It's going to take a lot of work to get it to fit. Why would you want to use that specific engine? Why not a VG30ET from an 89 or something? Swap the manifolds and wiring, and use the VG internals. Oila, you have a turbocharged Maxima...
For the price of putting the VG30DE in you could get a bulletproof VG30E that's cryo treated and will smoke the socks off of the VG30DE anyway. Not to mention you don't sacfafice the low-end...
Nismo: you missed the $800 30K miles part above I think. That was a good reason to ask the initial questions.
A turbo setup is an option, and this is good information to have, but turbos aren't the answer to every question. Maybe he's not looking to "smoke the socks off" of anything... maybe he is. Maybe he just wants "some" more power.
Originally posted by jc93se Nismo: you missed the $800 30K miles part above I think. That was a good reason to ask the initial questions.
A turbo setup is an option, and this is good information to have, but turbos aren't the answer to every question. Maybe he's not looking to "smoke the socks off" of anything... maybe he is. Maybe he just wants "some" more power.
Besides, the VG30DE as a pretty good engine too.
I assumed that since he was taking on such a task that he was out to gain performance. There is no way to get that DOHC engine into the engine bay without some modification to the body of the car. He would have an easier/cheaper time going the route I suggested, that's why I suggested it. I've seen the two engines side-by-side, and there's no way it would fit easily, and even then you won't get the hood shut.
I didn't miss the part about $800 and 30K, that's not remarkable or anything. The project a friend of mine and myself are working on right now with a 91 involves a JDM VG30ET that was purchased for the same price with only 5K more miles. Just because he can get that engine for $800 doesn't mean it's at all feasable or logical to take on the project, unless money is no issue, in which case why is he toying with a 13+year old car anyway??? If he had the know-how to get that engine in that car for less than the $9K it costs to get a bulletproff 300hp N/A cryo-treated VG30E, he wouldn't be posting questions about it here, right?
Asleep: take some kind of thought to what I said about swapping parts from an older Z engine. What you're suggesting is probably much to extensive and expensive to want to take on... the ends wouldn't justify the means. Good luck whatever you choose to do, though. For more reference, you should check out NissanX.com there is a 3rd gen maxima forum and my buddy on there is taking on the project right now. You should be able to find some valuable info in the archives or ask mtcookson (Mark). Good luck!
BTW: jc93se, I'm not sure how you are going to get that VG33 block to bolt up to your VE, but if you figure it out be sure to take pics and try to do some kind of write up if you find the time. That's also one hell-of-a-project to take on and I wish ya luck. If you havent' searched the archives at Maxima.org, I would check that out too. There's a lot of info there about such swaps if you can sift through all of the useless crap.
kewl, im not dead set on any one build up. i didnt think it was going to be this involved... i want more power but it doesnt have to be shit hot fast. im open to any suggestions, INCLUDING the turbo idea... im setting up a turbo on my altima... so, no one ever answered one of my initial questions; when did the 190 horse version come out and is there anything special i have to have to install it. ie; again, ecu, manifolds, etc. thanks guys. oh and money isnt the issue or the age of the vehicle. im just working with what i have and if its expensive, im not going to break the bank, but ill consider the idea.
Originally posted by nismo1989 There is no way to get that DOHC engine into the engine bay without some modification to the body of the car. I've seen the two engines side-by-side, and there's no way it would fit easily, and even then you won't get the hood shut.
Well, I think he finally got the initial answer he was looking for. He wanted to know if it was possible... now we know it isn't.
His second unstated question was "what WAS possible". You have provided some valuable food for his thought, I think.
Quote:
Originally posted by nismo1989 BTW: jc93se, I'm not sure how you are going to get that VG33 block to bolt up to your VE, but if you figure it out be sure to take pics and try to do some kind of write up if you find the time.
I'm not sure either, but I'm not trying it... yet. My floating question still stands... is or isn't the block/bottom end of the VE the same as a VG?? If so, one would be able to bolt on the heads and intake.... right? Then you'd have a VE33DE. If so, your VG30ET could be a VG33ET if you wanted to go that route. I understand that the VG is a timing belt engine and the VE is a chain... I hadn't gotten that far yet. First questions first.
Originally posted by Asleep_94_Altima so, no one ever answered one of my initial questions; when did the 190 horse version come out
I did:
Quote:
Originally posted by jc93se The SE got the VE30DE in 92-94.
VE30DE = 190 tq, 190 hp (stock )
Quote:
Originally posted by Asleep_94_Altima and is there anything special i have to have to install it. ie; again, ecu, manifolds, etc.
Well, I think I answered that too... get the totalled Maxima SE from 92-94. The VE only came in a Maxima. If you get the VE engine (and trans if an auto), you have what you need with the manifolds on it. You need the harness and ECU too. You'd get an aftermarket y-pipe. Maybe drive shafts with the different transmission? If you get the totalled Max, take the intrument cluster too maybe.... 140mph speedometer.
Last edited by jc93se : Feb 13th, 2003 at 11:35 AM.
Originally posted by jc93se ... is or isn't the block/bottom end of the VE the same as a VG??
