Nerd Vacation – The Nissan Engine Museum

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The museum seems to be a popular place for field trips as this group of kids was making their way through while we were there.  Thinking back, I can't help but feel a bit jealous of these kids. A field trip to a place like this pretty much blows away any field trip that we had in school at their age!  Since it appears that interest in cars in general is decreasing with younger generations, giving kids this type of exposure early on will likely be beneficial to carmakers in the future. Good planning ahead Nissan!
Moving onto the engine hall itself, the space is filled with significant engines from Nissan’s past, ranging from the first “type 7” engine produced in 1935… 
To a “54C” SR20DET from a Group A WRC Pulsar GTi-R dating back to 1991… 
The 54C, although sharing the same SR20DET designation, was quite different from its brethren found in Bluebird's and Silvia's. Just a few examples of the differences of the 54C can be found in its beefy connecting rods, wider rod bearings with improved oiling features, and the ITB’s which were hidden inside the intake plenum. In competition form, this engine made over 300hp which had to be a blast to drive with the GTi-R's AWD drivetrain.  What's not on display was the girthy top mount intercooler which would normally eclipse the entire valve cover. The top mount intercooler design turned out to be one of the 54C's weaknesses as it would quickly heat soak from insufficient air flow as well as from the engine's radiant heat.  
The VG30DETT from the Z32, vintage 1989.  The 300hp produced by this engine was amongst the most powerful from that awesome period in time when all of the major Japanese manufacturers had somewhat attainable halo cars in their lineups.
The famous S20 from the KPGC10 Skyline GT-R… 

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