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Been running great since the swap over a year ago. Was planning on putting the S/C back on now that I've slowed down in work, but I took it out today and got her washed right before I blew it. Was coming back home and made a U-turn, then punched it in 1st....pop! My engine shut off and wouldn't start back up. Sounded like there was little compression. I thought for sure that the timing belt had snapped because it was a faint pop sound like something snapped. Got it towed home. Took the timing belt cover off enough to see the belt. It was nice and tight. Hmmmm....now what can it be? Decided to remove the front 3 spark plugs.....here's what cylinder #5 spark plug looked like..........same cylinder that blew in my J32a2. Wtf.....i guess this is the gamble you take when you get a junkyard motor. Now, i have another junkyard j32a2 sitting in my garage. Do I trust that motor that's been sitting for 8+ years just like this j35a3 that just gave out, or do I go down another path.
Now, i have another junkyard j32a2 sitting in my garage. Do I trust that motor that's been sitting for 8+ years just like this j35a3 that just gave out, or do I go down another path.
Sorry to hear.
I thought that J32A2 you had showed you low compression numbers upon delivery and that's what compelled you to try the J35A3?
If you want to keep the car, my bias will show; but, I'd say stay with the J35A3.
The guys below have a 2001 on car-part.com with 72K.
Japanese & European Used Auto Parts
9809 Palm River Rd
Tampa, Florida 33619
(813) 623-3333
I thought that J32A2 you had showed you low compression numbers upon delivery and that's what compelled you to try the J35A3?
If you want to keep the car, my bias will show; but, I'd say stay with the J35A3.
The guys below have a 2001 on car-part.com with 72K.
Japanese & European Used Auto Parts
9809 Palm River Rd
Tampa, Florida 33619
(813) 623-3333
Hi Zeta! Unfortunately my j35a3 blew....that j32a2 that's in my garage did have low compression in two cylinders ( about 25 psi lower than the rest ). I figured the compression might jump up to normal in those two cylinders once it's ran and warmed up but that's another gamble I would have to take. I did see that j35a3 on car-part with 72k on it earlier when I went in there. That was the only engine that sparked my interest. Looking for another manual j32a2 now seems impossible, so I probably wouldn't go down that route. The j32a2 in my garage is a manual engine which makes it pretty rare, but I don't know if I trust it. What about jdm motors from japan with really low mileage? Not sure if they are different in some ways though
Hi Zeta! Unfortunately my j35a3 blew....that j32a2 that's in my garage did have low compression in two cylinders ( about 25 psi lower than the rest ). I figured the compression might jump up to normal in those two cylinders once it's ran and warmed up but that's another gamble I would have to take. I did see that j35a3 on car-part with 72k on it earlier when I went in there. That was the only engine that sparked my interest. Looking for another manual j32a2 now seems impossible, so I probably wouldn't go down that route. The j32a2 in my garage is a manual engine which makes it pretty rare, but I don't know if I trust it. What about jdm motors from japan with really low mileage? Not sure if they are different in some ways though
The guy on the thread below had a problem with a JDM J32A2 that was swapped into a CLS6 he had purchased off someone, so beware. He never really came back and updated his thread so I'm not sure what happened. IMHO, a Low mile JDM engine would be an 'even money' roll of the dice as any other USDM J-engine from a local salvage yard.
The guy on the thread below had a problem with a JDM J32A2 that was swapped into a CLS6 he had purchased off someone, so beware. He never really came back and updated his thread so I'm not sure what happened. IMHO, a Low mile JDM engine would be an 'even money' roll of the dice as any other USDM J-engine from a local salvage yard.
