Patrol 3.0 L TD re - EGT and Boost Gauges

It will help to indicate any running abnormalities like over boosting from the turbo and running temperatures.

Andrew,

Do you have any guages in your truck? I find the speedo handy at times and also the rev counter is good. The fuel guage helps a lot during along trip. I would also like a boost guage and probably a volmeter. I also wonder if there is any convenient point where I could take off an oil pressure guage.

A boost guage is my first project with my patrol.

Angler

Angler

You're clearly a very clever individual. You must be a mechanic with the wealth of knowledge you display!

I on the hand am not a mechanic and that's why ask the question. Thanks for your help with 'fuel guage' response especially! I thought it meant my battery was running out of power as it approached the red bit at one end!

To give you an idea how hard the engine is working and just maybe to let you know the 3.0 is about to blow.

Hi Andrew,

For a good 'users' perspective on these gauges, have a read of Motherhen's recent post 33438. Also, you might like to visit my website and download the 'ThermoGuard EGT Information Sheet'

By the way, Motherhen doesn't have one of my gauges and has no connection to Thermoguard.

[Motherhen, if you're reading this, did you ever receive my reply to your 'proofreading' offer of few months ago?]

Ian

Andrew,
I returned from my "big lap" trip in November. I also towed about 1500kgs of camper with my 2002 GU 3.0l. As I expected it performed flawlessly. Economical, efficient, a real delight over some pretty rugged country. It ticked over 100,000ks in late Feb 06 and I have been without it ever since while Nissan and I debate who should pay to replace the faulty cylinder head. I did not take up the extended warranty as I had only had one issue during the warranty - a $2 fuse. The cyl head was a bad casting and was always going to fail, unfortunately it chose 3 months beyond the warranty to do it. I have been a staunch advocate of this engine despite the stats and the vast army of detractors. I am now a very disenchanted, nervous and confused 3.0l owner who is getting fitter each day from walking. I think that the aforementioned guages are a great idea. They weren't required to detect my problem but I think you need all the warning devices you can reasonably install on these engines. If you have been without incident on yours I hope you continue to enjoy your vehicle - when they are going they are teriffic.

Ken

Thanks Ian...

And Kenell, I hope Nissan come to the party for you. If you've stuck to the service intervals I think they will. How could they not if the fault was 'pre-existing'???
Lets hope so anyway.

What is the build date of yours Kenell...could it be a design fault in batch made around the same time?

Andrew,

Mine has a build date of 08/02 and first reg 11/02. Every service was done at a Nissan dealership within 1000ks of being due. I have done a bit of enquiring and one dealer has told me they supply new heads on a regular basis - the parts guy knew the price without looking it up !!

Thanks for your wishes.

Ken

Kenell,

I would take your issue up with the dept of fair trading. Regardless of the length of warranty, you expect longer service than 3yrs and 3 months OR 100k kms for an engine and as a result you would have to be sucessful if you took your case there.

Leroy

Hi Kenell - sorry to hear of your 3 litre misfortune. We are suspicious as to how long ours will last, has done 19,000 over the 100,000 most of it towing a van heavier than yours. With the knowledge gained from this forum, do keep fighting Nissan. Who diagnosed the head was faulty? What were the circumstances of if failing? It sound like this is a different scenario that the earlier models blowing their motors.

Motherhen,

The problem presented as a loss of coolant. Hydrocarbons were found in the oil and so the investigation commenced. The cylinder head was removed and sent to an engineering shop where they found the casting fault. It is not something that I have heard of before although I can understand such things as a one in a hundred or something chance. The rebuild issues in the earlier 3.0l motors I believe was an oil starvation issue. I have heard of head issues though around the combustion chamber. I have remained very courteous with Nissan dealer and now Nissan Head Office but after 4 weeks my patience (and shoe leather) is getting thin. Hoping it will reach a conclusion this week. I have been quoted $5000 to replace the head. Apparently they dont repair them on these motors.

