I wanted to have a test drive with the white caged 300ZXTT before the Spa classic meeting next week, so I drove some 780 miles during this last long week end in France (8/9/10/11 of May)...

We organized a Datsun-Nissan meet in Sancerre with 10-12 cars (depending on days and avaliability) including 240Z, 260Z, 280Z, Silvia, 280ZX Turbo, Z31 and Z32.

I drove 200 miles from Reims to Sancerre: Nice drive, under dry weather conditions... and speed limits! Very enjoyable, with new tires, new brake pads, and all the checks done since a few weeks!

We stayed in a camping site along the Loire, and visited around driving 370 miles over the two days Fri/Sat: Nice small roads, some dry and some wet. The car was perfect in any condition, adapting the boost to the conditions.

I then drove the 200 miles back to Reims on Sunday, with flods of rain, but still very enjoyable in the cobra seat!

 

The only problem comes from the oil level to be readjusted to keep it at the max level, using Opie oil 10W50, and the level compensation used about 2 liters for the 780 Miles total: That is quite high...

I have big black cloud at the back when pushing hard, and only a tiny blue mist for about 2 to 3 seconds from the passenger side when stopping the push. It looks like very rich on boost.

I drove back on wet, nearly using no boost, but I could not really see at the back with the new Federal RS-R tires lifting so much of the road water.

However, checking on arrival, the oil level was higher than the first 200 miles on dry.

 

I am sure that the Motec mapping is very rich (probably to keep it on the safe side!)

Now, maybe some piston rings are stuck as the car was not used more than five times over the last 5 years?

All other parameters are fine, like temperature never moving more than half the gauge on the dash.

 

The oil pressure was gradually going down from 60+psi to 45 psi during the 200 miles drive, but reading the comments on sensors, can this be considered, or is it coming from the heat?

I can see the AFR values very rich on both lambda when the computer is connected and the boost is active. This is mainly on acceleration, as it comes to normal even maintaining the boost (like the black cloud only on initial push)

Could this rich situation eat the amount of oil added? I have no oil leaks, and driving on dry, the white paint at the back is spotted with very small black powder (no greasy spots).

 

Anyway, I enjoyed the drive very much, as the car is drivable on poor conditions, and very energetic on boost!

Some pictures to show the good time that we had!

 

Nice line up of Z's Hubert and good to hear you are enjoying the White Z :thumbup1: Hope you get the oil loss sorted these modified engines take a little work to get right.

do you have any leaks underneath at all? First thing to check otherwise it's rings or turbo's.

 

When you said it was rich on boost, what's the AFR?

 

Looks like you had a good trip and nice to see the car being used :)

I have absolutely no leaks underneath.... That's the problem!

I have no one greasy spots at the back. Just black "powder" out from exhaust and sticking when wet. When it dryes, I can blow it with air breeze...

 

The AFR extra gauge with reading inside the car is on the right exhaust tube (under the driver). It looks like the most of the black cloud is coming from the left exhaust (passenger side).

The push on boost is so hard, that I must admit that my eyes stay on the road instead of looking at values at this moment. Values are down to 11 on the boost.

When driving at 2500/3000 rpm without boost, the AFR reading on the right exhaust is staying very close to 12.4/12.7 assuming it is correct?

 

I should be able to record the parameters on the MOTEC. I did not yet found how to activate the recording as it does not work...

The same applies when the computer is connected and reading continuously: I can see the lambda's on the engine widely decreasing on the graph, but I cannot drive, get the boost, and look at the screen!!

 

However it looks like the rich occurs immediately on boost, but decreases rapidly, even maintining the boost.

On evidence, the accel addition is much too big, but I have to find if it comes from accel enrichment, or boost pressure value change.

 

Now, if it is that rich, could this eat the oil by washing the cylinders?

 

I have another question:

The car looks low on front weels and high on back wheels. Tires are correct, so it should come from springs.

When I check the oil level, I am doing it on a flat place. Due to the front being lower is this changing the level on the level gauge?

To check this, I made a comparison at half the position between low and high levels on the flat floor, and then lifting the front by 3/4" on wood.

It looks like the gauge is then much closer or touching the High mark...

This means that I could well be overfilling on the floor at H mark, and then this could accelerate an oil loss having the overfill getting... burnt?

Is there a way to measure the right horizontal position of the car?

Could one inch inclination change the oil level from half to full on the gauge?

 

Sorry for those questions, but I am still on the learning curve!

Can't comment on the oil 'level', but in terms of fuelling, you want to be 11-12 on boost, off boost nearer 14 (or leaner)

Great Pics! road trips rule :)