VG35 (2nd) into a 1rst.
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This is a really hard video to watch. He clearly has taken a lot of pictures to compare the 3.3 and 3.5 engines, their transmissions, and all of the various other parts, and he has taken detailed notes along with those pictures, but the way he's reading the notes to us is extremely difficult to understand. Early in the video he talks about the engine mounts, and the way he describes them it first sounds like they're not the same, then it sounds like they are the same. There's a similar problem when he's describing the exhaust manifolds, he describes the round ports on one and the oval ports on the other, and then he describes OEM parts bolted-up, but doesn't really talk about the actual bolt pattern at the cylinder head or which manfold of the two generations he actually chose.
It also doesn't help that he seems to have recorded the audio in multiple sessions with his recording equipment set up differently at each session, so he has weird breaks in the middle of sentences where the tone and pitch of his voice changes. This seems to line-up with the pictures changing. It's almost like he recorded the same audio to a video of looking at the slides for each engine, then spliced those videos back and forth between the two sets to make the final video. I gave up on the video at about the five minute mark. The technical description of the mating surfaces for the driveline and the motor mounts was over by that point.
If I were making a video of an engine swap, using Dad's '89 Dakota 3.9L throttlebody fuel injected V6 to 5.2L EFI V8 out of a '95 as an example, after having originally noted the comparison I was making between the two engines, I would state that both engines appear to share a common bellhousing bolt pattern, a common flexplate to torque converter bolt pattern (though the actual torque converters need to be swapped as balance weights are different), common dimensions to bolt the engine mounts to the frame of the truck. I would further explain that the accessories from the 5.2 need to be used, and that the steering rack from the '95 truck needs to be used since the '89's rack doesn't use the same hydraulic connectors. I would then note that the conversion is easiest if one strips the entire wiring harness out of the donor truck and retrofits it into the '89, all of the way from the tail lights to the headlights, because too many connectors in the dash and under the hood are different, and that switching the harness over is actually the first task in doing the swap once both trucks are sufficiently stripped-down. I would then note that since the '89 lacks the airbag control module shelf, the airbags, the control module, and the bulb in the dash can be removed without triggering any codes.
The information is interesting and probably useful for someone wanting to engine-swap in a D22, but it definitely could be presented better.
It also doesn't help that he seems to have recorded the audio in multiple sessions with his recording equipment set up differently at each session, so he has weird breaks in the middle of sentences where the tone and pitch of his voice changes. This seems to line-up with the pictures changing. It's almost like he recorded the same audio to a video of looking at the slides for each engine, then spliced those videos back and forth between the two sets to make the final video. I gave up on the video at about the five minute mark. The technical description of the mating surfaces for the driveline and the motor mounts was over by that point.
If I were making a video of an engine swap, using Dad's '89 Dakota 3.9L throttlebody fuel injected V6 to 5.2L EFI V8 out of a '95 as an example, after having originally noted the comparison I was making between the two engines, I would state that both engines appear to share a common bellhousing bolt pattern, a common flexplate to torque converter bolt pattern (though the actual torque converters need to be swapped as balance weights are different), common dimensions to bolt the engine mounts to the frame of the truck. I would further explain that the accessories from the 5.2 need to be used, and that the steering rack from the '95 truck needs to be used since the '89's rack doesn't use the same hydraulic connectors. I would then note that the conversion is easiest if one strips the entire wiring harness out of the donor truck and retrofits it into the '89, all of the way from the tail lights to the headlights, because too many connectors in the dash and under the hood are different, and that switching the harness over is actually the first task in doing the swap once both trucks are sufficiently stripped-down. I would then note that since the '89 lacks the airbag control module shelf, the airbags, the control module, and the bulb in the dash can be removed without triggering any codes.
The information is interesting and probably useful for someone wanting to engine-swap in a D22, but it definitely could be presented better.
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Yeah I’ve watched a bunch of his videos and he certainly isn’t great at producing them. He also has his own, sometimes goofy, way of doing things. From what I remember he’s in some country or on some Island somewhere he doesn’t have great access to tools or parts and always “working with what he has”
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337 Posts
And he has done more, with 1rst Gens, than anyone, I know. I'm not concerned, about his speech, as a gear head I know what he is saying, while he's doing it. I still like, a 2nd gen engine possibility in my truck.
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I wasn’t trying to say he is bad, hopefully it didn’t come off that way. He has put a ton of valuable information on YouTube for the 1st gen frontier. I greatly appreciate his videos.
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Lots of good videos and laughs. I can't help but to smile when he's explaining extremely in depth about things. And then how he pronounces radiator and repeats it several times. And the discussions about safety
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Anything can be a swap, just a matter of how much cutting and fabricating needs to be done to fit the drivetrain and wiring to make the ecu happy. It's not like they're going to make a swap kit
Better off going with a V8 LS motor that they do make swap kits for, for the vg30 300ZX. the ls V8 will probably directly bolt up to a FS5R30A tranny from a vg33 1st Gen with the adapter plate that's already made, then you can just fab up 2 motor mounts and wire it up - more power and more aftermarket support for even MORE power; for probably around the same bill as the vq
What if you throw in the vq and want more power? Good luck making 300hp
Throw in a LS and at the stock level you'll be starting above a vq with bolt ons, yet have potential for 500 plus hp pretty easily
It's a tried and true swap in the Nissan racing community, but instead of a car you're swapping it into a mid sized pickup that has basically the same setup as the sports cars
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Yes you can put anything into anything, Vega with a 427 big block. I think what he is doing, in theory, is bolting a 2nd gen, into a 1rst, with little changes, using the new engines ECU. He hasn't done it yet, but it seems he has researched enough, that the swap is possible. Not a drop in, but if, motor mounts, and trans, match up, that's half the battle we'll see, if it works.
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156 Posts
It's a vq35de from an r50 pathfinder. Not a "2nd" gen motor. And there is no way it will swap in a 1st gen easily
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Define easy.
I'm acquainted with a swap someone did many years ago to their 2nd generation Chrysler Sebring, replacing the 2.7L motor with a 3.5L motor using just about all stock parts short of the wiring changes. The wiring was the hard part but could have been easier if the person had used an earlier-model-year 3.5 because the engine controls would have been the same as that 2.7. Such a swap could even have gone as far as the 4.0, as the 2.7, 3.5, and 4.0 shared common lineage.
If the VQ engines are evolved from the VG engines and share the designs for things like the motor mounts, bellhousing, oil pan, and rough exterior dimensions then that solves a lot of the initial headaches. Sure the engine controls are their own beast to tackle, but sometimes it can be as easy as retrofitting the entire ECM and wiring harness under the hood from one vehicle to another. When I look at what my old Hardbody's wiring was line and when I compare to the options on my new '15 Frontier, the Frontier is a lot simpler than other vehicles I've owned. It looks like the body wiring is a lot less complex than other vehicles, and I can only guess that the Pathfinder he's sourced the engine from may also be that simple. It may not be a terrible burden to make use of the Pathfinder's entire wiring harness or a large portion of it.
I am aware of the chassis differences.
I take what automakers say and do with a grain of salt. Nissan never put the VK56DE into the Frontier or the Xterra even though they put it into the same-generation Pathfinder, which for all intents and purposes is the same truck from the B-pillar forward. In this particular case they probably didn't do it so to avoid cannibalizing sales from Titans.
Chrysler (of which I have the most experience) didn't put the TBI fuel injection on the M-bodies (Diplomat, Fury, 5th Avenue) in the latter years in the late eighties even though they put it into the trucks and vans. They also didn't put anything bigger than a 318 in even though a 360 would have bolted-in. This happened because Lee Iaccoca wanted cars to all be front wheel drive, so he basically stifled development on the rear wheel drives when he took over the company. It was a management decision rather than a technical one.
Besides, down between the frame rails is where the crankcase lives, at its narrowest point. In many vehicles could see it not fitting as well up high where the dual overhead cam heads might take up a lot more room, but the D22 trucks use torsion bars, no strut towers to get in the way. We'll just have to see what this person's next video shows.
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I actually watched his video finally, I’m skeptical to say the least. He looks at bunch of photos of the engine and determines it will be a “direct fit.” Just because the engine mounts look the same doesn’t mean they are. The starter being in the same location means literally nothing. The oil pans are not identical.
I’d like to be wrong but nothing in that video tells me that engine will swap into a d22.
I’d like to be wrong but nothing in that video tells me that engine will swap into a d22.
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They didn't put the 5.6L into the R51 Pathfinder until 2008, after they extended the nose 3" to fit it. So, it's not exactly the same as the same year Frontiers nor Xterras.
You're correct; two entirely different engine families.
Weren't those changes purely cosmetic though? I parked my '15 next to a coworker's '07 and everything up to and including the fenders and hood is identical. They changed the swoop on the bumper cover and made the grille swoop further forward, but all of the sheet metal appears the same. Obviously we didn't pull bumper covers to see what the reinforcing structures looked like but I would be surprised if the changes were more than a skin-deep attempt to improve fuel economy.
If the changes are much deeper I would really like to know. I want to put a winch bumper on and I like the ARB design but the bullbar part I don't care for, they have two different versions and the older model version is cheaper. If the main difference is so that the bumper juts-out further so the bullbar clears then for me, simply grinding-off the bullbar part would work.
this is a swap I am very interested in for various reasons. Aside from hp, timing chain as apposed to belt, bla bla bla.
ive had a few R50's and this is my 1st DL22. I am at the point where a jdm motor makes more sense then chasing leaking parts.
fortunately i am close to 2 jdm sales depot's. I am going to head in and visually check motor mounts and other size issues. He does state that the plenum is 1" higher on the 3.5. the cPS is in a different position, the 3.5 mass air flow sensor is needed, and the strater is bigger due to gear reduction type. Not sure if these are issues.
There were no drastic changes from the 99 to 2000 R50, aside from cosmetics there is the 3.5
ive had a few R50's and this is my 1st DL22. I am at the point where a jdm motor makes more sense then chasing leaking parts.
fortunately i am close to 2 jdm sales depot's. I am going to head in and visually check motor mounts and other size issues. He does state that the plenum is 1" higher on the 3.5. the cPS is in a different position, the 3.5 mass air flow sensor is needed, and the strater is bigger due to gear reduction type. Not sure if these are issues.
There were no drastic changes from the 99 to 2000 R50, aside from cosmetics there is the 3.5
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307 Posts
May be able to aquire an aftermarket hood with an air intake to get the added clearance you need for the taller intake manifold (assuming it's needed at all). Worse case scenario you could fabricate it yourself with minimal effort.
I'm interested in the results of this endeavor, as I am also considering an engine swap. Would much prefere a more powerful gen II engine if it's possible. Please keep us updated.
I'm interested in the results of this endeavor, as I am also considering an engine swap. Would much prefere a more powerful gen II engine if it's possible. Please keep us updated.
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