AnswerID: 219380 Submitted: Friday, Feb 02, 2007 at 22:27
Member - Roachie (SA)
replied:
The other blokes have already covered off on most of what I would have said with a couple of exceptions:
1). You asked what the dump pipe is........ It is the short, 90 degree, steel pipe that immediately exits the gases from the turbo into the exhaust system. Some
places will make you up a new exhaust system that bolts onto the existing dump pipe. Waste of time and money! The dump pipe of the 4.2 Nissan motor is VERY restrictive and chokes the gases. That's why you need the whole system, including a free-flowing straight through exhaust and no need for the catalytic converter.
2). I would suggest you fit a EGT (exhaust gas temperature) gauge. If you get the new exhaust system, there should be a threaded lug in the new dump pipe that you can screw the probe (aka: thermocouple) into. This will provide you with valuable info about if you might be trying to extract too much from your donk. Treat 520oC as a "red line". You'll be surprised how changing down a gear (say when climbing a steep hill), will make the EGT drop, even though the engine is revving a bit more. You can choose from an anologue type meter, or (my preference) the digital readout one from Ian at
Thermoguard (he's a sponsor/advertiser on this
forum).
3). You mentioned about the intake side of the motor too. Glad you did as this is one area that nobody seems to have really concentrated on or (IMHO) "cracked", as far as I'm concerned. The Nissan air intake system leaves a LOT to be desired. The filter is too small (compare it to even the old 2.7 Prado!!!) and will not/cannot flow enough clean air through in the volumes required for this size motor. My new beast (it is a GU with a Chev 6.5 V8) has a huge Donaldson cleaner. Unfortunately for most owners, it takes up the whole area where most blokes like to mount their 2nd battery. I am lucky that with the dual cab conversion I can have my 2nd battery in the box on the back; which is where 90% of the gear that it runs lives anyway. At the very least you need to fit a
snorkel so you get a bit of "ram" effect at speeds over 80k/h to assist force some air into the system. Some people also use free-flowing filters (eg: UniFilter/Finer Filter, K&N etc). I used to use a Unifilter and still believe they are probably okay for bitumen running, but they apparently let more dust particles through than the good old paper element type.
4). If you get the boost tweaked (or a Denco kit fitted like I did on my old 4.2), I would also suggest fitting a boost gauge. Mine used to push up to 15psi maximum boost, but I was always conscious of this and had the gauge there to let me know what I was pumping......I do not believe 15psi should be sustained for long periods of time. Read the boost gauge in conjunction with the EGT gauge and water temp gauge and you'll be sweet.
Hope this helps a bit....good luck and have fun; the 4.2 is a heavy old reliable donk.
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