So some backstory to what has started this train of thought. June 1st I left Oklahoma on poverty tour. It was about 300mi a day or maybe more since we weren't going far we had time to explore a little bit. We drove all the way west to gallup NM hitting 6500ft elevation on the way and in Utah hitting 8000ft, and up to kanab and then Moab utah where I ended my leg so I could stay in Moab a few days to explore before I head home to Oklahoma. I only had to jet down my Weber 32/36 once changing my main jet on the primary and the air corrector on my secondaries. One thing I notice with my truck being completely loaded down with camping gear, tools, and spare parts was after we started to hit more elevation and especially some of the hills we were hitting when we started to go north I was running up hills at 3500rpm in 3rd gear and even second gear on a couple. It was a big struggle to maintain even 55mph in a lot of areas although the little z24 didn't care and hauled my fat ass through the mountains screaming the whole way albeit slowly. 

I would like to start doing more trips like this but if I'm going to start losing this much power at elevation I'm not quite sure how feasible it is especially since I would like to eventually build a ultralite camper trailer as well. I've been thinking about the best way with minimal heavy modifications to get more power out of these trucks and I've been floating around the idea of building a ka/z hybrid motor since it was mentioned to me that the ka-e head is supposed to bolt right onto a z24 block. 

All you are supposed to have to do to run a ka head on a z24 block is plug one of the oil returns on the ka head. 

Benefits:

More modern head design

Theoretically ~45+hp with no mods to the head

Fuel injection? 

Arp head studs to stop blown headgaskets. 

Still using z24 block stronger mains and no motor mount mods required. 

Cons ? Complexity? 

Efi is hard, perhaps a 2300 tbi unit on a d21 tbi intake? Cheaper than megasquirt?

If anyone can find any real cons I would love to hear them, I know it would be more complex than maybe a stock build but other than that can't see any major issues.

Here's a list of parts I think I would need. I would maybe like to stick with stock internals which I've read people have gotten 300hp out of but I don't need that much and that would require a lot of boost which is not going to happen for a while. 

Ka-e head/valve cover

Ka-e intake preferably off a d21 with tbi.

Z24 timing gear?(Supposed to work on ka cam)

Z24 block, timing kit, crank

Ka-e pistons since there is a difference in combustion chamber between ka-e and z24 heads

Arp head studs for ka24e

Either ka rods or z24 rods whichever is stronger. 

Aces efi dueces wild tbi unit

Custom adapter to adapt d21 tbi to 2300 flange.

Anything else? 

I'm thinking I can get all these parts except for the aces unit, of course a timing set and gaskets/rings at the junkyard for maybe a few hundred bucks. 

What does everyone think of this? Bad idea, good idea, is there more bang for buck and plug and play solutions? 

 But are not the same.  
 

the stud that Mounts to the engine bracket is higher than the centerline of the original.  They also stand approximately .160 thousands higher/taller than the originals. 
 

further the locator pin on the engine side is slightly off and will not fit into the original engine bracket. 
 

also the locator pin on the frame side

is larger diameter and will not fit into the frame in the passenger side.  
 

again these are very close but just enough difference that if I were to make them fit I’m afraid the engine would sit to high in the truck. 
 

hopefully some ones can provide a place to order the correct ones I need. 

I have no experience with these trucks but I was thinking around 3-3.5k sounds reasonable? Looking for advice.

So a couple months ago I got addicted to scrolling Marketplace again, and I found this Datsun listed for $1500 running. Uncle drove me over there and it turned out he knew the guy selling it, and they were talking and catching up while I looked it over. I was shocked to see it has only 58,000 miles, and the steering feels tight and the seats are good enough to suggest the odometer didn't just freeze. The seller had kind of ended up with it and didn't want it so he had very little to tell me and no spare parts: it had a cheap "eBay" carburetor put on it and the original is unavailable, same with the clutch master cylinder it appears. So I intended to test drive it, had to jump it off, and it would not idle whatsoever, I had to keep the pedal mashed but it sounded good. (My uncle later realised he'd forgotten to open the choke which isn't wired up and felt really bad LOL) Seller liked me so he said he'd sell it to me that day for $1000, or have his mechanic look it over and sell it to me for $1500. I accepted that and then got word that the mechanic said it had a blown head gasket, so the seller chucked it at me for $500, and I was elated.

...Weird thing is, I can't find much evidence of a blown head gasket. Coolant is green, oil is black, compression is pretty damn good completely cold:

#1 - 190, #2 - 187, #3 - 170, #4 - 175.

If there is a little bit of a head gasket blow between 3 and 4, maybe re-torquing it will close it? I've lurked enough to know that doing so is essential for every z24 and can't hurt a z22 either. Before testing compression I ensured the intake side plugs were tight and tested on the exhaust side; plugs were all black and slimy with oil, sticky valve seals or just a lot of running rich?

There's a little bit of an electrical problem. When I turn the headlights on, sometimes the taillights come on and sometimes not. The dash lights are the last ever to come on. I'm sure there's stuff I can clean, but one concerning bit is that neither the turn signals or flashers work at all: no response whatsoever from the flasher switch. Maybe a relay? The previous owner replaced the round relay mounted to the bottom of the steering column on the right and whatever it is is too small for the mount so it hangs loose. Ignition switch is aftermarket and also hanging loose because the key broke off in the original switch, so I'll need door locks too.

Is this carb likely a rebuild or a Chinese repro?

Whatever is going on with this aluminum and gasket looks like pure crap to my untrained eye, but to be fair I don't really know what I'm dealing with. My Corolla has a Weber 32/36 and just blew a head gasket so I'm strongly planning to re-jet it and slap it on here, it's served me so well as a daily driver and could give this truck some extra power that would help with hauling stuff.

Mushy section of my debut post: when I was little my dad drove a 1984 Nissan 720 that he'd bought for $80, and he basically never put money into maintenance on it. It had been rolled off a small mountain, rewired by a nutcase with wires hanging all from the dash, had rust holes all through the bed, and despite being 2WD my parents readily used it as a rock crawler. When the starter went bad he wired a second battery into the passenger floorboard that I'd rest my feet on. He put rear helper springs from a Chevy under it and claims he hauled two tons of gravel in the bed and has the receipt somewhere in the truck. We'd load our firewood on it every winter and be stranded at the wood plant while he struggled to get it to run with every emissions and electrical system bypassed. My dad is insane but I've always had the greatest admiration for that truck and have always meant to have one of my own, and now all of my Toyotas have laid down and died on me for one reason or another and this Datsun looks like my best shot at getting back on the road.

I knew suspension needed work. Got shocks, bushings, bearings and ball joints to start. 
 

Jacked up the truck, took off front front tires and the droop is so bad the upper control arm is pinching against the shock. Nothing I’ve seen in the forums or online shows something this drastic. 
 

Truck did hit a deer before I got it but I was told it was fixed and has been a daily driver before and since. It does ride like crap but suspension is still somewhat there.
 

Best I can come up with is the torsion bars are probably set to heavy and I think I’m missing maybe a sway bar? But again I have no clue. 

Has anyone run across this or knows where I can start to correct this?

I am new and am working to figure out how to post images ASAP. 

TIA

Running out of ideas, any help greatly appreciated

Brett

Also, how hard is it to remove the stock stereo?

Follow-up question...is this actually the stock stereo (attached photo)? I am able to find only one hit on Google for a stock 720 stereo that looks like this one and it is on Ebay.

Follow-up follow-up...What is the blank for above the two gauges (below the climate control) on the center console?

Thanks.

Wondering some good front and rear shocks I could get for smooth rides and durability. AND, if anyone is selling a 5 speed manual trans on the west coast with as much assembly as possible LMK!

I've decided to take a shot at rebuilding my front suspension on my '86 4x4 KC. I think I have acquired everything I need:

-new CV axles

-grease seals, inner and outer

-tie-rod ends

-sway bar end links

-top and bottom ball joints

-lower control arm bushings

-sway bar bushings

-replace the oil pan seal

I'm not sure if I have all the seals ideally one would replace doing a CV replacement, from what I can surmise from the FSM I think the two "wheel seals" are all I could find available. The parts numbers on Rock Auto are as follows:

710072 National (Front outer 4WD)

225035 National (Front outer 4WD)  *redundant in case I bought the wrong one*

19639 - SKF (Front inner 4WD)

Are there other things I'm missing that will need to put the hub back together? There are some parts in the auto hubs that the FSM states need replacement whenever serviced but I'm not finding replacements anywhere.

What grease would you all recommend for this job?  Any other tips or advice appreciated!

It looks like it can be removed and replaced but I'm wary of messing with the varistor(?) that controls the fuel and temp gauge which the printed circuit-thing is attached to. I'm hoping to repair it in place somehow.

This was in my 720 listed in my profile (81, 2wd single cab, z22s)

Obviously the best way is to search the junkyards or get a parts car with a complete system but the only parts I could pull from a similar truck was the gearbox and steering column so I resorted to hardbody parts that were compatible. While I got it running and working good, it's still in the proof of concept stage with the routing of things and mounting so there's still a lot of cleanup work left to do. 

Parts sourced from:

1981 720 (already on car) - tie rods, drag link, idler arm 

1982 720 2wd - steering box, steering column (nontilt), low pressure line

1986 hardbody v6 4x4 - steering shaft, pressure line

1993 hardbody ka24e - power steering pump and bracket, idler pulley and bracket, reservoir

Others - Facet FEP60SV electric fuel pump, cover plate for mechanical fuel pump, 44in belt

The gearbox from 82 had two 16mm banjo fittings and the 93 pump also had a 16mm banjo, I read that different boxes have different sized lines but I lucked out with them being the same.

Rockauto lists the fitting sizes and lengths of ps lines so after searching through a bunch of different years and models I found the 86 4x4 has two 16mm banjo fittings

for the high pressure line, it was a tight fit but it clears all moving parts.

This line did have a port for a sensor, lucky for me I hoard every piece of hardware and old parts and the transmission drain plug from a 2015 versa cvt threaded right in (I think it was a m12x1.25), added an oring and its holding solid.

Ended up using a high pressure line out of an 81/82 as the low pressure line, just cut the female connection off and the hose fit right on. 

The 82 I got the column from was already missing the shaft connecting the column to the box so I pulled one from an 86 that had the rag joint by the firewall and the u joint by the box. With the extra length of the power steering box having the rag joint by the box does have clearance issues with the control arm and side panel (as stated on other posts) but the original connecting shaft long to fit. The one I pulled from the 86 ended up being even longer, about 15in and I needed it to be 12in. Since that shaft had two pieces, one pressed into the other, I cut the sides of the outer one, pulled out the inner one, cut off the splined end, drilled and tapped two holes through and bolted it back together with some epoxy as an added measure.

Since I cut the sides of the outer portion, I was able to use the bolts to really clamp it down as the splined part that originally was in it was slightly larger than the center of the rod. And yes the lower bolt is a tap that broke off in there halfway that is now a permanent stud (have a bolt threaded into the other side too). 

The pump and bracket from the 93 bolt right on to the block right where the mechanical fuel pump sits. Since I had a mechanical fuel pump I went and bought a facet electric pump recommended on other threads. I wired it to the brown wire off fuse no2 right before the auto choke relay and used the fitting from the mechanical pump to keep the return line.

I used the gasket from the mechanical pump to trace a cover plate, cut it out and bolted it on with a bead of rtv.

Since the bracket from the 93 only used one of the mechanical pumps bolt holes to mount, I used one of the studs with a nut on it to mount the cover plate and a regular bolt on the other side. Had to add spacers for the rest of the bracket bolts to clear the bolt heads. The idler pulley bolts right onto the front of the block with 2 bolts, there a leg that extends down the driver side of the block but no hole to bolt into.

A 44in belt fit perfectly with this setup. 

Mounted the reservoir right beside the washer fluid right about as high as I could but mainly so the hoses that came with it would reach. 

The hoses I used do clear all moving parts but don't run super cleanly, they don't follow the radiator support so I have them zip tied to the sides right now. The reservoir hose also touch the upper radiator hose so I'll have to address that. There's a bunch of little things like that still with the routing of vacuum lines and fuel lines but as of today I can now teach my girlfriend how to drive stick in it lol. I'll probably end up making custom lines since they're all banjo fittings but that's for another day. 

Don't think this is complete enough to be a how to, more so just documenting my experience trying to get this all to work. Let me know if I did anything stupid or if you've got any questions. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235048306952

I finally got around to pulling off the door today and ran into a few issues:

1) What is the best way to pull the pins? I've tried a hammer and punch and haven't had much luck. I'm hesitant to grind off the head, but could do that.

2) The bottom hinge pin looks like a smaller diameter than what came in the kit. I'm assuming that i'd need to drill out the holes to get them to fit.

Curious if anyone has done this before and whether can offer any pointers.

Thanks.

Also, what size battery is recommended for the diesel motor?

For this project I used a 90a alternator out of a 85 maxima. I could not get one at the junk yard and the parts store were over 200 dollars so I found a Bosch 90a for 150 bucks on Amazon. 

The nice thing about the maxima alternator is it is nearly identical to the z24 alternator except it uses the serpentine belt since it's on a v6 motor.

To get it to fit you will need to drill out the ears where the lower bolts go to 7/16in to fit the z24 mount and also shave the ear that has the steel insert just a little to get it to fit over the lower mount. The upper bracket does not have to be modified at all and bolts right in. The next step is to take the pulley off of your newly acquired maxima alternator and your 720 alternator. You will need to either make/buy/modify a spacer ring to go between the bearing and the pulley to space it above the case. The maxima pulley already has one on it but I looked to hard to cut off properly. What would be best is to find a 11/16 sleeve/spacer and shave it down to around 9mm or maybe thinner to get the v belt pulley as low as possible. 

Once these have all been done the maxima alternator uses the same connection as the later 720 alternators. You may want a shorter belt because the tensioner is near the max. Also a good idea to run a new + cable instead of the thin factory one. I ran a 4ga cable to my battery and now instead of barely charging at 13.9v my truck runs 14.4v and has plenty of power to charge my second battery. 

I have found this other link to another kit, but it says 71c, right size counter shaft bearing. But I am unsure if the innards fit? If someone would just tell me exactly what to order that would be great. lol. 
https://www.transmissionpartsdistributors.com/fs5w71c-transmission-rebuild-kit-with-synchro-rings-fits-84-86-nissan-720-pickup-bk133ws/?searchid=0&search_query=86+Nissan+720

Whoever responds to this and curious about the starter sound, lmk I can send you a vid of it. Thanks all!

new piston for reference   Thanks for anyone’s quick responces