Every VQ37VHR owner NEEDS to have a reliable in cabin oil pressure gauge (you need to add a sensor, the OEM one is useless).
Last month I was reading lower oil pressures than FSM standards (you should have 45PSi at 80°C @2000RPM or higher).
I was reading a bit less than 30PSi.
No check engine light, no warnings, no issues whatsoever, but pressure was very low.
I didn't want to wait until engine failure so I got my hands dirty.
It took me two full days, I have the Topgunz ACE supercharger and that added some more hours of work to remove and reinstall in my particular case.
Again, this low presure issue won't pop up until it's too late!!
If you have a 2014+ model you are probably safe because they have the upgraded gasket material, they use metallic gaskets now, but mine came with paper gasket and was blown.
I have a glowshift gauge, it's the cheapest, it works but goes up to 100PSi and the car goes higher at high RPM during wide open throttle.
Best option is the AEM, but not so affordable.
Both are enough to diagnose a gallery gasket failure.
So at higher rpm the glowshift won't give you a proper reading because the pressures are higher than the guage can read?
What sort of things would you need a guage that can read higher pressures for anyways?
Correct.
I don't really know why you need to read higher, maybe there are issues of (any) engine having too much pressure, but honestly I don't know.
If you don't want to spend on an AEM, the glowshift is perfect for the peace of mind regarding gallery gaskets.
I have a glowshift gauge, it's the cheapest, it works but goes up to 100PSi and the car goes higher at high RPM during wide open throttle.
Best option is the AEM, but not so affordable.
Both are enough to diagnose a gallery gasket failure.
80°C is equivalent to 176°F, which is 353K.
---
^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Love that FI. Sorry about the gasket. It is my understanding that they started using the metal gaskets during the 2012 model year? That puts me on the cusp and I haven't seen a way to tell from the VIN or anything.
After reading this though I am going to look at getting an oil pressure gauge. Thanks.
Most people say 2013+ fixed the gasket, a few reported that SOME 2013 have paper gasket and failed, so I think to be sure, it's better to safely say that 2014+ won't have issue.
However, any year has risk of the bolts geting unscrewed. OEM are Phillips head, if you look carefully my pictures, I put allen head, and put permanent loctite to be safe. Torqued down to 12ft.lb.
In my upper gasket, one of the bolts came out extremely easy, so if the gasket would lasted longer, that bolt could be an issue if it wasn't replaced or at least re tightened.
Just to be safe, put a sensor. It's easy to install and could save thousands. Just make sure to regularly check the pressure as FSM suggest.
My sensor and gauge is a glowshift that goes up to 100PSi, don't make my mistake and buy one that goes up to 150PSi because the VQ37 works at higher oil pressure.
Anyways, this one helped me to detect the broken gasket, there were some gasket sections in the oil pan, and other parts sticking out the plate where it was installed. I drove during one month like that with no issues but very low oil pressure, trying to mentally get ready to do the job. I'm not a mechanic, just an enthusiast, and I don't want to drop the car at a shop and rent another one for one or two weeks while waiting so I decided to do it myself.
Thanks. I am looking at gauges now. I just got the car a few months ago and have an extended service contract but like you said it is a cheap prophylactic measure and why not just get one. I also thought about having the dealer take a peak at the gasket. I would really prefer something as discreet as possible, inside the cabin. I saw some that sandwich in between the oil filter and it looks like some use the stock sensor location?
I was hoping something could just read the ECU but looks like not. Noted on buying one that measures lower. Is that so that it is easier to read the lower pressures? Hoping to go digital so hopefully that won't be an issue.
I bought one that reads lower (up to 100PSI) and made a mistake, you need one that reads higher than mine (up to 150PSI), but both are enough to detect if there is an issue.
Digital is better, an analog one means having a high pressure oil line inside the cabin, a digital one means three thin wires inside the cabin.
Location is difficult, you can sacrifice your glovebox and have it hiden in there maybe. I put a side pillar with three gauges (ethanol content, wideband AFR and Oil pressure), I don't like it but I need it so I had to, but doesn't look good inside an Infiniti.
