Year: 2002 Model: Maxima Color: Majestic Blue Pearl (BW9) Transmission: Manual 6-Speed Trim: SE
Notes:
Had to do it. I’ve been looking for the right 5.5 for about 2 years now lol. Zero rust. Ga car it’s whole life. Titanium with the meridian package and Navi. Mint exterior and headlights. Happy I found this. Runs and drives well too.
Paid $1,800.00
Meridian Package: Heated seat, Mirrors, and Steering wheel
Just going to keep it clean. 2nd gen swap. Fbo and tune, coil-overs, wheels. Nothing crazy.
I just installed the Fastbrakes rear brake kit on my 02 SE. between all the parts, machining and the Fastbrakes bracket that I purchased individually, it all came out to $437.07. Fastbrakes bracket was engraved with 240SX-REAR-12.3″ but fit perfect with proper shimming.
Stock is 278mm ( 10.9″) and the new rotors are 312mm (12.3″) my fronts are 320mm (12.6″) 6th gen brakes.
I’ll post up receipt pics. on op top of that, i paid $85 for machine shop to bore the rotor center out and sandblast my 94 caliper brackets for painting. I also ordered a wheel hub for the machine shop to size up the center hub to the rotors….
I don’t think the machine shop tested the fit of the rotor on the hub when they machined them. I had to open up the inner part of the bore hole so the rotor would seat properly to the hub.
1994 pads are different along with the hardware which will all be used.
The green arrow is pointing to the washer that was supplied and the red arrow is the 1 of 4 thicker washers that were supplied.
The parking brake cables will have to be unbolted from the trail arm and bolted back on once the parking brake cable is attached back to the caliper…
Installed the 2J Racing B15 sway bar today. To make it fit properly, I had to use a total of eight additional 1/4-inch thick backing plates (spacers) — two for each bracket. This sway bar measures 25mm in diameter and is fully adjustable, offering flexibility for fine-tuning the setup.
If you own a Maxima, especially an older, high-mileage one (mine is 24 years old with 251,821 miles), be aware: The plastic Heater Core Water Connectors are a ticking time bomb.
I learned the hard way. In Nov 2022, my radiator and coolant reservoir ran dry, overheating and destroying my original engine. I initially blamed an aftermarket thermostat, but I’m now convinced the real culprit was the plastic Heater Core connectors that screw into the heater core.
Signs to watch for:
Wetness on the front passenger floor → usually a leaking connector.
Dropping coolant levels.
If ignored, you could be looking at catastrophic engine failure.
Costs & Repairs:
Full Heater Core + 2 connectors (OEM): ~$500 (parts only, labor extra, and it’s a nightmare job).
Just the two connectors: ~$80+ each, plus shipping.
My Solution: Since I live in Central Florida (where heaters are useless), I bypassed the Heater Core completely. I installed a Gates 5/8” water bypass tube between the hoses and left the heater abandoned in place.
No more worries about failed plastic connectors — and honestly, who needs heat in Florida?
This was my solution and it works! Saved me $900+ US by just leaving the Heater Core and those ugly Plastic Water Connectors abandon in place!
Battery relocation complete. More space for fun spinny things. Still a couple clean up things to do and maybe replacing the fuse with a circuit breaker later but she coming together.
