Texas_Ace 86 Nissan Z31 300zx Turbo VG33ET Swap First Start

[mtbroot]

I am the Present Owner of this 1986 300ZX Z31 3.3 Turbo. I am looking to sell it because I have not worked for over 3 years. I do not want to sell it but I have held on to it as long as I can. If any on is interested please e-mail me mtbroot@aol.com

[airforcemanigga]

vg33e and you added a turbo .

[hnojremraf]

NICE!!!! I didn't even know they made a vg33. I guess its like a more primitive vq40 since the both come from v6 nissan trucks just different years. What kind of tune to you have on that thing?

[TexasAceAA]

@hnojremraf Yep, had some real nice low end thats for sure.

The tune was just a stock VG30et ECU, ran the car great with no issues at all.

[TexasAceAA]

The cranks are the same between the motors except for the nose drive area, you need the VG20 crank so you can use the right pullies up front, do a search on google for Texas_Ace VG33e swap and you will find some of my threads, should answer all your questions.

[RzXVeRSaTiiLe]

its a very good idea because your keepn the VG series in it . my vg30et is on its way out with like 201K miles and i want to look for a swap but was thinkin like RB's and also what computer did you put in it and how did the wireing go???

[RzXVeRSaTiiLe]

very niccee! but im still confused so u bought a blown 86 z31 with a VG30ET or a DE? bc i dnt think they made the DE's in america. and you bought a VG33E and put a VG30ET crank, cam and turbo parts in the VG33? so what did you use from the vg33? the fly wheel was from the blown engine?

[TexasAceAA]

@RzXVeRSaTiiLe I have a FULL writeup on what i did floating around on a few 300zx sites if you search my user name "Texas_Ace" you should fine them.

But basically i got a 86 300zx turbo with a VG30ET (Det was not until the Z32), i then found a VG33E, then just swapped the cams, crank and external components from the 30et over to the 33e. Bolt in and go.

[RzXVeRSaTiiLe]

@TexasAceAA Thnx for the info man, i have my Z all i need to do is find the VG33E. ima keep in touch with u because i might have some more questions, if thts ok with u? also the rods and pistons, u just bolted it to the vg30et crank with vg30et bearings?

[idontmessup]

is this SOHC OR DOHC??

[TexasAceAA]

@idontmessup This is the VG33E motor, the SOHC version. The VG30DE is the DOHC version.

VG = motor series

33 = Displacement (3.3l in this case or 3.0l in a VG30)

D = Dual overhead Cams

E = Engine?

T = Turbo

Do in my case i have a VG33ET

Which is a 3.3l SOHC Turbo VG engine.

[idontmessup]

@TexasAceAA cool bro cool 

[EnricoZulu]

@TexasAceAA V=v6 moter.G=(i presume,not sure )gasoline. E=Electronic fuel injection .

[TexasAceAA]

@EnricoZulu Ah, ok i knew those meant something else but was not sure.

[costahydro]

Yeah thanks man I appreciate it. I got 180,000 on my 87 turbo right now and I think I should be looking at some upgrading. I put the rebuilt high pressure 6 Puck clutch in. The transmission is perfect I just got small rear end problems take care of before I do the motor. Did you intercool yours.

Check out my walk around

[TexasAceAA]

@costahydro Sounds nice, i didn't intercool mine because i was going for a stock looking car, i didn't want to cut up that beauty. An intercooler would have helped a lot though.

[costahydro]

It's a factory turbo so 225 250 ? Not bad

[TexasAceAA]

@costahydro Yeah, i guesstimated it had around there with the track times it ran

[costahydro]

I'm going to do a vg 33 swap in my 87 300zx. Any pointers

[TexasAceAA]

@costahydro Got a whole bunch of pointers posted in a thread on a few different 300zx boards. If you search my user name Texas_Ace i bet you can turn a few up. All sorts of pictures and details in those.

[brandonBRKDWN]

so quick question: how easy would it be to put a vg30de into an 88 300? i have an 88 and it has like 243000 miles so it will b time to get anew engine soon, any suggestions on that?

