z24 to vg30e swap

[cwidova]

hi all, sorry to start a new thread (as i have seen this here when i just did a google search) but the thread didnt answer the q's i have. i have a 1988 4x4 navara with a z24 in it and a 1994 2x4 with a vg30e in it. so far i have taken the interior (the '94 is a ti), loom and ecu out of the '94 car. what issues am i going to have putting the vg30e into the 4x4? can i get away with the z24 transmission? both cars are manual. also where will i be able to find manifolds and exhaust for a 4x4 vg30 as the way it is looking the current ones run right where the front driveshaft goes. any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Dave]

The VG gearbox is stronger and bigger.

But I think the transfers are the same.

There are a few guys here with VG30E powered D22's and they might be able to help you with pics.

There is a D22 service manual here to that should help you out, its in the D22 section.

Dave.

 

[Dion]

hi all, sorry to start a new thread (as i have seen this here when i just did a google search) but the thread didnt answer the q's i have. i have a 1988 4x4 navara with a z24 in it and a 1994 2x4 with a vg30e in it. so far i have taken the interior (the '94 is a ti), loom and ecu out of the '94 car. what issues am i going to have putting the vg30e into the 4x4? can i get away with the z24 transmission? both cars are manual. also where will i be able to find manifolds and exhaust for a 4x4 vg30 as the way it is looking the current ones run right where the front driveshaft goes. any help would be greatly appreciated

• the VG30E will have a 4x2 sump that will hit your front diff
• the transmission from the Z24 won't bolt up to the VG30E
• the VG30E needs an EFI fuel pump, the Z24 vehicle will only have a lift pump in the tank
• for the exhaust stuff you can try and see if the VG33E stuff from a 4x4 D22 will bolt up, other than that you're going custom

That's all I can think of for now

 

[Dave]

^ Good point, I forgot about the sump.

Dave.

 

[Pinelli]

Fuel pump is easy.
Engine mounts will be different. May not be a big job depending on skills.
Same for wiring. There will be a bit of mucking around with the loom - you will need to patch it in to the existing loom, which is not a big job if you're handy with wiring.

Gearbox will be the biggy. The Z gearbox will have a married transfer case, and the VG gearbox obviously won't. You may be able to do something like change over the rear parts of each gearbox.

By the time you look at modding the sump, the gearbox and the exhaust, you might want to think about getting a 4by donor vehicle.
If you're only using the VG30 because its convenient, perhaps a KA24 swap would be easier and still not too expensive. You still have to do the fuel pump and wiring, but exhaust, sump and engine mounts will be a lot easier, and you can use your existing gearbox.

 

[cwidova]

thanks for the help. the loom is no problem (apart from the time involved) as we are changing the whole lot. we already have the main section out of the donor car so the interior & engine is plug and play, just have to take the old loom out and re run the new one. the fuel pump is also no problem as the other car will have it in it still...they are sitting next to each other. hopefully i can swap the rear ends of the transmissions would make it a lot more cost effective!!! didnt even think of the sump, probably would have to get a different pickup pipe as well? would have preferred the ka24 as it's less work involved, but my cousin had a brain surge and bought the v6 car at the auctions before i could say hi!!!!

 

[Dion]

hopefully i can swap the rear ends of the transmissions would make it a lot more cost effective!!!

Since you've got both sitting there, try it for us and let us know if it works, it'd be good for the knowledge base.

didnt even think of the sump, probably would have to get a different pickup pipe as well?

Likely. I'm not sure about the practicalities of a 2" body lift and some custom lifted engine mounts to clear the standard sump, but that is also something you could look into.

I don't like your chances of finding a VG33E sump & pickup for less than a small fortune.

 

[cwidova]

yeah will let you know how it all goes, still have a fair few weekends before i'm up to it, going to get the interior done first, want to get everything as ready as possible so it makes it a little easier!!!
are the mounts on the chassis rails completely different between models or is it just the ones on the motors?

 

[Dion]

The brackets on the rails are drilled with a grid of threaded holes. Each bracket is different so you should be able to just use the brackets from the 4x2.

 

[cwidova]

cool thanks!!!

 

[Pinelli]

With the loom, you will likely need to mod the loom no matter which motor you go with. I doubt that it will be plug and play. For example, there won't be an engine warning light on the dash of the D21. You will need one for the VG30. There will be no plug to provide the various powers to the ECU. The high pressure fuel pump is turned on and off by the ECU. In the Z24 it runs constantly, so another wire for the fuel pump relay. I think I had to add about 6 wires all up, not much, but it will have to be done.

