Looking at a NS petrol

[benckj]

Make sure it includes the drive belt and idler bearings outside of cam belt section. Might also consider changing spark plugs as these will be due.

[Nick-o-larse]

Thanks benckj .

I will get them to add that.

I'm not sure if it's normal but the fan seems go on quite frequently?

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[benckj]

Electronic fan controlled by seperate thermostat switch unless AC is on.

[Nick-o-larse]

Nice. Thank you!

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[pneumatic]

Driving back from QLD Sunshine Coast to Brisbane today my V6 NS was hovering around 11.9 / 12.0L/100km in the 110kph zone (going 108/109 on the GPS). When the speed limit dropped to 100kph (98/99 on the GPS) at Caboolture the fuel consumption dropped down and eached 11.3L/100kph before the end of the highway. It is stock other than a nudge bar and light bar. It does have wildcat headers with new cat's in them, to fix the stock cracked manifolds. I don't think they have had any really impact on economy. I think the guts of the bigger cat after the headers have fallen out somewhere in the vehicles life.

I got mine late last year, it has done 220,000km. The PO says the timing belt and water pump was done at 210,000km, it has a Repco timing belt sticker so I think it actually has been done.

They didn't do the accessory drive belt, the pulleys were very noisy when I got it. I ended up buying Matsumo brand pulleys and tensioner from onlineautoparts.com.au (Upper RH pulley $31.45, other pulley $29.95 and tensioner with pulley $39.95). Very cheap, I hope they survive. I also bought a Gates belt from Repco at their end of year sales (probably $60?).

I also bought quite a few bits and pieces from partsouq.com. Amazing prices for genuine Mitsubishi. I've heard amayama.com is also good, but haven't tried them yet.

https://partsouq.com/en/catalog/genuine/ link to V6 NS timing belt and drive belt parts

5th gear does seem like quite a low gear, I was wondering if that is part of the reason for the better fuel economy at 100kph (or if it is completely down to the aerodynamics at that speed). I was thinking slightly bigger tyres to increase the gearing slightly might actually help with the 110kph economy (by dropping the revs at that speed)?

[BruceandBobbi]

In the petrol auto 5th gear is .731.

The manual is .819.

I think the diff is 4.3 in both.

[Nick-o-larse]

When I drove it home mostly 80 in 5th gear I averaged around 11.5 which I dint think was bad it all.. going to work which is 8ks, lights etc was around 14. Pretty happy with that!!

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[erad]

Pneumatic replied in part
"5th gear does seem like quite a low gear, I was wondering if that is part of the reason for the better fuel economy at 100kph (or if it is completely down to the aerodynamics at that speed). I was thinking slightly bigger tyres to increase the gearing slightly might actually help with the 110kph economy (by dropping the revs at that speed)?"

Putting larger tyres on will drop the revs at that speed, but not that much (if you stay legal). The main factor as you have already discovered is the aerodynamics of your brick. You may get a slight improvement but probably it will suffer down low pulling power as well. You have to respect the original designers of the vehicle - they had reasons for putting the car together with these tyres - it is all a compromise.

[nj swb]

Putting larger tyres on will drop the revs at that speed, but not that much (if you stay legal). The main factor as you have already discovered is the aerodynamics of your brick. You may get a slight improvement but probably it will suffer down low pulling power as well. You have to respect the original designers of the vehicle - they had reasons for putting the car together with these tyres - it is all a compromise.

This.

Going up one "size" in tyre would effectively alter gearing by about 3% - in old money, from 31" tyres to 32" tyres. Roughly, a 30 rpm drop for every 1000 rpm at any given speed. Not huge, but better than nothing if you're really keen on dropping revs.

As posted, you probably have 4.3:1 diff ratios. Some Gen 4s (I think early diesels) came with 4.1:1, most Gen 4 diesels have 3.9:1. Personally, I think 3.9s are too tall for a petrol (probably too tall for the diesel, but that's a different story), but swapping to 4.1s would alter gearing by about 5% - roughly 50 rpm drop for every 1000 rpm.

Either way, while reducing revs at cruise may be attractive, it's making the engine work harder everywhere else. Depending on how / when / where you drive, the trade-off may be worth it i.e. if you do a lot of highway driving you might ultimately save fuel, but if you do a lot of stop-start driving you'll probably use more fuel. I doubt the numbers will ever work such that a diff swap ever pays for itself.

Larger tyres are a slightly different story, in that most of us do it for that little bit of extra clearance off road. Of course, larger tyres are heavier, and heavy duty off road tyres are also heavier, so most of the time our larger and heavier tyres are using more fuel, not less - but that's the price we pay for wanting to "improve" our vehicles off road. It is all a compromise.

[BruceandBobbi]

Diff ratios for Gen 4 diesels.

Manual 4.1.

Auto 3.917.

I believe the ratio changed in either the NW or NX?

[Nick-o-larse]

So just been de-tarring the car as can't wash it! As I was doing it I heard a bang, looked up and my 2 year old boy had thrown a stone at it! Cheers mate.. Nice litting ding in the door!

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