I have read the thread on the 5spd swap for the 95 - 99 Maxima. I have no problem with this, and have done manual swaps in 240SX's, and in Mazda RX-7's. The question that I have deals with the differences in the transmissions themselves.

According to Nissan, there is a different part number for the transmission of a 95 and 96 Maxima through 11/95 than all the Maximas with manual after 11/95. Is this a difference I need to be concerned about as I prepare to put my swap together. The production date on my Maxima is 8/95, and the transmission that I'm looking at is from a late 97 production date.

My friends at the dealership cannot tell me anything, and I did not really see anything in the write up about it. I did note that the car being swapped was a 95 and the donor car transmission was from a 96, though it does not specify what production date was on it.

Any help would be appreciated before I make the next couple purchases.

 

The transmission you are looking at will bolt right up to your car. The difference is this: if i recall correctly, the 97-99 transmissions have an extra synchro for first gear, which makes it easier to shift into first when you are still rolling. the 95-96 transmissions only have 1 synchro for first and there for it is difficult to shift into first gear unless you are at a complete stop. As far as working on your max...any transmission from 95-01 will work on a vq30de or vq30de-k engine. however clearly the 97 and up ones are slightly better.

you got nothing to worry about.

 

Thanks I appreciate that. I just wanted to make sure I didn't get burned. I have had no problem with the 240SX swaps I have done and the only real differences there have been between the S13 and S14 speed sensors.

Any other things that I should be on the look out for as I tackle this swap? I think I should be able to have everything by mid April, which is my target date for doing the swap. I'm guessing a full day. I also have a friend who'll help so that extra set of hands will come in handy.

What upgrades should I look at following that? I'm thinking of a y-pipe and cold air intake. I'm thinking Cattman for both. What do you think?

 

Stock intake FTW. Y-pipe no doubt though.

Other things to look out for, Junk dif bearings (search) and a rotted core support.

If you are using the ECU and ned it code free I can dig up the thread where I figured out how to do it.

Also, Take the entire brake booster out, just trust me, I've done several A32 5-speed conversions and the last one I did I took it out and said "WTF, I wish I knew about this before"

Oh, and theres a weird deal with our cars, you MUST sand the bellhousing mating surfaces so they are nice and shiney clean metal.

 

Why stock intake FTW? With most other cars I have dealt with have benefitted from intake.

Cattman over Warpspeed for the Y-pipe? From everything I have read it would seem that the Cattman while more expensive, is more beneficial.

 

Some people believe that the stock intake makes more power than all the aftermarket intakes. I'm not one of those people, though intakes in general on 4th gen maximas are fairly useless. We're only talking about a couple HP, literally.

Y-pipes are pretty much Y-pipes as far as performance goes. I was very happy with my cattman stainless Ypipe. Over the hears, some brands have had problems with buzzy sounds coming from the flex section or problems with the flex sections themselves collapsing down but I think those problems are a thing of the past. It's been like 7 years since I was in the Y-pipe market.

 

I have a Warpspeed Y and I'm happy with it. Been like 3 years.

 

Whats the deal about the brake booster?

Also Ive heard that before about the sanding the mating surface, Idk why it is important but I heard it was so I sanded mine down when i put a new tranny in just a week ago.

 

Cleaning the metal is about improving the grounding.

Dave