I'm still getting acquainted with the 350Z and slowly getting it ready for Barber. I'm doing some DD with it to work out the kinks and build some confidence. I am not new to engines or track duty, but I'm still not comfortable revving this engine - it feels like it is working too hard the closer I get to red line. My previous track car was a Focus SVT - that Cosworth 4 banger just LOVED to rev. It actually got smoother up to 7200 RPM; so smooth I'd hit the rev limiter because I didn't know I was at redline. I flogged it and it just sang. But the VG doesn't feel that way, at least to me. Maybe it's the CAI making noise, or maybe it's the Nismo exhaust, or all the urethane bushings, but it just doesn't sound/feel as happy as I'd like it to.

This car is my track-rat upgrade - I want red line to be a happy place. Tell me about this engine for road course HPDE use....... is it best to short shift regularly, or does this engine do just fine shifting at red line? Does yours sound and feel wonderful near red line, or not?

Car drive-train details: 2004 Enthusiast, 63K miles with previous track duty. Lots of urethane, Wilwood brakes, Nismo S tune suspension, Nismo exhaust, Nismo CAI, Hotchkiss anti-roll bars and adj control arms, Quaife LSD (noisy thing!) and grindy 5th gear (but hey, I'm learning to double-clutch!)

TIA

 

The motor was designed to go to redline. It will not hurt anything. I've been using my Z for HPDE now for three years. You can check out some of my later videos that have the RPM telemetry. I run it out to 7k all the time.

https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-n...l#post10998322

 

Thanks for the reply. So yours goes there regularly, that's great to know.

How does it "feel"? Do you have some comparisons? I am used to paying attention to the "feel", and sound, and I guess I'm just not used to this one. I hammer it on interstate on-ramps and it moves very well, but I'm still not sure the engine isn't yelling at me to let up.

It handles GREAT.....I really can't wait to track it.

 

You're going to really have fun with your Z on a road course!

I'll echo Franknbeans, don't be afraid to wind it out.

 

The VG was Nissan's engine for the 300ZX. The engine in your '04 350Z is a VQ35DE and revs just fine to redline. Depending on the circuit you're on, you may not need to run the engine to redline on every shift. Nissan engineered it to have tons of torque from 3,500 RPM on up. Look carefully at any dyno chart and you'll see that HP and TQ begin to flatten out above 6K. The lesson? Run the car to redline and throw clean shifts down a long straightaway, but don't worry about hitting redline on the short chutes or between turns. Use that torquey V6 to drive strongly off the turns and those Wilwoods to brake cleanly into turns. That's where the Z really shines!

 

Once you remove the cats and do a full exhaust / intake they will rev with out stress.
I know the feeling you are after though, and you would need a 2007/2008 with the HR motor to get that.

 

Nissan upgraded the VQ for reasons one of which was to reduce engine vibration by using a stiffer block and other enhancements.. The DE is what it is, enjoy the vibes LOL.

 

I understand what the OP is saying. my revup just doesnt seem "happy " over 5K..

my miata loves to rev.. my STI loves 6-7K..

This thing seems upset you are asking it to spin that high.

but I do it anyway.

 

i've done 5 events this year on my Z which has now 152k miles on it. sounds beautiful on track and yes i keep it around 5-6k on the track since you will get a lot more power in the upper RPM bands. There are some tracks where i'm coming down near the end of the straight and I'm at redline since i don't want to shift up then down right away. the car gets abused. just make sure you check fluids each time you go out especially coolant with you being down south.

 

So that brings up another question: I put an oil cooler on my previous track car for just that reason. Heat kills. While it is never a bad idea, is an oil cooler a necessity with the 350Z?

 

It depends on the length of the sessions. If the sessions are 20 minutes or less, no oil cooler is required with adequate cool- down time. But if you're pushing the Z hard for more than that, an oil cooler is recommended.

 

Got a good spot? The fog light holes of my Focus SVT were perfect cooling ducts. I hate to put an oil cooler in front of my AC condenser..........it does get hot here. Plus I got brownie points - the instructors who rode along with me before really enjoyed AC while sitting on the grid at Road Atlanta in July...............

 

I added a 19 row cooler, thero-plate and oil temp gauge.

https://my350z.com/forum/2003-2009-n...l#post10940812


FYI. I bought an ebay special and it works fine.
The only thing I had to do is use an oil filter oring on the thermo plate. THe oring it comes with isn't thick enough and I was leaking oil at the joint.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gplus-19-RO...0AAOSwRnpc3N4X

 

So the oil cooler adapter threads for the 350Z are 3/4-16? I think that's the same as my previous track car so mine should bolt up. Still have to find a place for it..............

 

 

Same path here, bought my Z after a year of having my SVTF. Took a bit to learn how to use the torque to my advantage, power drops after 6500 and most times it not needed to endlessly rev, grab the next gear and go.

 

Looks like the China one I got, quality seems good but I had your O ring problem too. They sent me a thicker one which does the job.

 

With an intake and exhaust, you'll be around 240 - 245 whp. The stock DE manifold will make peak power at 6000 rpm, and then drop off at 6300. So that's why it feels "winded" when you rev past that. There's a few options we can explore here. Most common is stock DE manifold with a plenum spacer. Your peak whp / wtq will be higher, and still drop off after 6300, but it definitely wakes the car up some. You can do what I did, and pair the revup lower plenum to a plenum spacer, and hold power all across the upper rpm range. My cammed DE made 300 whp at 6000 rpm, and held it to 7500 rpm. You can also just replace the intake manifold altogether - the Kinetix Velocity has shorter runners than the DE lower plenum, so you'll make better power up top.

You can also install high flow cats or test pipes, and get a retune. If you go my recommended route of revup plenum, plenum spacer (5/16" will do it), and Z1 high flow cats, you should make make power, around 260 whp, but it wouldn't be dropping off after 6300.

On an aside, you definitely need an oil cooler for extended sessions down south - I overheated at Road Atlanta a couple months back, and wrecked the bottom end. We're swapping in a used G35 engine, but I plan on keeping the heads/cams package. Here's my dyno video / sheet for reference, and feel free to ask any questions on it. Volume warning for headset users

 

Thanks for info. I'm fine with my power for now, considering I was used to just 180HP. And I understand the feeling of the engine being out of breath, but being new to the VQ it was also the noise (Nismo Exhaust? CAI?) and vibration. All that makes me think it is struggling.

So has anyone found a convenient place for an oil cooler besides in front of the AC condenser?

 

No problem! You have video of the NVH? This sounds more like a byproduct of the urethane bushings. I have seen where owners removed the washer fluid reservoir, and installed the oil radiator there. And less common, I've seen it routed to driver side, in front of the wheel. I plan on removing the washer fluid reservoir myself, as my z becomes less and less street oriented, and more HPDE oriented.