[TexasAceAA]

@brandonBRKDWN The VG30DET is a PITA to work on and personally I don't know why anyone would want to voluntarily put that in a car. The Z32 is a nightmare to work on, ask anyone that has owned one.

Honestly if i was going to do a swap like that, i would rather do a V8 swap.

Now for a good performance, easy swap, the VG33E swap is basically a bolt in swap and cheap too boot.

[brandonBRKDWN]

@TexasAceAA

alright, a stock vg33. how much did it cost you for the engine and labor and what not?

[TexasAceAA]

@brandonBRKDWN I did all the work myself. Total cost was around $1500 IIRC including a lot of things you would not need for an NA swap.

[brandonBRKDWN]

@TexasAceAA

alright man thanks for responding, i wouldn't have thought about ever putting in a pathfinder engine but if its a lot easier than a z32, im totally down hah. but thanks for your help. btw. love the car

[TexasAceAA]

@brandonBRKDWN Yeah, the pathfinder VG33 is basically identical to the VG30, the only different is the bore size. If you have a doner engine to swap parts off of, it is a completely bolt in swap and you can still use all the normal parts for the car that you used to. Externally you will not even be able to tell a difference.

[brandonBRKDWN]

@TexasAceAA

very nice,

how much horse power and torque is that engine putting out?

[TexasAceAA]

@brandonBRKDWN Mine was a turbo swap so it was making a lot more then an NA would make. It was making right around 225-250rwhp if i had to guess.

NA you can look up the pathfinder engines to see what they are rated at.

[gofster88]

i like this swap, i am thinking of doing something similar, i have an 86 na, and i was thinking of getting the plenum and supercharger off a vg33er, pathfinder and xterra, and it bolts right on and i have a supercharged Z, but this is a really nice swap also, sounds good too

[TexasAceAA]

@gofster88 Yeah, totally different setup but it would work as well. Make for some real fun low end torque.

[sr20boostjunkie]

Why not go with a vg30de or vq35de I was thinking of going with the vg33 in my old pathfinder but it don't seem worth it for a sohc you gain more power with the dohc motors all tho the vg30de is a pita to work on

[TexasAceAA]

@sr20boostjunkie You awnsered your own question, the swap to a DE/DET motor is a PITA and working on them is even more of a PITA.

The VG33 swap is a bolt in swap and easy to work on. Also it is WAY cheaper.

[pwnedz]

With the stock turbo, on stock boost, can you give a guesstimate as to how many rwhp the VG33ET would make compared to a VG30ET?

[TexasAceAA]

@pwnedz Well, from the 1 pass this car made at the drag strip, spinning 1st and 2nd. The trap speed was that of about a 230-250rwhp car at stock boost.

From driving it i would guess it had just under 250rwhp.

[christom]

@TexasAceAA really? just from .3 liters and slightly higher compression? Cuz i've seen a video of a guy who dynoed about 250 i think it was on a VG30ET with boost set at 10psi and full 3" turbo back and that was basically it. Although i don't recall what his TQ was...

[TexasAceAA]

@christom Yeah, the track time/MPH to power calculators are pretty good, they were right on with my MR2 within 10hp. So figuring a low 80mph trap speed in the 1/8th it works out to right around 240rwhp IIRC, been awhile since i did the math.

Now at one point i did try upping the boost and it did not like going much above 9psi, so it is a trade off. This was also with that very restrictive exahust on it. But for a nice daily driver with lots of tourqe, great setup.

[Bland88]

did you use the vg30et heads or the vg33e heads?

[TexasAceAA]

@Bland88 From what i have read the hards are the same between them, i used the VG33 heads in my build though.

[accordztech]

Thanks for the reply. How many pounds of boost?  stock t3? Or did you get a little more out of it, also what octane did you run?

It sucks that you didnt get to fully enjoy it.

[TexasAceAA]

@accordztech It was on the stock 6psi most of the time, i can't remeber if i turned it up a PSI or 2 for the track or not. Yes, stock T3.

I always run 93oct in any boosted car.

[accordztech]

did you ever dyno this?

[accordztech]

did you ever run this on the dyno?

