Engine conversion into D22 Navara

[mav_vlt]

G'day

Looking at getting a 4x4 soon and D22 Navaras look nice and cheap for what you get however the ZD30's seem to suffer from very short life spans due to oiling issues and con rods going through the side of the block... so im looking at either buying on with a few k's on it and waiting till it dies and putting a new motor in it or finding one with an already dead engine and replacing it

So what im interested in is what other engines could easily go into a D22 manual navara without to much chopping and changing and hopefuly mate up to the factory bellhousing.

RB25/RB30's would be my first choice as i have worked with them alot before. or even VG30's or VH45s could be a possibility.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

[huggy_b]

D22 Navara and ZD30 doesn't compute?

[eScoRt20]

most navara's have the 2.5L engine, which i would say is worse than the ZD30. the earlier D22's had a variant of the ZD30, few little differences to the patrol motor like turbo and injectors and fuel pump i believe. personally i wouldn't waste my time doing a conversion as the D22 is a pretty crap platform (torsion front end that has to be pulled apart to replace a clutch etc.)

[mys1]

Basically same platform as the pathfinder - pretty agricultural but not bad off-road

(Ifs haters will disagree)

VG30 is almost a straight bolt in (obviously mods need to be done) go with that route

If rb is you're choice go a patrol or similar

[DISTRBD]

personally i wouldn't waste my time doing a conversion as the D22 is a pretty crap platform (torsion front end that has to be pulled apart to replace a clutch etc.)

You have to remove torsion bars to do a clutch on a D22 ??

[gazza750]

VG33E froma R50 Pathy should go in fairly easy

[mys1]

VG30tt from 300zx will also :)

[doriae86]

Just chip it bro ?

[mattyb89]

they also come in a vg from factory

[Passage GT]

the d22's didn't have the issues with the zd30 that the patrol did, they're as reliable as any diesel really.
they have a very short engine bay so an rb or any straight six would be a tight squeeze, depends what you want it for, vg30 turbo would be a good compromise for ease of conversion and grunt, still have decent torque down low for when you go off road too.
though i'd say unless it's crazy cheap the money you spent buying one and doing a conversion, you could probably find a coil cab patrol or a cruiser ute.

[DRKWRX]

I have a 05 Patrol with 3 litre so not a common rail and its after they fixed the issues with the early 3 litres, mines got 180km on it and Ive done about 80,000kms of them and I have had no issues with the motor what so ever, I dont thrash it though and service it on the regular.......

[adrenalin]

I have a D22 Navara work ute and go off road on some sites. It is shit offroad. Has no balls or torque and have to rev the absolute ass off it to go anywhere.

D4-D hiluxs in our fleet however have no issues.

[mav_vlt]

The d22's are notorious for con rod bolts snapping and putting rods through the block in the 3L diesils and you can pick them up pretty chead with a dead engine. Im just looking for cheap/fun replacment engines for if i was to buy one.
they also have oiling issues due to an o-ring in the oil pick up drying out causing the oil pump to suck air and cavitate - also destroying the engine.
they are also known to have carbon build up issues due to running EGR (solved by running plates to block this off) and from the crank case venting into the engines intake (solved with a catch can) and also general issues that come from not running an intercooler

[KPWISHN]

ls1

[markdett]

Being at a Nissan dealership i've never actually seen a D22's ZD punch a rod out the block. The most common terminal illness's for them are however; Balance shaft bearings wear and can often lead to the shaft(s) snapping, Tips of the glow plugs break off and fall into the combustion chamber causing piston damage and the heads crack around the glow plug holes.

If a ZD isn't what you want, why not settle for a VG33 D22? theres a few kicking about.

[caibs]

get a pootroll jack

[Brett_J]

I recently picked up a 01 Pathfinder cheap with a VG33, has a fair bit of poke for what it is, haven't had it offroad yet, but would be good fun on the beach and nothing super tough offroad I reckon :)

[gazza750]

I recently picked up a 01 Pathfinder cheap with a VG33, has a fair bit of poke for what it is, haven't had it offroad yet, but would be good fun on the beach and nothing super tough offroad I reckon :)

I have a 99 Pathy and it has taken me everywhere .Might not be the greatest 4x4 but it does the job very well .

[Brett_J]

I'm just getting the cheap 2" lift kit, a set of spare rims with decent off road tyres and leaving it at that.
Recently found out it loves to bake the treads on the brake :P

[gazza750]

I'm just getting the cheap 2" lift kit, a set of spare rims with decent off road tyres and leaving it at that.
Recently found out it loves to bake the treads on the brake :P
check the 4by pics thread Kings springs and shocks 2 in lift just posted

[alfredalfred]

So what im interested in is what other engines could easily go into a D22 manual navara without to much chopping and changing and hopefuly mate up to the factory bellhousing????

[mav_vlt]

You can get Ls conversion kits off the shelve these days. Iv got a mate over east that has put one in his.