Currently have a DE-K that burns 2 quarts of oil withing the 1st 300 miles, then just seems to run on 3 forever, at least that's what the last 3 oil changes within 1200 miles showed. I'm tired of looking in the rear view and seeing a cloud of blue smoke all the time and the lack of low end that is getting worse and worse.
Which would you do? Get another DE-K for something like $500 and just swap it right in, or, get a 3.5 for about the same price, replace the broken valve cover that it has, then cam adapters for $150, then fiddle with all the timing equipment and hope it's all lined up correctly and hope it fires otherwise take it all apart again? So the price difference is about $200 which isn't a big deal now but when I do plan on doing this, mortgage might be an issue. Or of course, rip the current engine apart and see what the hell is messed up.
I'm leaning towards the 3.5 cause it's what I want even though a tuned DE-K, when it ran good, felt like enough power.

 

honestly if u can swing the little extra to do the 3.5 swap id so go for it esp if its what u want. if u dont do it u will most likely regret it.

 

get another de-k for cheap.

3.5 will be more of a headache.

 

no de-k around for under $500 shipped or even local.
There is one 3.5 locally for $500 with a cracked valve cover...

 

why is the valve cover broken? Could be another dropped engine like your last DEK down the stairs...

 

get a different car with more power from the factory.

 

Depends on how many miles/where the 3.5 came from...

I doubt you'd wanna be stuck with a Quest motor

And just because the 3.5 itself isn't *that* much more expensive the actual install takes more work/labor = money.

 

part it and save yourself the headache

 

Man i have to be honest...

Having a 00vi and a 3.5 swap done i would do the 3.5 swap.

Granted i blew a 3.5 already(my fault) The 3.5 moved.

And you could do better than 500 if you wait it out long enough.

Hell look up engines in MN.

 

oh and the timing

Engrave this in your head



Credit:greys

 

from an 05 max, 30k miles. Install would be done over winter break from school. Shouldn't take more than 2 weeks to do everything, would it?
What's wrong with quest motors, again?

 

I might sell my DEK I have, 38K miles, needs the rear VC and LIM (taken off when someone parted an 00VI), but has both heads, and cams. If you're interested, let me know.

Other than that, Id say get another DE-K. Or, order some parts, spend a weekend or two and fix the one you got. While you're in there drop some 3.5 cams in.

 

I'm not sure why but the last 3.5 swap that was like a Quest or something dynoed considerably less than average.

 

maximas have 255hp and quest is 240hp

 

Dude...it sounds like u have a leaking head gasket. Open the valve cover and replace the gasket. What are you guys talking about swapping engines??

 

Change the head gasket to fix his oil burning problem?

 

I really doubt that's all it is, seeing as the head gasket isn't right under the valve covers. As mentioned before, the engine was dropped down a flight of stairs by previous owner.
Problem I might have with rebuilding is that I'd have to take it all apart to see what's wrong and then order parts. That's already taking a week out of the time I would have.

 

If the only things missing are the LIM and vc then I would take it, depends how much you want.

 

OH i was thinkin anti-freeze..hmmmmm lol

Either way somehow oil is being burned in one of yur cylinders and a cracked cylinder is going be a toughie to fix AND time consuming.

I hrd 3.5 swaps are doable but costly.

 

Well considering you're not hard on your car (from what I'm able to tell) and also seeing you did mention the DE-K felt like enough power for you, I'd say save yourself some time and money by going with the DE-K, of course the time part is a bit off considering you cant find any DE-Ks locally..

 

+1 Our 3.5 swap makes my 00VI feel like Poo.

 

But wouldn't that require taking all the timing stuff off, putting in 3.5 cams, getting the cam adapters, and then redoing the timing stuff? So pretty much just as much work with almost none of the gains of the 3.5.
I think I decided that the 3.5 would be more beneficial, $/hp wise, if I can find one cheap enough. At the same time it depends on which engine will be easier to acquire at the given time. And also if Tilley still sells his cam adapters...

 

Still doesn't change the fact you think the head gasket is right under the valve covers.

 

Stephenmax sells them too.

 

Indeed you're right. If you have the $, get the 3.5. Otherwise, I would just order parts (all new gaskets, rings, bearings) and just fix the DEK you have in a [loooong] weekend.

 

Sigh. Yeah. that would be the more responsible thing to do. I'm just scared of tearing it apart and finding out it's beyond fixable. Was finally going to do compression and leak down testing this weekend just to find out I won't have time...

 

shoe horn an LSx into it.

 

Somehow I don't see that as being possible to do during a 2 week period....

 

Boooo Highly overrated motor. i say 3.5 only because well i like power.

 

The valve cover on the 05 was broken during a car accident...

 

I think the plastic valve covers are pretty cheap on courtesypart.com.

 

Wait till u get the cash and do the DE-K engine swap. Sucks u cant find one locally for cheap...

 

I'm looking at literally 80-100 DEKs between $250 and $610 on car-part right now in the Chicago area...?


Anyways, my vote is for the 3.5. I have a bolt on 3.0 right now and a bolt on 3.5 right now in my two 4th gens, the difference is pretty incredible in driveability. Partial throttle torque difference is pretty wild. It takes so much less throttle input to do anything in the 3.5 car - it's really much more enjoyable to drive and I rarely floor either car. I go WOT probably twice a week, and always only on the highway. Just driveability-wise the 3.5 is far superior.

If you have any plans to boost the car in the future I say go with a DEK.

Anyhow, you could do the simpler 3.5 swap like I did if you felt like it. Use 3.0 cams and it eliminates the need for spacers, the need to take off the cam sprockets, etc. Makes timing the motor simply a matter of setting the cams in the motor and lining up the 2 dots with the two arrows or whatever. You could also use your DEK intake manifold (as I used the DE intake manifold originally and for like a year and a half before I put my 3.5 manifold on) and not have to worry about doing all the TB modification, and all that jazz. Feel free to PM me or read my threads about it. My 3.5 swap was probably the simplest 3.5 swap ever done I'd say. I did it in like 4 days which included a bunch of other, non swap related stuff (custom radiator support, other custom non-motor related stuff like suspension revamp, etc).

 

The difference between the de-k and 3.5 cams has to be noticeable?
As for the 00VI, how mismatched are the ports in relation to the 3.5 LIM or heads? If the difference isn't that big I might as well broaden the search to a 3.5 with no tb or IM...

 

Yes, they're noticeable. RE: Dan's motor that put down 272 whp on the 3.5 cams n/a.

Here's a picture from a thread in the AM forum regarding the differences in ports.

 

well, there goes that idea.......

 

I have 3.5 Valve covers FS

 

Though, you could use the DEK lower on the 3.5 heads. IMO, it would be easier to shape the LIM ports and the heads rather than trying to deal with 00VI porting and new bolt holes.

 

I'd say do the 3.5 swap, the timing is not that hard to do once you get the spacers. Like Nealoc187 said 3.5 much less throttle input do drive which is great because when you WOT you feel the difference between the 3.0L then again I never driven an DE-K so im not sure the difference but from DE its like night and day

 

I did think of that but wasn't sure if the dek LIM would bolt onto the heads. I read of the pathfinder LIM but I think Neal said it wouldn't be a god idea.