Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Hi all,

Firstly, before I even post my question, let me say that answers / opinions from any forum member are welcome - the only reason my topic says "TD42 Owners" because as owners of these vehicles they will be able to answer from experience.

We all have seen and read the various posts about the "over heating" problem of our vehicles - especially when woring hard and ambient temperatures are high. My question is as follows:

Has any TD42 (turbo or N/A) owner added an oil cooler to your vehicles - and if you did so what was the results re your running temperatures??? And what size oil cooler did you use??

As most of you know me and Frans is about to add this to my Patrol - and I am going to do it come hell or high water - but are curious to know whether anybody else has done it. From my research it does not seem that there is a spesific "recipe" in determining what size the oil cooler must be - and that's my biggest concern. Too small might end up not having any effect (which intend to make you think it is not working) and to big could also cool the oil down too much - which has a negative impact on wear and tear (but at least you wil know you are going the right direction).

Well I have bought all the materials needed and we are going to start with a 25 row oil cooler (300 x 200 x 50) - and I will also be adding the oil temerature and oil pressure monitoring functions incorported in the Madman EMS.

Your opinions please.

Regards

Hi Pieter, I don't have a turbo on my vehicle, but I'll post my thoughts on the matter in anycase. I don't believe a an oil cooler will provide any significant reduction of the engine temperature as the heat transfer between the oil and water will not be that great. I have read about 3-core radiators making very little difference which suggests the insufficient water is passing through the engine. I believe the only viable solution to the overheating problem would be to increase the flow. This could be achieved relatively easily by changing the pulley on the water pump. Reducing the diameter of the pump pulley by 20% will give you a 44% increase in pump delivery head. The resultant increase in flow through the engine will however depend on how restrictive the the water channels in the engine are. This should be relatively cheap and would be your best option to get your troll cool under the collar. Cheers and good luck.

Hello Pieter

Once more I am opening my big yap without relevant experience.

Firstly, I beleive that reducing oil temperature has little effect in reducing engine temperature, however it is still a good thing to do because in the type of situations we are talking about the oil temperature also tends to rise to unacceptable levels.

The only experience I have with oil coolers is from relatively small-engined racing cars, and typically a 1600-2000cc racing car would use an oil cooler slightly smaller than half the size you are talking about. The oil cooler in my Birkin 7 fitted with a tuned and dry-sumped Ford Kent 1600 engine was about 250mm x 120mm x 50mm, so I suspect you are not too far from right?

Good luck, and please let us know what the results are.

Peter

Will an oilcooler work when you drive slow off-road?? No wind pressure to be forced through to cooler!

Gents, I noticed at our dyno day this morning that Cedric's "Iron Maiden" has an oil cooler. Maybe he'll tell us more?

Increase surface area and you lose heat, add airflow and you lose heat faster. An oil cooler with its related plumbing already does the former, so I'm sure it will help even when you're standing still

What I'm not sure of is how hot a Patrol's oil gets (my EMS magafter is missing that sensor!) and by how much an oil cooler will cool it down. Our td42 motors have nearly 10 liters of oil circulating through them - roughly the same volume as the engine coolant? Losing some heat there is bound to help? I realise the oil circuits were never designed to run past hot areas like the coolant circuits are, but it may just help?

I'll be watching this thread with interest...

Herrie wrote:Will an oilcooler work when you drive slow off-road?? No wind pressure to be forced through to cooler!

Herrie,

To answer your question / statement - we (well I do) only experience the overheating problem when driving fast (80km/h) up a steep slope / hill / incline for long distances with a heavy loaded car or trailor in tow. Not once has my car overheated or the temperature gauge moved under 4x4 circumstances (40km/h and less) - not even with the trailor in tow or the Patrol loaded. I m sure that some of the mods we have already done already goes a long way in contributing to this part of the overheating aspect.

Regards

PS: I am sure to keep everyone informed - and thanks for you guys' opinions thus far as well. Cedric where are you - what's you experience with the oil cooler fiited to the Iron Maiden??

Hav`nt had the overheating issue yet, but my turbo setup is pretty conservative and I havn`t towed long distance with the Trol yet.

Never the less....I am watching this thread with interest!

Hi Gents

Just a bit of an update - the oil cooler is fitted and together with that the oil temperature sensor and oil pressure sensor. Thanks again to Frans who's really assisting me in trying to get the heat problem sorted.

The pipeworks between the sandwich plate and the cooler itself was completed by Omar piping in Stikland yesterday.

So after a good run in yesterday's 32 degrees in Cape Town I can at least say the oil leak poblem was sorted out...... What I did notice is oil pressure seemed to be around 4 - 6 bar (differs everytime I accellerate) and oil temperature seemed to be between 82 - 88 degrees. Did not go higher than 90 gegrees once but it was all town and short but sprinting type driving - "pedal to the metal" driving through all the gears"

Its not been tested at all yet (except for a "leak test" during driving). Currently Mufasa is standing at Burnco for the relocation of my winch electrical box (was on the bumper between the spot lights), cutting a bigger whole in the bumper for extra airflow onto the coolerand the fitment of a plate underneath the bumper to direct airflow.

Come Friday will hook the trailer and take it in tow with me to Pearly Beach for the weekend - just to tow it over Sir Lowry's Pass and see how it behaves

Early next week I will be able to tell you all where I stand.............until then I you.!!!

Pieter,

Ek is bly jy is so ver. Wat was die verkoeler se skoonmaak resultate?

Alhoewel en my nie by hierdie debat behoort te bepaal nie, was dit vir my al opvallend om BAAAAIE mense se opinier te hoor rakende die 4.2D se sogenaamde "warm word" probleem. Daar word beweer dat dit 'n algemene probleem is, dat die AUssies nie baie bekommerd daaroor is nie aangesien die EGT's reg kan bly ongeag die lesing van die watertemp op die bestuurders naald. Die vraag word ook gevra op die betrokke enjins se waterkanale in die blok nie dalk te klein/nou is nie. Nietemin, dit klink of ons die enigstes is wat bekommerd is hieroor en dat die 4.2D enjins in ander lande hoe kilos doen met die sogenaamde probleem en al.

JG,

Ek dink dis die lekker ding van die forum - alhoewel n sekere "topic" jou as individu nie nootwendig direk raak nie is dit lekker en goed om ander se opinies en opvattings ens te hoor. So jy is welkom om betrokke te wees / raak.

Ek het nog nie by die radiator se skoonmaak / flush uit gekom nie. Om die chemiese skoonmaak proses te volg moet die radiator uitkom daar voor en met die die 4.2 is dit nie n grap nie. Ek gaan nou maar eers die naweek kyk na die resultate met net die oil cooler op voor ek nog enige verdere besluite neem. Die aanmekaar se oneindige geld spandeer aan die Patrol raak nou ook n seer "subject" met Swambo - die oil cooler conversion kos my nou ook alweer net onder die R5000-00 saam met al die pype, fittings, oil temp en pressure sensors en ekstra VDO meter vir die olie druk. So ja iewers moet dit stop - ek wil oor n maand met vakansie ook gaan!!

Sal laat weet wat is my "verdict" met die oil cooler. Net jammer Mufasa staan by Burnco - dis die afgelope paar dae lekker vrek warm hieronder in die Kaap en moes ek hom nou selfs net vir normale gebruik kon toets. Hoop maar die weer hou so vir die naweek ook.

Groete