"VQ35DE into my s14" Build

[dorrifto]

So i am about mid way through this build. And have so far gotten a lot done!
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0615.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0618.jpg
pulled the motor out a couple weeks ago.

and brought the new VQ home
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0611.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0621-1.jpg

Been getting lots of parts in the mail
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0634.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0620.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0619.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0670.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0674.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0673.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0671.jpg
converted it to a 5 lug the other day
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0666.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0645.jpg

hoping to get more parts in tomorrow. and HOPEFULLY by the end of the week, i will have my wiring harness back from Z-Fever so i can start dropping this motor in.

to see more of the pictures, go to the following link. i will most likely update it more often.
Pictures by Dorrifto - Photobucket (http://photobucket.com/Dorrifto)

[Slammed Assassin]

nice to see another vq in a s chassis!! good luck on the rest of the build.

[h2v7]

are you gonna turbo it?

[Pro ViZIon]

BATTLE OF THE VQ35 BUILDS LOL.

Theres another guy doing this as well right now.

Definitely looks good though. Keep it up.

[Yellow4g63]

Is it a Rev-Up VQ35? kind of hard to tell in the pics.

[dorrifto]

nice to see another vq in a s chassis!! good luck on the rest of the build.

Thank you!!

are you gonna turbo it?

No plans to turbo it. maybe 5 to 7 years down the road i will reconsider, but for now, i think the base hp in this light chassis will be plenty to keep me entertained ;)

BATTLE OF THE VQ35 BUILDS LOL.

Theres another guy doing this as well right now.

Definitely looks good though. Keep it up.

lol yeah i talked to him a bit on my other forum. he has a bit of repairs to go through though.

Is it a Rev-Up VQ35? kind of hard to tell in the pics.

Yes it is! out of a 2006. it is such a weird feeling pulling a motor from a car that still has that "new car smell". lol

[dorrifto]

Done with my rotors.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/IMG_0677.jpg

they sent me the wrong brake pads tho. i ordered EBC redstuff and they sent greenstuff. so i emailed them and hopefully they fix the problem. i'm keeping the greenstuff too. lol

[spent27]

I didn't like dealing with zfever personally... I would encourage you to try and wire it yourself, it really isnt bad. I had zfever do the ecm flash, but any Uprev tuner can do that for 300$. I did the wiring myself.

Looks like you're coming along well though !!

[dorrifto]

I didn't like dealing with zfever personally... I would encourage you to try and wire it yourself, it really isnt bad. I had zfever do the ecm flash, but any Uprev tuner can do that for 300$. I did the wiring myself.

Looks like you're coming along well though !!

really? so far my experience has been great. Doug has been incredibly helpful. They should be about done with all my wiring anyways.

[dorrifto]

So i am wondering.... Should i paint my engine bay before i drop in the motor? and if i do, what color? i plan on painting the body Daytona Blue... but i'd kinda like the engine bay to be something different, or crazy.

[Mangudai]

What about a purple?

[dorrifto]

that is actually what a lot of ppl have been saying. and i think i would like the purple. but i was thinking. if i do it myself, i would just rattle -can it. who knows how long that would last. i may as well just get the engine bay painted when i get the entire car painted this summer. just pay a lil extra for them to do it all.

[dorrifto]

I made some good progress yesterday. i will do a few more things tomorrow and will hopefully have some pics up.

the harness still isnt back yet.... thats REALLY what i want to come in.

[dorrifto]

Got some good news today! my wiring harness is done, and all my stuff should be in the mail by tomorrow. time to get the ball rolling on this damn project again!

[signals13]

Nice always wanted to have a vq in my coupe got a price list?

[dorrifto]

Nice always wanted to have a vq in my coupe got a price list?

um, alot... lol. my budget for this build was 10k. and i am so far right on track. that is not including paint.

[Chrisw]

Hotness... get this done!

[dorrifto]

Hotness... get this done!

workin on it. lol. i have a wedding to attend on the 22nd, then after that 100% of my time will go to this. plus i will have ALL my parts by then as well.

[upsdude]

are the rev-up vq's hard to find? i've always been interested in this motor swap. looks like it would be a nice option for a fun to drive daily

[dorrifto]

are the rev-up vq's hard to find? i've always been interested in this motor swap. looks like it would be a nice option for a fun to drive daily

yeah i believe they are... especially since they are still relatively new. the 350z still had that "new car smell" to the interior as we pulled everything. but i got lucky and new the guy that owned it. someone wrecked into him and destroyed the rear end. so it was parted.

[dorrifto]

I got my rims in today. my fenders in the rear are DEFINITELY gonna need rolled, and most likely pulled. yes, in the picture, there IS major toe in as well. have all new suspension parts though, so getting an alignment will be major priority before i go messing up these new tires.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/b6299716.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/7da371e2.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/99e666ca.jpg

also got the exhaust hung
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/f53f67c7.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/61f6519a.jpg

and some new leathers for my shifter-boot and e-brake
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/d58e73d1.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/5651b058.jpg

[LaoSiFu]

Is it a Rev-Up VQ35? kind of hard to tell in the pics.

Looks like a non rev up. Personally I wouldn't go with the Rev-Up. They are notorious with oil consumption.

~Robert

[dorrifto]

Looks like a non rev up. Personally I wouldn't go with the Rev-Up. They are notorious with oil consumption.

~Robert

yes it is a Rev-Up. and no this one did not have an oil consumption issue. i knew the car before we tore it apart. no issues.

[dorrifto]

I dont know how some companies are still in business. 240sxmotoring.com has sent me the wrong parts THREE TIMES now!!! its gettin ridiculous.

[dudewutup]

Subscribed keep up the hard work

[240Lover770]

how much did the engine run you?

[GeneralTso]

^^^only about 33,000 miles.

[godrifttoday]

i think he meant cost

[dorrifto]

i think he meant cost

lol

the motor and trans cost about 2k. dont remember the mileage, but i am gonna call the owner to find out.

[Yellow4g63]

lol

the motor and trans cost about 2k. dont remember the mileage, but i am gonna call the owner to find out.

Damn that's a good deal, most places around here want that just for a bare long block.

[GeneralTso]

haha, yeah i realized just fucking with the guy above. that's a hell of a deal. digging the 5zigen's too, don't really see those often.

[MidnightNinja223]

what did zfever charge for the s13-z33 harness with the nats removal???

[dorrifto]

what did zfever charge for the s13-z33 harness with the nats removal???

i have an s14, but they charge 900.

[MidnightNinja223]

i have an s14, but they charge 900.
thanks man

[dorrifto]

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/ac174e16.jpg

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/1d431229.jpg
i really dont like how close to that firewall it is. but any closer forward, and the oil pan is hitting the sway bar.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/3f5acbe8.jpg

drive-by-wire throttle peddle installed.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/fbafeef8.jpg

McKinney motor mounts
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/76f9a6e6.jpg

shifter bracket and short throw shifter.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/56997c81.jpg

have some more pics and updates after the weekend. STILLLLLL waiting for more parts to come in the mail.

[future]

Clean, good work

[irax]

subscribed!

[dorrifto]

another small update. been busy so i have just beed doing little by little when i get the chance:

This is normal. although, most arent as bad as mine. just a little cutting, and ur good.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/27b0adaf.jpg

Then it looks like this when its all in.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/5b24c074.jpg

[dudewutup]

looks good man, im ready to see a video of it running. how much more do you have left?

[dlucke17]

Subscribed!!!

I plan to be right behind you. My buddy just got a new engine for his 2008 G37 and I have bought his old one. I have to fix the oil consumption issues, but got the engine and all components for very cheap. Already picked up a tranny and just waiting on him to swap them out. Your thread has already answered some of my questions so thanks a TON. GL and keep up the amazing work! I should be starting my own thread very soon.

[dorrifto]

looks good man, im ready to see a video of it running. how much more do you have left?

