VK56 Engine Teardown

Varnish is like a sneeze. Seems harmless at first, but often causes increasingly bigger issues later. I had VVT sensors fail due to varnish, I've seen chain tensioners fail due to varnish buildup too. Varnish is the first indicator of trouble, being that OCI is too long, or the oil isn't good enough for the task. Once ignored - issues are snowballed from there.
 
Did anyone hear how that engine was operated ? It clearly was owned by an irresponsible fool
No one knows, including the YT poster himself. He buys them at salvage yards.
 
What is it about Nissan engines that makes them
shear oil so badly?

Is there a technical reason?

Plenty of other OEMs use DOHC engine architecture but aren’t necessarily known for shearing down oil.

Toyotas, for example, both their V6s and V8s are known for being easy on oil.
 
What is it about Nissan engines that makes them
shear oil so badly?

Is there a technical reason?

Plenty of other OEMs use DOHC engine architecture but aren’t necessarily known for shearing down oil.

Toyotas, for example, both their V6s and V8s are known for being easy on oil.

The VK series uses HyVo type chains and sprockets that will give little to no trouble over their life at the expense of chewing up the oil.
 
No one knows, including the YT poster himself. He buys them at salvage yards.
I’m also wondering if the oil filter was not in bypass for a while - he trashed it with pliers rather than use a proper wrench and then open it up ?
 
What is it about Nissan engines that makes them
shear oil so badly?

Is there a technical reason?

Plenty of other OEMs use DOHC engine architecture but aren’t necessarily known for shearing down oil.

Toyotas, for example, both their V6s and V8s are known for being easy on oil.
there is noting in a VK56de that makes any oil shear badly.

The only engine Nissan ever had where a few model years of VQ37HR (a V6) from 09 to 2013.
Those ran the oil warmer than average due to performance being upped and high redlines of 7500 rpm (which is really quite high for largish V6)
From 13 on an oil cooler was included for the 370Z and perhaps the G37 as well.(not sure on the G37)
That was it.
Toyota has had 2 engines in recent memory that were sludge monsters their entire life.
A 2000s V6 and a I4.
I do not recall the engine codes but do remember the issues.
 
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Not sure if this is a fact or internet folklore.
Its Toyota fanboy folklore.
That being said, any engine that runs a timing chain such as Nissans typically do, vs a timing belt (many but not all, Toyotas) will be a bit harder on oil for it.
Even so, I think everyone on here understands that timing chains are the better engineering solution to mechanically control the valves.
 
Its Toyota fanboy folklore.
That being said, any engine that runs a timing chain such as Nissans typically do, vs a timing belt (many but not all, Toyotas) will be a bit harder on oil for it.
Even so, I think everyone on here understands that timing chains are the better engineering solution to mechanically control the valves.

Well....a DOHC or SOHC with long chains and multiple sprockets...

DI pumps are hard on valve trains, and oil.

A classic small or BBC with its two sprockets and short chain not so much.
 
Saw the video. This damage was not directly caused by lack of oil changes or varnish. I like a nice clean engine as much as the next guy but some of obsession with varnish around here is astonishing. Last week someone posted a 30+ year old 3.0 Mitsubishi, basically spotless inside and people were suggesting how to get rid of that varnish with short intervals. Those spun bearings were caused by LACK of oil. If those spun bearings were caused by varnish please point out which oil passage was blocked in that video and how.
The previous owner most certainly allowed the oil level to get too low and the result was lack of oil to the main and connecting rod bearings causing them to spin. Varnish doesn't do that, and there wasn't enough sludge to plug up the oil pickup.
 
A 2000s V6 and a I4.
I do not recall the engine codes but do remember the issues.
If these are the ones that I am remembering, those were TB motors, not chains. 5S-FE was the I4 and 3MZ-FE (?) was the V6. [Maybe you are thinking of the 2AZ-FE? that was timing chain, but initially it pulled head bolts, then later liked to gum up piston rings. But I don't think that is the one you are thinking of.]

At least in the case of the 5S-FE it was rumored to be because Toyota started omitting the oil cooler (or heat exchanger) around the same time it upped the oil change interval. Not sure what happened with the V6. Same internet folklore has it that, if one actually bothered to change the oil, the issue really didn't occur on these engines...
 
I’m also wondering if the oil filter was not in bypass for a while - he trashed it with pliers rather than use a proper wrench and then open it up ?
Have never seen him cut open an oil filter. Doing so is just silly.... especially in his case because he's tearing the engines down. He sees the oil pan, pickup tube, crank, etc
 
The only engine Nissan ever had where a few model years of VQ37HR (a V6) from 09 to 2013.
Those ran the oil warmer than average due to performance being upped and high redlines of 7500 rpm (which is really quite high for largish V6)
From 13 on an oil cooler was included for the 370Z and perhaps the G37 as well.(not sure on the G37)
Nissan has oil coolers on VQ35 engines as far back as 2003 up to 2008 as mine has one. Then they got rid of it for 4-5 years before adding it back ? Actually that doesn't appear correct.... A 2009 and 2010 G37 both have oil cooler o-rings listed at Rockauto (this o-ring is notorious for shrinking and leaking) that sit between the oil cooler and the engine block.
 
12:18 the pan is full of crud. There are 3 rod bearings spun. This engine simply died from abuse and lack of maintenance.

I have seen different oil analsysis on VQ40's that show pretty good shear at not very high mileage use. I think most engines with long complex timing chains and valve trains are generally hard on shear. I agree with shorter OCI's, but I have a feeling in this case it was 20K miles on speedy lube oil and filter plus hard driving.
 
I have said it on this forum before and I will say it again. I am absolutely amazed by people who pay 40, 50,60 or 70,000 dollars (or more!) for a vehicle and then use non-Top Tier gas, cheaper oils, push the oil change out to 15,000 miles or more and leave the filter on for multiple oil changes. Locally, there is a Sheetz (non-Top Tier) across from an Exxon. Both charge the same price for gas. And yet the number of new cars at Sheetz is amazing while the pumps at Exxon go unused. My VW mechanic at the dealer once told me that almost all the injector issues they encounter come from the use of one brand of gas....Sheetz.

So if you can lay out all that money for a new car, surely you can spend a bit more to do 5000 mile oil changes, put on a new oil filter each time and use decent gas. Jusy my rant for today.
Yes indeed! Oil IS cheaper than metal !!
 
Nissan has oil coolers on VQ35 engines as far back as 2003 up to 2008 as mine has one. Then they got rid of it for 4-5 years before adding it back ? Actually that doesn't appear correct.... A 2009 and 2010 G37 both have oil cooler o-rings listed at Rockauto (this o-ring is notorious for shrinking and leaking) that sit between the oil cooler and the engine block.
There was a oil cooler added in 2013 to the VQ37 engines.
I do not recall if it was an additional one or simpler a larger part.
In any event the years immediately preceding are the only ones I can think of to support the assertion made by another member.
 
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