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Hi Eric, My only concern with blocking the existing oil cooler feed is that it may act as a supplementary oil pressure relief valve, assisting the one built into the oil pump? It looks like the yanks may have beaten us to it!!!!!!!!!! [ http://www.twinturbo.net/net/viewmsg.aspx?forum=technical&msg_id=728614&words=pressure%3a%3aoil%3a%3acooler ] Do you want to sell your NA's Oil filter bracket?:D All the Best, Mark

Hi Eric, Just wondered what temp the electric pump kicks in and would you connect the existing pressure fed oil cooler line to the oil return on this new set up? Mark

Hi Eric, Always glad to have your input! I am sure Nissan did have a good reason to put in a pressure fed oil cooler. One of the reasons I have heard is so if one of oil lines is compromised, then all of the oil won't be completely lost through the cooler. Again this is only hearsay and it is difficult to know the real reasons without learning Japanese, flying to Tokyo and stalking the bloke who designed the engine LOL Mark

Hi Pete, I presume it is a japanese car you are buying, check the list of year of manufacture from Andy P's website, and the buying guide. Stipulate you want the 60k service done at a Nissan garage and ask to see the bill afterwards. Some times also they put a bodykit on them to hide accident damage! Ask to see the mileage import slip from Japan, given to all cars imported after 1999! It ain't all bad honest! Mark

The mystery continues! I will definately have a look at my oil pump now! I must admit the lack of baffling in the sump would probably add to the cornering problem! I have spoken to mocal regarding their sandwich plate thermostats, they are continously open to the cooler and engine. Since oil always takes the path of least resistance the vast majority goes to the engine. When the engine oil reaches 82 degrees it gradually closes the link to engine which then forces the oil through the cooler! I also asked about oil pressure at idle being enough to feed the oil cooler and they said that the low oil pressure at idle would feed the oil cooler without any problems! All I need to know now is at what pressure the oil pump relief valve opens and if it is sufficient to dispense excessive oil pressure on its own? Mark

Where would you put the dry sump? To go off on a related tangent, I thought the Z had a baffled sump, but it is only partially baffled with a simplistic horizontal plate with a hole cut out for the oil pick up? Welcome back Nelson!!!!!!!

Does anyone know of somewhere in the UK and how much? Anybody had any negative feedback?

Hi, I don't believe the oil stat is a split second open and shut valve and I believe it gradually opens still allowing oil to the engine, when it flows the oil cooler is already full of oil anyway! I have decided not to use the inline thermostat using the current pressure valve feed, because it might cause to greater pressure drop in the engine. I have opted for a sandwich plate feed with a built in thermostat. I will put in a continuous hose, taking out the cooler, just in case the oil cooler pressure valve is a suplementary pressure release, to the one built into the oil pump. What I might plan to do is take readings from someone with an accurate oil pressure meter then block off my the original oil cooler feed and see if the pressure raises too high! When I say the problem with 0-40 oil is, I am only talking with regard to the pressure regulated feed, not with using the oil itself. I am also wondering if the problem that some people have had with bottom end oil starvation, could possibly be linked to weak oil pump relief and oil cooler springs, which would cause the oil just to get pumped back to the sump and not to the engine!

Have a look in the for sale section, I think TonyC was selling his for 5ish, you are really better getting your car from someone off this forum. They usually look after em:rolleyes:

My advice to you would be to get the service done yourself, then you know it has been done properly, you can get a cambelt kit from courtesey nissan and other associated pieces like PCV valves fuel filter etc. Or the people you buy the car from can go to bodgit and leggit and get the service book stamped. Get a quote from a nissan dealer and use this as negotiating leverage, to bring the price down! Mark

Hi, Given that you alter all of the other parameters correctly, injectors, fueling, ecu etc. what do you think the stock pistons can take in PSI? Mark

UUUUUMMmmmmmm, You might have put a foil in my plan Aaron!! I am not sure that the feed is on the return, I will have to study a bit more. If the thermostat closes it bypasses the cooler it feeds the oil straight to the sump. If I take the spring out completely does this mean the valve may open too much and send too much oil to the cooler then the sump and less to the engine? After looking at the oil flow chart this is indeed the case and Aaron you win tonights prize, you get to buy me a pint LOL! The only option is to use a sandwich plate with a built in thermostat, which then sends the oil all through the engine. Bit of a serious design query from Nissan though! It means when the engine is cold or at higher revs some of the oil is sent on a permaneant loop and not sent to circulate around the engine when it needs it the most? Or did the they do this on purpose to stop too much oil pressure at higher revs? If this is the case my option could be to just install a piece of hose directly between the pressure valve and the where the original cooler enters the sump? Mark