Fuel rail adaptor, headers, intake, rear diff. waiting on those parts to come in the mail. then i will install them, and fire the beast up. gotta take it to a local shop to have them make me some A/C lines and power steering lines, roll my fenders, and get an alignment. i am not painting it anymore since i used my "paint money" to my Yamaha R6 instead lol.

Subscribed!!!

I plan to be right behind you. My buddy just got a new engine for his 2008 G37 and I have bought his old one. I have to fix the oil consumption issues, but got the engine and all components for very cheap. Already picked up a tranny and just waiting on him to swap them out. Your thread has already answered some of my questions so thanks a TON. GL and keep up the amazing work! I should be starting my own thread very soon.

i am glad it has helped! i am excited to see your build thread. that 3.7 should be a tough beast in our chassis. i will be looking out for it!

[slamn240]

subscribed

[dorrifto]

i am so freakin tired of waiting on my parts...... FML

[Yellow4g63]

What parts are you waiting on?

[dorrifto]

fuel rail adapter, headers, y-pipe, intake.

thats literally it...

parts already paid for, just, waiting......

[dudewutup]

Were did you get your fuel rail adapter from? Are you running a return system?

[dorrifto]

Were did you get your fuel rail adapter from? Are you running a return system?

yeah i am running the return system. Z-Fever makes an adapter with a FPR.

[dorrifto]

i got word from the shop that the rest of my parts are completed and should be in the mail by next week. more updates to come

[dudewutup]

Very nice! It looks like you have a clean run to finish up.

[dorrifto]

FINALLY! got more parts in the mail and this beast should be driving very soon!

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/2aa28ca6.jpg

http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/38542308.jpg

[dorrifto]

I am really tired of this crap. This build should NOT be taking this long. 80% of this time I have been waiting on parts from Z Fever. I made my first purchases 5 months ago in late March. And in the past two weeks, I have sent emails and been blowing up their phone, and cant get any response.

I just wanted my car to be running before school starts... looks like i'll be biking it every day.

[Yellow4g63]

Damn I hate shops like that. All smiles till they get your money.

[dorrifto]

Damn I hate shops like that. All smiles till they get your money.

and that is exactly how it has been.

[sexcii-zenki]

bro nice build im in the process as well possibly thinkin of postin a tread as well when im done but im takin my time with it ordering parts...

2 giv u an idea where im goin

[sexcii-zenki]

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j342/supersylv1a/2011-05-25074524.jpg

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j342/supersylv1a/2011-07-27170444.jpg

[sexcii-zenki]

btw check out vqswap.com they have alot of decently priced items to help with the swap and cheaper than zfever

[Yellow4g63]

He should prob drive down to FL and pick it up.

[HIGHFIVEBETA]

Very noice!

[dorrifto]

bro nice build im in the process as well possibly thinkin of postin a tread as well when im done but im takin my time with it ordering parts...

2 giv u an idea where im goin

lovin that blue!!! very nice man!

So i talked to zfever this morning and apparently my parts were in the mail WEEKS ago and fedex lost the shipment. so they are resending me new parts. they are also doing harness work to make my tack and speedo work for free to make up for how long they have been dragging their feet. so at least something good has come from it.

[Yellow4g63]

Did they give u a tracking number? for the 1st shipment?

[dudewutup]

Any updates? I got mine started this week.

[40flash]

Everyone who does one of these engine swaps ends up with spare parts. I have a friend that bought an engine and trans out of a 06 Z. The aluminum shift bracket was broken and he is looking for a stock one. He is putting the engine in a g35 so he needs the stock bracket. Since none of us can use this piece in our s13 & s14 conversions I thought I would see if anyone would like to sell their left over shift bracket that bolts onto the trans housing. Not the shift mechanism but just the bracket?

[sexcii-zenki]

Everyone who does one of these engine swaps ends up with spare parts. I have a friend that bought an engine and trans out of a 06 Z. The aluminum shift bracket was broken and he is looking for a stock one. He is putting the engine in a g35 so he needs the stock bracket. Since none of us can use this piece in our s13 & s14 conversions I thought I would see if anyone would like to sell their left over shift bracket that bolts onto the trans housing. Not the shift mechanism but just the bracket?

how much ur willing to pay? im not using my bracket its from a 05 g35 trans im sure its the same

[40flash]

I sent you a PM with my friends offer.

