Oil Coolers

Hey Truckster,
Yeh sorry mate..my brain is still travelling at 110 kms.

Yes i am refering to oil coolers...any suggestions?I love it when you talk DIRTY !

oops....manual :-)I love it when you talk DIRTY !

Engine Oil?

Gearbox Oil??

ok 3rd time lucky.....

Engine oil 4.2 TDI love it when you talk DIRTY !

ok 3rd time lucky.....

Engine oil 4.2 TDI love it when you talk DIRTY !

There isnt a small one already infront of radiator, next to the Air cond thing??

Nope ! But thats not an option mate.

Intercooler will be going there soonI love it when you talk DIRTY !

Sorry to disagree Truckster but I've had 3 Prados and a Celica and none of them moved - that is apart from cold to operating temperature. I've certainly had vehicles in which the gauge altered. A Pajero I had used to move alarmingly high on pulling up after towing on a hot day. The old HQ used to sky rocket (I fitted a gauge because the red light didn't give me any warning). Believe me the Prados have never gone above centre. That's where they sit and I have towed a caravan on 40+ days and lugged through the high country in similar temps. It's just a matter of having a cooling system that will meet the requirements. Obviously Nissans don't have that and that is borne out by the experiences of friends with Patrols. Remember that the normal operatimg temp for the coolant is around 90C so an outside temp of 45C is not a problem to a vehicle with an adequate cooling system. By the way being a new car has NOTHING to do with it! A new vehicle with an inadequate cooling system will fail just as quickly as an old one!!

Sorry to disagree, but having driven around aust in trucks for 8 yrs, they all had temp gauges that moved, same as all my cars, and bikes,

Even talking with several people from the patrol lists tonight at the pub, we all had a laugh at it,

Try something we would like you to try, turn the key off, see if the thing moves.

I DO actually agree with you on that one Truckster.
There isn't a car on this planet that would run at exactly the same temp on a cold and bleak winter's day as it did on a 45 degree day.

Sorry AndrewX, I think you're either blind or off with the fairys. Maybe you have been looking at the fuel gauge??? ..the speedo?? ..the clock??

Just last week I was driving a mates nearly new Cruiser on a very warm day and it very nearly boiled towing a van up the range to Toowoomba.

Dave,
I would be careful fitting that oil cooler on the radiator. After a lot of trouble with a overheating problem it was eventually traced to my oil cooler which sat in front of my radiator. I believe 2H"s do not need them. The oil cooler now is a inline water cooler for my Turbo and I no longer have a overheating problem.

Thanks for the feedback, can you explain the inline water cooler idea??

Where is the cooler mounted?

I also have a turbo, and have blamed it for my overheating problems!!

Are you sure that what you did changed the engine temp. In my opinion, the engine temp is controlled by the thermostat.

Its a common thing on GQs that if you alter the pressure zone around the radiator, that the temp is affected.

When you do a body lift, you have to remove the lower shround on the radiator, or the fan hits it, its common for cars to run hotter then. Even if body lift is removed, and the shroud is left off, the temp stays at the hotter level.

Hey Andrew,
I am positive it did change temp setting. I didnt mention on my original post that the trip home was a scorcher of a day. Without a doubt in my mind it ran much cooler. I think Truckster sums it up perfectly in his comments.

As for the oil temp, I agree with what you say about running between certain temps. It will still be running between those temps, only towards the bottom end of the scale. Making things operate at lower temperatures thus allowing me more room to torque the engine up for longer periods if needed ...eg, climbing a monster hill without worrying if she will cook before it gets to the top.

I Love the GQ, its my second one. They have taken me to some very amazing and remote places. And yes the landcruiser is just as good, i am not here to knock the oposition. But the way i see things, Its all well and good heading into the unknown with the limited amounts most of us know when it comes to real survival if something was to go wrong. I always think ahead incase something DID happen, thats just how i plan things. And its nice to know that with some simple mods (at great expense) I can help the GQ stay cooler allowing less chance of a major heating problem to spoil my fun.I love it when you talk DIRTY !

Andrew. Engine temperature is one of the FEW problems with the Nissan, from my experience (very limited) it's mostly the TD42 as the radiator is not big enough (4x4 Australia mentioned this fact a while ago when comparing the three Patrols available... or was it overlander).
Cheers, Mark.

