V8 Elgrand - myth or real 🤔

[kfgas]

I agree that to most people a V12 is probably more boring than a V8, it doesn't have the V8 sound etc and they're usually in a lower state of tune than a V8 because they're aimed at buyers whom don't necessarily want top end bhp but want the smoothness and exclusivity. I like them for the extremely smooth power delivery and perfect balance that you can never get from a V8 or any other design and because they're a lot rarer than V8's. W12's aren't as smooth as V12's. The nice sounding rumble of a (usual type) split plane crank V8 is due to it's uneven cylinder firing (they don't fire one cylinder on one bank then one cylinder on the other bank) but that's actually a detriment to power and smooth running because exhaust system scavenging is uneven with such firing cycle. A Ferrari V8 in a Maserati has a split plane crank and has the nice rumble like an American V8 but Ferrari's own version of the same engine has a flat plane crank with even firing across cylinder banks so sounds like 2 x 4 cylinder engines which isn't as exciting as the rumbler engines but makes more power without other exhaust system mods.

When I bought my SL55 I also test drove a SL600 which has a V12 with about the same power as a standard SL55 and was torn with buying it but it had more miles on it than I wanted and was right at the top of my budget.
Tremendous to drive and so smooth and more refined than the SL55 with nothing in it performance wise between the two but then found the car that I have which has been modified to about 600 BHP and the SL55 feels and sounds so much faster.
If I had the money I would love a V12 Ferrari.
As an aside I picked my car up today from my local Merc indie after having some work done and they had to move a lovely looking grey Mecedes Maclaren SLR as it was blocking my car in and the engine note made mine sound tame even with the decat and X pipe that I have fitted.

 

[Cato Fong]

FWIW Nissan has made V8 engines;

Nissan VK engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Don't think I'd volunteer to do a spark plug change on it if fitted in an Elgrand....

 

[WeldHog]

Elgrand engine VQ35DE can be modified as it is similar to standard 350z engine, there are differences in auxiliaries and ECU to name a few but the biggest problem is the lack of room, there’s not enough space to even put a different plenum. Even simple task of airbox delete and making an induction piping involves a bit of cutting and fitting. Technically we could do alot of things but there’s not enough space so having engine in the back makes sense


Edit, forgot that Nissan makes NA V8, VQ54DE if I’m not mistaken, I know some off-roaders had them, but probably not in UK.

 

[Lpgc]

FWIW Nissan has made V8 engines;

Nissan VK engine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Don't think I'd volunteer to do a spark plug change on it if fitted in an Elgrand....

Yeah, Malc (or his mate) and myself (separately) both considered putting a Nissan V8 in an Elgrand a few years ago.

If they did make an Elgrand V8 it might have been easier to change plugs on it than on the V6 Elgrands. Manufacturers tend to make planums on V6's quite wide which means they extend over the cam covers and on a 4V engine that's going to mean tricky access to plugs, but a V8 will have a 90degree V while a V6 will have a 60degree V so the same width plenum on a 4V V8 won't spoil access to plugs as much. Probably more of a pain to change plugs on an older 2V V8 if plugs are on the outsides of the heads.

 

[Riarne]

V8,s are all well and good but they down fuel like a p155 head at a free bar.


View attachment 89304
Audi 4.2 V8 40 valve tiptronic - the last of the true Planet Killers.

The Elgrand is pretty thirsty to begin with so why not go the whole 9 yards

 

[Riarne]

Just read like every comment on here and not a single person has done it. Only one person mentioned doing an engine swap and it was just replacing an engine with the same Elgrand engine so anybody on here actually done an engine swap with any actual other engine other than the Elgrand engine, even if it’s not a V8

 

[Lpgc]

Just read like every comment on here and not a single person has done it. Only one person mentioned doing an engine swap and it was just replacing an engine with the same Elgrand engine so anybody on here actually done an engine swap with any actual other engine other than the Elgrand engine, even if it’s not a V8

As I write I'm in the middle of rebuilding the 302 SBF out of the boat I bought, pulled the engine to rebuild it because I found out it was down on compression badly on #2 cylinder, there was a knock on it and it had a misfire at high engine loads on a river test. All due I think to a duff marine manifold on the starboard side allowing water into cylinders through exhaust ports diluting the oil film on starboard side cylinders.