[dorrifto]

Update:

so the car is done and i have been driving it. we ran into all sorts of problems. the fuel rail adaptor from z-fever leaked fuel so we had to re-weld the flanges. the air intake they made me would have dumped the filter right into the fender and p/s rez. my Y-pipe that they made me did not bolt up to the headers that they also made, and it was too long to bolt onto the cat. i had to take all these problems to a local shop so they could basically rebuild all these parts. Z-fever also made an adapter to allow my speedo and stock tach to work, and it kinda does. every once and a while the tack will drop to 0 then bounce back up to the engine run speed. the speedo is a nightmare. the first day, it was off about 20 mph, and the past two days, the speedo hasnt worked at all.

other than all that i am having a blast driving it! I still need to reassemble my dashboard and put my hood back on lol but she is sure drivable!

[cassa_bx]

Congrats to all rockin a vq'd 240. Makes me miss mine.....a little.

[sexcii-zenki]

unless i missed it but any final pix? vids?

[dorrifto]

unless i missed it but any final pix? vids?

i will get some up soon. been busy with finals the past week but now that those are over with i have more time to spend with my baby!

[upsdude]

Update:

so the car is done and i have been driving it. we ran into all sorts of problems. the fuel rail adaptor from z-fever leaked fuel so we had to re-weld the flanges. the air intake they made me would have dumped the filter right into the fender and p/s rez. my Y-pipe that they made me did not bolt up to the headers that they also made, and it was too long to bolt onto the cat. i had to take all these problems to a local shop so they could basically rebuild all these parts. Z-fever also made an adapter to allow my speedo and stock tach to work, and it kinda does. every once and a while the tack will drop to 0 then bounce back up to the engine run speed. the speedo is a nightmare. the first day, it was off about 20 mph, and the past two days, the speedo hasnt worked at all.

other than all that i am having a blast driving it! I still need to reassemble my dashboard and put my hood back on lol but she is sure drivable!

damn doesn't sound like z-fever know what the hell they're doing lol

[dorrifto]

wired in my own temp sensor. took the position of the stock one.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/d49a24d7.jpg

some soldering. I didnt want 12 miles of wires going to something that gives the same signal that these locations gave.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/a3b09ead.jpg

It works! didnt have the sensor wired yet, but it is now. It works perfect too.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/d7cc9fb4.jpg

Got the plenum powder coated.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/1b6f93e8.jpg

The lighting sucks in this vid, but im tired and not shooting another one tonight. maybe later this week.
http://youtu.be/IMf0zj8_NKk

[dorrifto]

god i am looking at my engine bay pic.... Its a wiring nightmare on the left. I should clean that up some huh.

Oh and i will get a pic with the intake on too.

vid of engine running:
http://youtu.be/IMf0zj8_NKk

[dudewutup]

Looking really good! Get us some driving action. I wish I could get the time to finish mine.

sent from my cell phone. its a old beat up one held together with rubber bands. im ghetto...

[dorrifto]

Looking really good! Get us some driving action. I wish I could get the time to finish mine.

sent from my cell phone. its a old beat up one held together with rubber bands. im ghetto...

What do you have left on yours?

[tapdeznutz]

how was the wiring aspect of the swap??? also any problems to report on that throttle body being right up against the firewall? looks like you had to bash it in a bit...

[dorrifto]

how was the wiring aspect of the swap??? also any problems to report on that throttle body being right up against the firewall? looks like you had to bash it in a bit...

i had z fever do most of the wiring, but there was a little bit that i had to do when i got the harness back . it wasnt hard. but yeah i had to bash in the firewall a bit... apparently i am the only one who has had to do that so far. mckinney says that every chassis is varies one way or another by up to 1/2 inch. my 1/2 inch was rather inconvenient. the hood also didnt clear. I got some 1 inch spacers and longer screws for the back of my hood where it bolts to the latch and its fine now. I saw that some s-chassis guys put some spacers there for heat to better escape the engine bay, so i essentially did the same by a lot larger gap lol

[tapdeznutz]

very nice im starting to looking into/researching vq35de and the ls1 swaps. but for now im just piecing together a turbo kit for the hell of it.

[dorrifto]

So I fell victim to the revups oil consumption. pulled the motor out. doing FULL build. 96mm sleeves, weisco pistons (11:1 comp ratio), eagle h beam rods. taking the rotating assembly to the machine shop tomorrow morning to get balanced. heads have a 5 angle valve job now, both block and heads machined for a half inch studs. afterwards, it will be all set to go for a 150 shot of juice, and maybe a supercharger in the future

[sexcii-zenki]

So I fell victim to the revups oil consumption. pulled the motor out. doing FULL build. 96mm sleeves, weisco pistons (11:1 comp ratio), eagle h beam rods. taking the rotating assembly to the machine shop tomorrow morning to get balanced. heads have a 5 angle valve job now, both block and heads machined for a half inch studs. afterwards, it will be all set to go for a 150 shot of juice, and maybe a supercharger in the future

damn dude that sux major ass...u only had it running 4a month b4 it gave on u, i see u liked the blue i used im taking ur idea on the temp guage...a few questions: with the fire wall what hits the plenum or the throttle body? did u get any vids of the car while u were driving it? did the headers clear the steering rack? can u post up a few more pix of the engine in the bay b4 u ripp it out wana see how the compressor sits since everi1 elses swaps I've seen eliminate it...thanx! good luck on the engine rebuild

also, 4got to add if u decide on not finishing the build, ill buy ur harness so count me 1st...lol!

[dorrifto]

damn dude that sux major ass...u only had it running 4a month b4 it gave on u, i see u liked the blue i used im taking ur idea on the temp guage...a few questions: with the fire wall what hits the plenum or the throttle body? did u get any vids of the car while u were driving it? did the headers clear the steering rack? can u post up a few more pix of the engine in the bay b4 u ripp it out wana see how the compressor sits since everi1 elses swaps I've seen eliminate it...thanx! good luck on the engine rebuild

also, 4got to add if u decide on not finishing the build, ill buy ur harness so count me 1st...lol!

lol sorry I already pulled the block. took the new pistons, rods and old crank into the machine shop to get the rotating assembly balanced.

But my throttle body hit, not plenum. supposedly I am the only one who has had clearance problems... oh well. the headers actually went AROUND the steering shaft. I had to pull the steering column, instal engine/headers, then slide the column through the headers. PITA!!!
as far as compressor, you talking about the AC? it fit just fine. no problems at all. and it was very cheap to have new custom AC lines made since the vq compressor is in the same location as the KA's.

here is my nitrous build btw.
From a NX 75 shot to a 150 shot! - MY350Z.COM Forums (http://my350z.com/forum/nitrous-oxide/547308-from-a-nx-75-shot-to-a-150-shot.html)

[sexcii-zenki]

iight kool...i was hoping it was the throttle body kuz i hav an idea to fix that to prevent "banging in the firewal", as 4the steering shaft thats great! as long as it doesnt hit is good, I've always done all the swaps from the top in (rb, sr, 5 spd) but since Im getting the car from the bodyshop i dont want to scratch the paint im actually raising it in from the bottom...

good luck with the build...Ill b posting up my thread soon, its been a super slow going process since Nov2010...

[dorrifto]

iight kool...i was hoping it was the throttle body kuz i hav an idea to fix that to prevent "banging in the firewal", as 4the steering shaft thats great! as long as it doesnt hit is good, I've always done all the swaps from the top in (rb, sr, 5 spd) but since Im getting the car from the bodyshop i dont want to scratch the paint im actually raising it in from the bottom...

good luck with the build...Ill b posting up my thread soon, its been a super slow going process since Nov2010...

That is a good idea! mount it to the xmember and slide her right in! I would still remove the whole plenum before you do that anyways... just for good measure.