Thanks for your interest and good luck with yours. I'm sure they don't all go bang !

Ken

To Ian of Thermoguard - Hi Ian - i sent you an email direct in response to your post in this thread. I hope it reached you. Regards, Motherhen

Chaz, i really like your setup. Is that pod comercially available or a custom.

Athol

Athol,

Those Gauge Pods are available through 4x4Megastores. Depending on where you are, you may be able to get one through TJM who are the agents for 4X4Megastores in some states. Mine came from their Sydney warehouse, and was $125 delivered. They are black plastic and need to be drilled and painted, but the fit isn't too bad.
There isn't much room on the top gauge socket, so thats why I put the voltmeter there and the boost on the bottom, because that is the deapest one. The only downside is that the gauges face the passenger, but arn't too hard to see while driving.

Chaz

Thanks Chaz,

I live in the Illawara and might see if I can chase them down. Just to be a pest don't spose you'd know if they are available in a twin, as i'm more interested in just the boost and volts although the pyro might be handy I guess.

Thanks Athol

Athol,

No, sorry. To my knowledge they are only available in a 3 gauge set. I was also looking for a twin, but was told that these were the only ones they had and that they were also only available for the GU.

Chaz

Hi Chaz,

Nice website. I'm impressed with your torque converter lock set-up. Was this a kit or did you make from scratch? Interested to know the basis for instruction but your site gives enough info to work out how to do it. Thanks.

Hugh

Hi Hugh,
Thanks for your comments.
I did this circuit myself, specifically for the GU, but it will work for many other vehicle transmissions with the same basic principals. I have had other cars, including my last 4x4 that I converted to 4 speed auto and without a TCU, the converter must be controlled manually.
After having a manual converter lock, it’s hard not to have one so I came up with this circuit. The main difference with this one though, is the Brake relay part of the circuit, because the GU will lock in 1st. Many other transmissions, including the GQ’s, don’t need this because they can’t lock in 1st and therefore won’t stall when you stop the car with the converter locked.
The benefits are obvious when you drive the car and use the converter lock at lower speeds than it was originally intended. It becomes just like a manual car, but without the clutch pedal. It improves towing efficiency and the trans runs much cooler.
There are some kits available if you don’t want to do it this way, but my way is cheap and totally manual. You control when the converter is locked or unlocked. The only thing to remember is, "never to lock it when the vehicle is stationary, even in neutral or park".
Check out these links.
Wholesale Automatics
Juland
Chaz

Chaz,

I checked with the Megastore in Perth for one of those pillar pods (which BTW looks great in your GU!!) but they didn't have the first idea...Grrrr!!! :-(

I'll have to look further afield methinks, coz I really WANT one of those thingies!!

Cheers
RedGibber

Hi RedGibber,
If you have no joy with 4WDMegastores, give TJM in Adelaide a ring on (08)8344 6444 and try to speak to Michael Peters. They new nothing of them when I asked, but when he checked with the warehouse in Sydney, they had them in stock and sent one over.
I'm wondering now how many they may have sold, because I've probably put about a dozen people onto them.
If that doesn't work, then maybe try to get the number of the 4WDMegastores warehouse in Sydney and give them a call.
I can't beleave these stores arn't familiar with the products they sell!

Chaz

Hi Chaz,
Thanks for your follow-up. This is a mod that I'll be looking to adopt. I've just fitted a Safari DTronic unit and found that this has made a significant improvement to vehicle performance, especially when towing the camper trailer. The amount of converter engagement reduced but still there. Having had manuals previously I have found the downhill performance a little tricky to get used to so will be good to be able to have it locked manually.

Nice shots of the HK. A mate of mine in VIC has an original HG 350 Monaro, which he's had for last 20 years. He got it about same time I bought an original LJ XU1 (one of the Brisbane buit Bathurst specials). Unfortunately the latter sold but great memories.

Regards,
Hugh