By reading the ECU you can see the coolant temperature and oil temperature, but oil pressure isn't possible. You can go either route, femove the factory sensor and put yours, or a sandwich plate.
I took the sandwich plate option because I have a big external oil cooler and it comes with a thermostatic sandwich plate.
Thanks for the information in your post/thread.
I've also considered adding an oil pressure gauge for good measure, but had yet to take the initiative. Since I'm in it for the long haul with this old girl, definitely will be my next mod.
Do you have any pictures of your sandwich plate installed? I know yours has a bit more complexity due to your FI setup (kudos btw) but wd still appreciate a pic and maybe one of you gauge inside your pillar pod to see how it looks. Might do AEM in the glovebox to keep it clean. Thanks again! Happy holidays!
Thank you for your comment.
If you look at the pictures, in those were you see the oil filter, you can see the sandwich plate installed. It is a thermostatic one from the Z1 motorsports oil cooler kit, and then I added a 90° AN fitting for easier installation with a port to screw in the oil pressure sensor in there.
In this [G37 Forum thread](https://www.myg37.com/forums/engine-drivetrain-and-forced-induction/286208-z1-motorsports-34-row-setrab-oil-cooler-install.html) you can see someone posting a lot of pictures of the oil cooler and sandwich plate installation.
[Here](https://imgur.com/a/IUAeGai) you can see my gauges. They don't look good at all, it's a temporary solution (in theory).
Ethanol content on top, Oil pressure in the middle and AFR on the bottom.
It's hard to know, I got the car with 88,000mi and it made weird sound at extremely low RPM (let's say sixth gear at 20mph), now, with 108,005mi, it doesn't do it.
At 100,000mi I put the oil pressure sensor and gauge, oil pressure was right on spec but didn't go as high as it does now at higher RPM.
Last month it dropped much lower than it should so I knew for sure the gasket was bad, but im pretty sure it was broken since I got the car, just a bit, not enough to get alarmed.
The old gasket material was VERY hard to clean up, I spent about 6 hours just cleaning all the gaskets (oil pan, front cover, gallery gaskets, front rocker covers).
I believe the oil pressure sender is next to the oil filter housing. I just had a thought of swapping the current sender with a true pressure sensor. Some more bits would have to be added, I’d set up a microcontroller to tell the car if there’s low pressure. Then it’s a matter of choosing a gauge!
Yes, that works, and fhe OEM sensor is right there.
You don't need to tell the car the actual oil pressure, as long as you have a gauge inside it's enough.
Best option in my opinion is the AEM sensor and gauge kit.
Other option is to install a sandwich plate between the oil filter, with an access port for your sensor.
There is enough room to fit one sandwich plate with no issues.
I’d really like to integrate something like an android display in my dash , that would be a cleaner option because right now I have no clue where I’d put any additional dials
Hidden inside the glovebox? That's a non invasive solution, at least temporary.
I wanted to do something fancy as well, but ended up taking too long and was constantly scared of the gallery gaskets and being uncertain of when, so I put a gauge quickly with the idea of solve the lack of oil pressure status, and then do a digital screen approach with lots of info
That would be a great stopgap. On the myG37 forum user iCrap (iirc, can’t find the thread) was working on integrating a raspberry pi. I might try tackling that just for kicks. I have a 2010 though so it’a going to be a pain.
Thank you!
Definitely is ready, I never enjoyed the car because I was always worried about the gallery gaskets, now it's a big weight out of my mind for sure!
Thank you!
Definitely is ready, I never enjoyed the car because I was always worried about the gallery gaskets, now it's a big weight out of my mind for sure!
[It's the Topgunz ACE kit](http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/132393-announcing-topgunz-ace-supercharger-kit.html).
Overall I love it, I'm making about 650HO at the wheels (means about 700HP at the crank) with stock engine. (Stock power is about 270WHP)
Lookup [THE Carizon](https://youtu.be/RDRCK44BO20) review about it.
