What Aftermarket Carb Options Are There For My Truck?: All carbs from Weber are a great choice. Specifically, the 32/36 DGEV, the 34 DGEC, the 36 DGEC and the 38 DGES are recommended for the Z24 and can be found reliably at
http://www.webercarbsdirect.com at a reasonable price. You can also run dual side draft carbs with a custom intake manifold but the expertise needed to do so is a little higher than a simple down draft replacement.
What Aftermarket Exhaust Should I Use On My Truck?: The aftermarket support for these trucks is not what most of us would like it to be, so a custom catback system is the best and only way to go. Keep the piping below 2.5" in order to retain the low end torque of the engine, 2.25" is what works best. Then pick your favorite muffler and/or resonator for the sound and decibel level you want. Under the bed dump, side or rear exits all work fine but keep in mind that when the piping does not exit the vehicle completely, the resonance can be annoying in the cab.
Aftermarket high flow catalytic converters can be found as well, the ones from MAGNAFLOW tend to have the best results. Custom test pipes an also be made cheap at local shops or if you want to hone your welding skills you can make one yourself.
Headers can be found from both Pacesetter Performance as well as Doug Thorley. They have both been used with success, the Thorley headers allowing for slightly better gains. The Pacesetter ones can be found for about $150 and the Thorley's for about $250.
I Want To Lower My Truck, How Can I Do It?: Lowering a 720 is relatively easy, all it involves is lowering the torsion bars in the front and adding lowering blocks in the rear ( CLICK HERE FOR A GUIDE ). There are also the options of lowering shackles for the front and leaf spring re-arches for the rear.... both of which cost a little more.
My Truck Runs Rough/ Doesn't Idle Properly Anymore/ Has Poor Performance, What Went Wrong?: Before making a new thread on this subject, please check all your vacuum lines first. A lot of the problems that these trucks have can be traced back to vac lines. To test, use carb cleaner at all of the vacuum line connections and look for irregularities. If you live in a non smog testing area and you don't necessarily care for keeping the maze of vac lines in tact, the only one necessary for your truck to run right is the one going to the carb/intake to the distributor (distributor advance), all others can be removed and plugged.
If you have not changed the lines since owning the truck, do that immediately. Lines become cracked and rotted over time and that leads to problems.
A few other things that come up often when the truck is not running properly are related to spark and fuel. If you've never replaced the distributor cap, do so. Also make sure you are running good spark plugs and wires. The fuel delivery can also be off, this can be from an old pump, clogged lines, old tank, clogged fuel filter or even a fuel leak.
If you've checked these things, or don't believe that these are the issues you're facing, then create a thread about your issue.. but please make sure you know that the things mentioned above are not what you're looking at.
Tune Up Data
Spark plug types
1980 - US BP6ES-11 Canadian standard/us optional- BP6ES
1981-1985 - Intake side BPRS6ES Exhaust Side BPRS5ES
1986-1989 - 4cyl - BPRS5ES V6 - BPRS5ES-11
1990 and after KA24E - ZFR5E-11 V6 - BKR6EY
Spark Plug Gap
1980 - 0.039 to 0.043 in 1.0-1.1mm
1981-1989 - 4cyl - 0.031 to 0.035 in 0.8-0.9mm
1981- 1989 - V6 - 0.039 to 0.043 in 1.0-1.1mm
1990 and after 4cyl - 0.040 in 1.0mm
1990 and after V6 - 0.031 to 0.035 in 0.8-0.9mm
Valve Clearances
1980 intake HOT 0.010in 0.25mm COLD 0.007in 0.17mm1980 exhaust HOT 0.012in 0.30mm COLD 0.009in 0.24mm
1981-1989 Intake HOT 0.012in 0.30mm COLD 0.008in 0.21mm1981-1989 Intake HOT 0.012in 0.30mm COLD 0.009in 0.24mm
1990 and after have Hydraulic
Firing Order 4cyl 1-3-2-4
Firing Order V6 1-2-3-4-5-6
Random Engine InfoL18 is a 1770cc engine produced from 1972 through 1976. It produces 105 hp (78 kW)
L20B is a 1952cc engine produced from 1975 through 1985. It produces 100 hp (75 kW) in 1981 form with 112 lb·ft (152 N·m) of torque as installed in the 200 SX.
Z22 (carb only) is a 2.2 L engine produced from 1981 through 1983. It produces 86hp (64kW).
Z24 is a 2.4 L (2389 cc) engine produced from 1983 through August 1989. A fuel injected version (Z24i) was produced starting in April 1985. It produces 103 hp (77 kW).
Note: All Z20, Z22 and Z24 engines were known as NAPS-Z (NAPZ or NAPEZ) engines. NAPS for Nissan Anti-Pollution System. NAPZ motors had dual sparkplugs per cylinder except the pre-82 versions and later versions of the Z24 as fitted to the Pathfinder. However all NAPZ engines sold in California reportedly had dual plug heads regardless of the year.
