# engine swap



## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

now i know there is lots of stuff on the forums about engine swaps that could be done but i am looking to be different. i have a 1987 nissan hardbody with the z24i engine the rings finally went at 287xxx kms last week and its just not worth rebuilding to me. so any suggestions? its a budget build so keep it reasonable the cheaper the better as long as she runs... also if anyone has an engine and trans that might work let me know and maybe we can work something out


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

i have z24 engines..


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

cool they seem to be kinda hard to find i'll email you... in the mean time any ideas other than stock or the typical sr or rb swaps lol


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

those seem to be typical swaps..

others do v8 swaps..

one guy i know did a v6 olds swap..

ans also they take out the gas engines and oput in electric motors..

imo the z24 is the best for overall life and reliablility..


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

I am not a fan of the z24i this is my first encounter with one and i am thinking i am gonna try to stay away from it, between the torque to yield head bolts and this things inability to run properly and the retarded timing cover set up its just not worth it for me. my favorite idea so far is a ford 302 100% for its power and simplicity but i am having a hard time finding a carbed 302 and a 5 speed trans and driveshaft around. i have a efi 302 i got for 100 bucks in a f250 but need a 2wd manual trans and a driveshaft to swap it into the hb.


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## minitrkingking (May 10, 2009)

Find yourself a lincon towncar, it should have everything you need except carb.


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

HOW TO FUCK UP A NISSAN TRUCK...

STICK A FORD IN IT..


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

lmfao well i put my head back on today after getting the head looked at by a machine shop to make sure it was not the valves he said they looked good and ground the valves for me so i put the head back on today and did a dry and wet compression test and it failed horribly the valves now leak so bad i can feel the air escaping when i put my hand over the exhaust port and turn the engine by hand and the compression reading was all of 50 on every cylinder. so i am going to "stick a ford in it" and it will be a major upgrade for this junker nissan.


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

if you got 50 across the board then the valves are not leaking..

sounds like it had not built up the oil pressure enough for a proper comp test..

i am willing to bet you never stick a ford in it..

first u want a budget build and then u build something that is going to eat 300 dollars a month in gas ,cost extra for the insurance and a bucket load of money to get it up and running if you can get it up and running..


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

man i would bet the money it took to get a 302 in there that i could easily fab up some engine mounts and get a driveshaft made and get it properly running in no time... if i could find a carbed 302 and 2wd 5 or 4 speed manual trans. and for the record a 302 is a budget build and i have had a 302 in a 68 cougar that i pulled 32mpg with a 4 speed manual trans behind it. going 70mph. oh and where i am from my insurance won't change a dime.


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

lol..looks like a lot of ifs...

buddy i am in my 60's and i am telling you .. u never had a v8, much less a ford v8, get 32 miles to the gallon..
u can say it all day long but u can never prove it..

budget build u can't even fix the engine that is in there..

i am laughing ...


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

your just a guy in your 60s with nothing better to do then post on forums all day and ya i did get 32 mpg its not hard in a light car and its not that i can't fix the engine thats in it. its that i don't think its worth fixing.


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

ouch ..u got me good..

maybe u should read some of those post..

my z24 has over 500 k miles on it and still going strong..i also know ford products better than u know the back of you hand..

i have helped many many guy's get there nissan trucks back on the road and continue to offer my help on keeping them on the road..

ford has fucked not only me but millions of people people out of countless millions ..

ford continues to screw around in the market to this day ..

u come on a nissan forum and trash the best little truck in the world and taunt us with ford products..

u have one nissan truck with 287 k miles..

i dare you to produce just one ford u have owned that ever got 100,000 miles on the odometer w/o having to spend just as much money as it cost to keep it running.

and i do not care if you had a bicycle seat on the top of that 302 running it on a skate board..

no damn ford 302 gets 32 miles to the gallon. 


yeah, you got me good...


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## minitrkingking (May 10, 2009)

I have owned both fuel injected and carbed 302 setups and known many people with them, from towncars to single cab rangers. You really can't say that it would even get close to 32mpg, squeezing 20mpg would be difficult to say the least. But this is the internet and things are crazy, so... zane has helped me on my first nissan and I've watched him help many others on here, in fact my truck probably wouldn't have run for the first couple months without his help. You don't just sign up to a forum and bash the guru, poop on you


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## CMax03 (Jan 17, 2009)

Do a rebuilt s/b or L/b and call it the day unless you're concerned about performance....Even with a rebuilt s/b you can easily remove the piston rod assemblies and upgrade the rod bolts, the crank main bolts, and install head studs, super easy and quick, to add a little more bulletproofing to your engine. I've rebulit many engines and the next will be a rebuilt s/b so I can add more heavy duty aftermarket hardware to the mix....I think rebuilding it yourself is more time consuming and expensive, but great for learning and maybe performing extreme modifications that would cost you an arm and leg out your shop


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

i understand and believe you all that zane may be great at helping but honestly i have seen many 302's and 289's hit well over 300xxx kms that cougar i had was wrapping over half a million k by the time i had to pull the engine. in all reality i don't care if ford has ripped the world outta millions they still made a great engine that is cheap to make power out of. and if i wanted a slow stock nissan i would fix the z24i but i don't. and my mistake it was a 4 barrel 289 i pulled 32mpg with in the cougar before i finally had to swap it out for the 302 after just over half a million k on the 289


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

and for the record i am not even a ford fan really just the older 289s and 302s in particular have treated me right however i have had a couple 351w's and they were horrible and several ford 4 bangers that went to the scrap yard too


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

say it all u want ..u just can't prove it...


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

whatever, i pulled the engine and trans today decided on a 302 as i finally found a transmission i'll post pics when its done lol


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## minitrkingking (May 10, 2009)

I'm glad your going for it. Any plans on changing the rearend or maybe a 4 link?


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## rye1988 (Sep 5, 2008)

i did some searching on the forum here and i see these rear ends can supposedly handle a decent amount of power so for now i am gonna leave it and get a driveshaft made and once next summer rolls around i am gonna try to find a pathfinder rear end or something a bit stronger. i'm not to sure about four link just because it is still so expensive and i am trying to keep this as a budget build type of deal


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

the rear end will hold up under normal driving conditons .

consider upgrading brakes and check the frame ..

good luck budget boy.


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