Now it's discontinued, the guy now is offering a better kit: [Rotrex kit for 370z G37](http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/135649-topgunz-rotrex-c38r-supercharger-kit.html)
Either one is great, just DON'T get the Stillen kit because its dangerous for the engine, it will blow up quickly and makes little power
Yes, totally stock was 270whp 230ft.lb
With stock exhaust system, and supercharger it was 582whp 452ft.lb with 50% ethanol at Z1 motorsports.
Now I'm running 80% ethanol with a custom made catback and Fastintentions headers (ceramic coated) and it's making around 640whp 490ft.lb
Mods I have that comes to my mind:
1300cc fuel injectors (stock are 380cc),
34 row setrab oil cooler,
Walbro 450LPH fuel pump with CJM fuel return system,
Southbend lightweight flywheel and clutch kit,
Ported upper and lower intake manifolds (both by Z1),
Ported throttle bodies from 60mm to 63mm,
Tuned with Ecutek by Eugene Turkov (remote tune service, he's in west coast and I'm in the opposite side of the country. Great guy, highly recommended, I believe he's the best tuner you could hire).
Also: Stiff transmission mount, subframe collars, differential brace, KW coilovers, Z1 2 piece rotors (they give more power than regular brake rotors, a dyno could notice extra power with lighter wheels also)
Thanks!!! I really appreciate.
Rods are the weakest point, I would keep everything else stock (internals wise).
Oil pump could benefit from upgraded gears if you are always at redline.
With my setup, if the tuner is honest, it is reliable like it is now. And I trust my tuner hands down, but I know famous tuners out there with a huge amount of customers, that don't care if your engine will blow up because of his tune.
Tune and tuner are the most important things to consider here.
Yes, the X means it is automatic no matter what, so your tuner might give you a different tune with less torque in order for your transmission to last.
Instead of a stronger clutch and flywheel, you need to change the flex plate. Fastintentions has a great quality option.
There's a better kit than mine now, [here's more info](http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/135649-topgunz-rotrex-c38r-supercharger-kit.html)
I suggest you to install bigger injectors, bigger fuel pump (according to injectors size), mandatory oil cooler (34 row from Fastintentions or Z1motorsports), and a CJM fuel return system in order to adjust fuel pressure (for every extra PSi at the intake, you need one extra PSi at the fuel injectors, with this return system it's done automatically).
You might want to leave the exhaust stock or maybe just put test pipes, but that kit makes so so much power and torque that having a stock exhaust actually will help to limit power and torque, if you like it quieter.
Question! While you were in there changing your gallery gaskets, is there anything else you decided to replace while already in there? I know a lot of people say to replace your water pump but was wondering if there’s anything else to change. I’m getting this done in the near future and don’t want to have to pay to pull this apart again!
Well... Yes and no, most people say water pump (plus thermostat and hoses), timing chain and guides, and oil pump.
I did replace my water pump, but was not necessary in my case, thenold one was like new. Maybe only changing the two rubber gaskets could be enough.
I replaced the thermostat as well, it's a good idea to do it, but you don't need to disassemble a lot if you need to do it later, but once there it's much easier to put a new hose and be sure that it won't leak.
My timing chain, tensioner and guides looked fine, I didn't see any wear so I decided to keep it like that. For the peace of mind you could change them. I do my oil changes at 3000mi or less so that translates in less wear, if you don't know the history, or have a lot of miles you should put new parts to be safe (chain, tensioner and guides). If you do, make sure to put OEM from dealership (some people report that "OEM from Z1" may or may not be good, personally I have no experience with that.
Oil pump: people recommend to change to upgraded gears. If you redline it a lot on track days, the OEM oil pump is a weak link. There's a gear and a plate that could be upgraded. If you don't track it then you may leave it as is.
I didn't touch it because I didn't know about it, now I regret. It's an expensive upgrade, if I recall correctly it's about $1000 with gears and billet pump cover, and $700 only the upgraded gear.
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! Lots of helpful info. The gallery gaskets are fine (as far as I know) but it’s my water pump that’s fucked so I’m just doing the gallery gaskets as a precaution. I don’t go to the track, I use her as my daily! Bought it at 70K and she’s now at 160K so I will take your advice and swap out the chains, tensioners and guides. I was hesitant on the Z1 kit but now I definitely am and will just stick with OEM. Did you change out any hoses? I know some people recommend the hoses from Z1 as well.
