decrobinson1999

Hi, I am new to the forum and have just bought my 350 a few days ago. From what i understand the HR engine came into the cars in 2006/7, however the 07 car i have has the DE Revup egine, is this because there was a crossover period of cars produced to when they got registered or am i just wrong

Also looking into a CAI and i know this had been asked a lot but just thought i'd asked in this same thread as to which was best for the engine i have.

Thanks for any advice in advance

813_350Z

"
VQ35DE
This engine came in 03-05 and 06 auto cars. These were the original that came in the 350z and was offered from 03-05.

VQ35DE Rev-Up
This 300hp engine was an upgraded version of the DE which revved higher and achieved higher horsepower numbers while sacrificing some torque. These came in 05 manuals and in everything in 06. The thing to watch out for on these engines is their tendency to eat a little oil.

VQ35HR
This is the newest and arguably the best version of the VQ35 offered in the 350. It offers more horsepower than the Rev-Up, and featured a dual intake system. This came in the 07-08s and the 09 roadsters.
"
Are you positive the engine is the original, and was not replaced?


The factory intake is remarkably well designed (straight shot to plenum and made of materials that don't absorb heat easily) and can't be beat for performance. You can get a CAI such as a Jim Wolf, but it will require a retune in order to net any difference that will be hardly noticeable. If you want a CAI, do it only for the looks

Welcome to the forums.

decrobinson1999

Hi 813 thanks for the swift reply,

i thought as much which i why i dont get how my 2007 350 has a revvup engine i assumed it would have a HR engine?
the only conclusion i came to was that it was manufactured in late 2006 and just not registered until 2007 (i am probably wrong)

As far as the CAI goes, i do intend on getting a remap and tune in the near future and thought this would be the cheapest way to kick off the simple mods with little HP gains but a better induction noise. Any suggestions where my money may be better spent at this time?

813_350Z

It's possible. Maybe someone who has much more experience on this will offer input and clear it up. The only other thing I can think of is if the car had an engine replacement. What is making you think it is a DE-RU?

How far in the future are you planning your retune, and what are you goals with the car? FI or NA?

decrobinson1999

It has a 7k redline which correct me if i'm wrong would be 6.5k in the standard DE engine, and then 7.5k in the HR, as well as it only having a single air intake made me assume it was a revup with having the higher redline but still only 1 intake. It was registered at the begining of 2007 which made me just assume it was produced in 2006 but registered just into 2007 meaning it had newer plates but was one of the last revups produced.

I am planning on getting it retuned in the next month or so, and for no i'm keeping it NA as i'm a young driver and then eventually FI in the future as the kits are expensive!!

813_350Z

Just making sure. You're correct. The HR has dual intakes and a redline around the 7.5k mark. Maybe I am wrong, but a Z manufactured in 06 would be sold as an 07, and should have the HR.

If you are planning to keep it NA for a while then I assume you are planning to upgrade headers? Personally, I would wait until you had all of your bolt-ons purchased and ready to go before getting tuned so as not to have to retune each time you change parts, but that is just me.

decrobinson1999

I have no idea then, I was on the same thought path as you before i found and purchased this car then began to wonder if there was some kind of cross over period. i'm just happy to have a Z, regardless of the engine it is the best car i have driven.

And that sound like a good idea, i was planning on intake, headers/full exhaust system and then looking into something like a kinetix intake manifold, but it does make sense to have the tune done once everything is on, and then begin the big save for FI as the kits i've seen are upwards of 4k

813_350Z

At least you are enjoying the Z. It really is a great car even with the Rev-Up. Just keep an eye on your oil levels. The DE and the DE-RU both had an oil consumption problem with the Rev-Up being the worst.

The engine is still very reliable. Nissan designed these engines to easily reach 200k provided you take care of them. I have had my 05 DE for 8 years and have added 80k miles. I have spent roughly 300 in repairs, not including normal wear-and-tear items such as brakes and tires.