Good point Zeta, thanks for the heads up! I'll stay away from the jdm engines. I just don't know whether to go with another j35a3 or a j32a2. You still have to swap over the same sensors and sprockets in an automatic j32a2 engine as you would in the j35a3 engine, so they both require the same amount of work, but isn't a j32a2 thought of a better engine than a j35a3? I mean, in my eyes they are both basically the same engine, but since I'm putting a supercharger on I don't think the horsepower or Torque are going to be much different from one to the other, I just thought the j32a2 is a better Performance Engine in the long run All I know now is that I have a blown j32a2, a blown j35a3, and a mummified j32a2 in my garage.
^
Maybe it would be worth trying to use that low compression J32A2 you have stashed. That would be the lowest cost alternative, given your situation. If you want to keep the car versus going to another platform, why not give it a try as long as you don't mind the labor involved in pulling / installing engines, especially if you plan on going back to FI.
^
Maybe it would be worth trying to use that low compression J32A2 you have stashed. That would be the lowest cost alternative, given your situation. If you want to keep the car versus going to another platform, why not give it a try as long as you don't mind the labor involved in pulling / installing engines, especially if you plan on going back to FI.
If I decide to use that j32a2 engine I would visually inspect everything I could before installing it, but I thought I did the same with this j35a3. I still can't believe something let go on #5 piston... The labor does kind of suck but I'm used to it working on boats all the time. You mentioned about going back to Florida? Not sure what you meant by that, I never left Florida. Lol. Well, since I do have a manual j32a2 just sitting in my garage I guess it would be foolish not to try and use it. It would also free up some space in my garage
^
Maybe it would be worth trying to use that low compression J32A2 you have stashed. That would be the lowest cost alternative, given your situation. If you want to keep the car versus going to another platform, why not give it a try as long as you don't mind the labor involved in pulling / installing engines, especially if you plan on going back to FI.
Originally Posted by 2ndgentl
If I decide to use that j32a2 engine I would visually inspect everything I could before installing it, but I thought I did the same with this j35a3. I still can't believe something let go on #5 piston... The labor does kind of suck but I'm used to it working on boats all the time. You mentioned about going back to Florida? Not sure what you meant by that, I never left Florida. Lol. Well, since I do have a manual j32a2 just sitting in my garage I guess it would be foolish not to try and use it. It would also free up some space in my garage
FI = Forced Induction.
If you really wanted to be adventurous, you could build yourself a J36 out of that spare J32 like KaranX7:
FI = Forced Induction Hahaha, I laughed way too hard on that one, I'm such a rookie lol
I'll check out KaranaX7's page to see his build, but I think if this manual j32a2 checks out fine I might just give it a shot
^
Are you starting the engine change process already?
As you mentioned, 'boat' season must be slowing down for you.
So, I guess, when all is said and done, we are going to see a reanimated mummified J32 running a Supercharger and AEM EMS 30-6051?
Yes! Already started on this journey. I want to get this done sooner than later. I plan on also putting the RL 4-piston brakes on the front, just need to order the bracket and rotors for it. Also, EVERYTHING is getting installed this time all at once, then headed for a tune. Once I get the j35a3 out of the car and on the engine stand I will take it apart to see what really happened.
Well, since you've done this a couple times, I won't be any use.
Don't think that Zeta, you're like my j-series guardian angel But, this second time should be easy since I'm installing a manual j32a2, should be just plug-and-play. Easier said than done, but I'll be tinkering with it daily so I can get it done. I'll also post as I go
I don't remember all the details of your build, but you need to stop for a second. You've blown multiple engines, and the J Series engines aren't known for failure. Something is wrong with your build, and you should correct it and ensure everything is proper before continuing. I believe you are running an AEM EMS 2 with the ECU set for manual sensors. If this is the case, I would go through every setting in AEMTuner and make sure all your inputs are getting signal and that your tune is safe.
If the junkyard J35A3 wasn't a defect, you should have been able to beat the shit out of it all day for 200k+ miles. If you decide to rebuild the J32A2 with the J35 crank and rods, I can walk you through it step by step.
