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NAPS Z22 EFI/Turbo build


FricFrac

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I'm building a Z22 from an '82 Datsun 720 pickup.  They only ever came as a carbed engine in the trucks so I'm converting this to EFI and turbo charging it.  This is a common block to swap over and make into a hybrid LZ22 motor using the L series head and the NAPS Z head get tossed in the garbage.  I like the cross flow and hemi design and I think it will take to boost better than the L series without det.  I've got a build thread going on for my '69 Datsun 510 I'm building it for over here. But I thought it would be nice to have the engine portion here for reference as an alternative 4 banger build.

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Of course I haven't even had her towed home [my '69 510 2dr] and I'm researching engine swaps. You know the usual KA24, SR20, VG30E and ET, etc... I'm trying to get 'er running in the drive way and I'm not having a lot of luck. I rebuilt the carb not knowing what kind of shape it's in. Getting better. Find a bunch of vacuum leaks. Replace the weak coil. I'm an Electronics Eng so I pull the stock harness out of the engine bay and give 'er a rebuild. I've got all the connectors for the 240Z, etc so I was already good to go there - add some new ground wires, etc.  The whole time I'm fighting with this I'm thinking how much easier it would be if I was running Mega Squirt like I just built for the 280ZXT.  That's when I start thinking about building an L16 turbo with EFI (MS3).  I start researching about how to make this happen.  I think it would be a fun little engine and I don't need an insane build - I've got other cars that make lots of power and the L16 turbo is kinda unique as most people don't bother.  I start researching EFI manifolds and figure I'm going to have to build my own.  Then I start trying to figure out how I'm going to trigger the EFI.  Looking into an L28ET dizzy, etc and I find out that the Z24i has an optical dizzy.  It also has a hemi head with a good quench area - hmmm that's perfect for a turbo build.  Greg found me a Z22 (thanks Greg!) and now I'm going down the Z22 EFI turbo road.  She burns oil so now's the time for a rebuild.  The tentative plans are a full gasket set, ITM hyperutectic pistons and rings (only $50 more than rings alone - seems like a no brainer), ARP head and rod bolts (good for a boosted engine and the NAPSZ seems to have an issue with the head bolts getting loose after time), and Cleavite crank and rod bearings.  Once we get her cracked open we'll see if anything else needs doing but I'm trying to keep this fairly low cost.  I picked up an extra oil pan (thanks Peter!) and oil pickup (thanks Hayden!) so I don't need to rip the L16 apart to build this thing.


So the challenge of this beast is to get it into EFI land.  I'm already part way there researching for the L16 EFI conversion.  I need an EFI manifold from an early 200SX (Z20) and an optical dizzy from the later Z24i Hardbody.  DatsunMike as always has been a pile of help.  Posted tons of picks and pointed me in the right direction.  Found a dizzy from a Z24i (thanks Sealick!) and while I was looking at a 280ZX for a good friend of mine I look down in the dirt literally and there lies a 200SX intake plenum and runners - the last piece of the puzzle (thanks Robert!)


So here's the plenum and runners before the masaging begins (minus 12lbs of pine needles)


Z22EFIoriginal1.jpg


Z22EFIoriginal2.jpg

 

Intake runners bead blasted, ported and polished


Z22EFIrunnersported1.jpg


Z22EFIrunnersported.jpg

 

Intake plenum ported to accept a 240SX 60mm throttle body.  Might be a little overkill so I may have to go to a 280ZX 48mm TB for better throttle response.  We'll have to see how it works out.


Z22EFIplenum4.jpg


Intake plenum with 240SX TB and an adapter plate made of 1/2" aluminum.  Two screw holes are tapped into the plate to mount the TB and the other two line up with the stock mounts.  Third set of holes mounts to the stock location below the TB.  Cut the water inlet/outlet off the TB to reduce plumbing.


Z22EFI240SXTBandadapter3.jpg


Z22EFI240SXTBandadapter2.jpg


Z22EFI240SXTBandadapter1.jpg

 

Plenum and TB test fitted.  TB adapter is port matched to the plenum


Z22EFIplenum1.jpg


Z22EFIplenum3.jpg


Z22EFIplenum2.jpg

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And here's my dizzy from a Z24i with the optical encoder wheel.  I might be able to use the wheel as is since it has a larger slot for TDC.  MS3 firmware 1.1.2 supports the Nissan CAS so we'll see if that works.  If not I've got a 24-1-1 50mm optical encoder wheel we cut on the water jet that should work instead.  I cut it for the L28ET but it's the same size conveniently ;)  Has the same 10 spline count as the L28ET oil pump shaft which should work in the Z22

 

Z24iDizzysplines.jpg


Stock 50mm optical encoder wheel.  Same size as the L28ET and VG30E dizzy.  Different in that it has a larger slot for TDC whereas the L28ET are all equal size (and six instead of four slots on the second ring)

 

Z24iDizzyopticalwheel.jpg

 

The pigtail looks like it goes right into the dizzy but it's just a cover plate that holds the more common rectangular four pin connector - same as the L28ET dizzy.  Nice as this makes it easier to interface to

 

Z24iDizzyconnector.jpg

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Took the engine apart so it's all sitting in bits on my buddy's garage on the bench.  Took the head apart and started to give 'er some loving:

 

The gratuitous before picture of the carbon coated chamber:
Z22CombustionChambersBefore.jpg

 

After a good long cleaning:
Z22CombustionChambersAfter.jpg

 

After I cleaned the combustion chamber I saw quite a bit of damage.  Looks like something bounced around in all the chambers.  Of course the first one I started working on was the worst and I forgot to take before pictures but you get the idea from this one:
Z22CombustionChambersCleaned.jpg

 

