What Have You Done To Your Stagea Lately?

[scotty nm35]

I saw pics of your setup; do you find the branch into the rear of the block simplifies bleeding?

Feel like making one for me? Price?

It improves water flow by over 50%, cooling the block directly as the coolant only flows out of the heads usually. It purges air from the block as well as bleeding the entire system in one hit. No re-bleeding is necessary from my testing. It dumps the water into the heater lines hence doesn't affect the head coolant flow at all.

I was going to start a thread on it as Cam has some data from his instal, I think it may be one of the must do mods if you plan to wind up the boost.

[iamhe77]

I think it may be one of the must do mods if you own a VQ engine

FYP

[WAGON_BOY]

interested!!!

[Commsman]

It improves water flow by over 50%, cooling the block directly as the coolant only flows out of the heads usually. It purges air from the block as well as bleeding the entire system in one hit. No re-bleeding is necessary from my testing. It dumps the water into the heater lines hence doesn't affect the head coolant flow at all.

I was going to start a thread on it as Cam has some data from his instal, I think it may be one of the must do mods if you plan to wind up the boost.

How did you arrive at this figure?

BTW, 83% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

[Daleo]

It improves water flow by over 50%, cooling the block directly as the coolant only flows out of the heads usually. It purges air from the block as well as bleeding the entire system in one hit. No re-bleeding is necessary from my testing. It dumps the water into the heater lines hence doesn't affect the head coolant flow at all.

I was going to start a thread on it as Cam has some data from his instal, I think it may be one of the must do mods if you plan to wind up the boost.

Looks good mate, might have to go that way.

I'm struggling to get all the air out of the block ATM; there's obviously a bit still in there, and it's finally making it's way out.

I've bled the system in the past, and had no issue, but I had obviously never completely drained the system until the turbo went on.

Being able to bleed the block properly first go has got to be a good thing; a cooling benefit is a handy bonus.

[Commsman]

I never had any issues with bleeding mine after it was all dumped out.

I checked it after every drive (5 or 6 times) & topped it up a few times to ensure every last space was fluid. But I also have a reasonable slope at my place & initially parked it downhill so the rear bleed was the highest point.

However, if nothing else a nice upgrade would be to replace that silly plastic bleed. I don't know many times it can be counted on to be removed with being destroyed.

[iamhe77]

Never had any bleeding issues either, but this mod makes it much, much easier and makes the cooling system more efficient (eliminates the major blockage so all of the coolant is now flowing through the system instead of having some remain stagnant in an area between the cylinders).

[Daleo]

I never had any issues with bleeding mine after it was all dumped out.

I checked it after every drive (5 or 6 times) & topped it up a few times to ensure every last space was fluid. But I also have a reasonable slope at my place & initially parked it downhill so the rear bleed was the highest point.

However, if nothing else a nice upgrade would be to replace that silly plastic bleed. I don't know many times it can be counted on to be removed with being destroyed.

Yeah, I've done it a bunch of times, and never had issues either; I think I actually caused my own issues this time, but anyway...

I also have a decent slope; but I drive up it, and then reverse back down, so the air that collects at the rear could be finding it's way back through the system. Who knows?

Might need to reverse up on to my ramps and have a bleed and see what eventuates.

Definitely with you on the plastic bung though; I don't trust it.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Daleo

[scotty nm35]

I have seen at least two of those plastic parts fail completely, they are almost cardboard construction and if you try to remove the hoses it will collapse. The bung is easy to strip too.

How did you arrive at this figure?

BTW, 83% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

The holes in the back of the block are 15mm, so is the 10an hose internally.

Here is the air chamber in the block, no amount of hill parking will bleed this air out...

[Commsman]

Here is the air chamber in the block, no amount of hill parking will bleed this air out...

Are you saying that chamber is normally blanked off, or is there a smaller pipe coming from there that you are replacing?

I tried looking on my engine but can't see squat.

[PN-Mad]

Its covered by a blanking plate usually Leon. They open it up with a kit used on the "pathfinder towing package" from the factory.

[Jetwreck]

Are you saying that chamber is normally blanked off, or is there a smaller pipe coming from there that you are replacing?

I tried looking on my engine but can't see squat.

It's blocked of on the 25..........however to VQ40 inmy pathfinder is not and bleeds back into the system.

Guys if your going to do any track time in the future with any type of turbo other than standard this is a mod well worth doing.

[Commsman]

Cool, thanks for the clarification. If Nissan recognise a potential issue when towing (Pathfinder), then it sounds like it's not a random mod done because it "looks like a good idea".

[scotty nm35]

The pathfinder mod has a thermostat too, no idea why. Just one more thing to fail imo. The primary thermostat will control the entire flow anyway, I think it is just to warm the heater quicker or something.

The pathfinder parts won't fit on our VQ25det's, and the price was prohibitive so I designed this instead.

[HER_M35]

Changed the front passenger wheel bearing yesterday.

Far from a straight forward job, a real pain in the ass in fact!

The inner race decided it didn't want to separate from the hub assembly and needed to be carefully ground off and "re-persuaded" with the puller before it finally came loose.

On the bright side, the difference is incredible, she's so quiet again & no more horrid bearing noises (nothin' but zorst!)!!!

[Equilibrise]

Nice! Did you do the Transgo install yourself?

Yea, wasn't too bad.

[bigkevracer]

Finally finished setting up the switched 12V power supply wired straight to the battery this afternoon after F1.

I now have a wire off the battery to a ~50A fuse, to a 70A ignition switched fuse (using a wire of the TCM - thanks Leon!), to a power distribution block mounted next to the TCM.

Wideband is now wired to this rather than wired back to the fuel pump, and the EVC will be wired to this too.

Just leaves speed and RPM to tap into for the EVC before finishing off the plumbing.

Will take some pics and post up in the original thread tomorrow night hopefully, when I *should* finish.

[RSFOURDayz]

Put my Samoyed in the back to take him down to the dog wash

[Daleo]

Stagea has been running warm at low speeds, and at lights recently; but when above 60 km/h has no trouble controlling temp.

Significantly less "passing aircraft noise" from viscous fan; yep, fan clutch has died.

Screw buying a new clutch; I'm going thermo's!

Had the bright idea to buy a set of AU Falcon thermofans; as I had it on good authority they were a good fit, with a bit of modding.

Modding you say? I'm good at that!

Measured up on a car at the workshop; this could be a very nice fit.

Grabbed my old stock radiator, and a set of fans from the local wrecker; this could be a VERY nice fit!

Set to work lightly trimming, until I was sure they would fit; stripped out fan shroud & fan from my car.

Trial fit; not bad, just need a bit more trimming...

FUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

Due to the Kenworth truck proportions of my radiatior, and previous clearance issues; there's no way this fan setup is going in my car.

And now they've been lightly chopped; they aren't going back to the wrecker either...

Currently in the process of fabbing a sheet stainless shroud for a pair of 14" thermos, and waiting on a weld-in bung, so I can run a Toyota temp switch in the core to run the fans.

In roughly the same 4 odd hour time period this morning I essentially achieved nothing on my car; this is what I did 4 hours on an Evo 9 in the afternoon.

Fitted ceramic coated exhaust manifold, turbo, Invidia dump, Invidia full exhaust, cut & rewelded front flange of High flow cat due to incorrect alignment, reinstalled radiator, lines and cold side pipework. Filled and pressure tested cooling system, got car ready for a test drive.

With Stageas, the win doesn't just happen; you have to have to earn it.

Think I might buy an Evo...

On a completely unrelated note:

I may have a well priced, straight fit thermo set-up for a standard radiator fairly shortly; if anyone is interested.

[KiwiRS4T]

People seem prepared to spend in inordinate amount of time and money trying to better the stock fan set up - seldom successfully and often the result is chronic overheating! Not saying it can't be done (I'm sure Dale's will be perfect) but at the end of the exercise your car doesn't go any faster or handle or stop any better!! Still on stock radiator and fan myself - no overheating at track as yet (but with the next power increase going to fit the oil cooler I have standing by).