[TexasAceAA]

@accordztech Sadly no, it sold quicker then i thought and it never made it to the dyno. It did make 1 pass at th 1/8th mile track

9.6 @ 79mph spinning all of 1st and second. but that is still about 240rwhp+ and with a good pass it could have easily ran a low 8 in the 80's.

Only made 1 pass due to my MR2 breaking before i could make another one. had to run home and get a trailer to tow it home with.

[socarrasorlando]

very unique. good job. sounds smooth too.

[markkjay]

MOTHAFUCKA you got a digital dash I just jizzed.

no but nice swap, looks perfectly tidy man props.

love that old Nissan chime.

[TexasAceAA]

Yep, i miss that car already. It is now haplliy living it's life in another 300zx Collectors collection.

[TucoRamirez2]

@TexasAceAA Hi, I'm a huge Z31 enthusiast. I was just curious as to how much you sold the car for, and how much horsepower you got it make.

[TexasAceAA]

@TucoRamirez2 Think the final sale price was $5600 IIRC, been a few years now. Got another video with a complete overview of the car just before it was sold.

Never got it on the dyno actually but did run it at the track once and the trap times put the HP right around the 250hp mark i predicted.

[EnricoZulu]

how about the wiring ? Did you change the ecu?

[TexasAceAA]

Stock 86 turbo wiring and ECU. No changes to the wiring at all.

[Iwant2slideS13]

OOOO digi-dash nice

[six2eight]

oh alright, well check out the vids of my 300zx, theres only 3 haha

[six2eight]

id like to see the power that engine is making, stock boost?

[TexasAceAA]

Yep, stock boost right now. everything is stock right now as i ran out of money. In fact i am having to sell it due to running out of money.

But before that i plan to get it on the dyno, it is making some good power, enough to leave nice long black lines on the street 1st and 2nd gear.

I do have to track down a boost leak and it should make more power.

[six2eight]

lol thats awsome, im just kind of curious tho, is there any way you can identify a vg33 by appearence??

[TexasAceAA]

Not unless you know what car it came out of or it still has the pathfinder acsereries on it. Like in my case, there is no way anyone would know i have a VG33 unless they pulled the head and messured the bore size, or looked up the vin numbers.

As it came out of the pathfinder before doing the swap, you could tell just due to the pathfinder engine mounts and such.

[nismochildzx]

damn i'm jelous.

[2jzs13]

did u use the vg30et wiring harness. so you only swapped the vg30et crank and cams on the vg33 right .

[TexasAceAA]

Yes, i used the harness that was int he car, didn't touch a wire.

Inside the engine the only things i changed were the Cams and crank but you also have to swap all the external parts over as well.

[2jzs13]

is the vg33 block made out of aluminum. i have a 95 pathfinder motor that i want to swap on my 88 300zx turbo

[TexasAceAA]

No, it is made out of iron. I don't know of ANY VG series motor that is made out of aluminum. being made out of iron makes it really strong though.

[jmb92555]

'95 Pathy has a vg30. The vg33 started in '96.

[kingman87se]

@2jzs13

Wrong. Forged cast iron internals and block. 

[wolfe787]

might be a stupid question here, but isnt the difference between the VG30 and VG33 is the crank? and if you are using the VG30 (snout dimmensions im gessing) it will still be a VG30 right? correct me if im wrong cuz im thinking on doing this swap, thanx!

[TexasAceAA]

No the differnce is the block, the VG33 is bored out to 3.3l vs the VG30 3.0l.

They moved a few oil and coolent passages around but other then that and minor changes they are the exact same engien, only rebuild part that is differnt are the pistons IIRC.

[Redmaro1]

NIce clean swap and very clean Z.

[chrisjjwilson]

you dont need a vg30et parts engine to do it, just a turbo manifold and turbo :)

[TexasAceAA]

Need? No

Darn good idea to have? Yeah.

The turbo parts are easy, it is all the little things to make it work right in a 300zx that would be a pain to track down or try to make th VG33 parts work. Things like all the acseries/nuts and bolts/motor mounts/t-stat housing/intake/cams/crank///// all those little things.

Having a parts engien makes it simple, doing it without a parts engine would make it cost a LOT more and be a LOT harder. but it is possible.