Guys I made a mistake, and its going to be very time consuming. After putting the engine together, timing it and installing alt, powersteering, mount, oil pan, RTVing everything I realized that I used the wrong camshaft braket, the part that bolts to the head and the timing chain inner case...I used the 3.0 one...I didnt realize this until after I put the new plugs and tried putting the valve covers on and realized they wont fit because of the older style cam braket. But the 3.0 valve cover does fit perfectly, except for the fact that it is taller, thus making the 3.5 coil packs not long enough by about an inch. After looking at the coils (3.0 and 3.5) side by side The 3.0 has a longer shaft on it....So i pulled the things apart and decided to see if the 3.0 shaft would fit on the 3.5 coil pack, It does and seems like it would work with the problem at hand. Has anyone tried anything like this? Is there any huge problem I am going to come into if I went ahead and did this? I know that the 3.5 cam braket has an oil system worked into it to make the timing advancement happen, but I am not using that anyways...So I am wondering if i do leave the 3.0 braket there where is the oil that gets routed there going to go? I hate making more work for myself but the 2 options I see are moding the coils so they will fit properly or taking everything apart and redoing it which, is just going to suck lol.. Any advise is appreicated

 

oh nevermind, the intake manifold will hit the rear cover and rear plugs will not line up with bolt holes

 

Something to think about....

Can you hack holes in the 3.5 cover, so it will fit onto the head? and so everything else will go together as designed?

If so, then your problem is how to seal up the new holes...

 

wait....the 3.0 valve covers does not fit the 3.5....?
i dont get it... i thought i tried that on my swap and they were different.

 

Fitment wise they are fine, but the 3.0 is wider where the coil packs are, and the 3.0 coil packs are therefor longer so the 3.5 coils packs would need be up changed and the 3.5 intake manifold will not fit properly with the 3.0 valve covers. The big problem i realized was that the rear coil pack bolt holes (with 3.5 coils) will not match up and theres probably no way to make it match up...oh well it was another 2 hours of work swaping everything and retiming it. Oh well at least thats all taken care of, the only feat i have left is dropping the thing in there with a tranny, I've never tried putting an VQ engine in with tranny attached before and I am tried of the hastle of putting the tranny in afterwards so hopefully that works out ok.

 

oh man, that really sucks.... i remember when i had to redo my timing and that was a freaking head ache....!

 

Sorry to bump a old thread here guys but i have a few questions since the junkyard shorted me 6 3.5 coil packs.....

1. Are you saying that the 3.0 valve cover openings for the spark plug tube is to big. What kind of fitment issues minus the im not seating properly causeing a clearance issue.

2. Would a de-k valve cover provide enough clearance?

I understand that the 3.5 coils are shorter and what not. But if you would use the 3.0(de-k) coil with the 3.0(de-k) vc wouldnt one think that would work if the upper would clear???

or am i screwed and i have to get 3.5 coils??