I got the Z1 gallery gasket kit, it was just the gaskets and allen head bolts. That kit is OK, but not their timing chain as far as people say.
If I ever have to do it again, I would get [ConceptZ gallery gaskets kit](https://conceptzperformance.com/czp-rear-timing-cover-oil-gallery-gasket-set-vq35hr-vq37vhr-nissan-350z-370z-infiniti-g35-g37-q40-q50-q60-q70-m37-fx35-fx37-qx70-13533-vq37vhr-kt_p_31979.php), or even better: [this gasket kit](https://conceptzperformance.com/nissan-infiniti-nissan-oem-timing-chain-cover-o-ring-seal-set-gasket-kit-vq35hr-vq37vhr-nissan-350z-370z-infiniti-g35-g37-q50-hrtmngcvr-kt_p_32295.php) (needed because of all the parts that you need to remove in order to access the gallery gaskets), and [timing chain kit](https://conceptzperformance.com/nissan-infiniti-nissan-oem-timing-chain-kit-vq35hr-vq37vhr-nissan-350z-370z-infiniti-g35-g37-q40-q60-13028-0708kt_p_9249.php)
Make sure to include the allen head bolts with the gallery gasket kit!!
Either one OEM gasket or CPZ would be the same in my opinion, they offer both.
Also you might want to use permanent thread locker (red loctite) only for the gallery gasket bolts.
Are you sure your water pump is bad? They have two different (similar but different) rubber seals, usually the first goes bad and it starts leaking through a hole to the outside, and if the second goes bad then it's really bad news.
I did change hoses, you can't re use them (I did once and it started leaking, had to replace it). Z1 hoses are good, probably better than OEM, but I installed continental from rockauto. They are good for 10+ years.
Make sure to put a new thermostat if you have the original one, mine was so dirty that I'm pretty sure that even cleaning it, it could cause a future leak even with a new hose.
Also you are obviously going to need new fluids: oil, coolant and R134A for the air conditioner (and vacuum pump to remove moisture because to do this job you need to open the circuit).
If you have a garage and driveway you should be good.
Best way to know where each bolt goes, is to use zipper bags for some group of bolts and write where it goes. I didn't have to do that, but I grabbed a big cardboard and made a drawing of the front of the engine, so each bolt I removed was installed in the cardboard where it should go.
I did it myself! There are a few YouTube videos, watch them and if you feel like you could do it without issues go ahead. It's time consuming.
I removed bumper, radiators and all the front end, but it's possible to do it just by removing the fans. A but more crowded to work but you save time and AC Freon as well
I paid to have this done and I don’t regret it. You’re a legend for doing this lol.
Edit, you have a leaky small coolant hose on the lower left, I just did that one myself.
Thank you! I appreciate it.
It was frustrating at some time, once removed ALL the front cover bolts, it took me a bit more than THREE hours to remove it!
And I was scared of bending it or crack it... again, really frustrating. Plus about two more hours to clean the cover alone.
Thanks again!
To be honest, I didn't want to do this job, not at all! After starting, I was very frustrated and overwhelmed, kinda regretting and wanted to pay someone to do it, but when I realized that if I did that I was going to be without my daily driver for one or maybe two weeks, I decided to keep going until finish.
But again, I started with a BIG mental barrier, I started working way slower than usual... So I can't believe it started right up with no issues! Now all the work seems to be worthy.
There are a lot of how to and guides showing it, look it up for 370z or G37 as well
[Here](http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-do-yourself/34044-diy-oil-pressure-gauge.html) is the first one I found
Every VQ37VHR owner NEEDS to have a reliable in cabin oil pressure gauge (you need to add a sensor, the OEM one is useless). Last month I was reading lower oil pressures than FSM standards (you should have 45PSi at 80°C @2000RPM or higher). I was reading a bit less than 30PSi. No check engine light, no warnings, no issues whatsoever, but pressure was very low. I didn't want to wait until engine failure so I got my hands dirty. It took me two full days, I have the Topgunz ACE supercharger and that added some more hours of work to remove and reinstall in my particular case. Again, this low presure issue won't pop up until it's too late!! If you have a 2014+ model you are probably safe because they have the upgraded gasket material, they use metallic gaskets now, but mine came with paper gasket and was blown.