No, unfortunately not. About the only thing the two engines share in common is tranny mounts, and I may be mistaken on that but I'm pretty sure they are the same. That's about it. The VGs and the VEs are so remarkably different. It's hard to believe for me, looking at the cars from the outside and seeing that they are identical in every way except for the taillights and grill, but they are very different. The only thing I know of that can be swapped is the tranny, but in order to swap a VE tranny with LSD into a VG you have to swap the half shafts too.
ahhh, lol so you did. i guess i was seeing what i wanted to see... hmmm, i can get a 92-94 engine fairly easy as well... as far as the ecu and cluster though... that will take some fancy footwork and homework. this all btw, will be taking place within the next 2-3 weeks. ive got the resources and the know-how, its just i want to cover my bases before im in over my head and cant turn back... same as you. what are the major differences in heads then between the 160 horse and the 190 hp engine? the ones ive got now i had ported and polished about 60k miles ago... if i can clean up and reuse them, it would be nice...
Originally posted by Asleep_94_Altima kewl, im not dead set on any one build up. i didnt think it was going to be this involved... i want more power but it doesnt have to be shit hot fast. im open to any suggestions, INCLUDING the turbo idea... im setting up a turbo on my altima... so, no one ever answered one of my initial questions; when did the 190 horse version come out and is there anything special i have to have to install it. ie; again, ecu, manifolds, etc. thanks guys. oh and money isnt the issue or the age of the vehicle. im just working with what i have and if its expensive, im not going to break the bank, but ill consider the idea.
To install a VE motor in a VG, again the ends don't justify the means. It can be done, however, by making new motor mounts and swapping the ECU, wiring harness, and the tranny/half shafts... but jeeze that's a lot to go through!! By the time you do all that, you could have saved money selling your VG and buying a VE!!!! Honda swaps are easier because the cars are so cheaply made. Nissan has always had performance and driving experience in mind when they did development, something Honda has only touched on as recently as last year IMO...
For a lot less money you can build a VG to run with any stock VE (I know, I've built one that no stock VE could even touch) and in the end you have a much more reliable engine.
Originally posted by Asleep_94_Altima ahhh, lol so you did. i guess i was seeing what i wanted to see... hmmm, i can get a 92-94 engine fairly easy as well... as far as the ecu and cluster though... that will take some fancy footwork and homework. this all btw, will be taking place within the next 2-3 weeks. ive got the resources and the know-how, its just i want to cover my bases before im in over my head and cant turn back... same as you. what are the major differences in heads then between the 160 horse and the 190 hp engine? the ones ive got now i had ported and polished about 60k miles ago... if i can clean up and reuse them, it would be nice...
They are very different, as with everything else on the engine...
Sounds to me like your VG is already on it's way to being faster than a VE swap anyway. Try a cam swap, and a cold air intake. That will do wonders. You could also, for around $500 or so, get a JWT ECU that will advance your timing and rev. Expensive, but great mod to have. Since you have done a port & polish, you should also increase your injector flow-rate to take advantage of that. Your injectors could probably stand to be replaced anyway.
Originally posted by Asleep_94_Altima what are the major differences in heads then between the 160 horse and the 190 hp engine?
DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, VTCs (variable valve timing), timing chain, direct ignition. Did I forget anything? Oh, and Nismo just said that the VE and VG are different animals so the wouldn't bolt anyway...
Last edited by jc93se : Feb 13th, 2003 at 11:58 AM.
the injectors are the problem with the engine right now as you correctly called out. i had upgraded them sometime back. i think, if i remember right, we used 300ztt injectors, but i could be wrong. thanks for all the info, im nowhere near done with this. so, IN YOUR HONEST OPINION, a non smoking but running rough vg with 200k and bad injectors is still worth building on? aside from new injectors and a tune-up, is it worth messing with still? id happily go with this engine again, since its been very good from the 20k it had when we first got it.
Originally posted by Asleep_94_Altima the injectors are the problem with the engine right now as you correctly called out. i had upgraded them sometime back. i think, if i remember right, we used 300ztt injectors, but i could be wrong. thanks for all the info, im nowhere near done with this. so, IN YOUR HONEST OPINION, a non smoking but running rough vg with 200k and bad injectors is still worth building on? aside from new injectors and a tune-up, is it worth messing with still? id happily go with this engine again, since its been very good from the 20k it had when we first got it.
I have 198K miles.... .... and nitrous!!
Don't focus on the mileage, focus on how the mileage affects the performance. Building on your current VG is still a more cost effective idea than anything else you've been throwing out so far, so I vote go for it! There is so much you can do with that engine. You won't find what you need in a ricer parts catalog or at your local speed shop, but if you know your stuff and do a little research you'll uncover the hidden potential behind Nissan's toughest production engine ever (that's why they used it in various cars and trucks for so many years). VEs were around for 3 years, and rathar than try to build on what was already developed or fix the glitches it was scrapped for the VQ. There is a really good reason for that! Any VE guy will probably tell you otherwise, but I've had both...
I still have my VG. I sold my VE for half of what I paid for it a year after I got it just to get rid of it. Once my VG was faster than the VE, it was pointless to have around anyway. Sure, I miss the variable timing.... except when it was ticking at me and annoying the crap out of me and killing the performance and gas mileage of the engine! lol
that will take some fancy footwork and homework. this all btw, will be taking place within the next 2-3 weeks. ive got the resources and the know-how, its just i want to cover my bases before im in over my head and cant turn back... same as you. 
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