How Texas_Ace Swapped a VG30ET to a VG33ET! Complete Writeup

LOL, yeah that crosse my mind for a second as well, but only a second.

I use the MR2 as a daily driver track car, frankly the 300zx handles like a boat compared to the MR2. I compete agienst Z06 vettes and the MR2 does me proud.

If i was to sell the MR2 i would not have a car to track, plus i finally almost have the MR2 dialed in so i really like it on the track.

I will say the 300zx is much better to just cruise in or daily drive but not so great on a track.

the studs could have been pulled out completely… there are certain things you can look for in the "HELP!" section of your auto parts store that allow you to make use of a damaged stud or hole for exhausts.

Well bit the bullet today and got the exahust made, another $250 out the door.

But it was worth it! it now purrs like a kitten! nice and quite.

I can feel a little power loss, it is 2.5 with a cat and quite muffler, lets just say there is a LOT of room for improvment power wise but for a cruiser this is great nice and quite with just enough noise on the top end to make it sound good.

I would say i am down about ~20hp, but with the cops around here it is worth it to have an ultra quite car that i can play with and not worring about calling every cop within a miles attention.

So going to get it inspected then drive it a bit morebefore getting it on the dyno and adding a boost controller. Hopfully dyno will coem in the next week or 2.

[quote]Texas_Ace wrote: That is exactly what I do as well. I love driving my Z, I love the engine (I swear I screamed TORQUE one day when I hadn't driven it in a few months), but the Z has been sitting since end of 2007 and I've been daily driving my MR2. The MR2 handles better (maybe my Z's new suspension will narrow the gap), I can drive the hell out of it with AC on and still get 30+ mpg, but I do have to settle for less power in the MR2… I love both my cars though and could not see myself being able to pick between either.

[quote]XiOus271 wrote: [quote=Texas_Ace]Yep, they are both great cars but for my needs the MR2 is better.

You have more power in the Z then the MR2? NA MR2? Majorly modded Z? I know that bone stock My MR2 turbo was about as fast as this swap (had about 200rwhp, but weighs 2700lb) with minor bolt on's though the MR2 eats the 300 alive once you get past 4k rpm. Under that and the 300 has it, which is why as a cruiser it is nice.

The MR2 now has about 325rwhp (will know more monday or turesday when i dyno it) and lets just say that a race would not be fair after about 15mph.

Hope to dyno the Z in a week or 2, got to replace the plug wires, new plugs, oil change, fule filter, fix a broken hose that is a big boost leak and a few other things first.

Haha yeah, bone stock MR2 NA. Well… I advanced the timing but that doesnt add up to anything. I'd love to do a 3SGE swap, but it's my daily and I cannot afford to have much downtime. I really want to modify my MR2, mostly suspension… but if I start, there will be no stopping.

[quote]XiOus271 wrote: LOL, yeah like most cars it is impossible to stop once you start.

Only thing you would want to mod would be to swap in a 3sgTe, the turbo motors are great, lots of power and real strong. Thats what i am running with 325rwhp now and plan for 400rwhp once I get cams and a stand alone. A guy just made 475rwhp on a bone stock JDM motor with bolt on's.

[quote]Texas_Ace wrote: [quote=XiOus271]LOL, yeah like most cars it is impossible to stop once you start.

Only thing you would want to mod would be to swap in a 3sgTe, the turbo motors are great, lots of power and real strong. Thats what i am running with 325rwhp now and plan for 400rwhp once I get cams and a stand alone. A guy just made 475rwhp on a bone stock JDM motor with bolt on's.[/quoteachnufe]

I've thought about the GTE, but some SCCA club racing classes dont allow turbos, so thats one of my hangups. It would allow for the GE… but I could only imagine what a MR2 turbo is like :twisted:

Yeah, if you are trying to fit in a class it is hard, i just run open class most of the time so i don't have to worry about it.

There is also the beams you can swap but it costs more. Basically a Vtec toyota.

Well just figured i would give a quick update.

Car now has ~1500 miles on it and it is still running strong and better then ever since i found my boost leak.

I did manage to take it to the track this last weekend but only got 1 pass done before i managed to blow the transmission in my OTHER car i was racing that day and had to call it quits.

On the shakedown pass it ran a 9.6 @ 79 in the 1/8th spinning HARD 1st and 2nd also on stock boost. That is about a 14 in the 1/4. This puts it right in line with my HP estmates of 240 - 250hp acroding to some drag calculators.

On a clean pass at stock boost i could see it making a 9.0 flat pass and turning the boost up i could see a high 8 easy with some good tires. that would be about a low-mid 13 in the 1/4.

Car is also for sale now for anyone interested: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18985

That's too bad about the sale. I really do appreciate the post and your thread in general. I will be utilizing your build for my own VG33 upgrade. Thanks a lot, and GL with the sale.

Yeah, i really don't want to sell it, it is SO nice but now with me needing a new tranny for the MR2 and some other expenses that have come up i really don't have a choice. Plus if i sell it it should give me just enough left over so that i can get my LSx swap RX7 done and running.

Plus i have yet to keep a car for more then 6 months after it is running, why beak that record now? lol

I always got to have somthing new to work on, i get a car work on it, get it running real nice and when there is nothing left to do I find another car and start working on it. But being poor like i am i have to sell the first car to pay for the second one. Sucks but keeps things interesting.

If i was to keep this car i know it is a matter of months maybe weeks before i would start adding more stuff to it and making big power. This car is in such good condition i just don't want to see that happen, even by me.

Ok, i made a video of the car and a 1st - 4th gear pull if anyone wants to see it.

Here is the whole thing with a good look at the whole car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhLwAgSj44A[/video]]

The 1st-4th gear pull starts at 8:00 so here is a link to go to that if you want to ski the first part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhLwAgSj44A#t=8m4s[/video]]

Ok so I am thinking of doing this swap very soon but I'm not understanding one thing. Is it requirement to swap the VG30 crank and cams to the VG33? The reason I ask is I remember reading about how Careless did the swap and all he did was modify the oil pump (if I'm wrong please feel free to correct me). If you ask me I would think it would be easier to leave the VG33 as is and do some little things here and there. Not to mention if you were to swap the parts from the VG30 over to the VG33 wouldn't that hurt the hp and torque? Thanks.

Actually it is easier to swap the crank over to the VG33 then make the VG33 work. It is a complete bolt in affair with the VG30 crank swap. Trying to use the VG33 as is, is a totally custom job. I have talked to at least 1 guy that used the VG33 as is and he agreed he wished he had just swapped cranks.

To use the VG33, you will still have to pull the crank and then have it machined. Might as well just toss in the VG30 crank while you have the VG33 crank out anyways, much easier and no custom work.

The cams you swap due to the VG33 cams being truck cams and made for low end torque. In a sports car that makes for a very boring power band.

As for swapping part hurting power, no just the opposite. The only thing that will change power are the cams, the cranks on them are exactly the same stroke so that won’t change anything power wise. The pathfinder intake is better but only when going for big numbers and once again that is not quite a bolt in swap which is what I was going for. But it could be done, people do it all the time.

You should have an engine in your car now, be it turbo or NA you can use the crank out of it. MUCH simpler then trying to get it machined, either way you have to remove and reinstalled the crank.