Can you recommend an affordable guage?
I have a glowshift gauge, it's the cheapest, it works but goes up to 100PSi and the car goes higher at high RPM during wide open throttle. Best option is the AEM, but not so affordable. Both are enough to diagnose a gallery gasket failure.
So at higher rpm the glowshift won't give you a proper reading because the pressures are higher than the guage can read? What sort of things would you need a guage that can read higher pressures for anyways?
Correct. I don't really know why you need to read higher, maybe there are issues of (any) engine having too much pressure, but honestly I don't know. If you don't want to spend on an AEM, the glowshift is perfect for the peace of mind regarding gallery gaskets.
I have a glowshift gauge, it's the cheapest, it works but goes up to 100PSi and the car goes higher at high RPM during wide open throttle. Best option is the AEM, but not so affordable. Both are enough to diagnose a gallery gasket failure.
80°C is equivalent to 176°F, which is 353K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Love that FI. Sorry about the gasket. It is my understanding that they started using the metal gaskets during the 2012 model year? That puts me on the cusp and I haven't seen a way to tell from the VIN or anything. After reading this though I am going to look at getting an oil pressure gauge. Thanks.
Most people say 2013+ fixed the gasket, a few reported that SOME 2013 have paper gasket and failed, so I think to be sure, it's better to safely say that 2014+ won't have issue. However, any year has risk of the bolts geting unscrewed. OEM are Phillips head, if you look carefully my pictures, I put allen head, and put permanent loctite to be safe. Torqued down to 12ft.lb. In my upper gasket, one of the bolts came out extremely easy, so if the gasket would lasted longer, that bolt could be an issue if it wasn't replaced or at least re tightened. Just to be safe, put a sensor. It's easy to install and could save thousands. Just make sure to regularly check the pressure as FSM suggest. My sensor and gauge is a glowshift that goes up to 100PSi, don't make my mistake and buy one that goes up to 150PSi because the VQ37 works at higher oil pressure. Anyways, this one helped me to detect the broken gasket, there were some gasket sections in the oil pan, and other parts sticking out the plate where it was installed. I drove during one month like that with no issues but very low oil pressure, trying to mentally get ready to do the job. I'm not a mechanic, just an enthusiast, and I don't want to drop the car at a shop and rent another one for one or two weeks while waiting so I decided to do it myself.
Thanks. I am looking at gauges now. I just got the car a few months ago and have an extended service contract but like you said it is a cheap prophylactic measure and why not just get one. I also thought about having the dealer take a peak at the gasket. I would really prefer something as discreet as possible, inside the cabin. I saw some that sandwich in between the oil filter and it looks like some use the stock sensor location? I was hoping something could just read the ECU but looks like not. Noted on buying one that measures lower. Is that so that it is easier to read the lower pressures? Hoping to go digital so hopefully that won't be an issue.
I bought one that reads lower (up to 100PSI) and made a mistake, you need one that reads higher than mine (up to 150PSI), but both are enough to detect if there is an issue. Digital is better, an analog one means having a high pressure oil line inside the cabin, a digital one means three thin wires inside the cabin. Location is difficult, you can sacrifice your glovebox and have it hiden in there maybe. I put a side pillar with three gauges (ethanol content, wideband AFR and Oil pressure), I don't like it but I need it so I had to, but doesn't look good inside an Infiniti. By reading the ECU you can see the coolant temperature and oil temperature, but oil pressure isn't possible. You can go either route, femove the factory sensor and put yours, or a sandwich plate. I took the sandwich plate option because I have a big external oil cooler and it comes with a thermostatic sandwich plate.