The fuel pump for the Z24 will be a low pressure one as it is a carby engine. The VG30 will need a high pressure pump and a surge tank fitted to provide constant fuel supply to the engine. You still need to use the existing pump. Basically, the fuel runs from fuel tank through low pressure pump to surge tank. From surge tank to high pressure external pump. From HP pump to the fuel rail in the engine. From the fuel pressure regulator back to the surge tank, and there will be an overflow on the surge tank back to the fuel tank return hose.
Not a big job, but without this, you risk fuel starvation. You don't need this with a carby engine like the Z24 because there is a large enough store of fuel in the carby float bowl to supply the engine when the pump can't deliver fuel because it is sloshing around.

An alternative would be to use the Pathfinder fuel tank in the Navara, but I'm not sure how easy that is.

When I replaced my Z with the KA24, I got the motor from a 2WD and I was able to mod the sump and pickup from the Z quite easily to fit the KA motor. It might be possible to mod the Z sump for the VG motor too, but I can't really say. Comments anyone?

I'm thinking I might be replacing the KA24 I put in last year with a VG30 or VG33 soon (for various reasons - there is nothing wrong with the KA), so it;s not like I think it's too hard, you just need to be aware of the pitfalls or you'll be off the road longer than you plan.

 

[Pinelli]

BTW, this might do if you're quick

90 91 92 93 94 95 Nissan Pathfinder Oil Pan OEM: eBay Motors (item 170518587100 end time Nov-21-10 23:18:57 PST)

The seem to ahve a few. Make surr you get a 4x4 one, and ask they have the oil pickup as well.

And from someone else
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/86-9...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[cwidova]

ok cool....the wiring will be no real issue, just have to compare an add as required. will the 2x4 fuel tank fit with all this? we have the whole car with everything still there....the car passanger side "a" pillar and roof is stuffed but everything else is fine. otherwise can sort something out. the biggest problem we have just thought of is with registration. will an engineers be required? or can we go the vicroads declaration thing be ok? because as i read it it has to be an australian factory option, and the vg30e isn't. the closest i can find is the vg30i which is an import and i dont know if it came in a 4x4?
awesome thanks for the links, emailed him waiting on a reply on postage costs but seems like that could be the one!!!! thanks again everyone for the help!!!!

 

[Dion]

will the 2x4 fuel tank fit with all this?

Are both vehicles the same cab type? IE dual cab or whatever? If so then yes.

the biggest problem we have just thought of is with registration. will an engineers be required? or can we go the vicroads declaration thing be ok? because as i read it it has to be an australian factory option, and the vg30e isn't. the closest i can find is the vg30i which is an import and i dont know if it came in a 4x4?

There's no Australian delivered 4x4 V6 D21 at all. It depends how switched-on the girl or boy behind the desk is. I reckon you'll be fine just demonstrating that it is a motor from a "D21" being fitted to a "D21".

It'd be money for jam for a VASS engineer to sign off on such a swap.

 

[Pinelli]

Even if you get it past Vic Roads, you might come a cropper with insurance if you do have an accident and they realise then that you SHOULD have got an engineers certificate. I'd get one just to be safe, but I can't see any engineer having an issue with the swap itself, as long as its done well.

Go for it. Make sure you keep us posted. I'm particularly interested in the engine mounts. Would love to hear that it's a no brainer.

 

[Dion]

Even if you get it past Vic Roads, you might come a cropper with insurance if you do have an accident and they realise then that you SHOULD have got an engineers certificate.

I'd argue if VicRoads, the automotive engineering authority for the state's public roads, has approved the swap then the insurance company has no legitimate avenue to reject a claim - the vehicle is without fault.

Anyway,

 

[Pinelli]

I agree, but have you every tried arguing with an insurance company? Not having a legitimate reason to reject a claim has never stopped one yet.

 

[cwidova]

yeah i thnk engineers will be the way to go. we have run into a problem thought, the transfers are different do the swap has been put on hol the v6 trans can have a patrol transfer on it, and a drivshaft as to bo changed. shouldnt take long though and we are going to put everything else in that we can until this is done and the sump turns up!!!! will keep you posted

 

[Pinelli]

I'm really surprised to hear the transfers are different. Both should be a TX-10 model.
Can you post pictures of the two, and see if you can find model numbners on each one?

 

[cwidova]

well i am trying to get time to take them out so that i can compare and so on. as far as i can find, the part numbers are different i dont know whether it's just a supersession or a difference.....will try and get them out asap because it is holding up the whole project!!