Hello, gang!

Sincere apologies for pestering you, new guy here.

I am on something of a quest in regards to seeking a bit of knowledge about my 2005 G35 Sport coupe (automatic transmission). Given the often hilarious and yet ironically tragic results of my trying to ask an adult-based question or two about my car in a sea of G35 message boards and FB groups that appear to have been taken over by a mildly terrifying group of individuals, I am in the precarious position of either trying a bit harder to find information, or simply selling off my G35 and go running/screaming for the exits, as my other car is a 2010 Camaro Synergy (oddball V6 car, I don't need the V8, the V6 is lighter over the nose), but I can find anything I want to know within minutes about that (although there be dragons in the 5th and 6th-gen Camaro communities as well), the community is simply that different than what I've encountered so far in two years of G35 ownership. In addition, the G35 is so much sharper to drive than the Camaro...and I can actually see out of the G35.

I love my G35, but a large swath of the G35 community I have encountered so far is, in short, mildly terrifying, if only for the reasons of most everyone's tendency to focus on investments in turbochargers, engine swaps that never happen or are hideously expensive...and still never happen...and stancing suspension parts, but also sort of idly skipping over the idea of perhaps investing first in "Hooked on Phonics". I'm seriously not trying to be rude or evil, but holy carp, who left open the barn door?

The concept of someone actually enjoying the car the way it came from Infiniti or Nissan is also an alien experience with everyone I've run into with the G35 groups, other than a few issues (issued below), it's a pretty fun car as it is, and I don't have time for massive projects any longer, although I am reeeally interested in perhaps doing a mild 350Z track day car of some kind or another at some point.

Why am I telling you all of this? I do actually have a question or two, but the reason why I skipped going through the regular G35 message board/FB group route is because, well, the G35 is intended to be a gateway drug into the world of the 350Z (or possibly 370Z, but I like the older more raw G35/350Z cars), and if I'm already having this much trouble with the G35...this is sort of a last hope thing. I normally don't like asking for information without offering anything in return, but I'm starting fresh with a new-to-me platform, and hoping that someone might be able to help out.

And now to my question: I'm actually almost entirely happy with my G35 as it is. The stock driver's seat is obviously an issue, as it's clear as mud that Infiniti hired leftover engineers from an old, World-War-II-era facility with the odd name of "Peenumunde Army Research Center", with the specific mission of designing seats that are clearly human torture devices first, and comfortable driver seating a distant second. But the biggie for me is the engine.

I bought this car with 70K on it, it's a blast to drive the way it is, it was completely untouched, all I've done to the car is switch to running Amsoil in the engine, one-size-larger Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4's on the wheels, and that's it. The engine, however, is the issue I'm attempting to address first. It's a bit noisy, I think it has the traditional timing chain rattle during startup, and I might have seen the slightest sheen of shiny metallic thingies in the oil during the last oil change. Given my experience with engines in particular, seeing even the faintest metallic sheen isn't exactly conducive to long engine life, so my questions about this car are:
1. Simply find another engine? Are these engines prone to lunching themselves like this? Not entirely certain that the previous owner (an accountant, oddly enough) took the best care of the engine with maintenance.
2. Is the fine metallic sparkly bit a common occurence with this engine? Simply replace the timing chain and tensioner setup and just drive it? I'm looking at Melling replacement bits, along with Hitachi OEM VVT intake cam sprockets.
3. If the engine needs to be replaced, any tips or ideas as to what might be a good idea to to pursue in getting a rebuilt short or long block? Is there a decent vendor out there who sells a solid stock-ish reman? Does anyone know if Nissan is still selling new or reman short blocks or long blocks? I haven't seen anything in my parts-site travels.
4. Is there something newer that might be swapped in, or just keep it simple and stick with what was designed to be in the car?
5. What about JDM used engines? I don't think I'm going to find anything decent in a used, 20-year-old engine, and at the very least, it's going to have to be resealed anyway.
6. Any idea what a happy engine oil weight might be for this 3.5? I'm particularly attached to Amsoil 5W40 and 5W50 options, as I haven't had any issues with that product.

Yes, I've asked these questions in other parts of the internet, and it's like anyone who knew any hard details about these cars sort of vanished a decade ago, only to be replaced with living bot accounts. I don't have much in the way of anything to return other than my ability to write jokes, lol, so if there's any info out there, it would be extremely helpful. I find myself in the unenviable position of having to dig into this car without any knowledge, and I really hate asking for help, especially if there's nothing I can immediately do in return.