I've done all the repair / honing etc work and I'm in the middle of putting the engine back together with all new pistons from RockAuto, didn't need to touch the mains or big ends, seems the engine was rebuilt +40 shortly before I bought it. So I'm committed to finishing the rebuild on this engine now and looking forward to putting it back in the boat.

I have 3 E51 Elgrands, 1 of which has a slightly leaking head gasket. The one with the HG problem has rust on the rear arches and it's missing plastic wheel arch liners so I'm undecided on whether or not it's worth fixing it up, but other than that it's a good car, 4wd too. A local guy has most parts (block / heads / rods / covers / etc) for a 351W engine and I'm supposed to be going to see it, maybe buy it to build it up. I was originally interested in it as a fallback project in case things didn't go to plan with my 302 but I have wondered about buying the 351W and sticking it in the E51 lol. It wouldn't be like having an LS engine but wouldn't be too far off if a £900 set of aftermarket aluminium heads were fitted.

 

[Riarne]

As I write I'm in the middle of rebuilding the 302 SBF out of the boat I bought, pulled the engine to rebuild it because I found out it was down on compression badly on #2 cylinder, there was a knock on it and it had a misfire at high engine loads on a river test. All due I think to a duff marine manifold on the starboard side allowing water into cylinders through exhaust ports diluting the oil film on starboard side cylinders.

I've done all the repair / honing etc work and I'm in the middle of putting the engine back together with all new pistons from RockAuto, didn't need to touch the mains or big ends, seems the engine was rebuilt +40 shortly before I bought it. So I'm committed to finishing the rebuild on this engine now and looking forward to putting it back in the boat.

I have 3 E51 Elgrands, 1 of which has a slightly leaking head gasket. The one with the HG problem has rust on the rear arches and it's missing plastic wheel arch liners so I'm undecided on whether or not it's worth fixing it up, but other than that it's a good car, 4wd too. A local guy has most parts (block / heads / rods / covers / etc) for a 351W engine and I'm supposed to be going to see it, maybe buy it to build it up. I was originally interested in it as a fallback project in case things didn't go to plan with my 302 but I have wondered about buying the 351W and sticking it in the E51 lol. It wouldn't be like having an LS engine but wouldn't be too far off if a £900 set of aftermarket aluminium heads were fitted.

I was thinking about putting an LS1 motor in mine, but not sure if it will fit and if you can buy a adapter plate to work on the Nissan Elgrand four-wheel-drive gearbox as I still want to be able to turn the four-wheel-drive on and off. I know if I bought a motor and gearbox and diff out of something else and replace a lot. It would just work but I would lose the four-wheel-drive function or if I got a gearbox that was all wheel drive would still have the four-wheel-drive function, but it would be on all the time chewing more fuel

 

[WeldHog]

The Elgrand is pretty thirsty to begin with so why not go the whole 9 yards

Exactly, the only thing worse than Elgrand fuel efficiency would probably be a Sherman tank.

 

[WhatsThisFor]

I have found that engine upgrades for power in a vehicle not designed for it causes headaches, over estimated costs / labour and marital stress.

The unrated lump sounds great on paper but you then need to update items attached to it, transmission, diffs, transfer boxes, drive shafts - even the brakes, more power, more speed, requires better stopping performance.

It turns into a money pit that you keep having to dip into, and when you are committed to the project the more you have spent, the more you feel pressured in to spending more to finish it.

I felt it was similar to someone playing on a Fruit Machine/one arm bandit, the more money fed into the machine the more you think it is due to pay out…
So you keep feeding it because you’ve put so much in that it must pay out soon, you can’t walk away because someone else will step in and hit the jackpot.
……sometimes there is no jackpot, just an empty wallet.

 

[WeldHog]

The man above is spitting some truth.