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DIY: Nissan 370Z Oil change (AK370Z way) Pictures inside

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Old 05-19-2009, 07:08 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Default DIY: Nissan 370Z Oil change (AK370Z way) Pictures inside

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How to change your engine oil in your 370z?

Well, it was time! I simply couldn't drive anymore with the regular oil. Car has almost 36xx miles. It's sunny and 70 degrees out. I decided to change the oil in my Z.

I'm going to list the steps one by one along with pictures. If I miss something or you have question(s), feel free to post in this thread or pm me.







What you'll need?


Redline Synthetic Motor oil (5W 30)
DSC01668 redline 1.jpg DSC01685-redline 2.jpg
Buy Here or Here

K&N Oil filter
DSC01672-kandn.jpg
Buy Here

Magnetic drain plug
Size: M12xP1.25
DSC01679magnet-plug.jpg
Buy Here

FilterMag Oil Filter Magnet

DSC01675-filtermag-1.jpgDSC01676-filtermag-2.jpg
Buy Here

Copper drain plug washer
1102601M02.jpg
Buy from your local Nissan dealer ($1.04)

How to

Step 1
Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.


STEP 2
Then you need to lift your car. You can use blitz ramps (that's what I have used). Once the car is on the lift, turn the engine off.

YouTube - MVI 0576
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcIMRTcjU4s

Quote:
update 05.24.10
Now, I should let you guys know that I DO NOT have the front chin spoiler. But even without it, I found out that I was rubbing the ramp slightly (found some scratched paint under front bumper). So, I went ahead and made these wooden steps to help me clear the ramp. I realized I have make them WAY too thick! I have like 1" clearance now! . Check them out:




Width of the wood: 1.5"

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRpAg1s905o

STEP 3
You need to remove the plastic engine undercover. It's held on by 16 10 mm bolts and 3 clips. Start removing the bolts first. Once you remove all the bolts, the undercover will hang by the clips. Now, remove the clips and you can take the cover off.











STEP 4
Once the cover is off, here's what you'll see. First, remove the oil filler cap (in engine bay). Then, use a wrench to unbolt the drain bolt. You should be able to unscrew the oil filter by hand (at least I was able to). Carefully put the oil catch pan right in between filter and bolt. Draining oil is VERY HOT. Please use caution as you unbolt the drain bolt or filter.




STEP 5
Wipe the engine oil filter mounting surface with a clean rag. Please be VERY careful since the surface is extremely sharp. You'll cut your hand/finger very easily if you don't pay attention. Coat the gasket on the new filter with clean engine oil. Screw in the oil filter clockwise until a slight resistance is felt, then tighten additionally more than 2/3 turn (as per manual 11 to 15 ft-lb). I like tightening by hand. Pic 2 is comparison shot vs OEM filter





STEP 6
Now, install the magnetic drain plug with a new washer. Securely tighten the drain plug with a wrench. Make sure the flat surface of the washer is close to pan and round portion of the crush washer is touching the flat surface of the drain bolt. As per manual, Drain plug tightening torque: 22 to 29 ft-lb







STEP 7
Now, you can install (attach) the FilterMag oil filter magnet to the oil filter. The K&N oil filter diameter is 2.69 in (68 mm). So if you'd like to use filter magnet from another company, you're more than welcome to do so. I personally like FilterMag .



STEP 8
Now, refill engine with RedLine oil and install the oil filler cap securely. With the new oil filter, you will need 5 1/8 quart of engine oil. I simply put 5 quarts first. I usually keep the 1/8 quart to fill later (to get accurate measure on level surface). BTW, Aquafina water bottle nozzle works like a charm! It's perfect fit and it'll stay in place between quart bottle change



STEP 9
Start the engine and check for leakage around the drain plug and the oil filter.Correct as required. Turn the engine off and put the undercover back on. First, Pull the center of the small plastic clip out. Then, hold the engine undercover into position. Insert the clip through the undercover into the hole in the frame, then push the center of the clip in to lock the clip in place. Once you have the clips secured, then install the other bolts that hold the undercover in place. Be careful not to strip the bolts or over-tighten them.







STEP 10

Carefully lower the vehicle and park on a level surface. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature. Then, turn the engine off and wait more than 15 minutes. Check the oil level with the dipstick. Add engine oil if necessary (usually that 1/8 quart that you left in the bottle).


YOU'RE DONE!

I have noticed that engine is a lot more quiet during idling(could be my imagination but it was very noticeable. Anyone felt the same way?). I will change the oil exactly 6 months from now. I know I can drive up to 10000 miles on these oil, but I drive about 7500 every 6 months. So, it'll be easier for me to split them up bi yearly. Feel free to ask me any question(s) you have.


Update as of 01-23-2010

Quote:
Originally Posted by AK370Z View Post
It was a beautiful day today. In this winter season, having a 45 degree temp is a pretty good reward for us North easterners. So, I decided to do my 3rd synthetic oil change today (4th on the car).

I used K&N (HP-1008) for the last two oil changes. This time, after looking at MODSHACK's oil cooler thread and Shrute's Journal, I have decided to give Purolator PureOne filter a try. I have heard nothing but good things about them and some of my friends approved PureOne more than the K&N. Also, as you know, the stock filter is really small. If you go to the Purolator website , they actually lists the smaller PL-14612 filter for Nissan 370Z, which is comparable to the stock size. But, many members here went with PL-14610 which is slightly bigger (Please see picture below for reference). This oil filter is a little cheaper than K&N ($6) and available at all automotive stores like Autozone/Pepboys etc.

Just like the last time, I did see some metal shavings/fragments on the magnetic drain plug. I'm sure there are metal shavings trapped by the filter magnet as well but I don't have an oil filter cutter . I really wish I could open up one of these filters.

Here are some pictures to share:

Here's the filter I went with. Notice, it's the PL14610 which is slightly bigger than the stock filter


Here's a comparison picture. I took this picture because, when I went to some of the other journals, this filter looked way bigger than OEM (at least twice the size) but in reality, it's not. That's why I put an iphone next to it so that you can get an actual size idea. This filter def looks like the right size for the car, not the dinky OEM filter .


Metal shavings on the magnetic drain bolt.


Installed


I think I should seriously ask Aquafina to sponsor me!


Also, I picked up this oil filter wrench from Pepboys few years back for $5. Definitely something you want to keep in your garage.


Crossed 14,000 miles this week!





Thank you sir!
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:09 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Questions and answers. More will be added as we go.

What kind of engine oil should I put in my 370Z?
As the manual says, any API certified 5W 30 will do the trick- which means 99% of engine oils sold in the states. Nissan Ester oil is recommended but NOT REQUIRED for the 370Z.

Why did you choose Redline Synthetic Oil?
I was looking for a good synthetic oil and I really liked what Redline had to offer. They use Ester base which is recommended by Nissan but NOT REQUIRED

From Redline site
Quote:
Red Line’s synthetic motor oils are designed to provide the highest protection, cleanliness and superior drain intervals with the lowest friction for your gasoline, diesel, motorcycle or marine engine. We use the most stable components available and formulate our products for wear protection and friction reduction across a wide range of engine operating conditions. Red Line's products are unique because they contain polyol ester base stocks, the only lubricants which can withstand the tremendous heat of modern jet engines. These synthetics have a natural multigrade property which allows our chemists to avoid bulking up an oil with unnecessary additive packages.

Here's a GREAT video! Click on the image to watch video
:

Quote:
Originally Posted by alefcole View Post

Quoted from Duluth Diesel in TundraSolutions Forum.

Tundra Solutions Forum - View Single Post - First oil change in 3 hours

"Not all synthetic oils are the same. Mobile is a Group III synthetic, not a Group IV. Even though the label might say Full Synthetic, it doesn't mean the same thing for all oils. As for extended drain intervals, it is fine to run extended drain intervals with a Group IV synthetic oil if you couple it with better filtration. Not all oil filters are created equal either. Fram and other cheap oil filters don't filter much below 35 micron and are just cellulose (paper based) filters. Higher quality oil filters have synthetic media, not paper, and filter much better. AMSOIL Eao oil filters filter down to 15 micron, and their bypass filtration systems filter down to 2 micron at 98% efficiency.

There are many oils out there that call themselves synthetic, but not all are created equal, and that's important to know. You do get what you pay for. Group III synthetic oils only use about 12% synthetic base stocks. The rest is hyrdocracked petroleum base stocks. For major oil companies who have their money in crude oil refining, the word "synthetic" is merely a marketing term. It does not mean 100%, but just that a percentage of synthetic base stock goes into their product.

The oils that are commonly mentioned are Group II and Group III synthetics with the exception of Royal Purple, which is a Group V. AMSOIL is a Group IV synthetic (PAO) but also uses Group V Ester technology. It gives you the best of Group IV and Group V synthetics. Mobil 1 is a Group III synthetic. AMSOIL is a Group IV synthetic.

In the late 1990s, Castrol started selling an oil made from Group III base oil and called it SynTec Full Synthetic. Mobil sued Castrol, asserting that this oil was not synthetic, but simply a highly refined petroleum oil, and therefore it was false advertising to call it synthetic. In 1999, Mobil lost their lawsuit. It was decided that the word "synthetic" was a marketing term and referred to properties, not to production methods or ingredients. Castrol continues to make SynTec out of Group III base oils, that is highly purified mineral oil with most all of the cockroach bits removed.

Shortly after Mobil lost their lawsuit, most oil companies started reformulating their synthetic oils to use Group III base stocks instead of PAOs or diester stocks as their primary component. Most of the "synthetic oil" you can buy today is actually mostly made of this highly-distilled and purified dino-juice called Group III oil. Group III base oils cost about half as much as the synthetics. By using a blend of mostly Group III oils and a smaller amount of "true" synthetics, the oil companies can produce a product that has some of the same properties as the "true" synthetics, and nearly the same cost as the Group III oil. AMSOIL differs from Group III oils. As a Group IV oil, it uses 100% pure synthetic base stocks. This is why you can run it for longer intervals.

Synthetic oils were originally designed for the purpose of having a very pure base oil with excellent properties. By starting from scratch and building up your oil molecules from little pieces, you can pretty much guarantee that every molecule in the oil is just like every other molecule, and therefore the properties are exactly what you designed in, not compromised by impurities. Synthetics were thus originally a reaction to the relatively poor refining processes available from about 1930 to about 1990. The original synthetics were designed for the Army Air Force in WW II. They simply could not make their high- performance turbo-charged radial engines stay alive on the available motor oils of the time.

One process for making synthetic base oils is to start with a chemical called an olefin, and make new molecules by attaching them to each other in long chains, hence "poly." The primary advantage of Poly-Alpha-Olefin "PAO" base oil is that all the molecules in the base oil are pretty much identical, so it's easy to get the base oil to behave exactly as you like. PAOs are called Group IV base oils.

These PAO base oils have an enormous advantage over mineral base oils in low temperature performance and in resistance to oxidation, which is critical in keeping the oil from forming acids.

Another type of base oil is made from refined and processed esters and is called Group V. Esters start life as fatty acids in plants and animals, which are then chemically combined into esters, diesters, and polyesters. Group V base stocks are the most expensive of all to produce. However, the esters are polar molecules and have very significant solvent properties - an ester base oil all by itself will do a very decent job of keeping your engine clean. So, people who are serious about making a superior oil will usually mix some Group V oils into their base stock.

Oils that are strictly Group V ester oils tend to be better suited for high RPM, hot running, air cooled engines. 100% ester based oils are usually more expensive than Group IV oils, and don't have the longevity of PAO (Group IV) or PAO/Ester mixes oils. Group V oils perform very well in the shorter term. Oils like Royal Purple and Redline are Group V oils. They perform very well in race engines and in applications where drain intervals are factory spec or shorter, whereas Group IV oils are better suited for the long haul of extended intervals.

Whatever oil you choose, know what you are buying. Just because the jug says "synthetic" doesn't mean it is made from 100% pure synthetic base stocks."


Quote:
The following information is courtesy of Motorwatch.com:
“Redline and MOTUL are Group V (polyol ester) based (POE or esters).
“Amsoil and Mobil-1 are Group IV (poly-alpha olefin) based (PAO or synthesized
hydrocarbons SHC).
“Castrol Syntec and all the others calling themselves synthetic are Group III
(hydrocracked slack wax).
“The petroleum motor alls are all mineral oil based and make up Group II.
”We really should group Red Line by itself, and put the others in separate categories (according to the groups) because their performance is so different.
I was going to go with Motul but since I don't track my car often, I didn't want to use Motul Racing oil. Usually race oils lack detergents that necessary for long term street driven cars.

What's the benefit of using oil filter magnet or magnetic drain plug?
Basically, a filter magnet will trap small iron particles that oil filter fails to catch (or too small to trap) . By keeping the small iron particle attached to the magnet, it prevents them from flowing in the engine and damaging engine parts.





Click here to learn more about Filter Magnets FilterMAG: Magnetic Oil Filters finish the Job Your Filter Started.
YouTube - FilterMag oil filter magnet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlLY3AQkNGQ

What should I do with the waste (used) engine oil?

Ans: It's VERY important that you dispose the oil properly. Any local Pepboys, AutoZone, or mechanic shop will take your oil for recycling. They are forced by LAW to take your oil. If any shop gives you hard time or declines, they can get big fines and possible reinspection of their shop by the state. PLEASE, be courteous to the environment.
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:24 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Very nice post, makes mine look amateur. LOL. If only you would have posted this 2 hours ago.
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:27 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Niceeee. lol. i never looked into redline before. sounds like a good choice for my next oil change
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:31 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Dammit! AK has an Aquafina oil pouring spout and I don't!
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:40 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCal 370Z View Post
Dammit! AK has an Aquafina oil pouring spout and I don't!
im doing a group buy on whoever's interested.
DOH! im not a vendor...shhhhh
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:42 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCal 370Z View Post
Dammit! AK has an Aquafina oil pouring spout and I don't!
That's right! I did the whole oil change just to show off my Aquafine spout!
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Old 05-19-2009, 07:46 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ssqpolo View Post
im doing a group buy on whoever's interested.
DOH! im not a vendor...shhhhh
  1. SoCal 370Z
  2. ....
  3. ....
  4. ....
  5. ....
  6. ....
  7. ....
  8. ....
  9. ....
  10. ....

P.S. I know AK is going to delete this post
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Old 05-21-2009, 07:20 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AK370Z View Post







Quoted from Duluth Diesel in TundraSolutions Forum.

Tundra Solutions Forum - View Single Post - First oil change in 3 hours

"Not all synthetic oils are the same. Mobile is a Group III synthetic, not a Group IV. Even though the label might say Full Synthetic, it doesn't mean the same thing for all oils. As for extended drain intervals, it is fine to run extended drain intervals with a Group IV synthetic oil if you couple it with better filtration. Not all oil filters are created equal either. Fram and other cheap oil filters don't filter much below 35 micron and are just cellulose (paper based) filters. Higher quality oil filters have synthetic media, not paper, and filter much better. AMSOIL Eao oil filters filter down to 15 micron, and their bypass filtration systems filter down to 2 micron at 98% efficiency.

There are many oils out there that call themselves synthetic, but not all are created equal, and that's important to know. You do get what you pay for. Group III synthetic oils only use about 12% synthetic base stocks. The rest is hyrdocracked petroleum base stocks. For major oil companies who have their money in crude oil refining, the word "synthetic" is merely a marketing term. It does not mean 100%, but just that a percentage of synthetic base stock goes into their product.

The oils that are commonly mentioned are Group II and Group III synthetics with the exception of Royal Purple, which is a Group V. AMSOIL is a Group IV synthetic (PAO) but also uses Group V Ester technology. It gives you the best of Group IV and Group V synthetics. Mobil 1 is a Group III synthetic. AMSOIL is a Group IV synthetic.

In the late 1990s, Castrol started selling an oil made from Group III base oil and called it SynTec Full Synthetic. Mobil sued Castrol, asserting that this oil was not synthetic, but simply a highly refined petroleum oil, and therefore it was false advertising to call it synthetic. In 1999, Mobil lost their lawsuit. It was decided that the word "synthetic" was a marketing term and referred to properties, not to production methods or ingredients. Castrol continues to make SynTec out of Group III base oils, that is highly purified mineral oil with most all of the cockroach bits removed.

Shortly after Mobil lost their lawsuit, most oil companies started reformulating their synthetic oils to use Group III base stocks instead of PAOs or diester stocks as their primary component. Most of the "synthetic oil" you can buy today is actually mostly made of this highly-distilled and purified dino-juice called Group III oil. Group III base oils cost about half as much as the synthetics. By using a blend of mostly Group III oils and a smaller amount of "true" synthetics, the oil companies can produce a product that has some of the same properties as the "true" synthetics, and nearly the same cost as the Group III oil. AMSOIL differs from Group III oils. As a Group IV oil, it uses 100% pure synthetic base stocks. This is why you can run it for longer intervals.

Synthetic oils were originally designed for the purpose of having a very pure base oil with excellent properties. By starting from scratch and building up your oil molecules from little pieces, you can pretty much guarantee that every molecule in the oil is just like every other molecule, and therefore the properties are exactly what you designed in, not compromised by impurities. Synthetics were thus originally a reaction to the relatively poor refining processes available from about 1930 to about 1990. The original synthetics were designed for the Army Air Force in WW II. They simply could not make their high- performance turbo-charged radial engines stay alive on the available motor oils of the time.

One process for making synthetic base oils is to start with a chemical called an olefin, and make new molecules by attaching them to each other in long chains, hence "poly." The primary advantage of Poly-Alpha-Olefin "PAO" base oil is that all the molecules in the base oil are pretty much identical, so it's easy to get the base oil to behave exactly as you like. PAOs are called Group IV base oils.

These PAO base oils have an enormous advantage over mineral base oils in low temperature performance and in resistance to oxidation, which is critical in keeping the oil from forming acids.

Another type of base oil is made from refined and processed esters and is called Group V. Esters start life as fatty acids in plants and animals, which are then chemically combined into esters, diesters, and polyesters. Group V base stocks are the most expensive of all to produce. However, the esters are polar molecules and have very significant solvent properties - an ester base oil all by itself will do a very decent job of keeping your engine clean. So, people who are serious about making a superior oil will usually mix some Group V oils into their base stock.

Oils that are strictly Group V ester oils tend to be better suited for high RPM, hot running, air cooled engines. 100% ester based oils are usually more expensive than Group IV oils, and don't have the longevity of PAO (Group IV) or PAO/Ester mixes oils. Group V oils perform very well in the shorter term. Oils like Royal Purple and Redline are Group V oils. They perform very well in race engines and in applications where drain intervals are factory spec or shorter, whereas Group IV oils are better suited for the long haul of extended intervals.

Whatever oil you choose, know what you are buying. Just because the jug says "synthetic" doesn't mean it is made from 100% pure synthetic base stocks."
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Old 05-26-2009, 12:27 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Im going to do my first oil change tomorrow. Im not using a ramp so do I jack the driver side or the passeger side? My honda was on the driver side. Thank you guys.
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Old 05-28-2009, 04:40 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Hmm I noticed your blitz ramp(same as rhino ramp I suppose?) "catches" the car at a certain point. Is it impossible to run over the ramps unless I gun it? I've used my rhino ramps about 3 times so far without a spotter and I've been successful, but still very nervous. D:
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Old 05-28-2009, 09:27 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by JonnieN View Post
Im going to do my first oil change tomorrow. Im not using a ramp so do I jack the driver side or the passeger side? My honda was on the driver side. Thank you guys.
I am not sure since our oil filter and drain bolt are right in the middle. The ramps are only 30-40ish dollars and they are well worth the money (considering you'll do oil changes in the future).

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Originally Posted by molamann View Post
Hmm I noticed your blitz ramp(same as rhino ramp I suppose?) "catches" the car at a certain point. Is it impossible to run over the ramps unless I gun it? I've used my rhino ramps about 3 times so far without a spotter and I've been successful, but still very nervous. D:
I love my BLITZ ramp. It has the bump stop as you can see in the video. I'm not sure if you can run over a ramp without the bump stop but I would be nervous
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Old 05-28-2009, 10:20 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Why not just remove the 4 bolts at the bottom of the cover. Notice there's that fold/crease about 8 inches up from the bottom? I believe that's what the designers intended that to be.

I just do that instead of removing the entire cover as removing 19 fasteners is overkill.
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Old 05-28-2009, 12:37 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Slightly OT, but why not just leave the entire cover off? Wouldn't this provide some air flow for cooling? Or does the plastic cover provide aerodynamic functionality? It seems to me that manufacturers are adding more and more plastic covers both above and below the engine bay these days...
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Old 05-28-2009, 12:45 PM   #15 (permalink)
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AK, whats the magnetic drain plug and the magnetic oil filter thing used for....?? besides plugging the drain, why need magnetic?


oh wait....okay....i get it now......sorry

Last edited by nogoodname; 05-28-2009 at 12:50 PM.
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