locusts

Goveroo, there isnt much need to protect the turbo inlet, its pretty well protected buy the hoses screwed onto it. If you mean the intercooler intake, then there is not much you can do. It is pretty well protected in the fact that locasts cant strike directly at the intercooler, they have to turn 90 deg at the end of flight??

I have seen alot of vehicle travelling through the wheatbelt with a piece of Flymesh screen draped over the from of their vehicles. The top mounts under the bonnet with a piece of plastic tube sewn in and the bottom is the same only it can just drape.

I have read manufactures recommendations to not cover the radiator with anything, not even the course mesh due to heat probs. This is even more important with Turbo Diesels, just look at ARB, they wont sell screens for any TD's.

I went down to the hardware and got some of that VERY course plactic mesh used for gutters (gutter guard) and have had that on the front of mine for years. It doesnt completely stop the little buggrs getting though but doest take the impact out of them and help break them up!

Hope that helps!
Matt.

Im in Sydney and have noticed many a big rig with massive quantities of these little critters on there front mounts.

One in particular looked like they were a good 2 inches deep.

Maybe it would be an idea to talk with Nissan?

Just returned from a trip thru "locust country" north of Wagga.

On the Prado I have the Toyota Genuine accessory Insect Screen which is a very coarse mesh that completely covers the upper grille. It was very effective in stopping the locusts getting thru and even in normal highway driving I am surprised by the amount of bees and other assorted insects that it collects.

The carcasses tend to dry up and drop off by themselves after a few days but I occasionally give it a quick brush if there is a build up. The radiator is so far in perfect condition. No insect bodies and no rock and stone dents.

As for the temperature and air flow requirements I have only two comments. Firstly, even on hot days (40+) I have not seen the guage rise above normal but I do hear the electronic cooling fan cutting in and out more frequently, particularly on take off from rest. Secondly, this is a part supplied by Toyota specifically for this model and it was fitted by a Toyota dealer so I am hoping that if there should be any issues about overheating then Toypta cannot cop out with excuses about me covering the grill with flymesh, shadecloth or some other non-recommended material.

Having said all that the car is less than a year old so I would expect it to be OK for a couple of years at least.

All I can advise is that you see your Nissan dealer and see if they offer a similar product for your model and go with that, even if it is a bit more pricey than the homemade job with shadeclosth or flymesh which can really restrict the airflow particularly if it gets a bit clogged with bodies or dust and mud.

Cheers
Muddy

If I knew beforehand that Iwould be (within the next hour or so) travelling through a locust swarm I would make some immediate alternative arrangements. The dried corpses set like cement, they get into everywhere and after a day stink something awful. Best to avoid at all cost.
the kesh

goveroo,

I'll echo Muddy's sentiments, have never had any problems with an 80 series turbo, or a 79 series turbo, overheating. Both are fitted with Toyota insect screen, which stops almost all insects. We have plenty of locusts here at present, though maybe not as thick as NSW, and it's easy to scrap them off the screen, once dry.

The problem with allowing insects(especially grass hopper guts-urgh!) into the radiator, is that they are extremely difficult to remove from inside the cores. Better to have the running temp up by a degree or so, than chockas with insects, and boiling.

Best way to remove g'hoppers after they dry is to put sprinkler on vehicle for an hour or so. Might be a bit hard for you people on water restrictions? Then use CT-18 t'wash.

Hooroo...

I use a large piece of fly screen across the width of the bullbar and then secure the bottom over the splash guard. Have not had any heating problems, temp remains the same. Very few bugs come through the scoop onto the intercooler.

Here in the West (aka God's Country) most of the bushies and farmers place shade cloth over their grills. My father did it many years ago when he had a Hilux and never had any problems. Cheap simple fix, just keep an eye on yor temp gauges.

We had locusts in Wagga for much of the last month although they have moved on over the last few days.

I hooked a bit of old flyscreen over the front of my 3.0TD Patrol and the temp gauge didn't move at all. Was easy to take the screen off and give it a shake every few days and give the birds something to eat.

As for the air intake over the intercooler, I was worried about the same thing but none of the little buggers made it in there. I think they must bounce off the leading edge of the bonnet and head straight for the windscreen...