Hey Coke
If you did reduce the engine temp by changing the airflow the engine must have been operating above the range of the thermostat. My temp gauge does not move whether it is 45C 0r 5C and towing,cruising or in the city and that's because the cooling system can always maintain the temp required by the thermostat. Yours obviously got well over the thermostat temperature and when you improved the flow it brought it back.
You certainly have a problem and you are quite right to try to solve it. A previous post said the radiator is not big enough and it sounds like that to me. Your best option is to fit a radiator large enough to cool your motor under all conditions. I'd also go back to the manufacturer as this sort of design fault was common in the 70s but is just not acceptable today.
Just another thought - you mentioned the gauge going to I think you said below half. Gauges are normally calibrated to read in the middle for "normal", and below that suggests that your engine was below normal operating temperature. This should not happen if your thermostat is working correctly so I suggest that you also test that. Just take it out, suspend it in water over a heat source and take the temperature at which it opens. The temp should be stamped on the thermostat. You can also get thermostats that open at lower temperatures. I had to do that with my HQ in the 70s. It gave me, as you describe, the ability to cool the motor down before a long hill. BUT the bottom line is - if you have to go to those measures, the cooling system is either inadequate or faulty and you or the manufacturer should rectify it. Cheers!

If your temp guage doesnt move in 45 degree heat, I would get it tested... Even new cars get movement in that temp.

On the GQ thing, I have a complete new cooling system down to the temp guage sender on the block, themostat, 4 core bigger rad, hoses, cap, the lot, and my temp guage moves...

Get a VDO one, I have and even it moves.

Sorry to disagree Truckster but I've had 3 Prados and a Celica and none of them moved - that is apart from cold to operating temperature. I've certainly had vehicles in which the gauge altered. A Pajero I had used to move alarmingly high on pulling up after towing on a hot day. The old HQ used to sky rocket (I fitted a gauge because the red light didn't give me any warning). Believe me the Prados have never gone above centre. That's where they sit and I have towed a caravan on 40+ days and lugged through the high country in similar temps. It's just a matter of having a cooling system that will meet the requirements. Obviously Nissans don't have that and that is borne out by the experiences of friends with Patrols. Remember that the normal operatimg temp for the coolant is around 90C so an outside temp of 45C is not a problem to a vehicle with an adequate cooling system. By the way being a new car has NOTHING to do with it! A new vehicle with an inadequate cooling system will fail just as quickly as an old one!!

Sorry to disagree, but having driven around aust in trucks for 8 yrs, they all had temp gauges that moved, same as all my cars, and bikes,

Even talking with several people from the patrol lists tonight at the pub, we all had a laugh at it,

Try something we would like you to try, turn the key off, see if the thing moves.

Truckster I didn't make it clear. The gauges on all 3 Prados moved. They start off at cold but after reaching operating temperature they don't go any higher. I have driven many vehicles in the last 40 years and all but the Toyotas (1Celica and 3Prados) went above normal at times. Of course the people on the Patrol lists would be familiar with gauges going higher or lower. Believe me though a properly set up cooling system can keep an engine at the temp predetermined by the thermostat. This is of course if the outside temp is less than the coolant so if the air temp reached 90C the cooling system couldn't do it. You see it's all about heat transfer. Heat travels from areas of high temperature to areas of lower temperature. In the case of a vehicle cooling system the heat in the coolant is transferred (or radiated) via the radiator to the outside air. Although an outside air temp of 45C seems a very hot day it is no problem for an efficient cooling system to transfer coolant heat to the air even at that temp. But it does require a radiator with sufficient exposure to the air to do it. Factors such as air flow, tube size and number of fins per square inch are all important factors. From what I read on this forum and from the experience of friends with Patrols their cooling system specifications are such that they tend to have trouble with high air outside air temperatures. The Prado cooling system is such that at high outside air temps the normal coolant temp can be maintained. My only point is that it is possible to have a coling system that can do it. Your mates at the pub, if they are from the Patrol lists, have not experienced that and therefore assume that if their vehicle can't do then no other vehicle can do it. That's the sort of flawed logic you get from mates at the pub though. You might also like to consider that there are road trains in the outback with 3 trailers travelling in 45+ temperatures (49 at Birdsville yesterday) and they don't overheat. Consider how much more heat is generated by their engines than a 4wd. their cooling systems are designed to cope with the demands put on them. So are the systems on the last 3 vehicles I've owned. They cost more than yours and that is often a criticism of them but part of it is the research and development that goes into making them such a capable and reliable vehicle. Cheers

AndrewX, you obviously sell Toyotas.
If I promise not to tell anyone, can you give me a really really good deal on a new Tojo, like about twenty grand off?

