Are all 96-99 vg33 interchangeable engines?

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Tseeker
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Are all 96-99 vg33 interchangeable engines?

Postby Tseeker » Sun Mar 31, 2013 12:55 pm

Hey ya'll!

I've got a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder LE model with 173,000 miles on the clock. It overheated and damaged the rocker arms and the rods that they run on, see my previous posting on this http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/ ... r-replace/ forum. The cams are fine, and the lower end seems solid. But even just replacing these parts (rocker arms $14.50 ea x 12 rocker rods(?) $33 ea x 4) comes close enough to a used engine that I'd rather chip in a few extra bucks to keep it for parts and eventual swapping. I say eventual because the car needs to be back on the road quicker then I can swap the engine, I think.

However, the closest <150,000 mile engine is over 200 miles away from here.
There are three much closer engines, but one is out of a '97, and the other two are from '98 models.

1997

3.3,AT,8/96,4X4,RUNS GOOD 138,617 miles part grade A $500 Green Point Auto Parts, Inc.

1998

6-97,3.0(probably a typo),AC,SE,RAN 7-7-03,NO 606 81,577 miles part grade A $450 Silvers Auto Parts USA-ME
1998

9-97,3.3,AC,RAN EXC.,NO 606 87,020 miles part grade A $450 Silvers Auto Parts

It being easter sunday I won't be able to find out anything more then that until later this week. Any thoughts?

Thanks :D


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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:25 pm

They'll all work.

Tseeker
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Postby Tseeker » Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:37 pm

That would definitely be awesome!

Tseeker
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???????????????!!??!?!

Postby Tseeker » Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:37 am

The typo wasn't a 3.0, it was a 3.4 (?) the '98 engine is gone, and the guy at the salvage yard said that the '97 engine is different and won't work! >( He thought that the heads are different. Are they? How bad are the differences?

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Mon Apr 01, 2013 12:45 pm

Nissan didn't make a 3.4L. The 97 will work. In the 99.5 Pathy, they did revise the engine slightly for a little more power. You don't want a VG33ER engine, because the supercharged engine used lower compression piston. Any VG33E engine from a 96-00 Pathfinder or 99-04 Frontier or 00-04 Xterra should bolt in. On later models, however, you will need to swap over the exhaust manifolds and intake manifolds.

Tseeker
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Postby Tseeker » Mon Apr 01, 2013 1:16 pm

Thanks :) I looked it up after he said 3.4l, and nada, Guess that's why I'm not ordering from that salvage yard :?
I'm going to get the 97 engine. Hopefully I won't have to bug you guys again after :)

Thanks for your help!


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