GTM Differential Cooler Kit install, Anyone done this?
 

Hey guys. I'm on vacation back in the states, and I've had the GTM differential cooler kit sitting around my garage. It has a shroud, core, AN fittings and steel braided lines, SPAL fan control module, and pump. It's a great kit, although it costs as much as it is a quality item. My question is, has anyone done this install yet? Any tips? I think the install will be fairly straight forward, it's the power to the controller that I'm concerned about. As I bought this kit about a year ago, it was, I think, the second one out, and there wasn't any installation guide or anything. I called GTM, and they are going to get back with me, but does anyone have experience to share? TravisJB? lol

GTM Motorsports*::*FINAL DRIVE - AXLES*::*GTM Differential Cooler Kit
GTM Motorsports*::*FINAL DRIVE - AXLES*::*GTM Differential Cooler Shroud kit
GTM Motorsports*::*FINAL DRIVE - AXLES*::*GTM Differential Temp Cooler Controller kit

I havent gotten the chance to try it out yet. This is a pretty hardcore item so not many will have input. GTM is going to be your best bet and since you already called them they should be getting back to you with an answer soon :tup: It really is a nice kit. I wish I could give my input on it...

Mike

yeah I like doing brakes, cooling, and trans mods before going with big power twins and what not

thanks for the input Mike

Reagen

I am not really a fan of GTM but my friend told me to try it out. I will give it a try. :pics:

Having track and road raced Z's more than probably anyone around..... I can tell you that honestly there is no need whatsoever for a differential cooler on about 98.9999% of the cars out there.... Unless you are doing endurance racing for 12+ hours on end, non stop, there is no need for a diff cooler. In fact, most of the time the differential will work better and rob less power from the drive train once the fluid is heated up to the operating temperatures.... I have NEVER seen a differential problem caused by over heating the fluid on these cars.

So to say a diff cooler is overkill would be a huge understatement. In most cases it would be counter productive as well as being just one other thing to have a problem with (leaky fittings, bad fan, bad relay, blown fuse, etc.) to be honest.

^ I always wondered this. I never could see how a differential cooler was needed. Plus I trust you input.

I might see the benefits if you're a hardcore drifter or endurance racer, otherwise it's useless.

As aforementioned, the diff cooler is for when I go twin turbo about 800 whp.

Also, I talked to GTM in February, and they promised a quick how to guide, didn't get anything a week later, so they re promised. Now it's almost the 2nd week of March, lol.

Yes, even extended use at THOSE desired power levels you should not ever need any sort of differential cooler, unless you are going to do like some sort of 12 or 24 hour endurance race (and even then it might not be needed)



Hey Equinox, I can make and sell you a manual transmission cooler kit....... or maybe even a brake fluid recirculater (cooler) as long as you are in the market for things like this... :rofl2: LOL Just kidding buddy ;) (you know I'm just giving you a hard time)



Well....... Ummm sorry about that. :icon14: Maybe if I saw the parts I could write you up an instruction manual. ;)

Good luck and if for some crazy reason you do decide to install this thing, I wish you luck with it. :tiphat:

I'll take a transmission cooler if your mom is still wanting to get a ride in a nismo. I'll have to gusset the tire trailer tow bar though, only has a max rating of 500 lbs. :rofl2:

LOL :bowrofl:

Yay! So GTM Sent me the manual, and initially they were saying they were going to throw something together since only a couple people have the kit (and most people have the know how to do it themselves). Anywho, they took longer and made an amazingly finished instruction manual product. Check it out.

http://www.gtmotorsports.com/Manuals...structions.pdf

holy shiz thats a lot of work for that

Nissan 370Z Forum - Equinox's Album: Differential Cooler

http://www.the370z.com/members/equin...er-install.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/equin...o-fittings.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/equin...iff-cooler.jpg

http://www.the370z.com/members/equin...-installed.jpg

nice!

Nice. Is this the GTM kit? Do you have to drop the diff to install this? I wouldn't think you would.

If it is the GTM kit I don't think the lines would work on mine being I have the Greddy exhaust in which the EVAP is in the location of where the diff cooler would have to go. I was thinking of putting a kit together which is cheaper using the exact parts in the GTM kit. I'll just have to make my own line length.

yeah GTM kit. You have to drop the diff IF you are using the pump portion - because you have to drill and tap a hole for the temperature sensor. Otherwise you wouldn't take it out - you would just take out the fill and drain plugs and replace them with hose fittings.

So you took the rear diff cover off to tap? Seems I've read articles on tapping the cover with It still in place being it's on the lower portion of the cover. Just be slow and patience and use grease on the bits to retain the shavings and flush it several times be sure all is clear. I know its easy to drop the diff and all, it just takes time but just wondering. But the more I think of it it would be best to drop it for I would want to file down everything.

Also I only see the temp sensor if you opt for the temp controller not the pump. Is that so?

I beg to differ on what you come up with ,
I got 2 diff blown from overheating 1 from my previous 350z and the one I had rebuilt by a professional known guys in Toronto.
and my OEM 370z had to come back on earlier this year.

so my next must have mod is gonna be a diff cooler for next year !

I am not TT or SC just NA power !

Just for talk sake what LSD were they?

the first one was the oem VLSD 3.5fd (350z) then I had it rebuilt with a 3.9
and blown again ealier this year .

Few months ago I installed back the 3.3OEM 370z diff *vlsd* untill next year when I will get the diff cooler.

but dont get me wrong the car gets beaten everytime I hit the track ,, so I can understand the need I have !

There's no doubt to me that the diff gets hot but do you think some of that is due to the oem not being up to the task. I know I've heard many times after the OEM VLSD heats up it doesn't hold much anyways. Just wondering when pushing the stock one beyond it's limit it gives up the ghost.

But there's also plenty of people here who track one there's a lot. Who knows?

The OEM LSD is a sealed unit within the pumpkin. You can cool all the fluid you want, but you are only cooling the fluid surrounding the LSD. The actual OEM LSD is still generating all the heat within a diff oil bath.

http://www.nismo.co.jp/omori_factory...mg/rdc_kit.jpg

http://www.nismo.co.jp/omori_factory.../rdc_cover.jpg

http://www.nismo.co.jp/omori_factory.../rdc_mount.jpg

Employs a unique addition to water-cooled. The water jacket is provided with cooling fins only differential cover, let them cool down in the differential case in the Defuoiru circulating cooling water. Cooling water tank installed in the spare tire space, circulation pump. It also makes it possible to operate ON / OFF switch activated by the installed indoors.

http://translate.google.com/translat...2F&sl=ja&tl=en

Cooling the viscous LSD helps to keep the inner silicone oil from deteriorating early. After 60k miles on a viscous LSD, the LSD tend to function mostly as an open diff. The loss in function occurs gradually, cooling prolonging the process, just as a water jacket around the engine cools an inner jacket of oil.

I would def suggest dropping the diff, or at least taking off the rear cover. I DO NOT SUGGEST drill and tapping a hole with the cover in place. Even when placing the temp sensor low (which is what I did, to measure the reservoir) there are a few baffles inside that can block the probe from mounting properly. You should drill and tap once you are able to view BOTH sides of the cover.

On my picture, you will see I have the temp probe (brass, at the lower right corner of cover) and the drain plug is now an AN stainless fitting, as well as the fill hole. My setup uses the temperature probe to tell the pump when to turn on and off, only circulating the oil once it reaches a "high" temperature, and not while just at normal operating temp.

That is one sexy set up, minus the goofy heineken keg in the boot. Lol. Obviously though, it is for time attack dedicated cars of course.

Yea I agree. Didn't know you could do the temp sensor without buying the temp control system. Sounds good.

I see what you're asking. Yeah I have a SPAL-PWM system that normally controls radiator fans . I use it with the included temp sensor to activate the pump.

Got yea

Unfortunately, this is just not correct. We were on the track this weekend, and the rear diff had a failure(I will elaborate in a bit). The car has a cat back exhaust and out prototype intakes. The tire/wheel combo is 18x10et20 on all 4. The tires are Toyo R888 255(f) and 295(r)s. Ambient temp in the 80s'.

I was able to run the first 20 minutes with out incident. The second session I started to push the car a little more, say 75% to the limit. The car started to get a little loose on turn in and hard braking. Once I pulled off the track you could smell the fluid. The diff was also making a ton of noise on light turning in the pits/garage area. You could feel the wheel try to lock up.

Basically, the oil got so hot it melted the drain plug magnet. When fluid gets that hot, it loses its viscosity. The OS Giken diff then did not know how to lock the plates correctly, and we had to end the race weekend. The bearings and races looked good, but the bearing in the final drive assy is binding from excessive heat.

We are in the process of making a kit, but I would encourage anyone who is planning on tracking the car....get a cooler solution ASAP.

Same here, Ambient temp was in the mid 90s'.Diff was acting weird on my second session on the fifth lap pushing really hard. went back to the pit and what you just explain happened to me.
Though i damaged the diff. towed the car back home from the track, and the next day towed it to the dealer. Mechanic drove the car the sound and the locking on light turning was gone! I drove the car back home and luckily i didn't damage the diff. probable the oil cold down and got back some of its velocity. changed the diff oil. Oil was lighter and the magnetic plug was full of tiny grinned metals. oil also smelled burned. I put in a new OSG oil and nothing happened after that.

Car drives like nothing happened to it. I just had to go down from 5 laps to only 2-3 flying laps. I give the OS diff 10/10. for taking that much beating. the rest of my mods is in my sig.

Ya a diff cooler is a must if your going to track your car regulary.

Turns out the diff is OK. Strangely enough, the oil seal near the front of the diff(where it connects to the driveshaft) had melted out of spec and was causing the final drive to bind up a bit. Once the seal was out, the assembly rotated freely. I did not have to swap the bearings.

I HIGHLY recommend the OS Giken fluid for their diff. It has a 250 weight rating. This is DRAMATICALLY different from the Motul 75 140. the Motul is a fantastic fluid, but it just can not match the viscosity of the OS Giken fluid. The OS unit is very reliant on the oil to lock the diff properly, so I would stick with the OS stuff for anyone using this unit.

On a side note, the guys at OS said many people have overheated the diff and they withstand the abuse. So if you have overheated it, there is a very good chance you are OK. just get the cooler on there and change the fluid asap.

Thanks guys.

John

The OS Gikens are super strong. Being going on mine for a year now with about 7 track days. But I change the fluid pretty often. Every two to three track days. I've only used the OSG fluid. It's costly but worth it.

It's only binded on me once and that's when it was brand new on my first rough outings. Not a lick since.

^ Smart thing to do is to often change the oil (if you regulary track your car). But if you install a Diff cooler you will double or even triple the life of your oil. you'll save money in the long run.

And yes AkumaMS, I had the Motul 75 140, but after what happened i only use the OS oil. You can feel the difference the diff is smother and less noise.

What is best option now? These kits seem very expensive.

Also is there an aftermarket high capacity diff cover for 370z? See them all the time for S2000 and BRZ.

Build your own part by part. A lot cheaper. A diff pump is about $180, about a 13R cooler $140, lines, fittings (this is the costly part. Fittings are costly about $250), and a inline switch to turn on at will. Forget the the temp sensor and automatic activation.

Never seen a high capacity diff cover. There not much room there. A small spacer would be neat.

Anyone done this and have part #s?

What makes all that so costly? A built oil cooler costs no where near these prices and use a bigger cooler and hoses.