Please.

I think you'll find many Toyota owners, not just AndrewX will tell you that they don't have problems with engines overheating. I'm sure they're not the only vehicles that can cope with all conditions. I have a Subaru that never exceeds the normal range regardless. Have friends with a Honda - same story. But I agree with Cokeaddict that his vehicle needs mods to be up to scratch.

Hi David,
Thanks for your reply mate. I am determined to put one on, only problem i have is...WHERE will it fit? Cant put it infront of radiator, just no room as a intercooler will be going there soon. So I am looking at somewhere down just above the chassis running a fan over it and possibly running an air scoop to lead the cool air into it. But I will work out something.

Ahhhhhhh..... the joys of modificationsI love it when you talk DIRTY !

Yeh, it is a problem....
Mine is behind the 'roo bar, pointing at about 45 degrees to the vertical, with a small electric fan which I can turn on manually.
However it does need to be well protected from sticks etc. or you could be stranded.
I always have enough spare oil and a means to bypass the oil cooler for just such a situation so's I can still get home.
Cheers and happy 2004.

Go an over the engine Intercooler. Like the new 4.2 GU. GU bonnet scoop ($100ish) to assist with air flow, and your laughin.

Intercooler infront of the radiator will only make things worse, hot air via Intercooler into Radiator that is already having issues.. Not a good idea!

I agree Truckster, it's not a good idea to put any more heat in front of an already inadequate cooling system.

AndrewX, you are sounding like a cracked record. Absolutely pathetic, in fact.
There's always some smart alec when somebody asks a genuine question. Shut the @#%# up and go back to your Toyota dealership!

Well Flash, haven't you added some class to this forum. If you can't present an argument, just scream abuse. I guess you know all about road rage.

Congrats Mick.
Seems you're in the same league as our friend "AndrewX", who turns a fair dinkum query into a stupid Nissan Toyota debate.
And as for your comments about road rage for "Flash", I suspect you're the expert at road rage.
Fascinating. Bye
Hope we (don't) have the (dis)pleasure of meeting.

AndrewX posted this followup

I agree Truckster, it's not a good idea to put any more heat in front of an already inadequate cooling system.

Doesnt matter if you have refrigerant (sp?) running thru your radiator, any car, putting heat into the radiator aint a good thing, specially the temps that Turbo air gets, 450c etc...

Should I not have mentioned yhr name of my vehicle? Perhaps I should have said, "My vehicle which I can't name because of people who will think I'm picking on them." Come on Flash this forum is for sharing info on vehicles and many other aspects of 4wding. After all Cokeaddict started by telling us about a cooling problem he was having with his vehicle and I told him how another vehicle I've had extensive experience with performs. It was to give him a benchmark or a standard to refer to and to explain what can be achieved. At no time was it intended to be a one versus the other argument and I'm sorry you took it that way. It would be fairly useless if I told him about my vehicle's ability to handle high temperatures (many vehicles can do it by the way) but didn't tell him what it was.

AndrewX- So Flash suggests you sell Toyotas.
I would suggest the same.
Is that not true? C'mon, answer the question... truthfully.
Angelo (Cokeaddict) was not interested in a spiel on the virtues or vices on any particular vehicle. I could say I have a Lexus 4wd which is better than his, but I don't and it would be stupid of me to even mention a Lexus -even if I did have one. It is equally irrelevant for you to mention your Prado.
If you reread his question he was after advice on fitting an oil cooler on a GQ diesel 4.2,- so why don't you answer accordingly IF you have something constructive, insted of "mines better than yours..."-very childish actually.

By the way, I've seen Prados with major problems OTHER than overheating, but that is totally irrelevant and I've also seen many Cruisers overheating too, but so is that irrelevant! Do you get the point?

David I have at no time said "mines better than yours" I only used my experience with 3 Prados all in high temperature and heavy load conditions to illustrate that it is possible for a cooling system to keep an engine at correct operating temperature. I don't sell Toyotas. Even if I did what possible value could there be to me by telling you of good experiences with them. Think about it! I could be anywhere from Manangatang North to New York and so could you!! Not much value in pushing a product in that situation. Marketing is all about identifying your customer and targetting them but I guess you don't understand that. HAve a read of post 9600.