Introducing the Z1 Motorsports 370Z Oil Cooler Kit *Customizable*

Ron

Thanks Dustin. What are your thought on Mocal's remote thermostat coupled with a regular, non thermostatic sandwich plate?

Edit: http://cdn.racerpartswholesale.com/d...hermostats.pdf

Dustin@Z1

I think its an excellent product. We considered it when we were originally assembling our oil cooler kit, however it does require some extra steps that the current oil cooler kits do not require and additional cost. We wanted our kit to be competitive with the current oil cooler kits from GTM, Nissan Motorsports and Stillen and this would have put us well out of their price range.

The additional cost comes from the fact that you have alot more components in the kit. Instead of 2 pre-cut lines with 4 fittings. You now have 4 lines and 8 fittings. The line cost really is not that much, but there could be an additional $80 ~ $100 cost just in fittings by doubling the number fittings. You also have to figure out a secure mounting location for thermostat soemwhere on chassis. Check out the previous issues of Modified Magazine, they did an install with a similar remote mount thermostat with a Accusump Accumulator on their S2000 Time Attack Project. They actually installed their remote mount thermostate on the front aluminum crash bar.

The benefit of the Remote Setup is that it will do a TRUE bypass, unlike the Sandwich Plate adapter style which is mostly a partial bypass.

It is definitly a doable project. Let me know, I would be interested in experimenting with the setup and building one for a customer if interested.

Coyote676

Dustin,

First off, thank you for being so active on this thread and answering everyones questions as they come up. Its definitely helping my ultimate decision on which oil cooler to spring for.

I had a few questions for you and was hoping you could help me out. I've got an 09 Nismo and live in Socal. I haven't tracked my car too frequently yet as the last few times the oil temps have gotten pretty high. I'd like to go maybe 8-10 times a year. Given that temps in Socal where the tracks are located (desert type areas) can get rather hot, especially in the summer months (85-100F), I was wondering what size core you would recommend? I was leaning towards the 34-Row to be safe, but do you think this might be overkill? I do not plan on running FI of any type on my car. Also, I've read that the Nismo's have to have the lateral brace flipped 180 degrees. Will the 34-Row still fit with this modification?

Lastly, based on what everyone has said, it seems that getting the Thermostatic sandwich plate is probably a good idea since night time temperatures in Socal can drop pretty low. What are your your thoughts on this?

Dustin@Z1

No problem! I enjoy working with everyone and answering their questions.

In your case, 8 ~ 10 track events is quite a lot for the average person. Since you live in SoCal, I would definitly look strongly towards the 34 row core. If you are hesitant (and need to watch your budget) I would NOT go smaller than a 25 row. As far as core sizing goes, there is a fine line when it can be too large, however I think you will be perfectly fine with the larger 34 row core. In the event that you feel that your oil temps are a little lower than what you like, you can add a cover plate in front of the core to regulate the oil temp.

As I have mentioned in the past, this practice it widely accepted and used almost every weekend on track cars. With variations in air temp, track temp, track configurations, etc, the oil temp on a single vehicle can fluctuate. Adjusting how much the core is covered will help regulate the oil temp to a more desired level. Keep in mind, this can only be achieved when you have a core that is on the slightly larger size.

Remember, you can always block off a oil cooler core to make it theoretically "smaller", but you can never make a small oil cooler core bigger.

Even without a FI setup, a 34 row core will be well suited for a car in your climate region and intended driving conditions. An FI car may need something more than a 34 row core and/or other means to regulate temps on an extremely hot day.

You are correct on the lateral brace flip. A small spacer is needed to bring the bar forward just slightly. Once this is accomplished, any size 6 series core will fit in the area between the NISMO Bar and the A/C Condensor.

I definitly recommend the thermo plate. I personally a version of it installed on my DD '92 300zx. (I even went so far as to add one when I built a custom oil cooler for my ATV). Again, if you are watching your budget, this may be an area that you can save some money on. The only thing you will need to pay attenion to is your oil temps immediatly following start up. Like any other cold morning start up, you will need to be easy on the motor and allow the oil temp to raise gradually. Using the block off technique will also help here to regulate the oil temps. I am aware that many northern Z's will completely block off their core during the winter months.

You have a few options to weigh. Ultimately keep your budget in mind. If you decide to go with a 25 versus a 34 row core or a Non-thermostatic sandwich plate versus a Thermostatic, it is not the end of the world. Later on, if you feel that you have made a mistake with the purchase and would like to swap for the alternative part you may do so easily. The parts are 100% interchangable and can be done easily.