Hi Aaron, They sell either type, but I wasn't sure if the added thickness of the sandwich plate might make the oil filter interfere with some of other mechanical item in our oh, so spacious engine bay! Plus the sandwich type could return cold oil to the engine as mentioned by yourself in the previous post. So I am taking out of the spring and installing an inline thermostat! Mark

Thanks Guys, Aaron the return feed for the cooler goes into the sump so that eliminates the returning oil being too cold. Had a result today visited Mocal to see the thermostats and they their ZX uprated oil cooler in the flog off cheap bin for 40 squid, WooHoo! Asked about their thermostats, they all open up at 82 celsius, they fail in the closed position and return the oil to the sump! Mark

Hi Willie, "If it ain't broke don't fix it", maybe we can translate it into Latin and have it as the Forum Motto, LOL;) There are no perfect solutions to this just personal opinions, I have consulted two proffessional mechanics over this and they both agree it is a better system. Oil needs cooling if it is too hot, the current system does not operate on this criteria. The problem you have with your oil 0-40 is that it operates at a lower pressure due to its viscosity, so the engine has to run at higher revs to run oil through the cooler. It is hard to say at what point the oil cooler valve opens on each engine, because their are too many variables, temp and viscosity,wear, pressure spring in the oil pump! Also for your information, UK Z's have Nismo uprated oil coolers, imports have very small standard oil coolers. To judge your oil's temp by touching it with your hand is very inaccurate because you would have to race the car and then come to an immediate stop, because the slow down over whatever distance would cool the oil within the cooler. To not do something because of it's potential for failure is not my style, as my own personal Motto demonstrates "If at first you don't succeed, hide all evidence of trying" LOL Mark

Hi Stuart, If you are replacing them then don't tighten them up as much as the nissan specified torque as the when they heat up they expand and make your gear changes notchy! Mark

Hi Willie, I live in London and do lots of stop start and short journeys, I can be exercising my right foot a little and then be stuck in a jam for an hour. So having a thermostatically controlled oil cooler is slightly more desirable, it also satisfies my desire to tinker! I have talked to people with eng oil temp gauges and upgraded coolers, in the winter the oil sometimes never rises above 75 degrees celsius which I believe is the minimum optimum operating temp for the oil! I think the benefits for me would be a faster warm up of engine oil and continued cooling of the oil if stuck in traffic. No I don't think blowing up the engine due to a blocked oil cooler is that much of realisitic probability. Mark

I am going to pop into Mocal this week and see how much they are, I think they are $25 in the states! I have heard the reason why Nissan designed it this way is so that if there was a leak it wouldn't send all the oil out of the cooler! My only concern is positioning the thermostat so that it gets enough hot oil to it to open it, or do they have some sort of toggle as in the Rad thermostat? Mark

Hi, As my engine is lying in bits I was thinking (dangerous combination). The oil cooler works off a pressure operated valve over 47PSI and the oil cooler gets flow, below that none. There are pros and cons to this system, the pressure valve is on the oil filter bracket, I took out the pressure valve's spring yesterday and this would leave the oil valve completely open. I have found a source for oil cooler thermostats and have plans to convert the oil cooler feed to a temperature operated system. Opinions would be gratefully received Mark

Putting a Twin Turbo into a convertible Z! Thats enough for me to be getting on with!

Hi The rear sidelights work fine, the front sidelights did used to come on as sidelights as well as the sidelights in the fogs. The do sound like the kerb lights you are talking about but since they used to function as sidelights I would like to restore that option? Mark

Hello Mate, I am not sure on how to test each lifter individually, but the lifter control units at the back of the engine quite often fail through excessive heat, and they look like epoxy is seeping from them? Mark

No they come on as Normal, I presume they are individually earthed on each side, does anyone know?

Taking out the casting flashings on Monday and waiting for your engineering shop to open after New year! To Sort out the Block:mad: Since you Asked?????????? Get back to fixing your Nazi Carts:D

Hi, I have a slight problem with my sidelights, the ones with the indicators nearest the wheels. When I have my headlights on and turn on my indicators the sidelights illuminate, and stay on although they don't flash with the indicators, and when the indicator goes off so does the sidelight! The sidelights don't come on with indicators when I have the headlights turned off! Its confused me just explaining it! Mark