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Remanufactured Nissan 3.0L V6 Engine - 200SX, Maxima, 300ZX, D21

3.0L · V6 · Part 326B

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We'll confirm availability and your price on this remanufactured engine — warrantied, with a refundable core.

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Platinum Warranty: parts and labour, four years, included on gas engines in non-commercial use

4-year no-fault nationwide warranty — includedOn gas engines in non-commercial use, at no extra charge. The builder’s standard cover is 3 years, parts only. Every gas engine we sell includes the 4-year no-fault warranty with labour, at no extra charge.

  • “No fault” means we do not investigate why it failed — if a covered engine fails inside the term, it is covered.
  • Labour is paid up to CAD $95.00 per hour — a cap on the rate, not a flat payout — and only for the remove-and-replace hours in the Mitchell labour guide. Diagnostic time is covered up to 2 hours, and fluids up to CAD $200.00. Towing and a rental car are not covered. Anything not listed here needs to be agreed with us before the work starts.
  • The 4 years start the day the engine is installed, and a claim needs proof that a professional shop installed it.
  • Unlimited kilometres, and no deductible.
  • Call us before any warranty work starts, so we can authorise it. Labour paid on a repair we were not asked about first is not covered.
  • A claim starts with a call to us. We file it with the manufacturer, and the manufacturer pays it.

Diesel engines, and engines put into commercial service, are not covered by this 4-year warranty — the terms vary by engine, so call us for the terms on the unit you’re pricing.

Full warranty termsInstalling the engine

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Fits

  • Nissan 200SX, Maxima, 300ZX, D21 1984–1987 · 3.0L V6

Not sure it fits? Call (780) 473-2424 with your VIN and we'll confirm.

4-year warranty included

Refundable core

Ships Canada-wide

Engine guide

Nissan VG / VQ V6 (3.0-3.5L)

Also known as: VG30E, VG30DE, VG30DETT, VQ30DE, VQ35DE, Nissan 3.0 V6, Nissan 3.5 V6

Overview & history

Nissan's modern V6 story starts with the VG — Japan's first mass-produced V6 engine. Development began in 1979 at Nissan Machinery, and when the VG launched in 1983 it replaced the long-serving L-series inline six, whose roots traced to a 1951 Mercedes-Benz design. The VG was conservative and durable: a 60-degree V6 with a cast-iron block and aluminum heads, built from 2.0 to 3.3 litres. In North America the 3.0L VG30E did the heavy lifting — 300ZX, Maxima, Hardbody pickup, Pathfinder, Quest — while the twin-turbo DOHC VG30DETT made the Z32 300ZX a genuine 300-horsepower supercar-fighter. In 1994 Nissan introduced its clean-sheet successor, the all-aluminum VQ. The 3.0L VQ30DE arrived in the 1995 Maxima and Infiniti I30, followed in 2002 by the 3.5L VQ35DE, which spread across the Altima, Maxima, Murano, Quest, Pathfinder, 350Z, and much of the Infiniti lineup. The VQ series earned a spot on Ward's 10 Best Engines list for 14 consecutive years — every year from the list's inception through 2008. The VG retired in 2004; VQ35-family engines stayed in production for decades after.

Specs & engineering

  • •VG family: 60-degree V6, cast-iron block, aluminum heads; early versions SOHC two-valve, later VG30DE/DETT versions DOHC four-valve with N-VCT variable valve timing.
  • •VG30E: 2,960 cc, 87 x 83 mm bore/stroke, about 153 hp and 182 lb-ft, belt-driven cams.
  • •April 1987 'W-series' VG30 update added six water galleries on the exhaust side of the cylinders plus revised pistons and rods, each stamped with a 'W'.
  • •VQ family: clean-sheet all-aluminum 60-degree V6, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, timing chains, variable intake cam timing.
  • •VQ30DE: 2,988 cc, 93 x 73.3 mm bore/stroke, 10.0:1 compression.
  • •VQ35DE: 3,498 cc, 95.5 x 81.4 mm, closed-deck block with iron liners, forged steel rods, micro-finished one-piece forged crank, moly-coated pistons; built in Iwaki, Japan and Decherd, Tennessee.
  • •Key service difference: the VG runs a timing belt on a strict replacement schedule; every VQ runs chains.