After some sweet loving she's starting to clean up.  Still in the process of cleaning the chamber up but it looks like there is hope :)  Tried to remove as little as possible but I'm not too worried about reducing the compression ratio from the small amount of material removed.  Just trying to keep the chamber as clean and slick as possible to keep any hot spots to a minimum and thus prevent detonation.  It will of course help with flow but reducing detonation is more important IMHO in this turbo application.
Z22CombustionChambersPolishing.jpg

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After spending a few days researching I think I might have a solution to my turbo manifold question - as in what am I going to run for a turbo manifold.  Someone mentioned that the KA24E exhaust layout was the same as the NAPS Z head.  From what I can tell it looks like it will work but there isn't any way to tell without seeing it up against the head.  I don't have access to a manifold and I hate to order parts without knowing for sure but I found one for a good price and if it doesn't work there are a ton of S13 guys around who would probably buy it.  The exhaust outlet on the Z22 is oval(ish) whereas the manifold for the KA is round so I'll have to do some port matching one way or another which I would have done anyhow.The other question since I had the option was log or tubular manifold.  After much deliberation I went with the log manifold as it will spool faster because of the lower total volume inside the log manifold.  There is also less thermal loss in the log manifold compared to the tubular which also helps spool more quickly.  While spooling doesn't give you more power it does give you more power under the curve.  The log manifold is top mount and it's offset towards the front of the car which should keep out of the way of the strut towers.

 

GSP-TM-KA24E-SOHC-TOP.jpg

 

GSP-TM-KA24E-SOHC-TOP_1.jpg

 

GSP-TM-KA24E-SOHC-TOP_2.jpg

 

th1451s.jpg

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Ding Ding Ding!  We have a winner!


Well it looks like with some fairly aggressive but doable porting the KA24E manifold will work with the NAPS Z heads - woohoo!  There is lots of material on the head on the sides of the port - just have to be careful on the bottom as it looks like that's where the water passages for the head reside.  The log manifold is cast so there is lots of material to work with.  I must say this manifold looks very nice and I suspect it will flow well.  It's not optimal but with the large runners but smaller volume than a tubular manifold it should spool quickly (which means more power under the curve).  The only place on the manifold that isn't smooth is the entry into the turbo flange which I'll clean up with the die grinder.


I made templates for both sides and marked off where the material needs to be removed to match everything up.
Z22EFIturbomanifold01.jpg


Looks like it was made for the Z22!  I'm hoping the offset top mount will clear the strut towers.  I looks like it should be fine but I won't know until we get there.
Z22EFIturbomanifold02.jpg


Z22EFIturbomanifold03.jpg

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Pretty much done with the head now.  Lapped the valves in and hot tanked the head.  There's one seat that has a nick in it we'll try to polish out then a quick clean and install the valves and cam.  Had the old piston wrist pins pressed out and the new pistons and wrist pins installed.  Sent that to the machinist which is the only machine work so far for a total of $62.  Pistons are installed and started painting the block.  One coat of primer over the old paint and a coat of semi gloss black engine enamel.

 

Z22EFIblock01.jpg

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Fixed the last valve seat with the nick in it.  All the valve springs and valves are re-installed.  Spark plugs gaped and semi-indexed (picked the best of for the eight).  Painted the head with high temp exhaust manifold paint to match the block.  Ready for cam reinstall.  The hot cam for the L28ET is the L28E NA cam.  Hopefully the Z22 NA cam works well for a turbo application.  Still undecided as to what turbo to run on this build.  Probably will start with a T3 from an L28ET.  I think a GT28 or GT30 would likely be a good final build turbo for this application.  Big returns from a methanol injecton for the L series head and a boosted application - not so sure the hemi style head here will need the methanol as badly.  Something to ponder for the future....

Z22Cylinderhead01.jpg

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So apparently when I was told to use the L20b ARP set on the Z22 the person was assuming I was building a LZ. The L20B studs are WAY too long for the Z22 with the stock head and they don't make a Z22 kit (or any NAPS Z kits for that matter). I think I've found a stud that will work. ARP sells these as a individual stud - M10 x1.25 x 1.50 x 109mm PN: AM 4.300-2LB so 10 of these, 10 washers and nuts should make a Z22 ARP head bolt kit smile.gif Just talking with ARP to find out if they'll make a kit of these to buy direct from them or through their suppliers so I can get this thing together!

 

Picking away at the endless "little things" while I try to get the head studs squared away.  Did some more porting and polishing on the exhaust manifold.  I already matched the ports but I wanted to transistion and take some of the roughness of the casting out and round off any sharp edges going into the turbo flange.  Cleaned it up and painted it satin black with some header paint to match the head.


Z22EFIturbomanifold06_zps07e77e98.jpg

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OK I've finally sourced the head bolts.  My local parts place wanted 4x as much for the nuts, etc with a four to six week lead time.  Ordered them from Regal at Northern Auto Parts for a fraction of what the local shop wanted and 7-10 days to get them in. 

 

Working on the turbo manifold a bit.  Got a heavy blanking plate cut and had made a copper gasket and had it annealed to make it soft.  I'll use these to block off the wategate flange on the turbo as I'll be using a stock T3 from a 280ZX with an internal wastegate.
Z22Wastegateblank_zps7ecba134.jpg

 

Got an old 280ZX turbo cast downpipe and hacked off the flange.  Port matched it to the T3 outlet then tapered out for a mandrel bent 2 1/2" down pipe which I'll likely flare to 3".  The turbo flange is a little rounded so it looks like there is a lip but it matches up perfectly.

Z22TurboDownpipe01_zps7bce0317.jpg

 

Z22TurboDownpipe02_zpsf9f8049f.jpg

 

Z22TurboDownpipe03_zps3f05d981.jpg

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