[LoopOut]

Hey everyone. Long story short. I have an 06 CC LE 4x4, a blown motor and its time to figure out my options.
My question is this:

If I have $5K and a blown motor in my truck, what should I do. (Must be reliable and daily driven.) Other opinions are welcome as long as they are not over $5k range.

-Used Motor: $2500-3000 w/40kms. This would be easiest im sure.

-Rebuild w/Internal motor work. ie: BORE, STROKE, etc.. My knowledge in this department is very limited. I understand some of it, I just don't know alot.

-V8 swap: This may just be a dream but... who knows.

 

[AndysLog]

i could sell you my motor for 2k its an 08 and only has 30k on it.

or you could pull off the vk swap for 6k if you do all your own work.

 

[rcr_kx250f]

rebuild what you have is cheapest. CP Pistons has specs for it. The stock block needs new sleeves to make the boring worthwhile, which equals $$$$$. best bet is have everything machined, crank turned and balanced, new connecting rods, CP Pistons, valves/ seats cut if needed, and port the head. Then up rev tunning to wake if up.

Are you planning to do the work yourself or pay someone?

 

[dubie2003]

The answer for your question comes down to how bad your motor is. You may be able to slightly bore it but if the piston or connecting rods impacted the walls, it may need sleeves which has been reported to cost a bit.

Then it comes down to your abilities. If you do the work yourself you will save a bit but are you up to it and do you have all the tools?

Brutal has worked with CP to come up with pistons so you can keep it stock compression or kick it up a bit if you wanted.

The VK swap would be awesome but as Andy has said, it costs 6kish on the low end and that requires you to do all the work. Then you have to mess with the codes and all the other crap.

 

[Scott Hutch]

A built vq40 and nitrous would be cool to see

 

[LoopOut]

I believe i can do any of the physical/mechanical work. I have pulled and replaced an engine out of my '90 Supra turbo and a few other cars before, so that doesn't scare me. I have never torn down a car engine before, and would prob avoid doing it myself. As well as the electrical side of things, which will prob be the part that makes me not do v8 swap. So that being said, i think i may look into a rebuild with some sort of modding or upgrading. The lingo for these kind of mods can be a little beyond me so please be patient if i start asking a lot of questions.

 

[R.A.D]

brutal can help you out

 

[pidge]

Sh1t the links not working, but I just mapquested it for ya, 1050 miles from MB to IL. for what hes askin thats not to bad at all.

 

[rcr_kx250f]

with 5K you could turn it into a firebreathing monster that blows up in 10K or less. or you can build a reliable motor with a little more guts to it.

If your cylinder walls are okay, get the hi comp CP pistons, new strong rods (i forget where Brutal got them), get the crank checked out and balanced if need be, replace all the bearings and seals, have the heads checked for cracks and valve seats cut, replace bent valves and port it, which you can do yourself or just leave them stock. And seriously consider an uprev tune for it.

 

[Irongrave]

build a 4.2 stoker Z motor. they sell the cranks pistons and other stuff you need to run a 3.5 into a 4.2 (will do the same to a 4.0) would be a nasty little motor when done but still drivable every day on the street. but your best bet is to buy andys motor and do a simple swap. then build the other block as you have time/money

 

[BRUTAL]

the 3.5 uses shorter rods and different block. You can offset grind crank, sleeve and bore(expensive) and build about a 4.8 Cp pistons, rings, and Pauhter rods(order through Engine logics... Dyno Dynamics all wheel drive dyno
as they set up the custom blanking and have the jobbers accounts to order from CP and pauhter. what are your end goals? I would do a rebuild with ARP studs, CP pistons, and Pauhter rods and this will run about $2100 pistons, rings and rods. then youll need stock bearings, gasket set and balance rotating assembly. The piston I had made are 9to1, stk is 9.7to1.If your gonna go forced induction stay at 9to1 and figure 10psi+ boost. For Normal aspirated go to 10-11 to1, you can easily spray it with NOS and be good for a 125 shot without issue(at least not from the engine)
otherwise, buy a stock engine like Andy's and save for a STS turbo kit

 

[LoopOut]

WoW. LOL

Ok, to start off, im not trying to go as "all out" like some guys on here do. BUT, i do like moding my stuff, and figured seeing as how im already screwed on having to fix/change a motor, i might as well look into maybe putting a little bit of extra money into the mix and see if there is something that i could do to bump up torq and hp a little. I do use my vehicle daily and it would have to be well mannered, and not a ridiculous hog on fuel. I didn't mind what i was getting for mileage, but if it does drop a bit i don't mind.

Andy's offer is VERY reasonable and i have been in contact with him. But have a pretty reasonable price local as well.