Oh, another problem that no one has mentioned. the plug for the ecu.... it is TOO large to fit through the hole in the firewall while the blower motor is still in place. You have to drop the blower motor to get that gigantic plug to fit through. I ordered a mil spec plug from jordan innovations so I am wiring that beast in so i never have to worry about it again ;)

[sexcii-zenki]

Niiice! thanx 4the heads up on the blower motor removal and yea i was gona install the intake plenum afterwards...when u think ull have that mil pec plug in? i wana c it installed

[dorrifto]

Niiice! thanx 4the heads up on the blower motor removal and yea i was gona install the intake plenum afterwards...when u think ull have that mil pec plug in? i wana c it installed

whenever the hell jordan innovations ships the damn thing! He doenst reply to my pm's for a couple days and I paid over a week ago.

[sexcii-zenki]

not good, i pmd them 2set up a date to do my harnes...def keep me posted on his reliability

[1jzs14]

they have my harness and i haven't heard a damn thins supposed to ship it to me earlier this week never heard a damn thing back from Jordan innovations

[dorrifto]

they have my harness and i haven't heard a damn thins supposed to ship it to me earlier this week never heard a damn thing back from Jordan innovations

He might be out of town. that was why I didnt hear anything from him for awhile. I got all my stuff from him finally once he got back in town.

[dorrifto]

FINALLY got some work done on the car. life can be distracting sometimes.

96 mm Darton sleeves!
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/1c3472f5.jpg
Wiseco pistons to match, and eagle rods to throw
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/e9327a89.jpg

Over the past week, I got the block completely assembled.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/8fe9cebc.jpg

Bought some mil-spec plugs from Jordan Innovations to make wiring through the firewall a little cleaner and less painful.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/f7e2e7fb.jpg
marked all wires
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/545dfdff.jpg
Begin soldering
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/2eee9750.jpg
aaand done
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/a1573209.jpg

DIY wiring tuck, EASY MODE
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/f0fc4cc4.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/16465faf.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/37be2562.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/f6a5ac65.jpg
Ran it all under the intake mani. I doubled up all my extra long wires down here too to keep them out of the way
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/6ba1749e.jpg
I dont know how hot it would get so I wrapped it in heat wrap.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/4a5851bc.jpg

picked up an oil catch can today
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/1bf9ce2b.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/c51b521d.jpg

Going to work on it more tomorrow. Hope to have it done by this weekend.

[sexcii-zenki]

Looking real good, def post up runnin vids!!!

[Yellow4g63]

Who sleeved the block for you?

[dorrifto]

Who sleeved the block for you?

A local machine shop. I have the same place do all my machine work

[dorrifto]

So I got the engine in there today. I started this morning by installing my LW flywheel and stage 4 Comp Clutch.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/2aec019f.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/4cdd24e3.jpg

then dropped the motor in.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/50542dd2.jpg

took my wire tuck a little further and I am running any wires destined for the fuse box through the fender well.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/aabd8634.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/90167224.jpg

When I soldered my milspec harness connectors, I had a few spots left open. So I put random (yet color coded) wires on those spots so that I can run any sort of future sensor or whatever through the milspec plugs without having to take it apart. in this pic, you can see a bunch of them poking up by the fuse box, and below is me delegating those extra wires under the floor board.
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/c95e27f2.jpg
http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n601/Dorrifto/27a81448.jpg

I have a lot more wiring left to do tomorrow, then just hook everything else up and should be able to fire it up!

[Perez04]

That sucks to hear about the oil consumption issue. I had the same problem on my G, I had my engine replaced by Infiniti. After 7000 miles on the new engine and I think its still consuming a little.
Good luck with the build.

[dorrifto]

So I took a long break from the car to bring my grades back up. Now that finals are all over with, I went back into the garage and got her running. Just rolled over 100 miles yesterday on the new engine. There are a few kinks here and there, but for the most part, she runs great! And she sounds even better!!

