Right after the close brush with Zed toubles (http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=79243) a few saturdays ago I am having problems with the cooling system again!

 

This time I was driving back to the office and I noticed the temp gauge had rocketed, and steam was starting to come from the engine so I pulled over and popped the hood to masses of smoke. I've managed to get it to the office (I was driving through London traffic so not exactly rocketing it along).

 

The zed is currently sitting outside awaiting the AA man and his flat bed recovery truck. What seems like coolant is currently draining out from the bottom of the engine somewhere, I cant quite see where.

 

The smoke and hissing is coming from around somewhere under the blue circle;

 

 

 

Any ideas? Is this something that happens? Maybe a loose or worn out hose? *praying its something that simple*

 

The turbos seem to still be compressing, the oil pressure looks normal, the boost output (I blipped it a tiny bit to see that the turbos werent screwed) still graphs on my Apexi controller thingy.

 

*prays some more that its a simple thing*

I would almost stake my life on it.

 

You'll find that it is the 2 short hoses that are the return feeds from each block and situated just above the water pump housing. They are basta*ds to get off and they should be replaced with the 60K service, but nearly always aren't. They go brittle and crack. Time to do a full 60K because you don't know what else they have skipped.

water pump or just the hoses if you're lucky.

 

Vijay

top radiator hose has split due to the crappy clips nissan fit.

Plenum by-pass time?? :wack:

Plenum by-pass time?? :wack:

 

as said, it will be a small hose under the plenum, best way is to bypass these, and have direct coolant to both turbo's and bypassing all the little hoses under the plenum

Get it to Ryan for a plenum bypass, the return hoses replaced, the 2 little basta*d hoses on the back of the block replaced and a 60K service and jobs a good'n for the next 60K :D :D :D

 

Still wager it the 2 water jacket returns.

Markzx you were spot on mate :) AA guy just left, they got here bloody quick I must say, took one look at it, pulled the pipes off, stuck some heat tape on it and its sorted.

 

There was a nick in the lower hose;

 

 

Its definately going to need (and get) a good service. There was so much rust in the hoses too, going to have to flush it out a good 3-4 times, and replace the rad cap and then get smoeone to look at it.

 

Any recommendations for someone decent that I can take it to near Reading ways?

No he was wrong I WAS right LOL

Markzx you were spot on mate :) AA guy just left, they got here bloody quick I must say, took one look at it, pulled the pipes off, stuck some heat tape on it and its sorted.

 

There was a nick in the lower hose;

 

 

Its definately going to need (and get) a good service. There was so much rust in the hoses too, going to have to flush it out a good 3-4 times, and replace the rad cap and then get smoeone to look at it.

 

Any recommendations for someone decent that I can take it to near Reading ways?

 

ztech based in between newbury and swindon, about 20min drive for you

 

http://www.ztech.co.uk

 

regards greg

Greg,

 

Those are the guys I was trying to google for when I posted that :)

 

Cheers dude, I'll give them a call in a bit.

Markzx you were spot on mate :) AA guy just left, they got here bloody quick I must say, took one look at it, pulled the pipes off, stuck some heat tape on it and its sorted.

 

There was a nick in the lower hose;

 

 

Its definately going to need (and get) a good service. There was so much rust in the hoses too, going to have to flush it out a good 3-4 times, and replace the rad cap and then get smoeone to look at it.

 

Any recommendations for someone decent that I can take it to near Reading ways?

 

Glad your up and running and I don't mind being wrong so long as its fixed. However a word of warning.

 

If you have a lot of rust in the pipes ie flakey stuff then your likely looking at having to replace the 2 metal pipes to tha matrix at the back of the engine. the two short block returns at the front. All your 8mm water hoses and your rad hoses. I'd also check your pasenger side carpet to see if its dry or damp as this often leads to Heater matrix failure which will then leak into the pasenger footwell.

 

90% of this is cause by having too little and wrong type coolant in the car. The owners manual stippilates a ratio of 90% Glycol based coolant to 10% water. This increases boiling point to 160 degrees and freezing point to about -50, is anti carosive, lubricates the water pump and most importantly prevents the water system becoming electrostaticly charged. Which is the quickes way to errode all metal components of your cooling system and heater Matrix.

 

The glycol coolants,r also sold as long life and summer coolants are usually Pink or Yellow in colour. The Achohol and Benzene type coolants/anty freeze and generally blue and no good for a Zed.

 

Get the buy pass done and 60K and ask Andy Z to sell you some of the metal pipes I mentioned and wack them on and do the last few 8mm pipe with a lenght of Samco whilst they do the by pass.

 

Solve these problems for as long as you'd ever own the car.

Thanks for the advise bud, mind if I ask what all the bypass talk is about? Any URLs I can read up on?

Thanks for the advise bud, mind if I ask what all the bypass talk is about? Any URLs I can read up on?

 

Its a system of small water pipes that run under the plenum and go through your throttle bodies to heat them up. Which really has more to do with assisting Jspec emissions regs that being of any use to performance. Infact it is performance inhibiting and a whole nest of coolant problems as the cars get older. Removal and bypassing these helps with over all cooling and removes a potential problem.

Its a system of small water pipes that run under the plenum and go through your throttle bodies to heat them up. Which really has more to do with assisting Jspec emissions regs that being of any use to performance. Infact it is performance inhibiting and a whole nest of coolant problems as the cars get older. Removal and bypassing these helps with over all cooling and removes a potential problem.

 

as above^^^

 

mark i like the pic of the rear of the engine, nice attention to detail there bud :cool: and obviously the rest!

as above^^^

 

mark i like the pic of the rear of the engine, nice attention to detail there bud :cool: and obviously the rest!

 

Cheers Gregg. At that point I honestly thought abought entering it for an art Exibit.

Cheers Gregg. At that point I honestly thought abought entering it for an art Exibit.

 

LMAO it would do ok in an exhibition :cool: