How to R34 Radiator!

caseycamby

Suspension Lift
Location
Marion, NC
I think what I may do is try to find a dual barbed T-fitting with 1/8" NPT that I can put on the transmission cooler return line to get a reading of how well the temps are managing. Easy enough to do, hard to find the right fitting

Return line from the cooler?

I've also thought about adding two, one right before and right after the cooler. So in theory you have readings at the warmest and coolest. Do you already have a sensor picked out?


Hope this isn't really a threadjack haha it's still fairly pertinent to the topic :D
 

Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
Return line from the cooler?

I've also thought about adding two, one right before and right after the cooler. So in theory you have readings at the warmest and coolest. Do you already have a sensor picked out?


Hope this isn't really a threadjack haha it's still fairly pertinent to the topic :D

I was gonna just use the Glowshift stuff to keep my guages all the same. I thought about having 2, but really the oil going back into the trans is what you would want to be worried about. If it gets too hot you would know right away.
 

Joey

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Indianapolis
The R33/R34 Rad is the same size, however the factory Xterra Rad is larger than the R34 in overall size. This doesn't always mean its better. the SC is only a 2-row. The R34 may be smaller overall dimensions but it is a 3-row. I hope this makes sense

Mr Rat <- I like saying that lol
I think these radiators are 2 core and not 3 core. Or atleast that's what I'm reading on the interwebs. I have been following your progress with this mod. I agree with you that the real bonus of doing this mod over the SC rad is that it is all alum. No more broken plastic bits. The durability of R34 is much improved over the SC rad.
I hope you will post the trans temp gauge and how you connected it. I will be wanting to do this also. Thanks in advance.
 

Joey

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Indianapolis
Mr. rat,
I now see that I was not correct. The R34 rad comes as a 2 or a 3 core. Its tricky to order. But its done, I have one on the way. that is a 3 core
 

Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
Status update. This morning when I went out to warm my X up it was -15*F once fired up I let it idle for about 15-20 minutes before I headed to work. Temps held pretty steady at 150* and that is with my heater up full blast. Everything is working how it should?!
 

Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
150 seems a bit low for normal operating Temps. I thought the vg likes 190-210?

I mean.... it was -15* outside. But like I have stated my truck never really makes it above 170* even in watmer weather. I may actually have a 170* thermo come to think about it. I did change it sometime last year
 

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
All a 170 thermostat means is when the passage between the engine and the radiator opens. Until the coolant in the engine side reaches that temperature, It's a closed loop never hitting the radiator.
sent from a heretic phone via wild ferrets
 

Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
All a 170 thermostat means is when the passage between the engine and the radiator opens. Until the coolant in the engine side reaches that temperature, It's a closed loop never hitting the radiator.
sent from a heretic phone via wild ferrets

fully understand that, but it would explain why I never really get above 170*
 

Joey

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Indianapolis
We its done an R-34 rad. install with trans cooler. This mod is pretty straight forward, thank you Mr. Rat!

I don't know why my pictures are not down loading correctly.
 

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Joey

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Indianapolis
If your wondering what happened at the spring fling lets just say I have a new motor on a stand that I'm in the process of overhauling. No it wasn't the rad or the cooler that was the problem. It was however my stupidity of trying to drive thru 3ft of water 4 different time. Dam I was going to make it you hear me.
 

Joey

First Fill-Up (of many)
Location
Indianapolis
These are the pictures of my R-34
 

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Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
Little GoneMOAB Rad performance update. Throughout the week it was high 80s with some slight breeze. With the slow and barely moving pace and very little airflow I was seeing 200* fairly often. I was able to somewhat control my temps and bring them closer to 180* I will take that as a win considering how warm it was and how little airflow I was getting. I am currently contemplating putting a small puller fan behind the rad with an on/off switch as well as a JK hood louver panel to allow the hot air to rise. We will see where things progress and I will continue to chase a constant cold running rig
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Little GoneMOAB Rad performance update. Throughout the week it was high 80s with some slight breeze. With the slow and barely moving pace and very little airflow I was seeing 200* fairly often. I was able to somewhat control my temps and bring them closer to 180* I will take that as a win considering how warm it was and how little airflow I was getting. I am currently contemplating putting a small puller fan behind the rad with an on/off switch as well as a JK hood louver panel to allow the hot air to rise. We will see where things progress and I will continue to chase a constant cold running rig
I've got a OEM 1st gen pusher fan in my garage if you want to play with it. Mounts in front of the condenser core on the grill side of the radiator support.
 

Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
I've got a OEM 1st gen pusher fan in my garage if you want to play with it. Mounts in front of the condenser core on the grill side of the radiator support.

would it work to rotate the pusher and turn it into a puller? I dont want to add another pusher up front as I dont think it would push enough air through the condenser and oil coolers. I so however have a good 4-5" of space between the radiator and the clutch fan so maybe I could fit a slim 12" puller fan and a hood louver to help move air
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Am I reading that correctly? The temp on that tstat is 143°?

Typically, efficient combustion typically doesn't happen until at LEAST 160°. So are we saying that all these engines run hot and expect a 20° bump over the tstat temperature?
 

Cptpackrat

Bumpers Installed
Location
Gillette WY
Am I reading that correctly? The temp on that tstat is 143°?

Typically, efficient combustion typically doesn't happen until at LEAST 160°. So are we saying that all these engines run hot and expect a 20° bump over the tstat temperature?


Im more concerned with keeping the temps closer to that 160* mark while on the trail. Usually for myself just commuting I never reach full temp inless Im doing some running around in town. I feel like even at 143* I will still jump up quite a bit. Only way to know is to try it.
 

Will O'Brien

Test Drive
Thanks for this. I'm a fan of all aluminum radiators and was a little pissed when I couldn't find one for the xterra.

For the shroud, I'm curious what material you end up using.

Regarding that nismo thermostat - that's way cold. It's designed for use on race engines where you want them to just flow as soon as they start to warm up. You want something along the lines of a 80c thermostat. I need to get a stock one and measure it, I made a custom thermostat housing for my BMW and the Tstats for that setup are only about $20 each in a variety of flavors/temps.
 

Seymour Bush

Test Drive
Location
Tombstone, AZ
Are Nissan skyline radiators interchangeable with first gen Nissan Xterra? Found some reasonably priced all aluminum units on !Fleabay for 90.00$ and they are R33/R34 but for a manual trans and even tho mine is an auto, I am running and external only cooler as a mechanic told me that the factory radiator cooler could leak thus mixing trans fluid with coolant. I am located in Mojave Valley, AZ and hitting the trails with a/c on is non optional.
 

harryron

The Grumpiest of Mid-Westerners
Location
ohio
Are Nissan skyline radiators interchangeable with first gen Nissan Xterra? Found some reasonably priced all aluminum units on !Fleabay for 90.00$ and they are R33/R34 but for a manual trans and even tho mine is an auto, I am running and external only cooler as a mechanic told me that the factory radiator cooler could leak thus mixing trans fluid with coolant. I am located in Mojave Valley, AZ and hitting the trails with a/c on is non optional.
The thing your mechanic told about coolant and transmission fluid mixing is true for 2nd gen but you don't have to worry about with 1st gen (2000 - 2004).
 

mantree

Wheeling
Location
Fort Collins
well it looks like it is time haha i am smelling coolant from under the hood and im a little damp around the upper hose on the rad. did find a aluminum 4 row rad with electric fans and shroud for about 200.
 

Seymour Bush

Test Drive
Location
Tombstone, AZ
well it looks like it is time haha i am smelling coolant from under the hood and im a little damp around the upper hose on the rad. did find a aluminum 4 row rad with electric fans and shroud for about 200.
I will be hauling toys with my 1st gen (01) in one the hottest places on earth. Please direct me to your source. Thanx.
 

mantree

Wheeling
Location
Fort Collins
So can I use my factory shroud with the above mentioned radiator??
No you want a shroud made to fit the electric fan setup on that radiator. Better airflow and more room between the rad and engine. That said if you have any fabrication experience at all a shroud is pretty easy to work up
 
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Seymour Bush

Test Drive
Location
Tombstone, AZ
Thank you for the replies. Took mine to a shop for the install but they said the stock shroud would not fit and I would not need it now with the extra core. WRONG!! At 115 degrees and 5 minutes of idling with the a/c on, my temp went up to the 3/4 mark (darn those long winded neighbors) so I will now need a shroud or the cooling fans set up. @mantree, does the fan setup go in front of the radiator or on the other side where the factory shroud went. Worst case scenario I may have to sacrifice my factory Nissan scooter horn. Meep meep.
 

mantree

Wheeling
Location
Fort Collins
Thank you for the replies. Took mine to a shop for the install but they said the stock shroud would not fit and I would not need it now with the extra core. WRONG!! At 115 degrees and 5 minutes of idling with the a/c on, my temp went up to the 3/4 mark (darn those long winded neighbors) so I will now need a shroud or the cooling fans set up. @mantree, does the fan setup go in front of the radiator or on the other side where the factory shroud went. Worst case scenario I may have to sacrifice my factory Nissan scooter horn. Meep meep.
Normally they are a pull type fan so it would go on the back. You can see where the OP made a template for his shroud. Not terribly hard to build one.
 
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