Intercooler install ZD30

Im sure this has been discussed but i sure as hell couldnt find it. Curious to know if installing an intercooler on my 02 navara str ZD30 motor would require any other mods? Does it need a chip etc?

Doesn't need chip etc, but it would be another benefit if you're chasing max power increase.

not necesarily chasing more power but have owned turbo sports cars where intercooler mods helped greatly. Afterall theres gota be some benifit having one opposed to not having one. Just was unsire if it would foul with any air fuel mix ratios, as i am only very new to the 4x4 diesel game. Any other mods i should be considering guys?

no other "must haves" required for the intercooler. Mine gave me a significant power and economy gain. Mine is the ASE kit.

Probly make my own front mount kit. Made my own for my 200sx and never had an issue.

kayoss - i put chip/exhaust/intercooler in one go and headed north towing 1500kg. By the time it got to about 35 degrees outside the heat coming back into the cab was scary. I think what was happening was the heat being lost by the front mount cooler was flowing back into the engine bay, only to be sucked into the intake again - recirculating the heat...
Even the air cleaner housing was in danger of melting. Even with the mods i lost economy and it made for a slow trip up. Coming back i travelled overnight just so the missus wouldnt end up medium rare in the passengers seat.

As soon as i could find one i put a snorkel on and it seemed to compliment the other mods perfectly.

Mine is intercooled with the same kit as Simon's and has had no dramas.

My Nav uses about 10L/100km's, I dont drive mine for economy though.

Dave.

3ltflogga said:

kayoss - i put chip/exhaust/intercooler in one go and headed north towing 1500kg. By the time it got to about 35 degrees outside the heat coming back into the cab was scary. I think what was happening was the heat being lost by the front mount cooler was flowing back into the engine bay, only to be sucked into the intake again - recirculating the heat...
Even the air cleaner housing was in danger of melting. Even with the mods i lost economy and it made for a slow trip up. Coming back i travelled overnight just so the missus wouldnt end up medium rare in the passengers seat.

As soon as i could find one i put a snorkel on and it seemed to compliment the other mods perfectly.

Click to expand...

intake air flow should be coming from the wheel well anyway.
however just watch IC pipes don't come close to the intake pipes. i think you will get a lot of heat radiating from the turbo to IC pipe and heating up the filter to turbo pipe. lagging may be required.

also i would be checking engine fan. you may not have been getting enough airflow through the engine bay. things like front bars, winches, spotlights etc all cut down the airflow.

the other thing to watch is fuel temp. 35 degree temp, especially with tank under half, the fuel temp will be cooking.

tweak'e - since fitting snorkel (and insulated return from IC) i dropped back to around 16l/100km/towing.

As for hot fuel - i thought it was always cold air/hot fuel for oil burners? I must admit i have been looking at that new D22 down the road and wondering if he will miss his bonnet with the nice scoop on it......

I even routed the fuel line against the hot side of the turbo intake to get the fuel as hot as i could...

its the turbo to IC pipe thats the bigger concern. mainly because its 100 degrees + so lots of heat to heat up everything.

hot fuel. warm fuel is fine. ecu adjusts for fuel temp, most will pull timing and limit fuel when it gets to hot. the problem i see is the IP ECU is cooled by the fuel. also the pump and injectors are cooled and lubed by fuel. hot fuel reduces both. lube seams to be a problem with these injection pumps and ECU's generally don't like high heat.
your hot fuel could easly cook the ECU.

i had loss of power due to heat in the back of bloody no-where once, it was like all boost just disapears but the engine runs as normal. I pulled over for a snooze then took off without a glitch later in the day. That was before i had EGT & boost gauge but it was +45 in the shade.

Prior to wrapping my IC return it was too hot to touch the inlet above the rocker (the single to double piece) even though the top tank of the IC was like ice. It appeared to be reclaiming all the heat that was coming through the radiator etc. With it now wrapped and egr blanked off i can easily touch all inlet piping without fear of getting burnt.

my theory for not wrapping the turbo outlet pipe to the IC (yet..) has been that as the charged air is at its hottest at this point - therefore the heat would be disapating from the piping. ie if i wrapped the pipe then there could be no heat loss from the charged air until it reached the IC.

perhaps i could have a play and wrap around the first bend that you can see in the photo above as this is nearest the radiating heat from the turbo.

cheers

3ltflogga said:

my theory for not wrapping the turbo outlet pipe to the IC (yet..) has been that as the charged air is at its hottest at this point - therefore the heat would be disapating from the piping.

Click to expand...

yeah thats the problem....the heat is dissipating from the piping into the surrounding pipes etc. better to wrap it, keep the heat in and the rest of the engine bay cool. let the IC do the cooling.

Yep mine in summer pulls aswell in the day as it does in the night.

Very worthwhile mod to do.

Dave.

be careful off boost spiking i had issues with my 2jz aristo and my sr20det rodeo

on both i had to restrict exhaust flow to prevent boost spiking which on the ZD30 could be disasterous

id say do the Intercooler and exhaust, install an EBC and get it tuned professionally.

Hard data on air/air intercooler please

Has anybody got dyno data for the Nav ZD30 pre and post installation of an air/air intercooler such as the ASE kit?
Would like to get a clear indication of anticipated improvement before spending the dollars.

simonk8 said:

no other "must haves" required for the intercooler. Mine gave me a significant power and economy gain. Mine is the ASE kit.

Click to expand...

how you find the intercooler upgrade? no tuning involved just bolt straight on is it??

simonk8 said:

no other "must haves" required for the intercooler. Mine gave me a significant power and economy gain. Mine is the ASE kit.

Click to expand...

did you have to use a plasma cutter to cut the hole in your bull bar, as im looking at the same kit?

3ltflogga said:

tweak'e - since fitting snorkel (and insulated return from IC) i dropped back to around 16l/100km/towing.

As for hot fuel - i thought it was always cold air/hot fuel for oil burners? I must admit i have been looking at that new D22 down the road and wondering if he will miss his bonnet with the nice scoop on it......

I even routed the fuel line against the hot side of the turbo intake to get the fuel as hot as i could...

Click to expand...

what you insulate with..? im interested.
also did you need to cut hole in your bullbar?

A hole in the bullbar mount is needed... although mine is slightly different to his... Just used a grinder to make a nice 2.75' round hole in bullbar mount. Welded up some more plate to help with the strength of the bullbar mount.. Its solid as!

With the snorkel the 'pre-cleaner' is quite restrictive to the intake aswell! im glad i removed it and goes straight from Snorkel to airbox now...

I have 3' Exhaust, FMIC, Catch can, EGR/Butterfly, Snorkel and car runs like a dream... No lag, very responsive... Next i need is Boost Gauge/Controller...

Ps. When installing Intercooler, dont use the cheapo hose clamps... They just break/dont seal.. Had to pay $10 a clip as the cheaper ones wouldnt stay on...