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77 kc engine/transmission swap (vq35de)


rastan

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Hello everyone.. my name is Musaed and this is my 1st post here, I am not really very active in forums but I do lots of reading and searching when I am about to start a project, one of the challenges I face is the language as I don't quite understand all I read.

 

this is my 1st project, and it all started when I got my KC 620 from the US, the original engine was not that good to start with, and I had a totaled 2002 Nissan pathfinder with a vq35de. so I think you all know now my plans. I got the old engine from the truck and started the swap, little by little I found myself buying a d21 frame and trying to fit the 620 can on it, well that was not easy for me and took 2 weeks to align all the brackets to the new frame and trying to center the front wheels in the wheel well. learned few things and tricks here for next projects. 

 

now hunting for a manual transmission, spent good amount of time in the junk yard and found a cd009 out of 2006 350z in excellent condition, took it home and bolted right up to the vq35de from the pathy, 

 

I was trying to set the engine as low and back as possible and faced two issues, the stock oil pan is a back sump and it will hit the engine cross member, also will go below the cross member and will be the first thing to hit the road bumps, so another trip to the junk yard and a 350z oil pan is sorted.now if you want to do that, take the starter motor from the 350z as the one from the pathy wont fit the stock upper oil pan.

 

Dipstick! okay take that from 350z as well, the stock hole will not matter, there is no rout for the stock dipstick into the 350z oil pan, just leave it. to install the new dipstick, there is a rout for it in the block and the left head (driverside LHD) its only now all the way through, just drill a hole at the top (must be precise and better yet take it to a professional).

 

now I have a 2002 pathfinder engine mated to a 350z 6 speed tranny, oil pan, starter motor and dipstick.

 

it time to fabricate motor mounts, got the block bracket and mounts and frame brackets (cut them) from the pathy, in my case I mounted the cab slightly forward than stock location to gain equal clearance for the tires but they are exaclty centered to the wheel well, I accounted for the turns and from there and measured the shortest distance between the tires fully turned to the closest point of the fender (front and back of the tire), this pushed the engine forward and passed the original engine mounts of the hardbody frame, so i have to make new mounts and weld them where the old locating is, this is what I am doning now and hopfully will finish it soon.

 

oh I forgot to mention that I also needed the exhaust manifold from the z and the stock ones are bulky and wont fit, just match the studs pattern of the new one ( pathfinder studs pattern is different but easy too do) and both have the same ports size.

 

at this point I have a question, what would be the smallest space/distance for fans and radiator? now I am left with 5 to 5.5 inches! any advise will be highlly appreciated.
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Welcome, I tried making your post a little more readable but wasn't able to work it out. Try posting without the links first and then we can work out how to get the pictures. 

 

Definitely want to see more on this swap. :)

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Thank you guys for the replies, didn't expect them so fast! i did post this on other forum but didn't get any reply, so all i did was copying my post and pasted it here. it did show readable. my bad! i will clean it and repost it if that is ok. admin feel free to swap the 1st post with the one comming, thank you

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i will try to post some pictures, hopefully it will work 

 

not sure where to start as i didn't take lots of them, next time will take more

 

here i am trying to mount the cab on the hardbody frame, took me one week to get the frame brackets in the right place, lost and lots of measurements, i had to make a template off the cab bolts and extended that frame to the engine bay painting it to a known points, then transferred that template to the frame and bolted the cab brackets upside down, from there and with a steel square tool i extended a straight line from the frame to the bracket. after that its a mater of cutting those brackets shorter and then bolted them back to the template in the right position and tacked weld them. lowered the cab and everything was in place

 

20170204_115233_zpswfeeg6q6.jpg

 

 

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great! pictures are comming

 

after that i raised the cab and time to find a good position for the engine, fabricated a set of new engine mounts and tacked weld them on the inner arms that hold the engine crossmember i have yet to take pictures of those mounts

 

20170219_203032_zps8psnjpvo.jpg

 

after engine found a sweet spot i lowered the cab again and here you can see how the transmission is entered to the cab

 

20170220_194619_zps7qyvbopc.jpg

 

almost, the tranny is too big for the tunnel, the cab won't go further down anymore as it is sitting on the tranny. i have to cut the tunnel and rise it few centimetres

 

20170220_201504_zpsgcfkywb2.jpg

 

after cut, i need to fabricate it little more, but it coming good, 

 

20170309_205952_zpsbcwo3qu2.jpg

 

here is how the engine is sitting right now

 

20170309_210813_zpsjtmjf3mg.jpg

 

 

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I only one of one other vq swap in a 620. Its a vq25. The truck also has an s13 rear end swapped in. Built by Gary Narusawa, who used to be editor in chief of protect car magazine. Sadly, that build is not on here though.

