D21 Performance improvement

[KelG]

I have a 1997 D21 crewcab ST2.4 4x2. I find the car is very thirsty and under performs in all situations. My wife and I are planning to take it touring later in the year with a caravan. Are there any improvements I can do to improve economy and performance?

 

[iPom]

Hi, my first uneducated guess would be a set of extractors, that should release a few extra ponies, a good service (oil/filters etc.) and general tune up would be a good starting point.

 

[Dave]

KA24E powered ?

Making them breath better help's, staying on tar on your trip ?

Dave.

 

[KelG]

Thank you Dave. Yes it is the KA24E engine. It isn't a 4x4 so off roading won't be happening. but all weather dirt roads are a possibility.

 

[Dave]

I use to have a U12 Pintara TRX, ran the KA24E aswell.

I got a aftermarket exhaust system and a highflow panel filter, from memory it was from a commodore as the the filter's are the same size and shape.

The KA24E's run rich from the factory, there is a forum dedicated to pintara's who sell's chip's for the KA24E engine. www.antrx.com/forum

I use to be a member until I got banned, everyone thought of the fat guy who owned the site as a Roothy (God). I didn't suck up and expressed my views and it wasn't appreciated apparently. I am 10 times happier driving my D22, the moron's wouldn't have it that someone was happy driving a diesel powered vehicle.

Enough ranting, try that site for a chip. Dont tell em I sent ya.

Is the idle smooth ?

I have seen people using RB25DET AFM's, the standard AFM is probably the biggest restriction in these motor's.

They are a good strong motor, if maintained and left NA they will see 400,000km's. The rod's will take 5psi everyday, same goes for the piston's. In a fresh motor they can handle boost but a long runner they wont take it.

The ZD30 is said to be built off the KA24DE, the ZD30 run's the same valve train as the KA24DE but to my knowledge the KA24DE doesn't run balance shafts where the ZD30 use 2. I think the ZD30 is built off the QR25DE which comes in the Xtrails.

The KA24DE run's a better valve train then the SR20DE/T and the Yank's have pulled some decent power figures out of them.

Are the lifter's noisy on your motor ?

Dave.

 

[KelG]

Thanks again Dave.
Jog my memory please. Can you expand AFM and NA.
Putting boost on the engine is probably out of the question. It has 228,000 odd KM on the clock. Yes it idles smoothly and there is no noticable lifter noise.
I remember the Army bought Narvaras some years ago and they went very well, although I am unsure what model or engines they were running.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Dave]

Na is Naturally aspirated.

AFM is air flow metre.

Carby motor in the army model. Z24S. Just a guess as I have no idea about what the army ran.

Dave.

 

[d214x4Wannabe]

Hey sorry to hijack yr thread, but i too have D21 i would lke to try and get a little bit of extra power out of. Only mine is a diesel, TD27 to be precise. Now, this being my first diesel powered vehicle i know nothing about these engines.
My mate has a TD42 in his patrol and that thing has heaps more grunt than my 2.7 but i was thinking mine should have just about as much get up and go as his becuase my ute weighs a heap less and doesn;t have the big wheel tht his does.
Is there anything i can do to improve performance? Not really concerned about economy, as long as it produces more power.
I have done all new filters and oil, just dont really know where to go from there. Are extractors available for deisel engines and do they do anything anyway? Whatr other things can be done?

 

[tweak'e]

Hey sorry to hijack yr thread, but i too have D21 i would lke to try and get a little bit of extra power out of. Only mine is a diesel, TD27 to be precise. Now, this being my first diesel powered vehicle i know nothing about these engines.
My mate has a TD42 in his patrol and that thing has heaps more grunt than my 2.7 but i was thinking mine should have just about as much get up and go as his becuase my ute weighs a heap less and doesn;t have the big wheel tht his does.
Is there anything i can do to improve performance? Not really concerned about economy, as long as it produces more power.
I have done all new filters and oil, just dont really know where to go from there. Are extractors available for deisel engines and do they do anything anyway? Whatr other things can be done?

it would be better to make another thread than to hijack this one.

your mates patrol doesn't weigh much more than your navara, however a 4.2 has a lot more grunt. the patrol will have much more power to weight than the navara.

best thing you can do to the 2.7 is turbo it. either get the turbo gear and injection pump off a turbo model or an aftermarket turbo kit. if you gt a kit get one with a boost compensater.

 

[d214x4Wannabe]

Yeah fair enuff. I was just thinking my mates patrol weighs a little over 2 ton, plus all of his recovery gear, camping equipment and its usually got the four of us innit. But yeah, its a 4.2 vs a 2.7 i guess.
So its pretty much just turbo or nothing? Are factory TD27 turbo kits very readily available? I work at a wreckers that has one of the largest 4x4 and commercial stock in aus, but i dont think i've seen a turbo kit yet. But then again we mostly do newer stuff.

Thanks anyway. Riley.

 

[Dave]

The factory kits are out there. Look at the terrano's aswell. Plenty of terrano's ran the turbo TD27TI.

Dave.