properly, regardless of mileage.

 

i've driven a 3.5 4th gen, and after that, I was hooked. I don't know who told you, but ANY turbo/supercharged engine daily driven is never as reliable as an engine in stock form (minor bolt ons). Most of my friends have turbos on their car, nothing but issues. I would never get an FI car as a daily driver. But the 3.5, has both the power and reliability to make me happy. i've seen how well my 3.0 VQ can do, now it's time to upgrade.

 

Once again...........NO WHERE DID I POST THAT A FI 3.0 ENGINE OR FOR THAT MATTER A FI 3.5 ENGINE WOULD BE MORE RELIABLE THEN A NA VQ ENGINE........ please read the post properly. I am fully aware that a FI engine has its issues. Especially the supercharger & belt shredding. My post said if you were to go FI that you would be better of boosting a 3.0 then a 3.5.

 

Again, WHY? Where does it say that the VQ30 can take more boost than the VQ35? The fastest Z's on stock internals are in the 10's. I have yet to see a VQ30 with stock internals go 10's so your opinion is speculative at best.

 

Let me start with this......... We are not talking about the 350 Z & its VQ this is about the Maxima 3.5 & front wheel drive. I am sure if there was a 350 Z with a 3.0 engine it would be more then capable to hit the 10's. Now on to "Again why?" You never asked that question before but I will attempt to answer .Opinions are like you know what. We all have one. But mine is as follows the VQ 3.0 has been around for twice as long as the VQ 3.5 & I believe along with countless others that the reliablity of the engine has been proved over & over again for normal NA driving. Second our cars are very limited in what we can actually put on the ground as far as spinning the tires goes being a front wheel drive car & the terrible torque steer. Based on the last 10 years & myself owning 3 VQ 3.0 engines. You can allready get more power then you can actually use on the FI 3.0 engine in the Maxima. Why go with the 3.5 as far as boost is concerned if the jury is still out on the engine & having issues. I have never met or heard of any org member having oil consumption on the 3.0 engine regardless of properly breaking the engine in. YES if the most important thing to you is NA power & not reliability then you would be better off with the 3.5. But my opinion is that if you are going the route of boost you would be better off with the 3.0. Answer me this where did I say that a boosted 3.0 engine is more reliable than a NA 3.5?

 

The ENTIRE point of swapping a 3.5 is having more power but keeping the reliability. If I weren't concerned about reliability I would have FI'd the 3.0 but I am so I remained N/A and swapped for the bigger engine. Ok?

 

No in your circumstance & all the weight reduction things you have done to the car & racing 250 times in a year & you stating you wanted reliablity & wanting to invest close to $4000 grand into a 11 year old car for more power?? No I dont understand. But from a power perspective you had better options. This thread started with a question from "Goldtooth..Do you think this is worth it or is there a better alternative?......... And he was given this response from "Nismo3112..Yes there is a better alternative. 3.5 V6. it gots the extra .5 liters............. I disagreed & gave my reasons. Then you start a rant of .............."Jclaw Do you SERIOUSLY think a supercharged 3.0 is more reliable than an N/A 3.5? Wow. That's the biggest load of crap I've heard on the .org for a while" Your original post is what started this. I never said your above quote. If you would have read my first post correctly this thread would probably be 4 pages back by now.

 

Thicker walls?? WTF are you talking about? What does a shorter stroke have to do with reliability under boost?? Nothing. And none of the VQ's use pushrods so in my opinion you have no idea what you're talking about and have ZERO credibility. Next...

The only significant advantage the 3.0 has over the 3.5 is smoothness and stronger bolt/nut setup securing the rod to the crank, which can be easily fixed with ARP's.

The VQ35 has superior heads, a more efficient valvetrain, connecting rods are lighter yet stronger, has a bulletproof block, has less internal mass and friction than the 3.0, has superior cooling and knock supression, has a stock oil cooler, and is actually pretty smooth considering it's longer stroke. There are other things, but these are enough for now.

The 3.5 is the most reliable and consistent power-adding modification for the 4th generation maxima, period. That combined with the best performance/dollar (other than nitrous of course) ratio makes it almost a no-brainer if you're on a budget. Nearly 1 second off of 1/4 mile times for around $1200 seems like a great deal to me. If i have to give up some smoothness for the added power and all the other advantages the 3.5 has, so be it.

P.S. The VQ35 is still one of the smoother V6's on the market, so that argument is ALMOST invalid.

 

Nothing to do with stroke & reliability but with lower compression ratios & a shorter stroke. Boost psi is effected & Yes when you bore out a extra .5 liters is it thinner?
I am fully aware that the VQ is not a push rod engine, kind of typing thinking at the same time it just came out what I ment was the rods . The high compression ratios of the VQ 3.5 are definitely a concern and when introducing forced induction to a car not set up for boost from the get go. This would be the reason that most of the turbo VQ 3.5s that are setup for street & track & reliabilty are safely run at low boost like 6.5psi. If the internals were better & they were not running such high compression ratios out of the 3.5 VQ we would be seeing boost numbers in the low to mid teens more regularly correct? As far as smoothness there is no comparison. And for everything you just stated about the allmighty 3.5VQ why the issues with oil consumption & oil in the sparkplug cylinders?

 

I have to go to a concert with my wife now at MSG. God help me but I will check back later.

 

WHAT weight reduction? My weight reduction is more minimal than what a lot of 3.0 guys have done. It weights only about 125 lbs less than stock, and that includes 35 lbs for the 3.5 and 40 lbs for the spare/jack (track). So the actual weight reduction is about 50 lbs. Wow, that's major

WHAT better options?

I paid 3200$ for the car + 3000$ (3.5, headers/cat/catback/CAI/UDP/clutch) in mods. So for 6200$ I have a car that runs 13.6@105 mph on street tires.

Reality check, the VAST majority of guys on here have dropped more than 6 grand (car AND mods) and I challenge you to find a max on the org that pulls better times without nitrous and on real street tires for less than 6 grand, car included.

The 3.5 IS the best bang for the buck period. And those 250 timeslips simply prove my point; it can take the abuse.

With that said, keep any personal references out of this and if at any point you feel the need to tell me my investments were worthless, feel free not to share your thoughts about my financial decisions or trying to belittle me because I'm still in my teens.

No! The extra stroke is worth .3 and the bore only accounts for .2. 3.0=73.3 mm X 92 mm, 3.5 = 81.4 mm x 95.5 mm, get it?

That extra .3 of compression is surely going to kill the engine much faster. Damn domed pistons!

What you don't seem to understand is that a 3.5 at 6.5 psi is producing amounts of torque that a 3.0 wouldn't see until double digit boost. So you basing your "reliability totem pole" on the amount of boost being produced is totally pointless. At 6.5 psi a well tuned Z is pushing upwards of 400 pounds of torque at the wheels. At 6.5 psi a boosted 3.0 is seeing significantly less.

There are far more VQ35's with 400+ rolling around than VQ30's with 400+, hence, there are more blown VQ35 engines. Plenty of maxima guys have blown their engines, too. How many maximas are pushing 400whp? How many Z's are pushing 400whp? Go on the FI board and ask how many maxi's are pushing upwards of 400. Then, go on my350z.com, and ask how many Z's are pushing upwards of 400. I wouldn't be surprised if the ratio was 1:20

I maintain this: There is ABSOLUTELY no proof that the 3.0 can make more power than the 3.5 on stock internals. The 3.0 can take more boost because it inherently produces less HP/Psi, simple enough to understand?

Insightful and observant. Brilliant and thought-provoking. If only nissan engineers were as smart as you when they designed an engine strickly meant for naturally aspirated aplications. Surely the fact that they only use the VQ35 in N/A form from the factory has nothing to do with lighter internals and high compression ratios.

That said, quit digging the hole. It's not hard to understand. The 3.5 is the single most effective mod for the money and whether you like it or not, it performs better than the 3.0 in N/A form, is just as reliable, and is there to stay. Period.

