Mike's KAZ23

[datzenmike]

Haven't up dated in a while as nothing much done, was raining, working or cutting grass (or any excuse you want to fill in) But recently the bearing showed up. A bonus was I got all the rod bearings for the price of one set as the package held all four boxes and had a single price on it. So who's to argue and get someone in trouble? 

 

So the rings are now on order so I thought I would see if the Z22 crank is where I left it. It was so I installed a couple of main bearings just to hod it in place and slipped a KA piston on a rod, fitted bearings and brought up to TDC  and............. looks good! With theory you're never sure until it's together.

 

 

Z22 block decked 1mm or 0.040". Machinist said 'you're sure' I said 'I think so'....

 

I get almost 0.025" between KA piston top and the deck. Theory says .55mm or 0.0217"... damn that pretty close.

 

 

Well the pistons won't hit the head even with a 0.020" copper gasket.

[datzenmike]

Moving indoors. I like to work on this when I feel like it.... and the weather is not too bad. The two don't line up as often lately. So I cleaned out a spare bedroom, brought in two 6' long saw horses and covered with two layers of 3/4" plywood screwed down.

 

I still have the rods and pins somewhere and the rockers/valves and if I don't get them soon they will vanish into the parts shed black hole.

[datzenmike]

Installed seals, valves and springs. Put cam and towers on, well greased, and the rocker arms.
 

 

[Janksun]

Any updates on this mike?

[datzenmike]

:blush:

 

No actually. Canby deadline is a great motivator :lol:

 

Need head bolts for a KA. Otherwise it pretty much done. The block has a couple of trick things I want to try before I bolt the crank in.

[Janksun]

I put my truck back together in 3 days.. I'm sure you'll get this done :D

[flatcat19]

So much win.

[datzenmike]

So as I have to remove the pilot on my Z22 crank I thought I would do so now.

 

My preferred method is hammer and screwdriver. These tools are basic and universally found, the job clean and quick (about 30 seconds) Yes you can fill with grease and try to find a tight fitting dowel and pound out hydraulically, or use soft Ivory bar soap so not as messy. I suppose if you have the tool you can spend 3 minutes looking for it and then another using it. Trust me screwdriver/hammer.

 

 

 

 

 

Not really a scratch, more of a shine across the tool marks from boring the hole. If there was a scratch it would just hold the bushing better. Could not find a groove running around the inside. The shiny ring in the back is as far as the hole was drilled to size although it does go back further. All L16/18/L20B and now a Z22 cranks I have seen look just like this. Roughly I measured 0.805" could very well be 0.815"

 

The bushing itself is very soft, taking only 4-5 light hammer hits to slice lengthwise. It's sintered bronze powder and very porous. They are oiled by the manufacturer for permanent lubrication. The 32202-30000 is used on the L, Z, SD, CA, KA, VG .... just about all but the A series motors into the 2000s.

[Eagle_Adam]

just for the record i put the KA24DE pilot bushing in Draynors L20 crank for his LZ 

[datzenmike]

Yup 23202-B9500 is the revised number after '80? somthing but the same part. S13/14 or D21 KAs all the same. Thanks Adam. The last one I got was for a Z24 and the Nissan dealer couldn't verify it would work in my L20B.... it did perfectly. I figured the difference might have been length? but I see now it was only and alternate number for the same part.

[Janksun]

I'm slowly collecting parts to do this same thing. Already have read over this thread like 4 times.

[uberkevin]

Its been a little while Mike, done much to this?

 

Is it all together?

 

I want to read more!!

[datzenmike]

I'm going to concentrate on Canby for now and get back to it this summer. Got to set up something outside where I can work on it. No I have no excuse for doing absolutely nothing on it. I do think of it while riding my bike.

 

I imagine driving 1,200 miles in my 710 will get me revved up.

[HRH]

Hey Mike,  not sure if you mentioned it already, but don't forget to spray the copper head gasket with copper coat or some other coating/sealant.  My cousin just had to yank the heads off his 360 drag truck for just such an issue.

[uberkevin]

1,200 miles to Canby huh, damn!

 

 

But I understand..

 

I was reading this thread today, I had forgotten I needed to drill the holes in the z22 rods...

I'd like to know what size bit you used and what the second bit you used... Also on the inside of the rod end where you made the small groves on each side of the hole, how did you that?

 

Page 5 if it helps.

 

I guess I could ask the guy that has my block but he seems waaaaay over busy to drill some holes..

[datzenmike]

It's about 650 each way. Last year I drove up the Frazier canyon above Vancouver and over to Whistler and down the coast to the ferry. Probably closer to 1,500 miles.

 

The hole was 3/16" or maybe 1/8" and isn't critical. It allows splash oiling to lubricate the floating piston pin. If you run press in rods you won't need it. The taper on top is just a larger drill bit. On the inside, the two grooves were made by a dremel and very small carbide tip.

