1986 720 donor truck compatible with 84 720 dually

[mattmctree@gmail.com]

I just picked up an 86 720 with a boat load of parts. It has a 2.2 litre engine from an 82 however I am returning to pick up a truckload of 2.4 engines and parts later. My question is , I have a 84 720 en 1 ton dually that I want to fix up and are most of the parts from the 86 interchangeable on the 84. As usual the floor pans are shot although I may be able to get some patch metal. 

Thank you in advance for any help

[datzenmike]

The E code dual tire entire axle, rims and brakes are unique to this truck. Otherwise, most other stuff will swap. The Z22 (2.2) has a 225mm diameter clutch while all Z24s are 240mm. The flywheels will interchange if you want the larger clutch on the Z22. There were two different transmission lengths 26" and 31.5". Again you can swap if you have the longer/shorter matching driveshaft and modify the shifter hole location.  Doors, front fenders and hoods all interchange, cabs too if both are regular cabs or both king cabs, all years. Beds will swap but don't match visually... '83/'84 beds are the same and '85/'86 beds are the same. King cabs and regular cabs have the same bed length but long beds are longer. Two frame lengths. Regular cab short wheelbase and regular cab and king cab long wheelbase. '83 and up through '86 are much different that the earlier 720s. 

[mattmctree@gmail.com]

Much appreciated info. I figured the dually axle , rims and brake were different. Hopefully it's not too hard to get parts for the brakes.

The frames leaf spring packs and steering components all look the same. I got the truck and a ton of brand new in box parts. I'm going to pick up a second 86 720 with 2.4 engine and more parts tomorrow. Not bad for 800 bucks. The brand new hancook tires and battery probably cost that alone. . The owner was a really nice guy and when we heard I was fixing up the 1 ton offered me the second truck and parts . I'm quite happy. My wife no to much.

[mattmctree@gmail.com]

I'm assuming the transmissions are different as the 1 ton has a 4 speed I believe 

[ElliotV]

sounds like someone swapped in a fs4w trans instead of the original fs5w trans. There is a guy going on poverty tour with me who has a dually 720 that has a camper on the back and I believe it has a 5spd. Honestly unless the dually has really steep gears I don't know how much use there is for the 5th gear in the dually trucks unless it is a normal truck and not a camper unless you have a large counter shaft bearing front case. But the final drive that determines if you can actually use 5th gear will be the rear diff and how big of a tire you are running.

[mattmctree@gmail.com]

My mistake. It is a 5 speed. I was thinking of on old Suzuki I've got.

It looks like a good portion of these parts will be useable which is great.  Are the 2.2 and 2.4 engine parts interchangeable? A few head gaskets I found in the part say 2.2 and 2.4. 

[datzenmike]

Early E code Cab/Chassis were 4 speeds through '82 but changed to 5 speeds from '83 up.

 

E code Cab/Chassis were long wheelbase frames with king cabs and no box. It was bought by conversion companies for campers or companies that supplied their own utility boxes.

 

 

56 minutes ago, mattmctree@gmail.com said:

My mistake. It is a 5 speed. I was thinking of on old Suzuki I've got.

It looks like a good portion of these parts will be useable which is great.  Are the 2.2 and 2.4 engine parts interchangeable? A few head gaskets I found in the part say 2.2 and 2.4. 

 

 

Gaskets are the same, Z24 head gasket will fit the Z22 but not the other way around. If after market head gasket likely all Z20/Z22/Z24 are the larger bore Z24 for convenience. Heads, manifolds, oil pans/pickups and flywheels could be swapped. The Z24 block is taller, bore is wider than the Z22 so crank, rods, pistons, timing covers/chains will not.  The Z24 and Z22 use the same rod and main bearings  

[mattmctree@gmail.com]

Thanks for all the info Mike . I appreciate it

[wayno]

Everything depends on what gearing the C200 dually axle has, most of the dually axles I have seen have 4.37 gears(I had these gears for several years), but I changed to 4.62 gears in my work truck with a LZ23 engine, I use 5th gear all the time, my rolling weight was 6000lbs+, the truck weighed 3900lbs empty, the trailer with all my equipment weighed more than 2000lbs, when I did a pressure washing job and filled my flatbed with wet moss I was over 8000lbs of rolling weight, wet moss weighs a lot.

 

Sometimes I did not move that fast and had to drop gears on hills, but I used that truck for years that way, I even had air bags I filled when I went for firewood.

 

 

The C200 dually axle is capable of having 4 different gear ratios, 4,8, 4.6, 4.3, and 4.1, the C200 axles in the 4wd trucks and dually axles had all them gears between them, I learned this from the Nissan parts guy in Portland OR.

 

Keep in mind that brake stuff is getting harder to find now for the dually axle, I bought the last two dually axle drums in the USA several years ago, the parts guy called me one day and told me a second dually axle drum arrived, he seemed surprised.

 

Edited May 11 by wayno

[mattmctree@gmail.com]

Damn okay. Hopefully I can still source components for the brakes. It is definitely a project that will take me a while but I would love to get it road worthy and on the road some day. I will look in to aftermarket parts. I ha e an 83 Suzuki sj410 and have had to get a few aftermarket parts and have the rear drums turned as they are hard to find for that year. Where there is a will there's a way I suppose. And if things were easy then everyone would do them. 

[ElliotV]

As long as all the parts are there you can have everything rebuilt. The drums can be relined and the shoes relined as well. It's hard to find a shop that will do it though. Nearest one is 2hrs away, used to be 25-30min