General Turbo Car Maintenance
Some basics for keeping your turbo car happy and healthy. Thanks for the suggestions Rockwood and others(from the other forum)
1-Synthetic oil- You have now upgraded to a turbo SR so no more dino oil. Change your oil every 3 months or 3000 mile which ever comes first. Check your oil level when you tank up at the gas station. Your turbo car will burn some oil this is normal.
Nissan used water cooled turbos luckily, but if have an oil only cooled turbo this goes double, coked bearing are not a good thing. Rockwood recommends "when cold (less than 50*) use 10w-30, when warm use 15w-50". [url]www.theoilguy.com[/url] is something that might be worth checking out for more about oil.
Choice syn brands are MobilOne from Walmart, or if you have money to burn Royal purple is good and you may net some ponies.
2-Spark plugs and Fuel filter- First spark plugs, you need to change these more often than when you car was NA. Think every 12,000 miles or so. They are good for troubleshooting what is wrong with your car too
NGK is the brand to buy,platinum heat range 6 or 7. If your motor is higher temps go with the cooler plug 7. If you go too hot the plugs can break, not fun.
There is some debate here at times but more boost means smaller gaps. For best mileage and power run the largest gap you can get away with, .28 is a good start IMO. Here is the NGK site http://www.ngkspark.com.au/part_index.htm?http://www.ngkspark.com.au/PartFinder/spark_plug_vehicle_type.htm
Your turbo car is using 1/3 or so more fuel now (at least when you boost). You should change that fuel filter often too, and start buying 300zx turbo filters.
3-Cooling System- Your turbo car is going to get hotter now, I like to switch between distilled water with Water Wetter for summer and 50/50 antifreeze for winter. MAKE SURE YOU BLEED THE SYSTEM find that bleeder on the t-stat if you don't have one by the heater hose. The Chriscar method is to stick a long necked funnel in the radiator, fill and run the car (heater on high) squeezing the coolant hose every now and then keep coolant in the funnel. (don't let the coolant gauge get to boiling or normal operating temp it will boil over). Let the car heat up some and just leave the funnel with some coolant after you turn the car off. It will rise when hot and go down when cool. Note: try to avoid getting coolant on your alternator in this process some say this it can kill your alt. Blair suggested flushing the alt with water or starter fluid (please kill electrical power first)
4-Turbo cool down- This isn't as big of a deal as it is for oil only cooled turbos , but if you are driving you car hard or were just in boost let your car idle for 1 min. This helps the life of the turbo, and helps keep oil from crusting to the turbos shaft bearings inside of the center section (coking).
5- Boost leaks- This is the most common problem I see people having. Make a DIY boost tester with a two inch PVC drain pipe end cap. Make it the same size as your intake pipe were the air filter is. Pull the air filter and re-use the coupler clamp it to the PVC pipe cap. You can drill a hole and you can stick a valve stem from a tire. Or leave it closed and pull a vacuum hose and connect it to the blow gun on your compressor. Then listen for hissing any at all our MAFs are sensitive find all you can. If you can use silicone couplers and high quality clamps and bead roll the ends of the pipe. Silicone is heat resistant to hundred of degrees and most importantly resistant to hydrocarbons that are found in gas powered cars, which tend to eat rubber quickly.
1-Synthetic oil- You have now upgraded to a turbo SR so no more dino oil. Change your oil every 3 months or 3000 mile which ever comes first. Check your oil level when you tank up at the gas station. Your turbo car will burn some oil this is normal.
Nissan used water cooled turbos luckily, but if have an oil only cooled turbo this goes double, coked bearing are not a good thing. Rockwood recommends "when cold (less than 50*) use 10w-30, when warm use 15w-50". [url]www.theoilguy.com[/url] is something that might be worth checking out for more about oil.
Choice syn brands are MobilOne from Walmart, or if you have money to burn Royal purple is good and you may net some ponies.
2-Spark plugs and Fuel filter- First spark plugs, you need to change these more often than when you car was NA. Think every 12,000 miles or so. They are good for troubleshooting what is wrong with your car too
NGK is the brand to buy,platinum heat range 6 or 7. If your motor is higher temps go with the cooler plug 7. If you go too hot the plugs can break, not fun.There is some debate here at times but more boost means smaller gaps. For best mileage and power run the largest gap you can get away with, .28 is a good start IMO. Here is the NGK site http://www.ngkspark.com.au/part_index.htm?http://www.ngkspark.com.au/PartFinder/spark_plug_vehicle_type.htm
Your turbo car is using 1/3 or so more fuel now (at least when you boost). You should change that fuel filter often too, and start buying 300zx turbo filters.
3-Cooling System- Your turbo car is going to get hotter now, I like to switch between distilled water with Water Wetter for summer and 50/50 antifreeze for winter. MAKE SURE YOU BLEED THE SYSTEM find that bleeder on the t-stat if you don't have one by the heater hose. The Chriscar method is to stick a long necked funnel in the radiator, fill and run the car (heater on high) squeezing the coolant hose every now and then keep coolant in the funnel. (don't let the coolant gauge get to boiling or normal operating temp it will boil over). Let the car heat up some and just leave the funnel with some coolant after you turn the car off. It will rise when hot and go down when cool. Note: try to avoid getting coolant on your alternator in this process some say this it can kill your alt. Blair suggested flushing the alt with water or starter fluid (please kill electrical power first)
4-Turbo cool down- This isn't as big of a deal as it is for oil only cooled turbos , but if you are driving you car hard or were just in boost let your car idle for 1 min. This helps the life of the turbo, and helps keep oil from crusting to the turbos shaft bearings inside of the center section (coking).
5- Boost leaks- This is the most common problem I see people having. Make a DIY boost tester with a two inch PVC drain pipe end cap. Make it the same size as your intake pipe were the air filter is. Pull the air filter and re-use the coupler clamp it to the PVC pipe cap. You can drill a hole and you can stick a valve stem from a tire. Or leave it closed and pull a vacuum hose and connect it to the blow gun on your compressor. Then listen for hissing any at all our MAFs are sensitive find all you can. If you can use silicone couplers and high quality clamps and bead roll the ends of the pipe. Silicone is heat resistant to hundred of degrees and most importantly resistant to hydrocarbons that are found in gas powered cars, which tend to eat rubber quickly.
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Originally Posted by JTstyle 
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