This article will discuss Nissan’s official stances with respect to oil changes, as well as why it is important to refer to Nissan for oil change interval recommendations.
You have to extrapolate from what various tests can tell you, plus think about “the big picture” before you take things apart and maybe make a big mistake.
In 1998, the SLK got a supercharger that provided the “right now” feeling normally associated with larger engines. These and other later models should be showing up in your shop by now, so you’d better know how they work.
In spite of the wholesale O.E. switch to roller lifters that started a couple of decades ago, if you’ve got a vintage rod chances are it has flat tappets, and maybe you don’t want to go to the trouble and expense to retrofit to rollers. Plus, some racing venues only allow flat tappets. These operate at higher temperature and pressure levels at the lobe/lifter interface than rollers do, so require greater wear protection. The primary anti-wear additive for flat tappet camshafts and lifters is ZDDP (zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate), but that’s been phased out of ordinary motor oils mostly because of fears that it’ll foul the cat. Racing oil and additives provide zinc in adequate quantity to provide the protection you need to prevent catastrophic lobe and lifter wear.
There is no such thing as a maintenance-free cooling system. It’s important to identify potential problems and catch them before a break-down situation. Let’s explore Nissan’s various engine cooling systems, the importance of proper fluids, and some best-practice inspection techniques.
