These motors are all over the place. Powerful, reliable and lightweight. It would seem like a logical partner to a Subaru, Porsche or Audi transaxle.
Yes it's possible to find Nissan 6-speed manuals for them, but they're only for transverse configuration, and I don't think that they have limited slip.
Porsche would be the only transaxle to consider. FWD Audi transaxles worth the consideration are getting pretty rare, and they are most easily found in the back of a Boxster anyway.
The 02-03 Maxima 6 speeds have LSD's in some of them.
Infiniti FX35 drivetrain, I don't think came with a manual option but is all wheel drive VQ35, so is the G35X more similar to the Z but still auto only.
what about the obvious place? the 350 and 370z?
transaxle mate, sweat the details!
Looks like I may have to fabricate an adapter to a phase 2 Subaru. I wonder the Nissan mill would fit in an 818?
Knurled wrote: Porsche would be the only transaxle to consider. FWD Audi transaxles worth the consideration are getting pretty rare, and they are most easily found in the back of a Boxster anyway.
I've wondered about the Audi ones. Are the A4 tranny's too weak? There should be tons of them.
The ones to get from Audi would be the 016 FWD trans. This would be in the 5000 Turbo FWDs. The Boxster has an 01E which is the updated version of the 016 and is probably going to be a lot easier to find since most front drive 5000s were auto and all quattros were manual trans. I think Coupe GTs have 013s, not 016s.
I don't remember the trans code for the FWD trans used in the A4 but it is either 01A-related or it is based on the old 5spd from the front drive 4000s. I know of someone making VQ35-like power from a turbo four and he can break the old 5-speeds at will by rolling into the boost in a certain gear. Not good. If 01A-based, it should be "stronger" but at least it should be easy to take it out and put an 01E in if it proves to be too fragile.
IIRC there are no diffs available for any of the Audi transaxles unless you get one for a 944 Turbo and make it fit, or spend $1500-2000 or so from some company in Italy. 944 transmissions do not have a clutch friendly input shaft, however, so you can't just use that. I'm unaware if any Boxsters had good diffs right from Porsche or what is available.
So, you'll end up spending almost as much as you'd spend for a Porsche trans, and you won't have nearly the strength. Or rebuildablity.
I missed the transaxle part. My bad
Knurled wrote: Porsche would be the only transaxle to consider. FWD Audi transaxles worth the consideration are getting pretty rare, and they are most easily found in the back of a Boxster anyway.
What's wrong with a Subaru transaxle? They'll hold some power and are literally an order of magnitude cheaper than a Porsche box.
mad_machine wrote: I missed the transaxle part. My bad
I missed it too. I was just to lazy to respond.
In reply to Knurled:
The Quattro transaxle is the same case as the FWD version and you simply leave the center diff locked (or weld it up) and you've got a FWD box.
As for limited slip front diffs for an 016? Guards and Quaiffe make brand new ones or you can adapt a factory Torsen rear diff from a V8 Quattro. Also all of the factory limited slips from the 924/944 with the Audi gearbox will work as well and they can be rebuild with fresh clutches, etc.
If you want a transverse mounted awd the murano drivetrain but again auto only.
So you want a FWD transaxle for a longitudinally-mounted VQ? Probably nobody makes them because there isn't much demand. A transaxle is a pretty difficult thing to design.
If you think there might be enough demand, perhaps you should design and manufacture one. You'll get rich! (or not)
turboswede wrote: In reply to Knurled: The Quattro transaxle is the same case as the FWD version and you simply leave the center diff locked (or weld it up) and you've got a FWD box. As for limited slip front diffs for an 016? Guards and Quaiffe make brand new ones or you can adapt a factory Torsen rear diff from a V8 Quattro. Also all of the factory limited slips from the 924/944 with the Audi gearbox will work as well and they can be rebuild with fresh clutches, etc.
Either way you're spending $1000-2000 for an 016 and then another $1000+ besides for a diff. Porsche makes more sense IMO.
I know where an 016 is and need to pull it before it gets crushed...
In reply to Knurled:
Porsche transaxle case is physically the same, but isn't machined for clutch hardware. You can find them for about $200-2000 depending on the options and mileage.
Torsen rear diff from the salvage yard is about $200, plus about 2 hours of machine shop time to reduce the diameter on one side to fit the differential carrier bearing. New bearings and inner CV joints.
So you're looking for a longitudinal setup VQ in a mid engined application...mind if I ask what it's going in?
seems like making an adapter plate for either the porsche or subaru box would not be too hard. Use the clutch disk that goes with the gearbox and the pressure plate that goes with the motor. As long as the disk is similar in diameter to the pressure plate clutch area, then all you should need would be custom pilot bearing and possibly a pressure plate spacer to align the disk on the input shaft. I guess you might have to modify the input shaft too.
Doesn't seem too hard.
However, I would guess that no one sells an adapter kit because the engines that come factory-attached to the porsche and subaru boxes are probably pretty good to begin with, and are probably better than a VQ once you take the 2k dollars that you saved on adapters and custom fab work and put that into porsche or subaru engine mods.
If you want a VQ in midship, why not use a nissan FWD setup?
rcutclif wrote: If you want a VQ in midship, why not use a nissan FWD setup?
This. I've seen an VG transverse mounted in the back of an S30. Not my cup of meat but doable.
Speaking of transaxles, what about one of the newer Corvette units that use a torque tube, only without the tube?
Hmm spendy it is, yes.
Handle the power it will, yes?
It's nothing yet, project-wise. Just looking at options.... 915 Porsche transmissions aren't too expensive, and there are kits for them, but G50s cost a pretty penny. I just find it interesting that you can get a Kennedy adapter for virtually any motor to a Porsche or VW transaxle, yet there seems to be nada for practically any other tranny/engine combo.
As for why not go transverse? Just because everything ends up crammed together, and the control arms are necessarily short. I've decided that I only want toy cars that I enjoy working on, and I like the cleanness of a traditional longitudinal configuration.
As for the Corvette configuration, to use it in a middie would push the driver way too far forward. That's why the old mid-engined Corvairs had the engine spinning right behind the driver's head. Not desirable.
The Kennedy adapters may leave a bunch to be desired. IIRC their SBC-to-016 adapter was so bogus that the guy who bought it to put an LS2 into an RS6 (thereby making the weirdest swap ever from the modern era) decided to just say screw you guys, I'm making my own. I guess it was like an inch thicker than it really needed to be and the flywheel was welded up from two different pieces.
VW/Porsche are relatively simple, there are what, four bolts? And the starter bolts to the trans.
erohslc wrote: Speaking of transaxles, what about one of the newer Corvette units that use a torque tube, only without the tube? Hmm spendy it is, yes. Handle the power it will, yes?
You can do this, but you'll get a VERY long gearbox. Like 4ft+ from the rear of your engine to the rear axles.
Someone on here has an open-wheeled car with this setup in the Rides section.
I still think there's a business case for custom 'on demand' bell housings based on
engine side, trans side, engine-trans distance:
1) Online application software lets you choose engine, trans from library of layouts, then engine-trans distance, performs cutting layout based on library of engine and trans layouts.
2) Laser/waterjet cut flat aluminum plates into adjacent connected pie segments and engine/trans adaptor rings.
3) Plate with pie segment is CNC bent at pie join lines into a conical pyramid shape with one seam.
4) Pyramid shape is welded at single seam into a faceted cone.
5) Faceted cone is welded to front/rear adaptor rings.
6) Surface prep (dress welds, sandblast, powder coat)
Voila! finished custom bell housing emerges.
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