I have had customers who have purchased the base kit with the 19 row core and a non-thermo sandwich plate install our kit and drive their car for a few months. After they figured out their driving style, they eventually upgraded their kit, moving to a larger 25 row core and the thermo-plate.

I hope that this helps you out! If you have any further questions, please feel free to give me a shout here at the shop.

Coyote676

Awesome, thanks a ton for the response Dustin. As far as budgeting goes, to me, there's really no price to put on the safety of my motor. I'd much rather shell out a few extra hundo now and know that I'm taking all the necessary precautions rather than realize later that I should have gone with something larger.

When you say that our oil temps may be a little lower than we like, at what temp does it become "Too low?" I've think I read somewhere that 160-180F is about the lowest one would want their temps to go but I'm not sure. Since my Nismo doubles as my daily driver, under normal driving conditions on a moderate temperature day, it will sit at around 200F. Would the 34-row drive the temperatures significantly lower than that 160-180 range? (if that is indeed the correct operating temp)

Thanks again for all your help

mike0983

Dustin,

I would go with an oil cooler soon, so this is the situation: I' live in Europe (Switzerland) in winter the temp reach 14°F or Minus 4°F, in summer between 77 and 86°f... i Track between 5-6 time a year, I think a 25 row should be enought but what do you recommend me??

And in Winter, will the oil be too cold with the oil cooler??

thanks for infos..

mike0983

No answer;-(.... I have a shipping adresse in California, if the prob is that i'm from Switzerland;-)...

Dustin@Z1

Mike0983....I apologize for the delay in response. I do not think I even came close to a computer on Sunday (working the preparing my Z for the ZDayz event coming up in a few weeks time) and I am not in the office on Mondays.

Shipping to you in Switzerland is completely doable! We ship all over the globe daily. I will be sure to put a tack on our map because I think you would be our first customer in Switzerland if I remember correctly. I will PM you a price quote in just a few minutes.

The temperatures that you are experiencing are along the lines of the cars here in the northern United States. As I mentioned to Coyote above, a 25 row would definitely be a good start and is slightly cheaper if you are on a budget. If you are tracking the car, I would not go smaller than a 25 row.

Do you plan on driving the car much during the colder winter months?

If so, then I would recommend getting the optional thermostatic sandwich plate and the line wrapping. We have found that the line wrapping can actually help keep the heat radiating off the oil cooler lines IN as opposed to allowing it to radiate out. In my opinion, this is good no matter where you live as it will help keep the lines from radiating extra heat around and on to sensitive items. In your case, it will also act as an insulator for the lines to potentially aid in keeping the oil warm. You will also most likely need to block off the oil cooler core during the extreme cooler months. Refer to some of the above posts I have made about this. I know that Spohn here in Georgia has an ideal setup on his car that allows the block off plate to be removed quickly. The only thing I would not recommend is the use of Velcro since, in time, it will loose its ability to stick to the oil cooler core and will fall off (unless you are able to get a Velcro with an adhesive that is capable of handling 100 F+ temperatures).

I hope that this has answered your questions! Be sure to post up some pics of your Z. I believe that you are the first Z owner hailing from Switzerland here on The370Z.com

Dustin@Z1

PM me both addresses. I just realized that I did not have a Post Code for either addresses and I can get you a shipping quote together.

Dustin@Z1

The ideal oil temperature really depends on the oil itself. Such things as:

• Oil Weight
• Type (Synthetic, Blended, Conventional)
• Manufacturer of the Oil (???)
• The Engine/Car itself

The 160 ~ 180 range is a safe minimum in my opinion. The oil cooler will drop the temps quite significantly when moving at highway speeds. But the extent of the temperature drop will depend on the speeds you are traveling, outside air temp, load on the engine, etc.

Keep in mind. When installing ANY oil cooler, the temperature you will be reading on the factory oil temp gauge will be after the oil has cycled thru the oil cooler. With this said, that means the temp you will be reading will be at its coolest as it re-enters the engine. The actual temperature of the oil leaving the block (which is what you are primarily concerned with) will be higher. The oil temperature on the gauge will ONLY match the temperature leaving the block when the car is not moving. As air passes across the core, it will cool the oil. You will see the oil temperature drop as you are driving.

On my personal 1992 Nissan 300zx Non-Turbo that I have been building over the past few years, I have noticed a 3 ~ 5 rwhp gains just getting the oil temps into the proper operating range (around 200 ~ 210 for my car). My engine is a version of our Stage 2 short block with Stage 3 heads. The tolerance around the main and rod bearings have been altered from the OEM specs.

mike0983

PM sent to you;-)...
and thanks again for advice