I don't remember all the details of your build, but you need to stop for a second. You've blown multiple engines, and the J Series engines aren't known for failure. Something is wrong with your build, and you should correct it and ensure everything is proper before continuing. I believe you are running an AEM EMS 2 with the ECU set for manual sensors. If this is the case, I would go through every setting in AEMTuner and make sure all your inputs are getting signal and that your tune is safe.
If the junkyard J35A3 wasn't a defect, you should have been able to beat the shit out of it all day for 200k+ miles. If you decide to rebuild the J32A2 with the J35 crank and rods, I can walk you through it step by step.
Hi Karanx7, well, the first (original) engine blew because I supercharged it running 5 psi and just never got it tuned, melted cylinder#5. That was totally my fault, should of immediately got it tuned, but I never had the AEM EMS series 2 back then. When I blew it I just wanted the same manual j32a2 engine so that it would be an easy swap. There was only one at the time in Florida at a junkyard, so I went and bought it. As I was preparing to swap the engine in the car I noticed that there was a crack in the block, so I returned it. The next manual j32a2 engine I found was at a junkyard in Ohio or somewhere in that area. When I got it it looked like it was buried in the ground from all the dirt and dust covering the engine. I did a compression test anyways and found two cylinders were about 25 psi less than the rest. I'm assuming the compression would come back up when the engine is warmed up, but I didn't want to take that chance so I decided not to go with that engine. They refunded me my money but also told me to just keep the engine. So that's when I went along with the j35a3 engine which I found locally in my area because they are a dime a dozen engines. Once I swapped the j35a3 engine it ran great, so I proceeded and bought the AEM EMS series 2 and the jumper harness that plugs into the manual harness so that I could get this engine tuned properly when I put the supercharger back on. Being as busy as I am with work I never had a chance to put the supercharger on the whole time I've had this swap. I think I've had this swap for almost 1 1/2 yrs now and never had any issues with it. I've even change the oil 3 times in it just to be sure. I've beat the hell out of it plenty of times and also took it to the 1/8 mile track just a few weeks ago and made a few runs with it (ran an 8.7, could've been better but my 60ft time was a 2.2 every time from traction). I've even got it dyno'd a couple months ago (276 who 249 tq). So this engine was basically stock otherwise to my bolt ons when it blew. I actually just got done washing my car at a carwash and then when I was leaving I made a u-turn and punched it in 1st, then pop... I've only taken out the front spark plugs and found #5 plug smashed in, so not sure if the other 3 spark plugs in the back are fine, but I'll find out soon. Either way, something to do with the Piston or rod let go internally which tells me that engine wasn't as strong as I thought it was. When I bought the engine from the junkyard they gave me the history of it and it sat for 8 years. I don't know, when I took it apart when I bought it it looked fine internally, but who knows. So now, I have this manual j32a2 engine just sitting in my garage (which are very hard to find nowadays) so I figured I'll put that in my car. I'm just hoping there's nothing wrong with this one, but that's just the gamble you take when you buy junkyard engines. I totally agree with you Karanx7 that these engines are close to being Bulletproof from everything I have seen on the history of them, but unfortunately I blew 2 of them. It does make me think a little less of these engines now but I know I just have to get past that and just move on to the next swap and try not to look back. Sometimes I wish I just kept my car stock from the beginning. Lol
Cylinder #5 was the only bad one. Snapped valve as well.
This clutch/flywheel kit will see 3 engines and still under 25k miles......
I still don't understand how the chances of me blowing 2 engines in two different ways still ends up with cylinder #5 failing. 1st motor supercharged cylinder #5 piston melted in the corner, and 2nd engine cylinder #5 rod/piston let loose and smashed spark plug and valve.
Last edited by 2ndgentl; Nov 13, 2019 at 06:23 PM.
Next would be disassembling blown engine and start preparing new engine for installment. Still have to get a few things for new engine. I'd like to also see if I can clean up my engine bay/wires/ect.