[slammed04tsx]

awesome bet this will be alot of fun

[dorrifto]

Thanks! She is in a dire need of a tune. I have an appointment next week to get the fuel maps tolerable, then after it is broken in, I will have it tuned for power with a 150 spray and dyno it.

My next project is to get my cruise control working. I have been reading wiring diagrams all morning and really think I can get it to work. It should be easier with the vq engine than any other engine because everything is controlled through the ecu, unlike how the KA is being controlled through a couple different small things....

[upsdude]

i don't know if i missed it but about how much total did the swap end up costing you?

[dorrifto]

i don't know if i missed it but about how much total did the swap end up costing you?

I didn't keep track. Just the swap by itself, I assume maybe 10k. I have since doubled that in the car since then. Pretty much my entire last deployment got dumped into it. I want a paint job, but I would have to deploy again to get it haha

[upsdude]

10k for a vq swap? hot damn! well gl with the build, hope you can get the car to where you want it :)

[dorrifto]

Yeah new pistons, rods, sleeves, machine work... that stuff adds up quick when added onto all the stuff required just to make the swap work! I couldn't tell ya how much the bare minimum would cost. Dudewutup (I think that is how you spell is user name) has the most DIY break down in his build thread. I could have saved a lot of money if he had started his swap before mine. We built at the same time so by the time he had all the wiring figured out, I had done paid someone to do it for me.

[dorrifto]

A little teaser vid:
Test drive VQ rev-up in a 240sx - YouTube (http://youtu.be/Ju6dFGCVunc)

[40flash]

i had z fever do most of the wiring, but there was a little bit that i had to do when i got the harness back . it wasnt hard. but yeah i had to bash in the firewall a bit... apparently i am the only one who has had to do that so far. mckinney says that every chassis is varies one way or another by up to 1/2 inch. my 1/2 inch was rather inconvenient. the hood also didnt clear. I got some 1 inch spacers and longer screws for the back of my hood where it bolts to the latch and its fine now. I saw that some s-chassis guys put some spacers there for heat to better escape the engine bay, so i essentially did the same by a lot larger gap lol
You're not the only one who had to bash the firewall. I could have moved the engine far enough forward so the intake plenum would clear the firewall but chose to mount the engine as far back as possible. Better weight distribution or bash the firewall? Easy choice.

[Guilty1s]

What are you guys doing for Power steering pressure sensor? Does the ECU need to see it? I'm gonna be using OEM Sohc lines.

Anyone come up with any alternative to a driveshaft other then McKinney?

Anyone have a part number for one of the summit racing radiators that work for this (s14)?

[40flash]

I have done nothing with the pressure switch yet. Looking forward to an answer as you are.
Driveshaft. I took my old driveshaft out of a G35 which they say is non-rebuildable to a local driveline company. They counted the number of splines and came up with a yoke that I believe was for a Nissan truck. Not sure which model. It's a larger diameter yoke which uses a larger U-joint. I needed to trim the metal ring on the trans that the yoke slides in to but after that it fits great. I think it was under $300 to have it made. The rear yoke mates to my Q45 diff. This diff solves several problems.
1. It's cheap and it comes with the right gear ratio for the VQ. The pre 1997 Q45 comes with the stock 3.54 gears that come in the 350Z diff. If you prefer lower gears than stock you can pick up a 1997 or later Q45 diff. I paid $50 for the diff at a U-Pull-It yard.
2. It comes with a speed sensor that can be hooked up to a Dakota digital sensor box to get the speedo to work.
3. I picked up an S15 helical limited slip with stub axles on ebay ($400)that you can use the stock S14 axles instead of the Q45 axles.
3. 4. The brand new balanced driveshaft was under $300.

[dorrifto]

Sorry I kinda left this neglected! Life happened, but this past month I have been busy on the car again. She is fun to drive! haha. Tonight, I finished the wire tuck in the engine bay, located the battery to the trunk, and shifted the fuse box forward where the battery used to be. I moved it forward so that I could use the 350z power steering res that mounts to the passenger side rather than having 4 feet of power steering line dragged across my engine bay to reach the 240's PS res.
As far as the PS pressure switch, I used the one connected to the z's ecu. Not the 240's. Idk about the s13 steering rack, but the z's PS hard lines bolted right into my s14's rack, no problems at all!

