Anyone good with VG30s?..

[__CHI__]

I just acquired a 1990 Nissan Maxima from my cousin. It’s a factory 5spd car with 140k,it’s kinda rough but that’s another story..the car jumped time on my cousin,so I’m about 110% sure it bent a valve or two. This has made me wanna beef up the old VG30 that came in it. I wanna keep in NA for now,but I was wondering if anyone would know what to do valve wise? What sizes? What cam? Or even would it be easier to just swap a VG33 head and then throw a cam in it?
I know someone on here has to be a secret Nissan fan lol I need your help!

 

[Erik the Awful]

I was a Nissan tech back in '97-99, when these motors were 50% of everything Nissan. The KA24s were the other 50%. My memory's a bit fuzzy, so I checked Wikipedia, and yours is certainly a VG30E - the VE30DEs were only '92-94 in the Maxima SE. The only variation I ever saw in VG30Es, other than fuel/induction systems, was the VG30Es in the Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager. Ford insisted on a non-interference engine, so those have lower compression and a thicker timing belt. If I were to build any VG30, I'd use the cam sprockets and belt off a Quest. For naturally aspirated horsepower you'll want a non-Quest short block. If you're building a turbo motor, use the Quest long block and the turbo intake and manifolds off a Z31 300ZX Turbo with a VG30ET, a air-to-air intercooler, and a big turbo. I don't know as much about the VG33Es, but I do know there are VG33ERs out there. Their power output was weak for being supercharged - the VG30ET beats them hands down.

I'm 95% sure your valves are bent. The tech I interned with said he'd seen one case where a belt broke and the motor was okay, the rest needed valves.

I don't know much about the factory cams. At the dealership we almost always replaced long blocks. The only cam I ever replaced was on an early L24E powered Maxima. Jim Wolf Technologies and Schneider Cams both still sell cams for these. Their hottest cams that will fit with no machining have specs that read like a wicked Vortec cam - 220* at .050 with .475" lift. Supposedly the stock bottom end will handle 600 hp. Be sure and degree any cams you install.

 

[__CHI__]

I was a Nissan tech back in '97-99, when these motors were 50% of everything Nissan. The KA24s were the other 50%. My memory's a bit fuzzy, so I checked Wikipedia, and yours is certainly a VG30E - the VE30DEs were only '92-94 in the Maxima SE. The only variation I ever saw in VG30Es, other than fuel/induction systems, was the VG30Es in the Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager. Ford insisted on a non-interference engine, so those have lower compression and a thicker timing belt. If I were to build any VG30, I'd use the cam sprockets and belt off a Quest. For naturally aspirated horsepower you'll want a non-Quest short block. If you're building a turbo motor, use the Quest long block and the turbo intake and manifolds off a Z31 300ZX Turbo with a VG30ET, a air-to-air intercooler, and a big turbo. I don't know as much about the VG33Es, but I do know there are VG33ERs out there. Their power output was weak for being supercharged - the VG30ET beats them hands down.

I'm 95% sure your valves are bent. The tech I interned with said he'd seen one case where a belt broke and the motor was okay, the rest needed valves.

I don't know much about the factory cams. At the dealership we almost always replaced long blocks. The only cam I ever replaced was on an early L24E powered Maxima. Jim Wolf Technologies and Schneider Cams both still sell cams for these. Their hottest cams that will fit with no machining have specs that read like a wicked Vortec cam - 220* at .050 with .475" lift. Supposedly the stock bottom end will handle 600 hp. Be sure and degree any cams you install.

thanks for all the input! That should make it way easier to find heads or atleast parts because there is an abundance of Nissan Quest and mercury villagers around here. I would love to use the supercharged vg33 but that seems like a pain for not much of a power gain. Depending on what I run across at the pick and pull I might end up boosting it. Would you happen to know any fuel options?

 

[Nickpisp]

I had the bolt back out of a cam sprocket on my ‘92 Maxima, every valve was bent.

 

[Bloke]

Ah yes the inline 6 Datsun/Nissan Maxima. i had 1982 with no over drive and i changed cams on that for a bigger one. I would actually spin the tires with that car once i had some injectors replaced and learned how to adjust the valve lash on that car. Really simple to work on. In the end it got sold, it was over heating with AC on. I went through 1 transmission cause i wanted a standard one. So i revved the engine and pop the shifter from N to D to really spin the tires. only cost me 500 bones to rebuild the extra one. I am actually looking for a 1984 Maxima which is the last year of the inline 6 but i cant find any. Gona keep looking for one cause i need another project or a boat.

 

[96TahoeDoug]

I just acquired a 1990 Nissan Maxima from my cousin. It’s a factory 5spd car with 140k,it’s kinda rough but that’s another story..the car jumped time on my cousin,so I’m about 110% sure it bent a valve or two. This has made me wanna beef up the old VG30 that came in it. I wanna keep in NA for now,but I was wondering if anyone would know what to do valve wise? What sizes? What cam? Or even would it be easier to just swap a VG33 head and then throw a cam in it?
I know someone on here has to be a secret Nissan fan lol I need your help!

For 1990 you got responsibility of timing belts every 30k and $600. 300zx cams and headers is baseline. Should be non interference engine, no bent valves. Google for sure. Lucked out on 5 speed. I30 was my car..keep eye out for j30 cheap cars and the Z's.

 

[96TahoeDoug]

Not a 3.3 fan maybe work. Smoggish truck motor low horses. Slim deck engine.