Next would be disassembling blown engine and start preparing new engine for installment. Still have to get a few things for new engine. I'd like to also see if I can clean up my engine bay/wires/ect.
Just curious, did you ever find or get around to ordering the mugen T-stat and fan switch for the J35A3 last time around?
Just curious, did you ever find or get around to ordering the mugen T-stat and fan switch for the J35A3 last time around?
Good memory you got there Zeta because it's been in the back of my head this whole time, so no, I never got around to ordering it but I will put it on my list and get them. I know they are little things but every little thing counts.
You already know this; however, you'll need the J32A2 water passage, from either your blown J35A3 or J32A2, to put on this J32A2 you are installing.
Thank you Zeta! Thanks for the heads up! At the end, I'm going to only salvage the good parts from both blown motors then just scrap the rest. Anything to make a little more room in my garage.
Looking nice! Prepping the engine for paint took me way too long.
Thanks Karanx7! Unfortunately the longest part in all this is the cleaning/prepping/painting. I used to have a big industrial size parts cleaner to clean each part one at a time, and that took way too long. That was before I found out about brake cleaner spray cans. Lol Much easier
Thank you Zeta! Thanks for the heads up! At the end, I'm going to only salvage the good parts from both blown motors then just scrap the rest. Anything to make a little more room in my garage.
2ndgentl,
In your previous swaps, did you ever replace any internals or were they all as is drop ins?
Only asking, because I have a j35a8 apart that I planned to swap all the internals into my j35a2.
1) When you pull the engine, on the driver side, do you leave the axle attached at the knuckle and only disengage it at the tranny? Then let it hang.
2) On the passenger side, same thing, do you leave the axle attached at the knuckle? Or do you have to detach it at the intermediate half-shaft assembly, then unbolt the intermediate half-shaft assembly, then detach the half-shaft at the tranny to make room to maneuver the engine/tranny assembly out?
1) When you pull the engine, on the driver side, do you leave the axle attached at the knuckle and only disengage it at the tranny? Then let it hang.
2) On the passenger side, same thing, do you leave the axle attached at the knuckle? Or do you have to detach it at the intermediate half-shaft assembly, then unbolt the intermediate half-shaft assembly, then detach the half-shaft at the tranny to make room to maneuver the engine/tranny assembly out?
I removed both axles completely, even the half shaft. The passenger motor mount bracket is removed and also the rear motor mount bracket is removed. It's actually not that bad pulling the engine out. It can definitely be done in a day's work.
I removed both axles completely, even the half shaft. The passenger motor mount bracket is removed and also the rear motor mount bracket is removed. It's actually not that bad pulling the engine out. It can definitely be done in a day's work.
Thanks for the response.
2ndgentl, I'm trying to send you a private message; however, the forum is telling me you turned off your PM or something? What's up?
Huh...not that I'm aware of. I'll check it out and see what's going on and let you know
This is what it says after I try to send you a PM:
The following errors occurred with your submission:
2ndgentl has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.
If you are trying to send this message to multiple recipients, remove 2ndgentl from the recipient list and send the message again.
Try and send me a PM, and see what happens; otherwise, you may have to forward this to one of the 'Internet Brands' IT folks to see WTF is going on.
This is what it says after I try to send you a PM:
The following errors occurred with your submission:
2ndgentl has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.
If you are trying to send this message to multiple recipients, remove 2ndgentl from the recipient list and send the message again.
Try and send me a PM, and see what happens; otherwise, you may have to forward this to one of the 'Internet Brands' IT folks to see WTF is going on.
All I know now is that I have a blown j32a2, a blown j35a3, and a mummified j32a2 in my garage. 
Hahaha, I laughed way too hard on that one, I'm such a rookie lol 
But, this second time should be easy since I'm installing a manual j32a2, should be just plug-and-play. Easier said than done, but I'll be tinkering with it daily so I can get it done. I'll also post as I go
I'll report this issue and hope that it works soon