Additionally, I am over half way done with the cruise control. Bought a bunch of resistors and a circuit board, and recreated the controls in the 350z's steering wheel. Next I have to wire the brake and clutch switches into the ecu and I should be good to go! I will post pictures of my work tomorrow if I have time.

[40flash]

Finally it runs. Halalulia! I finally got it to give me a code that indicated a problem with the crank sensor and cam sensor. The two work together to tell the ECU what position and RPM the engine is at. What I found was that the cam sensor had a prong that was bent and not in it's hole in the wiring plug. As soon as I found and fixed that it fired right off. It only runs for 20 seconds or so and then dies but its a start. Any ideas?

[Guilty1s]

What is your base fuel pressure set at. I think vqs are around 52? I forgot already.

[dorrifto]

What is your base fuel pressure set at. I think vqs are around 52? I forgot already.

Yeah that is correct. Speaking of.

I replaced all the fuel lines in the engine bay. I was tired of all the rubber lines with hose clamps popping leaks. I think the lines were shitty quality. So I had lines made with -AN fittings and everything has been done up real nice. I'll post some pics later.

Also made my own air box. I didnt like how the air filter was sucking up all the hot air from the radiator so I bought some sheet metal and did some fabricating.

Like I said, i'll post some pics later. Hopefully tonight.

[dorrifto]

Relocated the battery to the back; slid the fuse box forward. Now I have room for the 350z PS res.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file.jpg
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-1.jpg
See! PS rez fits!
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-10.jpg

I put my breaker switch up here. When my center piece is removed, track officials have access to it. But when I replace the grill, a-hole friends cant come up and kill my car!! haha :)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-9.jpg

Next up I fixed all my fuel lines and fab'ed my intake a little.
All -an fittings!
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-13.jpg

Some air box action
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-16.jpg
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-15.jpg

dryer duct directing cold air into the box
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-17.jpg
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-18.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-14.jpg

Since I ditched those agonizing coil overs I had to replace them with something worth while. Picked up tokiko d-specs for $300 and some tein springs for $150, all brand new.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-5.jpg
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-23.jpg

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-11.jpg

[dorrifto]

I installed and programmed my nitrous rpm window switch.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-19.jpg

Also picked up a maxima cup holder :)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-21.jpg
Since the vq shifter sits farther back than the stock location, I was able to mount the cup holders in the bottom bin with no problems. The pic above is of me in 3rd gear. The one below is in 4th gear.
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-22.jpg

cluster shot, just because
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-20.jpg

I dont have any pics, but I ditched the high flow cat, and converted my exhaust to true dual exhaust. It sounds hella sexy

[40flash]

Dorrito -- You mentioned getting rid of your coilovers. What was the problem with them? I have coilovers and am not very impressed with the ride quality. Was that part of it for you?

[dorrifto]

Dorrito -- You mentioned getting rid of your coilovers. What was the problem with them? I have coilovers and am not very impressed with the ride quality. Was that part of it for you?

Pretty much. The spring rate on my coils were 10kg/mm which is drifting stiff. Stock is 2kg/mm (for a reference point). So I got rid of them and went with tien s-techs which are 3-4kg/mm. I put them on some tokikos and couldn't be happier.

[dorrifto]

A little teaser of what is to come this spring!!

http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z196/wicked1706/file-24.jpg

[future]

Shit just got real

[zenkiset]

^^ this ha. cant wait to see some more pictures of this thing!

[silverv35]

All I can say is good work.. I'm actually just going to start my VQ swap 40flash and dorrifto have been very help full in giving me some concrete info. I am still looking forward to a how to 03 z to s13 harness wink wink 40flash. That blower is just the icing on this massive friggin cake

[RollingZEE]

Looks nice man
yo if anybody is looking for a vq35de motor... im selling one
pm me if interested