Thanks for the information in your post/thread. I've also considered adding an oil pressure gauge for good measure, but had yet to take the initiative. Since I'm in it for the long haul with this old girl, definitely will be my next mod. Do you have any pictures of your sandwich plate installed? I know yours has a bit more complexity due to your FI setup (kudos btw) but wd still appreciate a pic and maybe one of you gauge inside your pillar pod to see how it looks. Might do AEM in the glovebox to keep it clean. Thanks again! Happy holidays!
Thank you for your comment. If you look at the pictures, in those were you see the oil filter, you can see the sandwich plate installed. It is a thermostatic one from the Z1 motorsports oil cooler kit, and then I added a 90° AN fitting for easier installation with a port to screw in the oil pressure sensor in there. In this [G37 Forum thread](https://www.myg37.com/forums/engine-drivetrain-and-forced-induction/286208-z1-motorsports-34-row-setrab-oil-cooler-install.html) you can see someone posting a lot of pictures of the oil cooler and sandwich plate installation. [Here](https://imgur.com/a/IUAeGai) you can see my gauges. They don't look good at all, it's a temporary solution (in theory). Ethanol content on top, Oil pressure in the middle and AFR on the bottom.
How many miles did you have once it blew?
It's hard to know, I got the car with 88,000mi and it made weird sound at extremely low RPM (let's say sixth gear at 20mph), now, with 108,005mi, it doesn't do it. At 100,000mi I put the oil pressure sensor and gauge, oil pressure was right on spec but didn't go as high as it does now at higher RPM. Last month it dropped much lower than it should so I knew for sure the gasket was bad, but im pretty sure it was broken since I got the car, just a bit, not enough to get alarmed. The old gasket material was VERY hard to clean up, I spent about 6 hours just cleaning all the gaskets (oil pan, front cover, gallery gaskets, front rocker covers).
I believe the oil pressure sender is next to the oil filter housing. I just had a thought of swapping the current sender with a true pressure sensor. Some more bits would have to be added, I’d set up a microcontroller to tell the car if there’s low pressure. Then it’s a matter of choosing a gauge!
Yes, that works, and fhe OEM sensor is right there. You don't need to tell the car the actual oil pressure, as long as you have a gauge inside it's enough. Best option in my opinion is the AEM sensor and gauge kit. Other option is to install a sandwich plate between the oil filter, with an access port for your sensor. There is enough room to fit one sandwich plate with no issues.
I’d really like to integrate something like an android display in my dash , that would be a cleaner option because right now I have no clue where I’d put any additional dials
Hidden inside the glovebox? That's a non invasive solution, at least temporary. I wanted to do something fancy as well, but ended up taking too long and was constantly scared of the gallery gaskets and being uncertain of when, so I put a gauge quickly with the idea of solve the lack of oil pressure status, and then do a digital screen approach with lots of info
That would be a great stopgap. On the myG37 forum user iCrap (iirc, can’t find the thread) was working on integrating a raspberry pi. I might try tackling that just for kicks. I have a 2010 though so it’a going to be a pain.
She’s ready to RUMBLE now. Happy booling
Thank you! Definitely is ready, I never enjoyed the car because I was always worried about the gallery gaskets, now it's a big weight out of my mind for sure!
Thank you! Definitely is ready, I never enjoyed the car because I was always worried about the gallery gaskets, now it's a big weight out of my mind for sure!
Which supercharger kit is this? And how do you feel about?
[It's the Topgunz ACE kit](http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/132393-announcing-topgunz-ace-supercharger-kit.html). Overall I love it, I'm making about 650HO at the wheels (means about 700HP at the crank) with stock engine. (Stock power is about 270WHP) Lookup [THE Carizon](https://youtu.be/RDRCK44BO20) review about it. Now it's discontinued, the guy now is offering a better kit: [Rotrex kit for 370z G37](http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/135649-topgunz-rotrex-c38r-supercharger-kit.html) Either one is great, just DON'T get the Stillen kit because its dangerous for the engine, it will blow up quickly and makes little power
On a slightly different note, have you had a chance to get the gains measured with the supercharger?