Generations & variants

  • •VG30E (1984-1998, North America): SOHC 12-valve 3.0L workhorse.
  • •VG30ET (1984-1989): turbocharged SOHC 3.0L, Z31 300ZX Turbo.
  • •VG30DE / VG30DETT (1990-1996): DOHC 24-valve Z32 300ZX — 222 hp naturally aspirated, 300 hp twin-turbo.
  • •VG33E (1996-2004): 3.3L SOHC stroker sibling (Frontier, Xterra, Pathfinder, Quest).
  • •VQ30DE (1995-2001): all-aluminum DOHC 3.0L, Maxima and Infiniti I30.
  • •VQ35DE (2002-2015+ applications): 3.5L across Altima, Maxima, Murano, Quest, Pathfinder, 350Z, Infiniti I35/G35/FX35; higher-output 'Rev-up' version in 2005-2006 350Z/G35 manuals.
  • •VQ35HR (2007-on): revised 7,500-rpm successor, leading to the VQ37VHR with VVEL variable valve lift.

Vehicles it powered

  • •Nissan 300ZX Z31 (1984-1989)
  • •Nissan 300ZX Z32 (1990-1996)
  • •Nissan Maxima (1985-2008)
  • •Nissan Pathfinder (1986-1995, 2001-2004)
  • •Nissan Hardbody D21 Pickup (1986-1995)
  • •Nissan Quest (1993-1998, 2004-2009)
  • •Nissan Altima 3.5 (2002-2015+)
  • •Nissan Murano (2003-2015+)
  • •Nissan 350Z (2003-2008)
  • •Nissan Frontier/Xterra 3.3 (1996-2004, VG33E)
  • •Infiniti I30 (1996-2001)
  • •Infiniti I35 (2002-2004)
  • •Infiniti G35 (2003-2006)
  • •Infiniti FX35 (2003-2008)

Known issues & fixes

VG30E timing belt (interference engine)

What to watch for: Nothing — belts age out silently, and the VG30E is an interference engine: a snapped belt can drive valves into pistons.

The fix: Replace every 60,000 miles (96,000 km) without fail; do the tensioner and water pump while you're in there.

VG30E exhaust manifold stud breakage

What to watch for: Ticking or exhaust noise at the manifolds. The soft original studs commonly snap flush with the head; Nissan TSB 94041 covers improved studs.

The fix: Install the updated studs; replace the full set whenever a head comes off.

VQ35DE pre-catalyst failure feeding debris into the engine (early-2000s applications)

What to watch for: Catalyst efficiency codes, rattle from the manifold-mounted pre-cats, then oil burning — broken honeycomb gets drawn into the cylinders and scores the bores.

The fix: Fix rattling pre-cats immediately. If bores are scored and it burns oil, a reman engine plus new cats is the reliable repair.

VQ35DE oil consumption (worst in 2005-2007 'Rev-up' engines)

What to watch for: Oil level dropping between changes, often before 100,000 miles; the 2005-2007 Rev-up 350Z/G35 manuals are the worst affected.

The fix: Check the dipstick regularly and top up. Heavy consumption means worn oil-control rings — a rebuild or reman engine is the real fix.

VQ35DE timing chain guide and tensioner wear

What to watch for: Buzz or whine from the timing cover near 2,000 rpm, rising with revs — secondary chains wearing into the plastic guides and tensioners.

The fix: Install a complete timing chain kit rather than single parts; the labour to get in there is the expensive part.

Did you know?

  • ★The VG was Japan's first mass-produced V6 when it launched in 1983.
  • ★The VQ made Ward's 10 Best Engines 14 straight years, every year from the list's 1995 inception through 2008.
  • ★VG-based turbo V6s powered the Nissan GTP ZX-Turbo and NPT-90 to back-to-back IMSA championships.
  • ★Renault badged the VQ35DE as the V4Y and fitted it to the Vel Satis and Espace.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]