I don't think FI will be in my near future(tho i do love boost very much). Im am however very interested in looking into the CP piston and Pauhter rod setup. Sounds exciting to me. This will all depend however on if i can find a machine shop round me that would do it. For a reasonable price anymays. Like i started with, im the kind of guy that could probably be happy with intake, exhaust, and an Uprev tune, but im at a point where i could do that little bit extra and have something A:a little cooler B: is a bit more beefy, and not have to really go outa my way to do it. And i guess i should really start lookin soon, the mighty dollar seems to really be in my favor rite now

So, Mr Brutal. If im to call around for these parts, am i asking for them as a frontier specific part, or do i need to know piston dimensions and rod specs, etc... And what kind of gains would a guy see from doing your recomended N/A setup? And i assume i would need to get an Uprev tune for such mods as well correct? And is that something and Dyno shop near me could do if i supplied them with the Uprev "package"?

RCR: So you know i hear your suggestions too, not just Brutal

Sorry for the very lengthy posts. Thankyou everybody.

 

[BRBnismo]

i kinda wanna know how you managed to blow an 06 vq40 haha,

oh and andys deal does sound pretty good, that will give you some extra cash for a mod here and there

 

[BRBnismo]

nvm found your other post, apologies

 

[rcr_kx250f]

buy andy's motor if you just want to install it and move on, might have to reflash the ecu to get all the VIN and key code right.

$4000 will buy you a new bare block from nissan http://www.courtesyparts.com/kb_search_result.php?keywords=[10102]+\(D40&cPath=4888_4889_4890_4891.

There's really no way to know the extend of damage until its torn down. to pay someone to do what brutal did will be in the $10000 range when its all done. If you just want a little more torque and hp, get stock bearings, rods, gaskets, etc. and just use 12:1 CP Pistons, maybe some porting, and an uprev tune.

Here's Brutal's post about porting his heads http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f11/brutals-vq40-build-installment-1-heads-43308/

 

[LoopOut]

BRB: Nissan says it was pieces of the plugged cats that got sucked back into the motor.

RCR: So your saying just do hi-comp pistons and stock repair/replace otherwise? Seat of your pants dyno figures??? Running compression like that would i have to run higher octane fuel than?

BRB: Nissan techs say it sucked pieces of the plugged cats back into the motor. No worries. It can be easier to ask then find sometimes on here.

RCR: So your saying Hi-comp pistons only and stock repairs otherwise? Would i then have to run a higher octane gas with those pistons?

 

[dubie2003]

If it was the CAT that came apart and got sucked into the motor, then it may have screwed up the heads and pistons and etc..... you won't know until you tear it down. The worst part is that if the chunk kept the valve from opening, it could have screwed the cam up a bit.

If you are mechanically inclined, it would probably be best to just buy a new/used motor and swap it in. Nothing would have to be changed with the ECU or anything as long as the motor is a VQ40DE which came in the Frontier and Xterra and Pathfinder (even thou they are susposed to get a couple of extra ponies, probably due to gas grade).

Then take your old motor and make it into a project in the garage. Rip it down to a block and see what is actually wrong. At that point you could rebuild it and swap it back and sell the one you swapped in originally. This way you have minimal down time.

Also, once you start to up the compression, your gas grade is also required to go up. Heck, if this ethanol crap ever catches on, you could swap over to E85 and get some high flow injectors and an UpRev tune and be good to go but idk about the 12:1 ratio thou, that may be a bit much but idk.

 

[AndysLog]

I'm wanting to say you cant just throw another motor in without having everything registered again. but i dont think you should have to. unless you use a different ecu.
but with a different vin on the motor you may have to have the throttle position codes, the injector codes and ignition.


but i think more of maybe just the throttle and injectors. maybe none at all. but know you can read the engine vin from consult. so if your swapping motors i would have nissan handy so you can take it to them when your done. just in case.

 

[rcr_kx250f]

Seat of pants dyno - a lot more low end
and better pull on top. Actually hp gains, hard to say. Could be none but with a much longer, broader curve or 25-30. Depends on other mods really.

As far as fuel, at 14:1 in a kx250f, I run 91 with no
detonation, and that's with a redline at 14k rpm. 12:1 with ignition and fuel mapped correctly should be fine on 87, if you know you're gunna be screaming it, run a tank of 91 to be safe.
For that mild of mods the stock stuff would be just fine. You really need to get the motor torn down and see how badly it's broken. Any head/cylinder wall damage and it will be cheaper to just buy a bare block and swap the accesories over.

 

[dubie2003]

I know this will cause people to cuss but didnt' WRP run a 12.5 in his sentra on 91 and had to use meth injection to keep it from detonating? I'm not sure I would want to do that on a daily driver.