4.8L Performance upgrade options

[CarloG]

, it needs to be as reliable as possible.

On my scale of needs that at the top... but i am a boy and faster is almost always better!

[Mamba]

I recently replaced the PCV valve (R400@Nissan), and my 4.8 is pulling stronger than ever.

[biggles]

The main reason I bought a patrol was the legendary reliability. I dont want to mess with any settings that Nissan designed as obviously they work very well.

If its your toy, then sure, turbo it, supercharge it etc, but, for me, if its a holiday, long distance cruiser, it needs to be as reliable as possible.

Just to qualify something: You can reliably supercharger or turbo. It is an exact science for some operations. My Rob Green Racing supercharger uses quality components and the build is impeccable. I would take it anywhere... and I almost have.
So far it towed the Xplorer through Namibia and Botswana. Combined; the whole lot weighted in at 4.6t and I don't hang around. Lugging a caravan for 100s of km in thicj sand is not a light task.
I have done van Zyls pass and Marienfluss, Reddrum and out alone (myself and my Patrol) with confidence.
Baboons pass in Lesotho.
And that was just 2017.
I just towed my microlight up to Otjiwarongo (2000km) and driving back on Friday. 4.9km/l with trailer configures as a parachute

Done right superchargers atleast are the bees knees.

[graham1]

For sure. Done right it shouldn’t result in major issues.
But
Will a converted motor do 300 000kms? I guess we don’t know yet, but I’m leaning towards no, but all conjecture at this point.

Don’t get me wrong though, I would kill to be able to do a RGM supercharger, I think that’s the ultimate!

[biggles]

For sure. Done right it shouldn’t result in major issues.
But
Will a converted motor do 300 000kms? I guess we don’t know yet, but I’m leaning towards no, but all conjecture at this point.

Don’t get me wrong though, I would kill to be able to do a RGM supercharger, I think that’s the ultimate!

I do not see why a supercharged will not last to 300000km. Just a matter of maintenance and care. If it is regularly services and use the correct oils, etc I don't see why not. If looked after it will certainly outlast a 4800 that is pulled through somes ass. The higher specced oil will help it outlast a normal engine.

I believe mine has been installed for close to 100K km and not a sign it has caused any extra wear.

[Mystical_Beast]

I see no reason either why the addition of a super-charger should have any bearing on the useable life of the motor.
The boost is very low really, I think 0.3 Bar, but I speak under correction, they are fitted by RGM with longevity and reliability in mind.
Again if you are going to thrash said vehicle continuously, it makes no difference what you’ve bolted on.
I had a Super-charger fitted to a 3.0 litre Colt for 15 years and the Colt’s body was falling apart but all mechanicals were still sound.
If one is concerned about reliability and of course anything can go wrong, it would be simply a matter of fitting your standard drive belt and cutting the one employing the Super-charger.
You back to standard vehicle albeit a bit out of tune, you will however get home.

[CarloG]

Okeydokey - booked car in for next week for stage one. Will report back with results. If there are no results please spare me the i told you so's! At least you've convinced me to seriously consider stage two - turbo or supercharger. Thanks for all the input - appreciated.

[biggles]

There is a butterfly valve in the intake manifold than can be removed... it is a bit like an EGT valve in that it is an emissions related thing and when removed is credited with increased fuel efficiency and better throttle response at low revs. I did a quick look but cannot find a reference... I looked at it before I got my 4800. Something to look into?

[CarloG]

There is a butterfly valve in the intake manifold than can be removed... it is a bit like an EGT valve in that it is an emissions related thing and when removed is credited with increased fuel efficiency and better throttle response at low revs. I did a quick look but cannot find a reference... I looked at it before I got my 4800. Something to look into?

I did this a year ago and it didnt make any difference to fuel consumption that was actually noticeable.

[CarloG]

So .... I finished the stage one enhancement - in search of some kilowatsies... bottom line is that i don't think I found many, but i'll leave that to you to interpret the data,

WHAT I DID
1. Changed the complete exhaust to a 76mm free flow stainless exhaust;
2. Changed the branches and manifolds as well, including ceramic coating them, as per advice on this forum.
3. Installed a Dastek Unichip (the Q4 version). This chip was wired in (not plug and play) as the harness for the Nissan patrol doesnt exist. I asked to have a bridge plug installed in the event I want to disconnect the unit for the purpose of troubleshooting a problem out in the wild.

I got quotes from Dastek directly (they offer an amazing 3month no questions asked money back guarantee), Rob Green Motorsport; Steves auto clinic Kyalami; TNT Exhausts; Van Der Linde Exhausts and Viper Performance Exhausts.

I went with Viper after meeting Abel - aside from being a nice guy, his pricing was mid-tier and he came recommended. Looks like he manufactures the exhaust right there. He however outsources the dyno work as well as the installation of the Dastek and the mapping thereof. In my case he used RBTS Racing (although I was originally told he would be using SAC in Alberton).

WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME
I used three baselines measurements.
1. I personally took the car independently to Steves Auto Clinic in centurion where they did three dyno runs on the Monday, recording tyre pressures, ambient temp and of course the results. After the fitment I took it back them where they repeated the runs.
2. I also did some of my own "timed runs" on a flat road from 0-100, videoing the runs and recording the RPM and KM/h at 40, 60, 80 and 100km/h. I repeated this 'test' on the same stretch of road, with simialr weight and tyre pressure.
3. Viper (through RBTS) also did a 'before' and 'after' dyno run.

Unfortunately in my case the results are difficult to interpret as the baseline KW and NM numbers from SAC Centurion and RBTS are materially different with RBTS being much lower. According to RBTS (and Viper) as they managed the process both KW and NM INCREASED by between 18%% and 30%. I doubt these baseline numbers from RBTS for a few reasons:
1. I was not there
2. They are markedly below the "Standard" number for a Nissan Patrol. SAC Centurion apparently has a decent database on Nissan Patrols and they included this figure for me when did my DYNO run.
3. In third gear my car hits the rev limiter at 5200 rpm so i am unsure how they achieved 5500rpm. At Centurion SAC the dyno (both were Dastek branded Dyno's) stopped at 200km/h which was about 4800rpm in 3rd gear.

I have attached three charts below. Two compare the results (NM and KW) at the rear wheels at different RPM both before and after using both RBTS and SAC figures.

The third is the "results" of the 0-100 test I did. On this basis there was a 7% improvement in the 0-100km/h time, which is rounded to one second improvement; no improvement 0-60, but an improvement of 12,5% from 60-100.

0-100.JPG (91.86 KiB) Viewed 3244 times

A last point worth mentioning is that the guys from RBTS managed to break my handbreak, (yes... snap the cable) not tell anyone about it and generally did a crappy installation. So much so that I am taking my car to Dastek to confirm if it was installed correctly. While it was not Vipers doing they are the ones I paid and I expect them to do quality control of sub-contractors, not me. I did email these results to Viper a week ago in the event that they felt the need to clarify the vast difference in dyno numbers but have not done so. In my books this does not reflect well any of them.

I'll revert back after my moz tip of fuel consumption.