I am glad to see that you are thinking things through. Yes FI is very expensive, but is worth it. You will be happy with a small setup. Take your time, do your research, and then ask questions. You have 16 years of trial and error, write-ups, engine build threads, and several individuals who are very knowledgeable on FI, at your fingertips. Use them, but be smart.

decrobinson1999

Thanks for all your help, i am in no rush to get FI and plan on doing my research as i am only 20 and the car only has just under 90k on the clock so i am planning this to be a long term project.and 300bhp is good for now, just looking to do some small power gains and other things to compliment the car well without rushing too far ahead. i am not too worried about the oil as its just another quirk to the car that comes with the great performance.

What are your opinions on the intake manifold and are there any other alternatives to the Kinetix or is the stock one better (aside from the aesthetics IMO)? And would this be stable enough to use with FI at a later date?

813_350Z

Don't waste your money on a Kinetix. Your OEM manifold will do just fine for your goals. I would add a good plenum spacer and be done with it. You can even install this as part of your NA setup, and carry it over to when you go FI. If you want looks, just throw a nice carbon fiber cover on the manifold to replace the black OEM cover.

Check the Forced Induction section. TONS of good information in there. I am sure you can find exactly what you are looking for to answer any questions you may have.

decrobinson1999

That sounds like a good idea, didnt think of that. My current one is just a worn our metal grey looking colour and its looking pretty sorry for itself but still has the function, what exactly does the plenum spacer offer and is it easy to install, i have read a little about them but it was all very technical and obviously they are trying to sell you a product so will make it sound easier and better than it is. Would the spacer go well with a CAI and an exhaust system well?

813_350Z

I picked one up not too long ago for roughly $80. Much better than the standard black OEM cover.

Bottom line, a spacer lifts the plenum, which results in an increase of the volume of air that can be had inside of the plenum. Unfortunately, the way Nissan designed our OEM plenum results in poor air flow to the rear intake runners inside. The spacer helps to clear that path and creates better flow to those runners.

decrobinson1999

That sounds like a good idea, do you have any idea where/what cover you got, I've have a quick Google and cant seem to really find any, maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. As for the plennum, does this offer much in the terms of gains for the car or is it just a good thing to have to allow the car to react better to the increase in air and exhaust gasses and is it an easy install. Sorry if I'm asking too many questions, just want to be as familar as possible.

813_350Z

Nah, you're good.

The plenum will net you a small HP and torque gain similar to, but probably slightly better than, your CAI.

This is the cheapest I have found for your car
https://thmotorsports.com/2728233-pa...PD_BwE#fitment

decrobinson1999

Brilliant that helps a lot, would the plenum spacer work well with say a larger intake above stock say above 3 inch? or would this just be pointless.

And thank you for the link, i'll look into picking one up, seems like a much easier and cheaper way to clean up the engine bay a little

813_350Z

I wouldn't go any larger than the size of your throttle body. Just stick with a standard size intake with a 5/16 spacer. Any larger on the spacer and you will need to remove your strut bar, or find a new one because it will no longer clear the plenum.

I'll take a pic of my cover when I get home so you can see how it looks.

eZg

iTrader: (5)

The best mod I ever did was catback exhaust. Sure it may yield slight hp gains but the change in exhaust note literally put a smile on my face every time I started her up....

decrobinson1999

Ah right, that makes sense, so just go with a standard size intake and plenum and then take it from there i am just wanting a slightly louder intake note than what the standard offers, i understand that the gains are minimal however any gain is a gain. Are there any recomendations of plenum spacers i have red up on this and have seen that there are a few out there, some more expensive than others, i just wondered whether the extra money in this are is worth it because as you previoiusy said the CAI is really only an aesthetic mod with little gain and suggested the JWT.

A pic would be great thanks so i can see what i'll be looking at once done.

decrobinson1999

Would you mind if i asked what you are running with, i would like to do this soon, however i dont wish to have an obnoxiously loud exhaust, just a better note than factory

813_350Z

The JWT is just a suggestion. There are many others out there such as Stillen.

Don't pay mind to my dirty engine bay. The car just recently got off DD status so I plan to scrub everything down. I plan to add a carbon fiber intake tube and radiator shroud. After that I will be happy.