The fuel injected version referenced above was denoted as the Z24i (Throttle Body Fuel Injection) and was first available in the Nissan Model 720 ST pickup during the 1986 crossover year to the (1986.5) D21 Hardbody and was later replaced by the KA24E engine. Beside fuel injection, a significant change for the Z24i was the addition of an optical crank angle sensor in the distributor rather than a vacuum advance and ignition module. This allowed for more precise engine management for the fuel injection system.
The General Specifications for the Z24 are:
Engine Type: - Inline 4 cylinder 4 Stroke Engine Displacement - 2389 cc (146.8 c.i.) Bore x Stroke:- 89.0 × 96.0 mm (3.50 x 3.78 in) Compression Ratio:- 8.3 : 1
Power Ratings were:
* Z24
Years - 1984 - 1986 Power - 103 hp (77 kW) @ 4800 rpm Torque - 134 ft·lbf (182 N·m) @ 2800 rpm
* z24i
Years - 1986 - 1987 Power - 103 hp (77 kW) @ 4800 rpm Torque - 134 ft·lbf (182 N·m) @ 2800 rpm
Years - 1988 - 1989 Power - 106 hp (79 kW) @ 4800 rpm Torque - 137 ft·lbf (186 N·m) @ 2400 rpm
KA24E is a 3 valve/cylinder engine. Two intake valves and one exhaust valve, Single OverHead Cam design. 134 hp @ 5200 rpm and 154 lb*ft torque @ 3600 rpm. Installed in 1990-1997 Hardbody trucks. The info above is for the KA24DE, which was installed in the 1998+ Frontier trucks (among other Nissan vehicles)240SX models made before February of 1989 utilized the KA24E with a 9.1:1 compression ratio, outputting approximately 150 hp. After February of 1989, however, the compression ratio was reduced to 8.6:1 causing the KA24E to produce the advertised 140 hp.
The KA24E uses Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection (SEFI). The ECM controls each injector individually, releasing fuel into each cylinder on its intake stroke.
The KA24E is a reliable engine that can withstand substantial power increases on stock internals. This is due to the use of forged connecting rods and an internally balanced one-piece cast crankshaft.
Datsun 720 pick-up Truck
Regular cab and King Cab models came with regular and long bed options.
Regular Cab
720 King Cab A 4-door variant offered in some overseas markets.
Also, a utility body style like the Later Nissan Pathfinder was also available. These were called Bushwackers or Trail Hustlers, only available as an aftermarket conversion) "As I under stand it, A number of 720's were purchased by dealers and shipped to Arizona to be modified. These were standard cab tracks with sunroofs, 4x4, A/C and a permanent cap over the bed with welded in hoops to make a semi caged rear."
1984 Trail Hustler
Early (1980–1983) models had single wall beds with protruding side lips and rope ties, 2 faux hood vents, and tail lights on the lower rear valance.
For a limited period, 1983.5-1984 models built in the USA had the single wall beds with rope ties, yet used tail lights on the rear bed corners with amber turn signals over the red stop/tail lights while the backup lights remained under the tailgate. The front end underwent transformation as well, with a larger grill, bumper, and corner lights. There was also a revised dashboard with round instead of square gauges. At the same time, the regular cab was lengthened slightly and the air extractor vents behind the cab doors changed from the high "flag" look to long, narrow ones that matched the height of the window opening. The cab of King Cabs was unchanged.
Finally, the late model trucks produced from 1985 - 1986.5 utilized double wall, smooth sided beds, with revised tail lights on the corners which resembled those on Chevrolet/GMC S-series trucks. Some overseas models continued with the early style beds.
Other US model variations besides KC (King Cab) were the GL (???), DX (deluxe), ST (sport truck) and Cab and Chassis models (2wd only).
The Datsun 720 was available in both 2WD and 4WD configurations, although prior to 1984 the front suspension in 4WD models was an adaptation of the 2WD suspension.
In 1979.5 and 1980, models were powered by Datsun's 2.0L carbureted L20B engine.
In the Middle East it was powered by Datsun's 1.8L carbureted L18 engine.
The 1981-1982 models used the Z22 carbureted 2.2L engine and an optional SD22 Diesel.
In mid-1983 Nissan introduced the Z24 2.4 Liter 8 spark plugs 4 cylinder motor, it produces 103 hp (77 kW), Z20 2.0 Liter and the SD25 Diesel; this happened at the same time that the 720 series was marketed as a Nissan (the Datsun name, which had disappeared entirely after 1984, was now only seen below the Nissan name on the left corner of the tailgate).
In the American market the diesel engine was only available in the 2WD 720 (from 1982 to 1985). The Z24 was upgraded to Z24i fuel-injection (option) for the 1986 models. Additionally, some overseas markets received versions with the 1.5L J15, 1.6L J16 or 1.8L L18 carbureted engines. The 720 Series was never available with any of the Z22E or Z20E multi-port fuel injected engines. These engines are, however, easy to adapt and integrate into the chassis and can be found with the genuine appearance of being original equipment.
1984 720 with a NAPZ24. More To Be Added Later