Is there any other solution besides throwing a right angle drill into the engine bay and drilling a hole into the upper oil pan? Does the upper oil pan come off easily so that the hole could be drilled off the car and everything fitted perfectly?

Is there a replacement oil pan, or oil spacer that will makes this install much easier? I read some things on my350z about people tapping the oil pan spacers instead of the pan, but nothing was too conclusive? I would like to make this part of the install process as simple as possible!

Thanks,

Jason

 

No way around it. Its a return line. Ive done two now and it was VERY easy to do. It just sounds hard! When you do it just post up and Ill walk you through it.

 

Any way you could simply walk me through it before hand? I hate to sound nervous about this, but I am not too comfortable having my car only as high as SUV jackstands will go, sliding under it and throwing a right/angle drill up there.

Did you take the upper oil pan off to do it, and did you use an oil pan spacer steve?

 

Yes, you can use the JWT oil pan spacer. I've done it on a friends car and it worked beautifully.

$100, and it can be tapped. Great option because then you will not have a hole in your upper pan, unfortunatly when I got my S/C that spacer didn't exist.

 

I saw your thread on my350z, wow was that really unhelpful, glad that you figured it out; because no one helped out. You didn't by chance snag any pictures of this or could possibly explain it in depth to me? And where did you buy the oil pan spacer?

Thanks.

 

I didn't, sorry.

http://performancenissanparts.com/ca...8f10affee82c15

It goes between your lower and upper pan. It can be tapped on either side. I suggest you have a shop do it since you don't understand how to tap a hole (Don't want to screw this up)

Good luck..

 

Ok first off, DO AS VORTECH SAYS! This isnt a preasure line its a return line. Do this, take a glass of water fill it up to the top. Now get a small piece of hose and put it in the glass keeping the top of the hose help up pour water in the hose. Does it empty out?

 

I know how to do the tap, I am just not too comfortable with it. I will leave it to the Nissan certified mechanic that is helping me do the install

So does this step eliminate drilling into the wall of the engine block above the upper oil pan? And is this spacer sitting inbetween the lower oil pan and whatever the lower oil pan mounts to?

 

If your worried about getting under the car then dont even try this install. 50% is under the car. Get the car up high enough to get under with comfort. Look at the instructions and the picture of where they say to tap the upper pan. There is like a grid on the upper pan, mark your spot on the grid. But make sure that the spot you mark you can get to with the drill straight on, not to high or to low. Drill a small pilot hole so that the tip of the bit that vortech gives you fits in it. Now STAY STRAIGHT ON WITH THAT VORTECH BITWHILE DRILLING. The pan is thin and it wont take long. Now get some wd40 and spray the hole and tap. Start the tap, once started spray it again. Scew it in a little more then spray again. Keeping doing this until your to about the middle of the tap. Back it off and run it again.

 

OKay okay.. I think I finally understand. I am not an auditory leaner, if you haven't noticed. So, just the lower pan gets removed so that any shavings fall out and it can stay clean?

Isn't there a solution with an APS Oil Pan, that wouldn't require any drilling?

 

Yes remove it so you can add the spacer and clean things up. The APS pan is too kow also for a return. THERE IS NO WAY AROUND IT.

 

Okay.. thank for the help guys. I ordered the JWT Oil Pan Spacer kit this morning from Performance Nissan Parts. I am going back and forth on whether to just tap the spacer and call it a day; I know this isn't standard procedure, but this is still an oil drain line and all it need to do is flow back into the pan.

On my last car we actually tapped the oil drain into the oil pressure sensor itself and had no issues (this was on the bottom side of the oil pan). I am fairly confident that tapping the spacer will work well. If narkotic says it works, I trust him.

 

T-max... re-read this post...

If I understand this correctly... Apparently the oil return line needs to be ABOVE the oil level so that the oil will drain into the pan. Unless the oil return line is pressurized, the oil will not return to the pan if the return is below the oil line... right?

 

I think this has been an ongoing mystery, because I remember there were huge arguments on my last car when the Oil Feed was from the Oil Sending Unit and we just tapped the side of the valve cover (nearly parallel to the turbo, at the top of the engine). It is a gravity fed line, pressure will build from the feed and as long as the line is below the supercharger, it will drain. Granted, a valve cover is way above the oil pan and the oil line, I still think it will drain.

I think this is going to be a gametime decision.. I have heard of only one person (Narkotic) to tap the pan spacer, but haven't heard of any issues from it. If anyone can educate me further on this issue, I am all EARS!

 

Your not going to hear of any issues. Everything will seem to be ok BUT that oil is just sitting in the SC housing. Its like never changing the oil. Do you think Vortech and with all there years of doing this just says this stuff to make it harder. There are reasons and I listed them.