California emissions distributor?

[ratsar_nx]

Ok, this does involve a car slightly outside the area of expertise of this forum ('86 Pulsar NX with E16s engine), but this forum seems like the best place to ask my question. After all, the Pulsar had Datsun badges in '83:p That, and the E16s engine still uses the same technology from the same manufacturer as everyone else around here, even if its power goes to the wrong wheels ;)

 

Did Datsun/Nissan ever sell California emissions stuff in the Canadian market?

What's usually different between a California emissions distributor and non California?

 

I bought a new distributor cap and rotor, and found out the hard way that the rotor fits but the cap doesn't (it's about 10mm too short). I looked up the parts numbers on the manufacturer's website and found out that the rotor is cali. emissions and the cap isn't. The new rotor is identical in dimensions to my old one.

 

Normally, I'd just go to the store and exchange it, but I had so much trouble finding these parts where I am that I got them while I was back on the coast for vacation. The closest branch of the place where I got the parts from is about an 8 hour drive away. I want to get my facts straight before I mess around with shipping parts.

 

[edit]

My car is definitely Canadian market... speedometer is in KM/H and there is an import decal from a few months after manufacture date

Edited January 6, 2009 by ratsar_nx

[datzenmike]

It's been my experience that back then, California led the way in pollution equipment, the other 48 (and maybe Canada), usually followed in the next year or so. Often, some pollution equipment never made it here.

 

What does the old cap # number say it's for? Surely there is a dealer close by you could phone up. Have all your numbers handy and try to get:

 

The proper cap or the Nissan part number, so it can be cross referenced to something like Canadian Tire, NAPA, or Lordco.

[ggzilla]

Yes, some Canada models used the same parts as California models. But they were still considered "N" model (Canada) instead of "C" model (California).

 

What's usually different between a California emissions distributor and non California?

California-specific distributors usually had less vacuum advance range. Some of them had vacuum retard (two vacuum fittings). Mechanical timing varied too, but it did for everything.... in the mid-70s, California got the larger EFI distributors 1-2 years earlier than FEDERAL engines. Different Cap.

 

What does your factory original emission sticker say? What is the model number?

Send me the 22100-xxxxx part number cast on the distributor and I'll see if I can match it. Is it an 86 Nissan Pulsar? Got pics?

[ggzilla]

It's not unlikely that the original engine was replaced with a low-mileage Japan import engine... that happens a lot. They usually used different distributors, at least in Datsun times.

[ratsar_nx]

It's not unlikely that the original engine was replaced with a low-mileage Japan import engine... that happens a lot. They usually used different distributors, at least in Datsun times.

I'm fairly positive the engine is original... the car has just under 200,000KMS on it and the condition of the engine is consistent with the mileage.

 

The things I can remember from the emissions sticker on the underside of the hood is that it says "non-catalyst" and to set timing at 3 degrees ahead of TDC. By model number, are you meaning chassis number? It's the N12 chassis Pulsar.

 

I'll get that number off the distributor tomorrow for ya, as well as the number off the cap.

 

By pics, do you mean pics of the distributor or pics of the car? There is one pic of the car up in another thread I posted.

[ratsar_nx]

I went outside today and pulled the distributor cap out of my car, so now I have both sitting side by side on my desk. The new one is definitely shorter than mine, the screw holes don't line up and the diameter is even slightly different. I haven't had any luck googling any of the numbers on my old cap :(

 

The number on my distributor is 22100-34M72

 

I found another source for my intermittent stumble at idle though... the connector for the #1 plug wire wasn't in all the way and is covered in corrosion.

 

Another quick question: when I pulled my old distributor cap off there was a plastic gasket (or at least the remains of one) between the cap and the distributor. Is this a critical piece? Should a new one come with the cap or do I have to buy one separately?

[ggzilla]

Some of the Japan-market distributors had a weather seal between cap and body. I've not seen the same here. So probably it is not needed.

[ggzilla]

Yes, that part number isn't in the Nissan north american catalog.

 

Is there another number on the distributor body similar to "D4K9-07"?

[ratsar_nx]

:blink:

There is another number on the distributor, just above the 22100 number, it is: D4R82-22 B5805

 

I'll go out and verify those numbers next time I'm out at my car.

 

My car is an '86 model, but built '09 1985, and it seems have the older style E16S engine in it. Accodring to Wikipedia, before 1986, the valve cover bolted on through the rocker shaft. There are two large bolts on the top of my valve cover which line up with where the rocker shaft would be.

[ggzilla]

D4R82-22

-22 means it is the 22nd variation of this distributor model. Each one varies with mechanical and vacuum advance characteristics.

 

This is a Hitachi distributor.

 

82 means first used somewhere in the world in 1982 (1983 models the way USA counts model year)

 

 

The D4R distributor is popular with swappers. In Australia, they swap these into older Datsuns because they never got electronic distributors. Austin/MG folks swap them into their Austin engines too. It's not a matchbox type, it has the electronics inside.

 

* Some 1983 Datsun 510s used a D4R82 models.

* Honda Civic 1983-1985 used a D4R82 model (Hitachi)

* Some Subarus used a D4R82

 

So you might go to the pick-in-pull and compare the cap for an 83-85 Civic. Or check a new cap at Schuck's.

[ratsar_nx]

Thanks! That was super informative.

I'd buy you a beer if you were in the same town as me :)

 

I'll have to go down to the pick-a-part place and see if I can find one, now that I know what to look for better. They only charge $2 for a cap, so it's worth it to be able to run my car AND have the part on hand that I can put down on the counter at the autoparts store.

[ratsar_nx]

I just found out a bit more information about my dizzy, from poking around the Beck/Arnley parts catalog.

 

They sell 3 different remanufactured distributors for the N12 Pulsar NX: The 22100-36A01 until 3/86 and 22100-36A02 from 4/86 onward. Neither of these have vacuum advance. The California emissions distributor does have vacuum advance and the image looks identical to mine.

 

So, it looks like if you have an E16S engine and your distributor has vacuum advance, you're probably looking at a california emissions distributor, at least as Beck/Arnley sees it.