[uberkevin]

Soooo. I don't really need to drill the oil hole in the rod..

 

I mean the machine shop is putting Ka pistons on z22 rods, needing to bore out the rod to fit the pin.. So will that make them non flouting pistons? Ha or

[datzenmike]

Yes but the clearance is extremely small like 0.001" or less I think. Press in pin rods are heated and the pin cooled to shrink them and then pressed in. When the rod cools and the pin expands they are locked together.

 

I used a fine flap wheel and polished the inside of the rod end carefully until the pin would just begin to fit and then stop polishing there and move further in. Eventually you can just push the pin into the rod with finger pressure.

 

This will net you a few hp from reduced friction at high RPMs. The biggest advantage is they are easy to assemble and tear down.

[hogboy5two]

    Wouldn't a floating wrist pin need retainers or neoprene buttons to keep the pin from rubbing the cylinder walls?

[Farmer Joe]

the full floaters have circlips on either end of the pin, that seat in the skirt of the piston.. those keep it centered..

[datzenmike]

Yes, the KA24E pistons, only in the 240sx, are already floating pin and rod. As I am running these pistons on Z22 rods, I thought I might as well make the rods floating also.

[uberkevin]

OK yesterday I borrowed a brake cylinder hone and today I started in on the rod small end. Little by little I honed and oiled and honed and oiled until one of the original KA24E floating pins fit into the hole about a thumb nails thickness. I hand sanded the bore with 600 paper and then test fit. Over and over. Only hand force and where it fits I didn't sand again as it's about where I want it. Slowly the pin goes further in and I have to tap it out from the other side. I think the warmth of my hand expands it and it sticks in the bore because I pick it up cold off the table and it fits and twists in and jams. Anyway I slowly polish any bright shiny areas where the pin rubs the bore and it finally pushed all the way through. I was able to twist it round and slide in and out using thumb and for finger.... very snug but it moves.

 

 

 

Took maybe an hour each (I got two finished) using a brake cylinder hone, 600 sand paper by hand and a Dremel polish. Still needs a hole drilled in the top to let the oil in to lube it. Once that's done I can start to fine balance them in a matched set.

 

Ordered a KA head gasket today. Have to start thinking about any holes needed to be drilled into the block. I have a KA block and a spare head to compare .

 

Yeah took about an hour for each rod...

That's some fun little work. Ha.

 

But still pretty damn cool..

[uberkevin]

I don't think I'd want this guy I'm using for my block to do that...

[uberkevin]

Mike I love this idea and keep coming back and rereading this whole thread...

Have you touched this thing?

 

Still sticking with R1 carbs you think?

I know you want to run carbs.

 

I was thinking about keeping the fuel injection mani and junk...

 

How long did that copper gasket take? And how the hell did you get the holes so round haha.

[datzenmike]

Well some small progress in the right direction today.

 

The block was hot tanked and bored but without removing the plugs at the end of the oil gallery I can't really clean the crud out, specially the vertical holes down to the main bearing saddles. A friend at work is a hunter and I asked if there were cheap gun cleaning kits. Something that would work on a 410 and a .22 should do what I want. He was enthusiastic but I warned this might crud them up. He's good with that because he now has an excuse to buy a revolver that comes with a rifle cleaning kit. Figures.

 

So the rear gallery plug I drilled two smaller holes side by side that overlap and because these plugs are so soft I jammed a screwdriver in and dislodged it and out it came.

 

 

 

 

 

The front one I tried just a single larger hole. I slit the plug down the side with a screwdriver and out it came...

 

 

 

I will get the rifle cleaning kit and clean the gallery another day but for now....

 

 

 

 

 

 

The oil gallery is 0.515" which is ideal for a 5/8" tap. I chose 5/8 X 11 NC and 3/4" long. I rolled up a strip of cloth and pushed it a couple of inches in to keep the chips out. These will be fished out later when cleaning properly.  I found that once started, about 1/4 turns with frequent backing off several turns seemed to work best. Every full turn I removed the tap and blew out the chips.  If I was to do this again, I would go with shorter 5/8" or even 1/2" long threaded plugs and here's why...

 

The oil gallery is 0.515" wide but narrows down slightly about 3/4" in. This is so the soft metal plug will jam in place and a couple of hits from behind will swell it and seal the hole just like a core plug in the block.  I noticed the closer I got to getting the plug flush, the tighter the tap was to turn. I imagine the hole was becoming too small for the tap. A shorter threaded plug would solve that. When I have cleaned out the gallery and do seal it up permanently, I will be using Teflon tape or likely some sort of sealer to assure no leaking.

 

I assume a .410 barrel brush  will clean this gallery and maybe a .22 for the main bearing holes?

 

Took about an hour to do and $11 for a cheap tap.