It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

The Gas and Diesel Engines - VQ40De, VK56DE, YD25DDTi, V9X, Transmission, Transfer Case, Oil, Differentials, Axles, Exhaust...

Moderator: volvite

User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Postby BMXPath » Mon May 11, 2020 8:18 am

Update:

We are getting real close to being done. I actually got tot turn the key and cranked the engine this weekend. It did not start, we just turned it over to see if it would.
We haven't downloaded the program for the ECM in order to start it yet.
The only thing we have left to do is put the rad support, radiator, condenser, front bumper, etc back on.
I am off this Wed. Hopefully we will be finishing it up this week.


User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Postby BMXPath » Wed May 20, 2020 9:28 am

I did get her started Sat night. Engine fired up on the first try!
I do have a problem though... the gas pedal does not work. I think it needs to be programmed to recognize the different throttle body.
There are 3 codes set that are related to throttle position.
I probably wont get to mess with it until this weekend.

User avatar
disallow
Site Admin
Posts: 2820
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:02 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Postby disallow » Wed May 20, 2020 11:25 am

very cool. any pics?

User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Postby BMXPath » Wed May 20, 2020 4:53 pm

disallow wrote:very cool. any pics?
I've taken more pics and even a 15 second video of it idling BUT I broke my phone Tuesday.
I will post up more when I get my phone fixed. Ordered a new screen that should be in Thurs or Fri.

User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby BMXPath » Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:10 pm

V8 Pathfinder swap update:

I got her started May 15th. She wasn’t drivable at the time but the engine was running. Had like 8 or 9 codes with the check engine light. Some of the codes were throttle related and I
eventually got most of them worked out.
I’ve been driving her for about a month now. Still have a few issues and some reassembly to get done (cosmetic and the A/C). Main thing at this point is to get the correct transmission in her. Piecing together the main parts (engine, ECM, trans, and harness) from different trucks at a junkyard wasn’t the ideal thing to do. Turns out that a 2010 Titan ECM doesn’t communicate with the TCM inside a 2014 Titan transmission. Lucky for me the guy I bought the parts from is a friend of mine. He got me a 2010 Titan trans to replace the 2014 and is going to basically do an exchange. I will just need some new cat gaskets, trans filter kit, and some ATF fluid. I am going to install a new output shaft seal and torque conv seal while I am at it. We are probably gonna do that this weekend.
The transmission is in kind of a limp mode…. It shifts at 2500 rpm, every shift. Doesn’t matter if it is under load or easy driving thru the neighborhood. Interestingly, I can manually shift it
and SHE IS A BLAST!! I manually put her in first gear and just tap it up under hard acceleration, drag race style.
Let me tell ya… she runs like never before! The additional power is better than I thought it would be. My Pathfinder is a totally different vehicle/ beast now.
Here is something everyone will find interesting. Gas mileage is noticeably improved. Remember that my Pathfinder is 2wd. On my daily commute to and from work, in varying degrees of traffic, my trip computer usually showed and average of about 17 to 18 mpg. With the Titan swap, I now average 21. I haven’t done any lengthy road trips to determine how highway mileage is.

silverarrow27
Posts: 414
Joined: Sat May 02, 2020 1:40 am
Location: Banning, CA

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby silverarrow27 » Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:28 pm

And here I am with my trip computer telling me I'm averaging 14.7 mpg. :(

Congrats man! Glad you're enjoying the VK56. Before I bought my 2011 this year. I kind of regretted not buy a 2008 V8 LE that had transmission problems. The seller had it listed for $2000 obo so I'm sure someone made it out like a beast and it was in excellent condition too, inside and out. It was a 2wd model, but man I love that Russet interior.

User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby BMXPath » Thu Sep 10, 2020 3:50 pm

Here are a couple of things to consider about the improved gas mileage. These are my semi-educated assumptions...

1. The power to weight ratio has improved alot. So the VK engine is working much less than the VQ to move the Pathfinder around.
2. The VQ40 is designed to run at higher rpm's in order to get the most power from it. I noticed immediately that the VK runs at a lower rpm at highway speed than the VQ did.

Oh yeah, I've noticed my fuel mileage improvements despite my heavy footed fun factor with the new power!! :D

silverarrow27
Posts: 414
Joined: Sat May 02, 2020 1:40 am
Location: Banning, CA

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby silverarrow27 » Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:19 pm

True considering you're 2wd, cloth interior, and none of the other extra options that come on the LE. Also you're probably on 3.36 gear ratio as oppose to 2.93 so that definitely helps with acceleration and keeping the engine it's prime power band most likely.

User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby BMXPath » Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:28 pm

Well, between my 300 lb butt and my subwoofer box, I'm sure I have made up for a few pieces of trim and leather on an LE. :P

User avatar
BMXPath
Posts: 361
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 7:55 am
Location: Texas!

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby BMXPath » Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:02 pm

Swapped transmissions over the weekend. Took out the 2014 Titan trans and installed a 2010 Titan trans.
… Remember that I used a 2010 engine and ecm for the swap.
The only code I had left was U0101 (lost communication with tcm). That code has been there since I got it
running back in May. Cleared the code yesterday and it has not come back!!
Lesson learned: Do not piece together this swap with pieces from different year models. 2004 to 2015 Titans
are pretty much the same physically as far as engine, trans, ecm. The programming/ electronics are not.

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Sep 16, 2020 12:19 pm

BMXPath wrote:
Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:02 pm
Do not piece together this swap with pieces from different year models. 2004 to 2015 Titans
are pretty much the same physically as far as engine, trans, ecm. The programming/ electronics are not.
Great job and thanks for doing this swap!


So TCM, ECM, Engine + trans need to be same Model year... but do not need to match model years of R51 yes?

User avatar
palmerwmd
Site Admin
Posts: 2343
Joined: Tue Jan 31, 2017 4:45 am
Location: Mid Atlantic

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby palmerwmd » Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:09 pm

Bumping this great thread!

User avatar
Thupertrooper
Posts: 674
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:17 am
Location: Mesa,AZ

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby Thupertrooper » Wed Jun 08, 2022 12:41 pm

Bumping this write up.
Great job man thanks for all the heads up. My truck is too beat up to swap a VK but maybe I happen to find a cheap 2door fronty lol. If you want better power to weight ratio you have more then 300lbs of seats under you lol. Im working on getting more vids up on youtube but hope to see your pathy rip it lol.

wbruner
Posts: 38
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 1:35 pm
Location: Southwest Missouri

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby wbruner » Fri Jun 10, 2022 7:52 am

What's your YouTube Channel?

User avatar
Thupertrooper
Posts: 674
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:17 am
Location: Mesa,AZ

Re: It has begun!! Titan VK56 swap in my '05!

Postby Thupertrooper » Fri Jun 10, 2022 1:28 pm

I recently started adding to youtube but this is my most recent upload. Stock life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7PwO3wnXfk


Return to “R51 Engine, Driveline and Powertrain”