This write up is for a 2000-01 VI
manifold swap on to 95-99 maxima. There are many ways to
do this swap so first I will number the ways I know how
to do this and then go into detail on how to do it.
There are a couple of different Upper manifolds you can
get Fed spec. or Cali Spec the difference is one may not
have the swirl valve control (don’t need it anyway). I
believe (don’t quote me on this is) that the 00
Fed Spec do not have the swirl valve control and all 01
(Fed and Cali) do not have the hole for the EGR guide
tube. You may want to ask the People from the Junk yard
this because you want to know this if you are going to
keep the EGR or not.
(note when I say 00 that means both 2000-2001 unless I
specifically say otherwise for that part)
1) 00 Upper and Lower (Fed spec), 00 Fuel rail &
injectors or 01 QX4 fuel rail & injectors (they are the
same because I am using the QX4 fuel rail and inj.), 00
Throttle Body w/ 00 IACV, 00 EGR guide tube. (no
adaptors needed for this)
2) 00 Upper and Lower (Fed or Cali), 00 Fuel R&Inj.
Or 01 QX4 Fuel R&Inj, 00 TB w/ 00 IACV, and running no
EGR.(Make a plate to cover the hole in the manifold)
3) 00 Upper and Lower, 00 Fuel R&Inj or 01 QX4 Fuel
R&Inj, 00 TB w 4th gen IACV (need a adaptor plate made
for the 4th gen IACV), and 00 EGR guide tube or no EGR
(need to make a plate to cover the hole)
4) 00 Upper and Lower, 00 Fuel R&Inj or 01 QX4 Fuel
R&Inj, Pathfinder TB (need a adaptor plate made) 4th gen
IACV (need a adaptor plate made), and 00 EGR guide tube
or no EGR (need to make a plate to cover the hole).
5) 00 Upper and Lower, 00 Fuel R&Inj or 01 QX4 Fuel
R&Inj, 4th gen TB (need a adaptor plate made) 4th gen
IACV (need a adaptor plate made), and 00 EGR guide tube
or no EGR (need to make a plate to cover the hole).
6) 00 Upper and 4th gen Lower, 4th gen Fuel R&Inj, 00
TB w/ 00 IACV, and 00 EGR guide Tube or no EGR (need to
make a plate to cover the hole).
7) 00 Upper and 4th gen lower, 4th gen Fuel R&Inj,
4th gen TB, 4th gen IACV, 00 EGR guide tube or no EGR.
8)0 8)0 00 Upper and 4th gen lower, 4th gen Fuel R&Inj,
Pathfinder TB, 4th gen IACV, 00 EGR guide tube or no EGR
(need to make a plate to cover the hole).
I think those are all the different ways that u can
do the swap parts wise. In addition to those parts
listed above you need to get:
- a lot of new hoses (different sizes), some fittings
and TEE’s.
- hose clamps
- new gaskets for the 00 lower, the upper should not
need new gaskets since they are rubber (unless they are
torn)
-Bolts for the upper manifold (8 of them) unless it
came with it, should be able to reuse the lower
manifold's bolts.
-New bolts for the VIAS back cover (metal cover) and
the vaccum switch (just a suggestion because you might
have to take it off later and the OEM screws strip
easy).
-Bolts for the 00 TB, if your going with the 4th gen
or Pathy TB you will have to find out from the person
you get the adaptor plates from what bolts are needed.
-Adaptor Plates for 4th gen TB, 4th gen IACV, or
Pathy TB
-Cover Plates for EGR or 00 IACV (explain later)
- JB weld the liquid type and JB weld Stick
-New different PCV w/hoses
Tools: Dremel or grinder
- socket set (deep as well as regular) you will
mainly use 14mm, 12mm, 11mm, 10mm so get those in deep
socket.
- Flat head, and Phillips head screw drivers
I will post more when I get the pics and write out
how to do it.
PIC 1
PIC 2