(Squints really hard and presses "Submit New Thread" button)

 

LS swap ! (Couldn't resist)

Anything shiny is oil is not normal, I would do a compression check on the cylinders, but so many possibilities. Are the shiny (disco disco disco *****....you prob wont get that reference unless into edm), consistent on each oil chnage?

 

LOL.
I think that an LS swap wouldn't be too bad of an idea, as in some aspects, the simplicity of the engine itself isn't such a bad thing. I'm just not up to snuff enough on this platform to contemplate that drastic of a powerplant swap in regards to how to make it work within the existing Nissan/To Infiniti and Beyond! vehicle architecture/PCM/etc. I'm not against the idea, I'd simply need to research the idea further to see how bolt-in this project would be, as I'm already sort of two project cars deep (nothing major, just time consuming, and I don't have an excess of that having coasted the crest of age 50), and I'm also not having a lot of fun with flat-backing on concrete here of late.

In regards to the 2010 Camaro V6 I mentioned, that's already a "no go" on doing a V8 swap, if you want a V8, you buy a V8 car, end of story, or you cobble together a stand-alone setup and hope for the best. I've seen LS-swapped swapped G35's and 350Z's, but haven't learned a lot of anything else as to how far one has to go electronically to make it work in the existing car.

In regards to the oil changes, I've done four so far with this car, and what I can see of the potential metal carnage is more like incredibly fine, faint metal-appearing trails in the oil, and no bigger chunks as of yet.

 

Welcome- and in line with your question, I'd slow my roll and get a better idea of where your VQ is by performing a simple used oil analysis (UOA) first. Collect a sample of oil from this engine and send it off to a testing lab like Blackstone. For a reasonable $30-35 they will do a detailed analysis of what's in that sample and what condition your engine is in. Beyond mailing time, it takes a few weeks to get results back, but it can give a better idea of how much damage (if any) there is. Do a search on UOAs on this site and you'll get a better idea of what it's about. Good luck!

 

5W-40 is a healthy weight to run in VQ35s. How many miles are on it now? Are you hooning in the G35 or just your typical daily with some spirited driving?

If you have solid compression and you're only experiencing some timing chain rattles, I would simply do a timing chain service and call it good. The forbidden glitter could just be worn guides/tensioners. Worst case it's your crank bearings, but if the engine is running smooth/quiet within seconds after startup, then I don't think you have a crank bearing issues (mains or rods).

As these engines age, they all need new cam/crank sensors to keep things running smoothly.

Many folks have recently been posting on these forums with used domestic or jdm longblock replacements only to have new issues pop up after completing the swap. Personally I would stay away from used engines unless there's a solid warranty and proof the engine is healthy. You never know what kind of abuse the donor vehicle was subject to. (Street takeover crowd comes to my mind immediately). You've had the G35 since 70k mi, again not sure how many years/miles you've put on it since then (4 oil changes, but at what interval?), but if you're above 150k and you've been doing your regular fluid services, there's no reason the engine shouldn't last with some TLC in the form of a timing chain service.
Good Luck!
-Icer

 

"5W-40 is a healthy weight to run in VQ35s. How many miles are on it now? Are you hooning in the G35 or just your typical daily with some spirited driving?"
93,000 miles, no hooning, there might be some autocrossing at some point (after I get the engine sorted out first), but for now it's merely something of a daily with some spirited driving.

"If you have solid compression and you're only experiencing some timing chain rattles, I would simply do a timing chain service and call it good. The forbidden glitter could just be worn guides/tensioners. Worst case it's your crank bearings, but if the engine is running smooth/quiet within seconds after startup, then I don't think you have a crank bearing issues (mains or rods)."
The noise typically goes away pretty quickly. When I was running 5W30 Schaeffer's oil in it (the 9000 stuff), it was pretty freaking noisy on startup if you let it sit for a week or three. After switching over to Amsoil 5W40 (and the bigger 4.0 oil filter), it's nowhere near as bad on startup, even if it sits for a couple of weeks.
Beyond that, it seems like it's pretty quiet.