 

Welcome to Ratsun. This place is a zoo.

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Thank you guys for the replies, didn't expect them so fast! i did post this on other forum but didn't get any reply, so all i did was copying my post and pasted it here. it did show readable. my bad! i will clean it and repost it if that is ok. admin feel free to swap the 1st post with the one comming, thank you

 

 

All fixed. Enjoying the pictures that you do have, thanks. Keep up the good work, that motor looks at home in there. :thumbup:

 

 

I only one of one other vq swap in a 620. Its a vq25. The truck also has an s13 rear end swapped in. Built by Gary Narusawa, who used to be editor in chief of protect car magazine. Sadly, that build is not on here though.

 

Welcome to Ratsun. This place is a zoo.

 

 

Link? I've been thinking about the 2.5 as a good option, KA's are getting harder to find. 

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I am not sure if i mentioned that i plan to keep the compressor and the alternator of course, but the frame is too narrow to fit them both, so i had to cut half the width (3cm) from both sides of the frame from the inside to give some space. you can see from the above picture how it looks like after cut, also i plane to mount the bumper and the d21 frame is curved down and it would be impossible to keep it that way and mount the bumper, couple of cuts underneath the curved frame to straighten it up. this procedure will effect the tension bars location and therefore i need to fabricate new ones.

 

another thing is if the original steering box of the d21 that came with the frame will fit i will use it and use a corolla electric power steering, i will remove the power steering pump from the engine. also  planning on relocating the booster under the frame if possible.

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Link? I've been thinking about the 2.5 as a good option, KA's are getting harder to find.

The suspension work is in the very last copy of project car magazine. The engine stuff ive only found by stalking mr narusawa across the interwebs. There isn't a dedicated build thread anywhere.

 

But he does teach at a Compton tech school now, you should call and ask him. :)

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That shifter is going to be really far back.

The current location is a litte better now, but it can be worse after I cut the transmission tunnel. Relocation of the shifter is a must if I want to keep the center console in the same original place. Once the tunnel is done I should install the centre console and the driver seat, from there I can decide if it is a matter of shortenening the shifter rod or a relocation kit.

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These are the engine brackets that I came up with very sturdy. I used

Pathfinder engine mounts.

 

20170311_131157_zpsvm639hup.jpg

 

20170311_131205_zpsnuhrnsuo.jpg

 

20170311_131215_zpss5uhkqwd.jpg

 

For transmission, I used d21 mount and crossmember. That crossmember brackets were moved back and a piece of 4x4(cm) steel placed underneath the tranny mount to level it.

 

20170311_131249_zpsfoxxzg0h.jpg

 

20170311_131257_zpsi7bk46cj.jpg

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The engine and transmission are rubber mounted and twist slightly under loan so it just has to not rub or touch.

 

The seats (assume buckets?) have to fit on either side.

 

The tunnel is a structural part of the cab adding rigidity to the floor/seat mounts, so weld it up well.

 

 

Other than the above you can do pretty much anything to make it work.

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The engine and transmission are rubber mounted and twist slightly under loan so it just has to not rub or touch.

 

The seats (assume buckets?) have to fit on either side.

 

The tunnel is a structural part of the cab adding rigidity to the floor/seat mounts, so weld it up well.

 

 

Other than the above you can do pretty much anything to make it work.

Would a 3/4" around the tranny good enough?

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Well I assume if it touches or rubs there will be bad sound and vibration. Three quarters would seem like enough if the transmission doesn't move much. You are in unexplored territory ... a guess is all you get.

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