82 Datsun 720 Manual STEERING Gearbox

[Taylorjacksun]

Is there any manual gear box options for my truck? I bought the truck with a sd23 engine swap so the original gear box needs a power steering pump. I found a manual gearbox for an 85 pickup but I’m not sure if it would fit. https://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/1985/Nissan/Pick-Up_Truck/Manual_Steering_Gear_Box/82-70060_R?xref=4678380&src=pla&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5-uuBhDzARIsAAa21T_0xkrLsRN3kQZE1d2kKQH_mZk8joegN9CheQaE286-AP9P5xtqrVIaAr8ZEALw_wcB

[datzenmike]

The manual boxes are shorter than the PS ones, you would need the column also.

 

The '83 and up SD25 diesels had PS so why not look for a pump, tensioner and mount 

[Taylorjacksun]

Would a pump mount up to my engine? Im pretty sure the block is from a SD22 and the head is from a SD23. I bought it like this so im still figuring out whats what. I do know that the current steering gearbox has capped off hoses but im not sure what engine came in the truck, or are the gearboxes somewhat universal to the 720? 

[datzenmike]

When you say gearboxes all I think of is transmission. I changed the title so in future if someone is searching PS on the diesel this post will come up and not with transmissions.

 

 

I think the SD22 and SD25 are basically the same. I made a PS pump mount for my L20B and it worked flawlessly.

[Taylorjacksun]

Okay, thank you i think i found a part number for the pump. If it works i will share with the thread.

[datzenmike]

The Z24 pump has the reservoir integral. Saves mounting it on the inner fender.

[Taylorjacksun]

Do you have a part number or a link?

[datzenmike]

The '83 and up PS pump assembly fitting the SD25 is 49110-54W02 but it has the pump reservoir mounted on the inner fender and does not include the mounting brackets and odds and ends. I only assume this will also fit the earlier SD22. If making a custom set up just about any pump would do. The Z24 pump with integral reservoir is 49110-10W00 but horrendously expensive. ($500) Best to find one in a wrecking yard for a diesel and get all the parts.

[Taylorjacksun]

I found the Z24 pump for $109 on ebay (remanufactured and rebuilt)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234908625816

[DwayneOxford]

Hope the pipe cap placement isn't indicative of rebuild job.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Splines? Are they the same between the two boxes?

[wayno]

The diesel power steering pumps/packages are very rare in the USA and the pump is located under the injection pump, most my diesel trucks I have made and sold had power steering pumps from z24 engines or hardbodies(D21) and I made the pump mounts and found piping that I made work, the only diesel power steering packages I have seen were from 720 diesel trucks imported from Canada.

 

By the way the reservoir for the diesel power steering pump was located near the front of the injection pump and is separate from the pump itself.

 

I can take photos of my aftermarket made setups to give you an idea how to do it.

Edited February 27 by wayno

[Taylorjacksun]

I would appreciate a photo wayno. I ordered a rebuilt pump for the z24 that was bare bones and a junker that has all the accessories on it. cost me like $120

[bottomwatcher]

All there is to a rebuild on a power steering pump is a new bearing and seal. Usually under $20 if you order from the numbers from the bearing and seal. You pay extra for a kit.

[wayno]

On 3/1/2024 at 9:03 AM, Taylorjacksun said:

I would appreciate a photo wayno. I ordered a rebuilt pump for the z24 that was bare bones and a junker that has all the accessories on it. cost me like $120

 

I forgot to take photos of my 720 with the Z24 power steering pump mounted, you have to make your own mount bracket, space is also an issue as the battery is mounted on that side.

 

My 521 work truck has a Nissan Sentra power steering pump/reservoir(one unit), I put it on the driver side as the alternator is on the passenger side, my 521 and 720 have SD25 diesel engines which is like your SD23, your 720 has more room, but the hoses/battery want to occupy the same space.

 

Are the original lines for the power steering under the radiator?

 

I will try to remember to take photos of my power steering pump mount tonight, but the library is not open Sunday, so it will be Monday before I can post photos.

[Taylorjacksun]

Yes, the power steering pump lines run under the radiator and are capped off and tied near my battery 

[wayno]

OK, I finally remembered to take photos of my power steering pump/reservoir last night, it is tough to get a clear picture of everything at all angles but I will try to explain what I did.

 

Here you can see how close the hose connection is to where the battery is, you can also see the pulley on the crank, I forgot to mention you need the double pulley, but I do not know if this truck came with a SD series diesel engine or not, your pump might have a different hose connection also which likely would be a lot better.

 

 

Next is the back of the power steering pump, you can see I used an alternator bracket in there, I also used one of the power steering pump bolts, I do not remember if it was a mount bolt or not, I use whatever brackets I need to stabilize each mount point, I just made it up as I went.

 

 

Here you can see 4 bolts on the side of the timing gear cover housing, on one of my diesels I made a bracket that mounted to these 4 threaded holes with 12mm bolts, I cannot remember much about it other than it worked fine, this pump in this truck was done before that one.

 

 

Another photo of the back of the pump at a different angle, you can see the brackets better.

 

 

The top mount.

 

 

You can see in this photo I used the engine bracket mount bolts for removing the engine to hold my upper bracket to the block.

 

 

It is very tight in this area.

 

 

Another photo of the top bracket from the front, I used front cover bolts to mount it at another point.

 

 

Another one farther back like the first photo, it barely clears the upper radiator hose

 

 

The point of all these photos is not so you can make a copy of my setup, it is to give you ideas so you can make something yourself that will work in your situation, the fact is I would never do it this way again, I would use a hardbody pump with a remote reservoir,  or a Nissan Sentra pump/reservoir combo, it is smaller/more compact, but it only came on that car and I only ever seen one myself, I mounted it on my 1971 Datsun 521 work truck on the driver side, there are photos of it in the first page of this Ratsun thread in the link below, that thread shows how I added power steering to my 521 also.

 

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=f72b6f116d944f8eJmltdHM9MTcwOTY4MzIwMCZpZ3VpZD0zMjBkOGE2ZC02YWQxLTY1MGItMzdlMC05OWMzNmJmYzY0YzgmaW5zaWQ9NTIwOA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=320d8a6d-6ad1-650b-37e0-99c36bfc64c8&psq=waynos+work+truck+ratsun&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9yYXRzdW4ubmV0L3RvcGljLzI5NzM3LXdheW5vcy01MjEtd29yay10cnVjay8&ntb=1

 

I make this shit up as I go, if it doesn't work, I figure out a way that it will work, I rarely start over from scratch, I just keep trying something else if it did not work that way, but you need to keep in mind that I am a fabricator and I have tools/welders/grinders, a way of cutting metal with a grinder/cutting disc, this comes with risk, when cutting metal things can go wrong, especially when guards are removed to use the tool in a way it was not meant to be used, I also have been to the eye doctor at least 5 times having metal removed from my eye, one time the doctor took a tour of my eyes(the last time I was there??), he said one of my eyes looked like the surface of the Moon.

Edited March 6 by wayno