Newsletter No 21

27 September 2005

I recently came across 2 Nissan V6 3L 4X4’s.

One was a bakkie from my friend who bought it with a Maxima engine. Talk is cheap, this Maxima is the normal ZX 300 motor (VG 30) probably brought in and sold under that name by some unscrupulous operator.

The other was installed in the Sani and was the proper high compression Maxima motor (VG 30E).

You have to UNICHIP the Latter if you want it to last, as it runs far to lean. The difference in performance is astonishing !

I think I am one of the few shops who has no qualms about working on grey imports.

Problem is customers do NOT understand that this work is 1-of and therefore I need to charge for every hour spent working even if nothing is achieved. Normally development costs are passed onto a broad customer base but in this case it stays with the vehicle or how many Cayenne’s do you think I will do over the next 10 years.

Before the next person phones me about Unleaded fuel (no lead as of the end of this year). Don’t’ worry.

The main differences with 95 Unleaded over 93 Leaded is:

Burn’s hotter- therefore your valves can “burn” under extended high speed/load driving.

Burn’s longer therefore you can start burning it earlier

Higher Octane so you can run more timing & compression.

Is far more Dangerous to our health

Your Catalytic converter makes sure you have no CO emissions, so you can remove it safely and feel the increase in power unless you have a vehicle that also measures the gasses after the converter, such as a Pathfinder, for which you then need a UNICHIP.

It is silly season again with emails coming in asking for a CHEAP mod to their engine. That’s it no spec’s on what is done already or how much money they want to spend. I touched on doing things step by step and in Newsletter 12, but here it is again:

Decide how much money you want to spend then check out my prices on services and then contact me with your vehicles details, state of tune and funds you have available.

Step 1 Exhaust & Airfilter to make sure your engine can breathe

Step2 UNICHIP, needs to be reprogrammed for about 750 again after further mods, such as

Step 3 Head and Cam The Cam is the Brain of your engine and needs to be adapted to all other modifications.

Lastly be careful of K&N look-alikes, as this picture clearly demonstrates the end result. If I was the owner, I would cry about his recently rebuilt motor.

There are loads of filters on the market that look similar to a K&N, but if it does not say K&N on the moulding, then it is no K&N !

K&N’s will NOT let through dust if properly maintained.

Please contact me with the filter in question or a resized photo thereof if you have a question, rather than taking a chance or listen to your pal.

Cheers

Nick von Bergen

It is easy enough to shout slogans or to sign manifestos, but it is quite a different matter to build, manage, command, spend days and nights seeking the solution of problems. Patrice Lumumba, 1961