It's hard to say if the rod knocking engine can be rebuilt. At best, it will need new rod bearings and a check on the cylinder bores/head surface/pistons and skirts to make sure the block/head is good. At the worst, you'll need to have the crank machined with thicker bearings installed and a block refresh if the head/block mating surfaces are good.

The rev-up engine is a decent base for sub 500 hp goals. A balance of the crank with new rods and possibly pistons will allow you to hit 500hp with FI easily and reliably while maintaining a useable power band; however, supporting engine parts will need to be replaced and tuned (fuel pump, injectors, ecu, etc). I would even consider a supercharger over ST/TT for simplicity and easier diagnostics for possible future issues, but if high numbers is your goal (600+hp), then turbo would be the better choice.

I've only built 5 engines and done 12 swaps (mostly VWs), so I'm hardly an expert on this subject... but simplicity is key to staying within a modest budget. Keeping the same engine that the car was designed with will exponentially make things easier and will nearly eliminate all of the complexity of having to mess with suspension tuning to compensate for the difference in engine weight. Just an example, a VQ (alum block) is around 330lbs dry weight while an RB25 (iron block) is over 600lbs.

 

Holy crap that's ridiculous. I suppose years of technology and different materials lowered that weight along with a new design but still.

As I mentioned to the OP in the beginning the G is easier to swap an LS into, but easiest would be to do a built block, and go from there.

 

The layout of the engine and the materials is a BIG factor in the weight. That's one of the reasons BMW went to an aluminum V8 on the M3 instead of continuing with the I6. Lighter and shorter, the new V8 helped out with packaging in the engine bay. More room for plastic engine covers I guess.

 

Thanks for all that! I'm now on the fence between an LS swap, or build a vq. In terms of money, is there a better option or will both be about the same in the end?

I feel like the custom work on the LS swap will be similar in price as the modified VQ parts

 

http://www.importpartspro.com/st1vqloblni3.html

Obviously getting a built VQ is cheaper than going ***** out on an LS swap as the built VQ is gonna be for the lack of a better word, a direct bolt on, yank old drop new process. Whereas the LS engine will require buying/fabbing more parts/kits to make the engine work with the rest of the g35 platform.

The end results would be nicer with an LS swap, and of course GM parts are somewhat cheap but the initial upfront cost and downtime for you to do an LS swap will be much more than it would be to get a built block from IPP and call it a good day.

 

Ugh I'm so torn! The built block direct bolt sounds nice. Ima look into this, thanks so much

 

Based on your reactions sounds like you didn't really think this through before posting and didn't do any homework as to what any of this will entail. Go back to the drawing board man. Stick a stock block in there pulled out of a wrecked G for like 1k and call it a day. Look on craigslist if need be.

 

Hologram said it best. A built VQ drops in with no further mods, making it more of an all inclusive solution.

 

It seems like you really don't have a good idea about the entire process of a swap and what it encompasses, nor even that much about the motors you are considering swapping in. It also seems like you are on a tighter budget. Considering this, I really suggest that you just go with a replacement stock block or if you are building an FI setup, a built block. This will keep it more plug and play and seeing as you have little to no experience doing a swap, keep it as simple and cheap as possible for you.

 

Yeah i think ima go with a built vq, about how much power will the non-revup make in this version? http://www.importpartspro.com/st1vqloblni3.html

 

You clearly have very little knowledge of this subject.

Depending om compression ratio the block may even make less power than a stock revup motor as these motors are mostly bought by people going FI. The DE engine comes with very high compression in the G, 11:1 if I'm correct, which is not desirable for FI. So most folks go lower in compression to have a block that'll do better with boost. This means it'll make less power than a stock block before you add FI.

Now if you go for more aggressive cams, you'll just be shifting more power from the midrage to the top of the rev range and make more power there. Your other option is to get a higher compression block then stock, but then you run into many other issues down the road like good luck finding gas to run that high compression....

Seriously, do you know what you're even talking about when you type half the **** you type?

 

?
i didnt know it was frowned upon to attempt to learn, sorry.

ok say im not turboing it, (not sure yet), you're saying stock the vq35s are at an 11:1? i thought it was 9:1? So since that one in the link is advertised "its good to turbo" i assume the comp ratio is about 8:1?

 

Most people that want to swap out an engine+tranny for a completely new drivetrain have some idea of what it will entail. I figure you'd at least done some research before posting. It seems it also surprised you a built block was a direct replacement for your shot block.

Furthermore, I am willing to guess, that you weren't expecting a total cost of over 15k to do an engine/tranny swap for an LS/RB build.

 

Those are the exact reasons i posted, whats better research than being able to hear it from a primary source? i thought the rb would be around 10 grand, LS about 15. and i obviously knew a build longblock is a direct boltup.

 

The RB wont be 10k... Plus the extra 300lbs in the front.... in an entirly different configuration is going to **** up your handling.... I wouldnt drive your car over 100kmph.

The reason why LS swaps work... it because it is basically the same weight.... +/- 40lbs. But more importantly it maintains its center(and centerline) of gravity because it keeps its V configuration, vs a straight 6 witha bias of weight on its passenger side...

But Hey, you know what your talking about by the sounds like.

and you COULD do the LS build for less then 4k if you had a few connections, a pound of luck, and a metric **** tonne of skill with a welder...

Which you might have the most expensive part solved, since you DO weld...

FABRICATION of mounts lol and labor.