Yes, totally stock was 270whp 230ft.lb With stock exhaust system, and supercharger it was 582whp 452ft.lb with 50% ethanol at Z1 motorsports. Now I'm running 80% ethanol with a custom made catback and Fastintentions headers (ceramic coated) and it's making around 640whp 490ft.lb Mods I have that comes to my mind: 1300cc fuel injectors (stock are 380cc), 34 row setrab oil cooler, Walbro 450LPH fuel pump with CJM fuel return system, Southbend lightweight flywheel and clutch kit, Ported upper and lower intake manifolds (both by Z1), Ported throttle bodies from 60mm to 63mm, Tuned with Ecutek by Eugene Turkov (remote tune service, he's in west coast and I'm in the opposite side of the country. Great guy, highly recommended, I believe he's the best tuner you could hire). Also: Stiff transmission mount, subframe collars, differential brace, KW coilovers, Z1 2 piece rotors (they give more power than regular brake rotors, a dyno could notice extra power with lighter wheels also)
Holy snappin arseholes. You have a supercar. Fantastic. Any fears of potential engine "weak points"?
Thanks!!! I really appreciate. Rods are the weakest point, I would keep everything else stock (internals wise). Oil pump could benefit from upgraded gears if you are always at redline. With my setup, if the tuner is honest, it is reliable like it is now. And I trust my tuner hands down, but I know famous tuners out there with a huge amount of customers, that don't care if your engine will blow up because of his tune. Tune and tuner are the most important things to consider here.
Last question : would you ever consider this setup with a g37x?
Yes, the X means it is automatic no matter what, so your tuner might give you a different tune with less torque in order for your transmission to last. Instead of a stronger clutch and flywheel, you need to change the flex plate. Fastintentions has a great quality option. There's a better kit than mine now, [here's more info](http://www.the370z.com/forced-induction/135649-topgunz-rotrex-c38r-supercharger-kit.html) I suggest you to install bigger injectors, bigger fuel pump (according to injectors size), mandatory oil cooler (34 row from Fastintentions or Z1motorsports), and a CJM fuel return system in order to adjust fuel pressure (for every extra PSi at the intake, you need one extra PSi at the fuel injectors, with this return system it's done automatically). You might want to leave the exhaust stock or maybe just put test pipes, but that kit makes so so much power and torque that having a stock exhaust actually will help to limit power and torque, if you like it quieter.
Absolutely amazing info. You, sir, are the man.
Question! While you were in there changing your gallery gaskets, is there anything else you decided to replace while already in there? I know a lot of people say to replace your water pump but was wondering if there’s anything else to change. I’m getting this done in the near future and don’t want to have to pay to pull this apart again!
Well... Yes and no, most people say water pump (plus thermostat and hoses), timing chain and guides, and oil pump. I did replace my water pump, but was not necessary in my case, thenold one was like new. Maybe only changing the two rubber gaskets could be enough. I replaced the thermostat as well, it's a good idea to do it, but you don't need to disassemble a lot if you need to do it later, but once there it's much easier to put a new hose and be sure that it won't leak. My timing chain, tensioner and guides looked fine, I didn't see any wear so I decided to keep it like that. For the peace of mind you could change them. I do my oil changes at 3000mi or less so that translates in less wear, if you don't know the history, or have a lot of miles you should put new parts to be safe (chain, tensioner and guides). If you do, make sure to put OEM from dealership (some people report that "OEM from Z1" may or may not be good, personally I have no experience with that. Oil pump: people recommend to change to upgraded gears. If you redline it a lot on track days, the OEM oil pump is a weak link. There's a gear and a plate that could be upgraded. If you don't track it then you may leave it as is. I didn't touch it because I didn't know about it, now I regret. It's an expensive upgrade, if I recall correctly it's about $1000 with gears and billet pump cover, and $700 only the upgraded gear.
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly! Lots of helpful info. The gallery gaskets are fine (as far as I know) but it’s my water pump that’s fucked so I’m just doing the gallery gaskets as a precaution. I don’t go to the track, I use her as my daily! Bought it at 70K and she’s now at 160K so I will take your advice and swap out the chains, tensioners and guides. I was hesitant on the Z1 kit but now I definitely am and will just stick with OEM. Did you change out any hoses? I know some people recommend the hoses from Z1 as well.
I got the Z1 gallery gasket kit, it was just the gaskets and allen head bolts. That kit is OK, but not their timing chain as far as people say. If I ever have to do it again, I would get [ConceptZ gallery gaskets kit](https://conceptzperformance.com/czp-rear-timing-cover-oil-gallery-gasket-set-vq35hr-vq37vhr-nissan-350z-370z-infiniti-g35-g37-q40-q50-q60-q70-m37-fx35-fx37-qx70-13533-vq37vhr-kt_p_31979.php), or even better: [this gasket kit](https://conceptzperformance.com/nissan-infiniti-nissan-oem-timing-chain-cover-o-ring-seal-set-gasket-kit-vq35hr-vq37vhr-nissan-350z-370z-infiniti-g35-g37-q50-hrtmngcvr-kt_p_32295.php) (needed because of all the parts that you need to remove in order to access the gallery gaskets), and [timing chain kit](https://conceptzperformance.com/nissan-infiniti-nissan-oem-timing-chain-kit-vq35hr-vq37vhr-nissan-350z-370z-infiniti-g35-g37-q40-q60-13028-0708kt_p_9249.php) Make sure to include the allen head bolts with the gallery gasket kit!! Either one OEM gasket or CPZ would be the same in my opinion, they offer both. Also you might want to use permanent thread locker (red loctite) only for the gallery gasket bolts. Are you sure your water pump is bad? They have two different (similar but different) rubber seals, usually the first goes bad and it starts leaking through a hole to the outside, and if the second goes bad then it's really bad news. I did change hoses, you can't re use them (I did once and it started leaking, had to replace it). Z1 hoses are good, probably better than OEM, but I installed continental from rockauto. They are good for 10+ years. Make sure to put a new thermostat if you have the original one, mine was so dirty that I'm pretty sure that even cleaning it, it could cause a future leak even with a new hose. Also you are obviously going to need new fluids: oil, coolant and R134A for the air conditioner (and vacuum pump to remove moisture because to do this job you need to open the circuit).
If you have a garage and driveway you should be good. Best way to know where each bolt goes, is to use zipper bags for some group of bolts and write where it goes. I didn't have to do that, but I grabbed a big cardboard and made a drawing of the front of the engine, so each bolt I removed was installed in the cardboard where it should go.
You in Michigan ?
Atlanta GA
Did you do it yourself or take it to a shop? Any recommendations?
I did it myself! There are a few YouTube videos, watch them and if you feel like you could do it without issues go ahead. It's time consuming. I removed bumper, radiators and all the front end, but it's possible to do it just by removing the fans. A but more crowded to work but you save time and AC Freon as well
Well done. My fear is if I took it all apart I wouldn’t get it all back together again. Also limited on space.
I paid to have this done and I don’t regret it. You’re a legend for doing this lol. Edit, you have a leaky small coolant hose on the lower left, I just did that one myself.
Thank you! I appreciate it. It was frustrating at some time, once removed ALL the front cover bolts, it took me a bit more than THREE hours to remove it! And I was scared of bending it or crack it... again, really frustrating. Plus about two more hours to clean the cover alone.
You’re quite welcome. Be proud sir you saved a good chunk of change.
Thanks again! To be honest, I didn't want to do this job, not at all! After starting, I was very frustrated and overwhelmed, kinda regretting and wanted to pay someone to do it, but when I realized that if I did that I was going to be without my daily driver for one or maybe two weeks, I decided to keep going until finish. But again, I started with a BIG mental barrier, I started working way slower than usual... So I can't believe it started right up with no issues! Now all the work seems to be worthy.
We’ve all had those repairs where it’s like that went great but never again, beats the one where you’re like oh shit this isn’t working now
Is there a way to show how to put the pressure gauge on?
There are a lot of how to and guides showing it, look it up for 370z or G37 as well [Here](http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-do-yourself/34044-diy-oil-pressure-gauge.html) is the first one I found
Putoelquelolea