PIC 3

PIC 4

-Prep. work, before you start installing you want to do
a couple of things:
-If you are using the 5th gen lower and it has the swirl
valve, remove everything so it’s just like the 4th gen
(See PIC 4) Once it’s removed use some the JB Weld Stick
to cover the holes so there will be no leaks. I just
plugged the two outside holes (see pic the holes are
highlighted in red.)
-Also you want to either fix or just prevent the VIAS
from breaking by using the regular liquid JB Weld heres
a link that explains what to do
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/763858/5 . If you want
to you can replace the bolts that hold the VIAS solenoid
and the metal plate on the there side in place (see pic).
I had to because one of the screws stripped on me so I
went to Home Depot & bought a kit that removes stripped
bolts or screws.
-Fuel rail depending if you went with the 2000 Maxima
fuel rail you will have to buy something like that (see
pic 1 & 2 ), and if you used The 01 QX4 fuel rail you
can do what I did (see pic 3). I took off the piece you
see in the pic and used a grinder to cut off the extra
metal tube and bent it in to place so it would reach the
fuel line hose. It did not line up exactly with the hole
so I just screwed in one side of the fitting and have no
problems with it. I made it just like the 4th gen fuel
set up wise (like the place of the FPR).
- First go to the fuse box located on the dash of you
car and remove the fuel pump fuse. Then you want to
start your car and let it run until it dies, do this
process until you can’t start you car at all. This will
remove most of the fuel out of your fuel rail and
injectors.
- Next up remove your intake (note: I would label all
of you hose either by marking it with something or with
numbered stickers, and right it down in a note book what
it means).
- On the Throttle body disconnect the plugs from the
TBS and the cables. Now get a towel or a container so
you can catch the antifreeze when you remove the hoses
on the bottom of the Throttle body. Once you have
everything disconnected from the TB remove the (12mm)
bolts in the throttle body.
- Start disconnecting all three coil packs, IACV
plugs, and other wires to clear up space when removing
the upper manifold.
- After you have the TB off start removing all hoses
and components that are on the upper intake manifold and
labeling them. When you have everything off the upper
manifold, begin removing the bolts in the front of the
upper manifold (note: there are 2 bolts on the back of
the upper manifold that you will have to remove). Remove
the ERG guide as well.
- For those that are using 4th gen fuel rail and
4th gen lower manifold skip to preparing engine for
upper manifold. If you using the 5th gen parts read on
- Once the upper manifold is remove began removing
the fuel rail, I remove the fuel hoses first (I placed a
towel around the hose from the fuel filter to the fuel
rail so gas would not spill onto the engine). Then
remove the bolts for both the fuel rail and lower
manifold.
- Once you have removed the lower 4th gen manifold
you can now place the 5th gen lower manifold and bolt it
up.
- Then you can put then new fuel rail on the lower
(if you are using the 2001 QX4 one or to of the holes
will not line up, like mines, but it will still be
good). The next thing you don’t have to do I just did:
you’ll need the rubber washers that came of your old
fuel injectors place them around each of your new
injectors. I did this because there was a gap from the
lower manifold to the fuel injectors. After you bolt the
fuel rail down it’s time to cut the old 4th gen fuel
injector connectors off and solder them (or connect them
anyway you want to) to the 5th gen connectors. Most
people don’t like cutting wires but it’s not hard. Also
you need to ground the fuel rail (I bolted them down
onto the lower manifold because it was the easiest
location for me.) Now get some of the new hoses that you
should have purchased and connect them from the fuel
filter to fuel rail and fuel rail to fuel filter.
Prepareing the engine for the upper manifold
- Now that the lower manifold and fuel rail are on,
cover up the holes in the lower manifold so nothing can
get inside. Remove the PCV out of your valve cover
because it will not let the upper manifold sit properly
on the lower manifold (later I will tell you what I did
for this).

- For the next part you will need you grinder or dremel.
You will need to grind down the coil pack mounting
bosses BUT ONLY THE FRONT MOUNTING BOSSES#3 AND #5( SEE
PIC ABOVE). #3 and #5 are the ones to the right of you
if you are standing in-front of the car looking at the
engine. Grind down as much as you need to just keep
putting the upper manifold on to check for clearance.
Once you are done clean up the mess you made grinding
down the bosses.
- Next up is the PCV, you should have bought a new
PCV valve one that would allow you to connect to some
hoses. The hose’s outside diameter should be ½ inch for
it to fit in the valve case hole tight and cut it to be
about 6-8 inches long. You might have to lubricate the
hose for it to slide in (at least that’s what my girl
keeps telling me j/k lol).
- Note this is only for people that are keeping the
EGR and 5th gen IACV: