Tell me about the engine

[toadbee]

So who knows what about this engine?

Has it be used before in another vehicle or is it brand new?

I had a guy stop at the end of my driveway - he said he read Nissan developed that engine for 12 years? Is that true?

Is there any real info out there on this beast?????

[got_titan]

Originally Posted by toadbee

So who knows what about this engine?

Has it be used before in another vehicle or is it brand new?

I had a guy stop at the end of my driveway - he said he read Nissan developed that engine for 12 years? Is that true?

Is there any real info out there on this beast?????

well im not sure about 12 years but the engine has been used for 2-3 years that i know of overseas in sport utility vehicles, like the un vehicles you see on tv

[Doghouse]

it is also the engine used in the armada

[Derwud]

The VK56 is based on the VK45 that is used in the Q-45/M-45.

[70boss]

The engine is a Clean slate new design. It is PURPOSLEY NOT based on the Q45 engine...in Nissans words "We don't need titanium valves in the truck engine"


It was designed and built for the Titan and Armada. I do not believe it is used in other products.

The bechmark and basic design was the traditional 90 degree American V8.


The "Dumbed Down" the technology level purposley for truck buyers (sorry no offense) because truck buyers want good value, and rock solid performance and reliability, without high tech stuff that scares the regular truck buyer.

What Ford has not been able to do with their Modular engine series, that is, produce a lot of power, Nissan did with their first try. Please understand, this is coming from a die-hard Ford owner that is sick of the Ford excuses for their powertrain. And Nissan has effectively dispatched the myth of Mulit-vlave engines, and overhead cams not producing truck torque.

[Derwud]

While agree about it being dumbed down, it is still based on the VK series of engines. The heads are completely different.

[tbeecher]

A guy at the dealer's said.. Look at the Ford and Chevy and Ram engines. See where they are in their lifecycle.. They have worked and tweaked them to get their numbers. Nissan has come out with this motor as a phase ONE offering. Just wait until they start evolving this motor!

Something to think about for sure.. Intake.. Exhaust.. Cam changes... Hmm...

[70boss]

I don't know where you got your info, but this is an all new design. The VK series uses a different degree for the V...it is not a 90 degree V8. According to the Nissan publications, it is "All-new" not based on any previous design. It was and is designed specifically for this truck and sport utility. Do you have a reference for your information?

[Derwud]

VK45, VK56, if it was a totaly new design, wouldn't it then be VL56? or VZ56?

As I understand it, not one part is interchangeable, but the design is the same. I did say based on the VK engine in the Q-45 not a bored and stroked Q-45.

I'm not here to argue, just state what I know based on what I've been told.

[70boss]

Sorry...I am not arguing....really. I just wanted people to know that in the factory training, and publications, it states the engine is completely new. It is not used anywhere else, nor is it derived from another source.

I can't tell you what the letters mean....maybe K stands for 8 cylinder?

The 6 cyl. in the Altima and Maxima et. al. is the VQ family.

[Derwud]

I took the Model training for Armada and Titan and got to pull the engine apart. You are correct that it is an all new engine, but the design as far as Oiling/Cooling/basic block design is the same as the VK45. I was asking about it because I would like to swap a set of VK45 heads on to the VK56 to get some more power, but was told no.

[cnatra]

the VK56 is a 90 degree V-8 that shares
the same bore centers with the VK45

the original Q45 design dates from 1990


http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m...le.jhtml?term=


One of those objectives--a 9,400-pound towing capacity--was especially ambitious. Fortunately, Nissan had a V-8 engine and 5-speed automatic in production for Infiniti Q45 and M45 luxury sedans to serve as a suitable starting point.

The initial plan was to convert the block material from aluminum (with cast-iron cylinder liners) to iron as a cost-savings measure. That idea was scrapped when weight and fuel economy became an issue, so the final VK56DE V-8 keeps the light-alloy block and head from the parent Infiniti VK45DE design.

In the interests of durability, the forged steel crankshaft supported by cross-bolted main bearings also made the leap. Two features that did not were the exotic titanium valves used to sustain the vehicle's 6,700 rpm redlines and variable valve timing.

To meet torque and power requirements, Nissan engineers stretched bore and stroke dimensions to their practical limits. Boosting the bore from 93 to 98 mm and stroke from 82.7 to 92 mm bumped piston displacement from 4.5 to a more meaty 5.6 liters.

Topping the reconfigured V-8 is an ultra-long-runner composite-plastic intake manifold, the second measure aimed at plumping up the torque curve at the low end where pickup truck owners live and work.

Lowering the compression ratio from 10.5 to 9.8:1 dropped the fuel requirement from premium to regular unleaded.

I've got another article somewhere, I'll try to find it


almost all modern V-8 utilize a 90 degree due to the inherent harmonic balance in that architecture
just like almost all modern V-6's & V-12's use a 60 degree V for the same reason

[toadbee]

Intersting info gents. Excellent article cnatra. thanks - and keep'em coming if you find more

[pluckyew]

good info, thanks.
the fact that the Titan outruns the Hemi Ram is a nice bonus.

[amati5]

Cnatra, thanks for sharing the excellent article. I save a copy in my library.