With my vee being off the road for so long, prices of them soaring and trying to fund a race car I felt it was time to ditch the move to use an Audi engine recently. Knowing full well that many heavily frowned upon me for my move to Audi power and that I needed to find another 15mm to fit it, I decided to pick myself a low mileage, stock Renault V6 up. I have however gone for the later spec 3.5l V4Y engine found in the VelSatis and Espace.
They are to many better known as the Vq35 engine or "the 350z engine". They are also found in the Megane V6 Trophy and Renault Twinrun. After some research, it turns out there are 2 different types of engine block. RWD and FWD. The 350z engine will fit but the engine mounts are cast incorrectly on the block for fitment to the Clio. It also has no where to bolt a driveshaft bearing carrier for a transverse engine. These are the blocks used by RenaultSport in their mid engine race cars. Luckily for me, Nissan and Renault had redeveloped the engine for FWD use. Exactly the same internal architecture, just different mountings. Perfect! A very easy 300hp n/a engine was on the cards for very little outlay. After picking up a great example from an Espace, myself and brother took the trusty tape measure out. It looked promising. Now we had a 250hp Renault engine to start with.
Then it came to the gearbox. There was no way I was going to fit the fragile PK6 to potentially 300+hp. This left me stuck as Renault has only ever bolted automatic gearboxes to the engine which for obvious reasons I'm not going to use. However Nissan has come to the rescue. Although not available in this country, Nissan used the engine in the fwd Maxima and Altima. Luck would have it it, they were fitted with a sturdy 6 speed. The C12 box. Biggest bonus? Many came with an LSD or ATB diff. The problem is, not being available in this country, availability is a problem. Then after a good chunk more digging around it turns out nissan also fitted the same gearbox to the SR20 4 cylinder engine. Widely available here in the UK just with a different bell housing. Where could I find it? In a 2.0 Primera. At this point I had doubts about its strength once again but luckily, the c12 gearbox shares the same gear set as the Mitsubishi Evo 8/9. Now with the correct vq35 bellhousing, Primera gearbox and Maxima driveshafts I have a package that works for the vee!!
Does it fit?? Hell yes! It's nearly a straight fit using the original Ph1 Clio v6 gearbox mount and a lightly modified Espace top mount as pictures show. I just need to relocate the pin for the top mount by 15mm. Dead easy! At this point I still have quite a bit to get. Luckily there is lots of support with the Nissan engine. I'll be getting some tubular exhaust manifold from a Maxima this week which will connect to a Trophy back box Mr Patchall has so kindly found me. It will also be fitted with ITB's which are dead easy to get my hands on before it goes to LynxAE for aftermarket management. Another perk of fitting the newer engine is that it's 65kg lighter and that's with big cast exhaust manifolds and chunky inlet.
This shows how little I need to offset the mount by. Excuse the temporary wooden support!
Plenty of room next to the timing covers
Stock Clio gearbox donut mount
All in all I am very VERY pleased with it. It all needs to come out again for a good clean and newer gearbox but it's getting there.
They are to many better known as the Vq35 engine or "the 350z engine". They are also found in the Megane V6 Trophy and Renault Twinrun. After some research, it turns out there are 2 different types of engine block. RWD and FWD. The 350z engine will fit but the engine mounts are cast incorrectly on the block for fitment to the Clio. It also has no where to bolt a driveshaft bearing carrier for a transverse engine. These are the blocks used by RenaultSport in their mid engine race cars. Luckily for me, Nissan and Renault had redeveloped the engine for FWD use. Exactly the same internal architecture, just different mountings. Perfect! A very easy 300hp n/a engine was on the cards for very little outlay. After picking up a great example from an Espace, myself and brother took the trusty tape measure out. It looked promising. Now we had a 250hp Renault engine to start with.
Then it came to the gearbox. There was no way I was going to fit the fragile PK6 to potentially 300+hp. This left me stuck as Renault has only ever bolted automatic gearboxes to the engine which for obvious reasons I'm not going to use. However Nissan has come to the rescue. Although not available in this country, Nissan used the engine in the fwd Maxima and Altima. Luck would have it it, they were fitted with a sturdy 6 speed. The C12 box. Biggest bonus? Many came with an LSD or ATB diff. The problem is, not being available in this country, availability is a problem. Then after a good chunk more digging around it turns out nissan also fitted the same gearbox to the SR20 4 cylinder engine. Widely available here in the UK just with a different bell housing. Where could I find it? In a 2.0 Primera. At this point I had doubts about its strength once again but luckily, the c12 gearbox shares the same gear set as the Mitsubishi Evo 8/9. Now with the correct vq35 bellhousing, Primera gearbox and Maxima driveshafts I have a package that works for the vee!!
Does it fit?? Hell yes! It's nearly a straight fit using the original Ph1 Clio v6 gearbox mount and a lightly modified Espace top mount as pictures show. I just need to relocate the pin for the top mount by 15mm. Dead easy! At this point I still have quite a bit to get. Luckily there is lots of support with the Nissan engine. I'll be getting some tubular exhaust manifold from a Maxima this week which will connect to a Trophy back box Mr Patchall has so kindly found me. It will also be fitted with ITB's which are dead easy to get my hands on before it goes to LynxAE for aftermarket management. Another perk of fitting the newer engine is that it's 65kg lighter and that's with big cast exhaust manifolds and chunky inlet.
This shows how little I need to offset the mount by. Excuse the temporary wooden support!
Plenty of room next to the timing covers
Stock Clio gearbox donut mount
All in all I am very VERY pleased with it. It all needs to come out again for a good clean and newer gearbox but it's getting there.
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