 

Like JClaw already mentioned the bore only accounts for .2 of the increase in displacement. And i wouldn't worry about the strength of the block if i were you, because that 1500HP TT VQ35 in the 6 second drag 350Z is using the STOCK BLOCK.
The 3.5 rods are lighter yet stronger than the 3.0 rods. Next...
The 3.5's compression is only .3 higher than the 3.0. Besides, both motors weren't designed for boost so your point is invalid.


You're putting too much stock into boost PSI. The HP and TQ numbers are what count. The 3.5 puts out better numbers per PSI than the 3.0 so your point is again invalid.

I can deal with losing some smoothness to possess an engine that's better in almost every other way. And as for the oil consumption, it is in NO WAY typical of EVERY 3.5. If it is show me the proof. Seems to me like they're isolated incidents smattered here and there. And the oil in the spark plug area can be easily fixed by replacing the o-rings in the valve cover. Big deal...

Let me reiterate what i had said earlier, in case you missed it...

 

Wow I will leave you guys with this......1) This all started because you did not properly read my post & made this statement That was never said by me but I did not consider it a personal attack I took it for what it was you not reading properly.
2)There was no comment from me in any post about your age, hell you could be some rich kid I dont know & dont pretend to know your financial background. I actually was quite impressed with your knowledge of cars. I am no boost GURU & was never my intention to argue about track times & boosting. From this comment....... You with the above mentioned quote are the one who is belittleing ones self & financial moves at the age of 19. Hell with that comment you must have your own issues with what you have done with your cash Regrets maybe? .Sure I question spending the cash on what you did for your purpose. I would have spent it on FI. But I never questioned the spending in general go crazy your young once. .......Performs better? I can expect my VQ 3.0 to perform for the next Two Hundred thousand miles. You cant say the same about the 3.5 not yet. Just as reliable? No it aint. Here to stay? We will see but I dont think so. Ya your right if I was talking about hp & torque. But were were not. We were talking about stock internals & rigidness/ strength of the internals of the engine. Which engine could handle more boost the 3.0 VQ or the 3.5VQ? Its the 3.0. Another reading issue here. Where in any of my posts did I say it was typical of every VQ 3.5? The answer? I dident. I said in high mileage VQ 3.5s & this is based on many threads in the 5th gen forums regarding oil consumpsion & high mileage. Common sense will tell you that the VQ 3.0 is a 11 year proven reliable engine. The VQ 3.5 Has been around now for 4 Years & I would say a average driver of a 02 Maxima would have 60.0000 miles. Lets see about all the 02s & 03s 4 years from now before we put it in the same reliable engine catergory as the 3.0 VQ. The early numbers dont look good for the high mileage 3.5VQs in the 5th gen forum. Boost this, Boost that the botomline as far as arguing about power & such & the allmighty 3.5 VQ. The fastest "MAXIMA" out there is a FI 3.0VQ on stock internals . Have a nice day. I wont be responding anymore

 

Jclaw- I'm interested in seeing that 619rwhp stock internal 350z...but I tried googling it and I came up short....I do believe you since I did see something similiar awhile back...I just want to save the link so I can use it for future references (to those who don't believe in 3.5L)

 

actually the fastest Maxima out there is a VQ35 swapped 4th gen.

 

Someone is awake this morning.

 

Yep .

 

Owned.

I rest my case.

 

That guy's a tool. He ignores the points that own his argument and only picks the bits and pieces that he can attack. Everything he stated was his opinion. He couldn't produce any facts. That's a sure-fire way to lose any debate.

 

blowned my engine in my 97 and when with the 2001 DEK. I knew of the 3.5 but the DEK was about 2000 total and the 3.5 would have been 3500. Which leaves 1500 for other mods like my upgraded ecu and Hids. If you do the swap your self yes the 3.5 is by far cheaper but by no means drop in. So id say the 3.5 is worth it and cheap for a home mechanic. well mine still in the shop, he ****ed up the injector soldiering what a tard. It will turn over and start but there are 3 extra wires from the injectors that he doesnt know where they go! so i gotta wait for his electrical buddy what a joke! Please give me my maxima back my christmas i only got 50 miles on the new stocks/springs and still gotta install my ecu waaaaaaaaaaa