Hello,

A friend of mine recently purchased a used Mitjet racecar from Europe (made in France) with a VQ35DE. The engine tossed a rod out the side last weekend. He is trying to source a replacement engine however is not sure what exact engine it is. Please see numbers stamped on the engine block and cam covers. The numbers are VQ35 557574D in one spot and 180703 12 in another.
Can anyone identify this by the numbers? He says the front cam covers are different from engines he's finding.

Thank you,
~Louis

 

What do the cam covers look like? It's hard to tell from the pictures. The rev-up VQ35DE has variable valve timing for the intake and exhaust camshafts which is why they look different than the non-revup.

This is a VQ35DE (non rev-up):


This is what a VQ35DE rev-up looks like:

 

Thank you. I'll try to get some more pics.

 

That's not a DE or Revup variant of the DE. That appears to be a VQ35HR. See photo.
-Icer

 

Interesting. He's pulling the motor out tonight so hopefully we can get a good pic of the front of the engine.

 

It also has a single throttle body which lead us to believe is was a DE.

 

Here it is out of the car.

 

This might be a unique variant that was offered on later production years, it's not an HR or DE. Perhaps this is a VQ35DD (Direct Injection). How do the fuel rails look?
The stamping "180703 12" I believe represents the production date (July 3rd 2018, mold/casting revision 12).
Cheers!
-Icer

 

The fact that the dipstick tube is mounted next to the crank pulley sort of confirms this. This was done for transverse mount applications (FWD). But the images I've checked/searched for VQ35DD engines have different cam covers. This is a hard engine to identify. I found a Mexican wrecker website in spanish that has one. (LINK). Only 75000 pesos! (4k USD) But they don't give details about the donor vehicle. Simply saying it came from an Infiniti, but not which model. This model engine does appear to be a late production unit though, which I think can only be a VQ35DD (Direct Injection).
Good Luck!
-Icer

 

Maximas had 1 TB HR variants I believe

 

Thanks Icer! Yes it's a tough one for sure. I appreciate the research and comments.

~Lou

 

Heya Dark,

The sixth (04-08), seventh (09-14), and eighth (15-23) generation Maximas all used a VQ35DE according to the Wiki. But those cam covers are very unique and I cannot find any notes about engine changes beyond the addition of direct injection in 2017. There was a redesign which launched in 2016 on the VQ35DE put in the Maxima which boosted output to 300hp. This is different from the previous VQ35DE generations, I found this article on it.." The timing case and cam cover images/renderings I've been able to find for the 2016+ Nissan Maxima 3.5L also don't match the OP's engine.

The VQ35DD was only in the 2017+ Muranos and Pathfinders. I haven't been able to source reliable images of the front of this engine.

Perhaps the difference lies with the chassis configuration.
1) FWD vs. AWD
2) CVT vs. Manual

Or perhaps the OP's engine is some kind of Renault/Nissan baby hybrid that was never available in the US market. Information on it is really lacking and it's driving me nuts. It shouldn't be this difficult to identify.

AHA! While writing this, I think we found our engine. It is indeed a Renault V4Y, which does in fact appear to be a special variant of the Nissan VQ35DE built specifically for Renault. We don't have any of these stateside, which is why it's so difficult to find data on it. I suppose having a Renault engine in a French made racecar is fitting, even though these engines were manufactured in Japan.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Reading more about this variant. The V4Y appears to be detuned for the Euro market (lower emissions & comfort), but does share the same block and internals as a VQ35DE. The front timing covers are different to accommodate fitment in Renault platforms (transverse mounting, FWD). The same is true for the intake manifold and other ancillaries (like oil filter location).

That being the case, you're probably better off grabbing a VQ35DE longblock, but you potentially will need a new ECU or a retune. I'm not sure if the heads got banged up when the rod let go, but you might be able to get a shortblock VQ35DE and transfer over the heads and timing covers to ensure an easy drop-in. Otherwise you risk needing to revise wiring harness, ECU, and engine mounts, among others.
Cheers!
-Icer

 

Hey Lou,

If I was your buddy (and assuming race class rules allow it), I wouldn't even bother trying to source the V4Y variant, it's going to be very costly to ship/import into the US. Since it's been detuned and puts out less power, well that sort of defeats the purpose of "racecar" right? Instead I would recommend looking for a 2016+ Maxima VQ35DE (lots of availability stateside from wreckers). Those are configured for transverse mount applications, single intake, and tuned up to make great power. The timing cover is different, so you will probably need to re-make a custom engine mount, but I would wager that is more budget friendly vs. sourcing the Renault variant. You will also need to modify or replace the wiring harness and ECU. Alternatively, you could try and find older generation VQ35DEs from the early 2000s era that were setup for FWD applications.

Ultimately, it's your bud's decision, just wanted to share my 2c.
(Note: I found the Mitjet website, these actually look really cool)

Good Luck!
-Icer

 

Icer, with your help I think we've identified it. It appears to be a 2014-2017 Infiniti Q50 Hybrid. Here's a link to one:

https://extreme-auto-parts.com/media...2vGsYLateGX4aD

Thanks,
~Lou

 

Hell Yeah! I didn't even realize there was a Q50 Hybrid! That explains a lot! Well sweet! The price looks fair for a used one!
Hope you get the Mit-Jet up and running again! Might look into a Fluidampr crank pulley and maybe a larger lower oil pan. I suspect the rod let go due to oil starvation or bad crank harmonics.
Cheers!
-Icer