so folks... if you followed the forum, you know that i swapped my OEM engine several years back with another one from 07 model. The good news was that it was a perfect fit and there was plenty of power after the heart transplant. the not so good news was the engine still consumed some oil. I used the Bars Leak Valve Seal Oil Consumption Repair and I'm happy to report that I'm not seeing oil loss anymore. Now full transparency, i have not drive the car that much since i'm driving the Q60 in the summer. However, i randomly checked the oil after a long trip and i did not notice significant oil loss from the dipstick. So for those who are loosing oil, you can give it a try and see. Note - i used several bottles before seeing any improvement. This is not the magic beanstalk so don't expect miracles over night.

Now the not so good news - it seemed like the steering response feel a bit heavier when i turn or maneuver the car and the throttle response is not as quick as before. I check the steering oil reservoir and there are plenty of oil. However the color is a bit dark. In regard to the slow acceleration, I think it might be due to the old transmission oil as the last time I drain and fill was about 3-5 years ago.

Questions to you guys - has anyone done a steering fluid flush at the dealer? do you notice any improvement? The same to the transmission oil, would a flush be that much better compare to a drain an fill? I can certainly drain the bevel box and refill that with Nissan ATF as i've done that before.

Well,
let's start with the easy...On my cars, I use a turkey baster to remove old P/Steering fluid from the reservoir, then I refill with new fluid, drive around a few days to let it circulate well, then repeat process another 2x. I use 2 to 3 quarts of new fluid to accomplish this.

As far as the transmission, I cannot see old fluid dragging your engine horsepower down.
I would suspect incorrect fluid levels as culprits of horsepower robbing before old fluid.
Check your level via the fill tube dipstick (aka "charge tube). For precise fluid level check, fluid should be at about 120 deg. Fahrenheit.
check it on a slightly warm engine for best results.

Back to trans. fluid condition, you can send a sample to Blackstone Labs or the like for an analysis to see what the viscosity is as well as many other vital details.
Thick transmission fluid could most likely be from excessive clutch wear.
That aside, I would do a drain & refill via the charge tube or the transmission pan, (partial)
I was just underneath my 06 M35x, and noticed my trans pan is severely corroded and rusting badly from NY winters. I see pans are available as well as filters, so that is on my list.

Many engine oil control additives are heavy (thick) viscosity wise. That will drag down your engine HP big time especially if you are using several quarts of it in your crankcase. Remember in northern climates, winters can get cold, and you want oil to flow in a cold engine ASAP at startup. Thick viscosity oil additives are not your friend on cold weather starts.
I would rather experiment with thicker multi viscosity oils to help keep oil control in check to see if you can reach a livable compromise in lieu an oil control additive ...but that is just my opinion, I don't know how many miles on your engine & how much you are burning.
(I think the 175k miles you quote is total of both)?

Does your M crank over a bit more slowly after putting the additives in?

cruzad3r wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:02 am

... I can certainly drain the bevel box and refill that with Nissan ATF as i've done that before.

Hey Cruzad,
I was just re-reading your post & you mention refilling ATF at the "bevel box".....I am thinking this is a typo?

Hi Steve,

first, i want to correct the mileage claim as it's 165k right now. second, i haven't used the bars leak since May 2018. As for engine oil, i'm running Castrol synthetic blend 5W-30. I did try thicker oil to see if the oil consumption stops but it didn't make a different so i went back to 5W-30. Note, i'm running 5W-30 year round here in CT. I did not notice a slow crank when I had the Bars Leak in. This week i've been trying out the Sea Foam additive and I added it to the crankcase as well as the gas tank. We'll see if it helps.

As for the engine swapped, i had it done when it was around 130K back 2-3 years ago. To address your "bevel box" comment, i was referring to the Front Final Drive near the Engine Oil filter where you can drain and refill with ATF.

I will try the extract and refill method for the Power Steering fluid to see if it makes a different. I was going to call the shop where i had my engine swapped to do a flush but we'll see. it's definitely harder to maneuver the car. It still have power steering but i find myself fighting with it more than before. It could be due to my suspension. I'm reaching a bit here and I only mentioned it because I had the OEM struts replaced with KYB. I also did the upper control arms (aftermarket), the sway links and the anti-roll bar bushings. These are in place for at least a whole year.

I've gotten my m45 2003 second engine to stop burning any oil,bought it with 80-90k miles. But I had to gut the precats and beat the hell out of it with amsoil. Also I did put in true dual exhaust. Then it stopped burning it so badly. it seemed to burn the quart every 1k miles or a little more just like my first engine. But now i'm lucky if i have to add even a quart in 3-4k miles. I would not run anything but a quality synthetic in this Japanese v8 engine. My first motor died after a month or so of owning the car. The same day I was going to switch to amsoil I found alot of metal in the oil.

Also dont do a flush with the transmisson. Do a drain and fill. Soon after I had gotten my y34 it turned to winter and started having hard shifts 2-3. I drained and filled to Amsoil which is one of the best in the business and far exceeds the Nissan fluid and it shifted like a new audi.

seems like you're recommending Amsoil products. i have not use it. i only used Redline and Motul products on several cars. I will Amsoil a look as i still need to extract/refill my Power Steering fluid. For transmission, I have several Nissan ATF bottles that I need to use. thanks