"As these engines age, they all need new cam/crank sensors to keep things running smoothly."
That's on my to-do list, I don't like being on foot. I'm looking at OEM pieces or NTK/Denso, something along those lines, I've had good luck with those product lines with the garbage I repair on a regular basis.

"Many folks have recently been posting on these forums with used domestic or jdm longblock replacements only to have new issues pop up after completing the swap. Personally I would stay away from used engines unless there's a solid warranty and proof the engine is healthy."
When was the last VQ35DE built? 2007? 2008? I've ran across several bum used engines over the last decade, both domestic and foreign, and have done some advising in regards to some JDM disasters that have popped up within a circle of acquaintances of mine. I'm already leery of the JDM option, if you're seeing horror stories in here, yeah, I'm not walking away from that option, I'm bum-rushing for the exit.

"You've had the G35 since 70k mi, again not sure how many years/miles you've put on it since then (4 oil changes, but at what interval?) The exact mileage actually comes out at my picking up the car at 78K miles in early 2023, and it's sitting right at 92344 as I type this. In regards to intervals, I did the first oil change at around 79K (I drove it home and around my area a bit). Three more were done between 79K and current, with about 2,000 miles on the current oil change.

"there's no reason the engine shouldn't last with some TLC in the form of a timing chain service."
That's one more question I have as of right now: I'm going to do the service, but which parts supplier should I look at? Is there an upgraded aftermarket set out there somewhere? I was planning on replacing the oil pump and water pump while I was in there (for obvious reasons), but if the OEM guides are already several miles down the road to the town of Terrible, do I just go back to OEM...again...or once again, is there something better, like Melling or more H/D?

Seriously, thank you for taking the time out to respond.

 

As for timing chain components. I would stick with OEM. But that’s mostly because I haven’t heard/seen any good or bad reviews on aftermarket kits. I’m not aware of anything upgraded in terms of the chains, tensioners, and guides.

The oil pump is a different story. Nissan upgraded the pump for the Revup variant of the VQ35DE. If you’re going that deep, then that’s the pump you want. Most pro builders select that pump by default in DE big power builds. Nissan also added a baffle plate to the bottom of the upper oil pan for the Revup VQ. High G cornering and acceleration is known to cause oil starvation issues at the pickup. The aftermarket industry offers large capacity oil pans. I recently installed the Z1 baffled pan on my Z. It’s a good upgrade if you plan to drop the upper oil pan and do the oil pump. Adds 1qt of additional capacity and includes a baffle, along with one way trap doors around the pickup tube.

Sounds like you have a good runner. I wouldn’t be overly concerned at this point. If it’s sitting for a while. Use clear flood mode to crank the engine and build some oil pressure before starting. That may help with the chain noise.

My guess is the secondary tensioners need some time to pump up and reduce the slop in the cam chains.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

I do think it wise to have a used oil analysis done. If there is excessive metal particulates present, this will give you the clearest answers on how best to proceed.

I recently switched to Pennzoil Ultra Plat 0W-40 during my oil pan upgrade. I took a sample of the old 5W-30 Ultra Plat and sent it off for analysis. I learned that copper content is a little higher than normal given the mileage. Nothing approaching danger levels, but higher than average considering the service interval on the oil. I’ll be taking another sample for analysis once I hit 3500-3800mi with the new 0W-40.

I’m posting the results on these forums under the VQ35DE Z1 Oil Pan review thread I made. Still got a ways to go before I take the sample (another 2500mi or so).

Cheers!
-Icer

 

Apologies, I tend to go a bit overboard in researching potential bad news scenarios, but I also don't like surprises. I ordered a Blackstone kit last week.

 

Stupid question: I haven't seen it listed anywhere (but I'm research-time-limited), does the stock/base DE have a windage tray in there somewhere?

 

Yes the stock block does have a windage tray mounted with the main caps inside the upper oil pan. The Revup VQ has a baffle plate mounted just above the lower oil pan (beneath the windage tray), closer to the pickup tube. The standard VQ35DE does not have this added baffle plate near the pickup.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Anything shiny is oil is not normal, I would do a compression check on the cylinders, but so many possibilities. Are the shiny (disco disco disco *****....you prob wont get that reference unless into edm), consistent on each oil chnage?

 

It's been over three months since Pickles last posted this. I wonder if he got a UOA done and what it showed?