2wd to 4wd

[elfirebeasto]

WHAT?? you northern folk are hoarders!!!! Mail me ONE!!! :)

 

I think the vast majority of the people on here are hoarders. You guys keep all the cool stuff up in the northwest, in Washington or Cali, or in the South...whats a Midwestern guy supposed to do for parts?! :confused: I have been looking locally for the parts I need, but I can't find anything. The only 720's I see anywhere are still on the road, ratty as hell. Long live the 720rat! Now, back on track: Good luck with your 2 to 4WD conversion. I hope to see great things happening with this swap, and don't forget the pictures!

[b210man]

Is it possible to do this on an 84 datsun nissan extra cab with the stock 4 banger diesel motor?

[datzenmike]

What I would do is get a 4x4 and put the diesel into it. Mechanically not to hard but getting the oil pan to clear the front differential, but lots of diesel specific changes to the fuel system are needed as well as the electrical.

 

4x4 frames are totally different to the 2wd to support the transfer case and front wheel drive unit

[bottomwatcher]

Forget it, the stock gas motors can't keep up with modern traffic. The ancient diesels no way, and old thread anyway.

[wayno]

Is it possible to do this on an 84 datsun nissan extra cab with the stock 4 banger diesel motor?

 

It is possible as I have a friend that has a Datsun/Nissan 4wd diesel but I have never rode in it to see what kind of power it has, but as mentioned the SD22 has barely got the power to move a 2wd down the freeway at 65/70mph getting only 27mpg, trying to push over a thousand more pounds isn't going to help it move faster or help the fuel mileage.

I have SD25 engines in my 2 diesel trucks(2wd), both have been turbocharged as I was not happy with the power either of them had, now I can drive 75mph all day long even up hills and I get over 30mpg going them speeds, I w3ould likely get close to 40mpg if I could drive 55mph, but it is not possible for me to drive that slow, not for long anyway.

Turbocharging them is not easy unless you have the turbo exhaust manifold, if you have that it is easy given time and some fabrication skills, I did it fairly fast in my 521KC turbodiesel, but I have a welder, lots of scrap metal, and a Subie(1800cc) turbocharger with all piping so I was able to make what I needed, my 720 diesel was done differently by another guy, a "U" shaped piece of pipe was made to pipe the exhaust back up from the exhaust manifold to the turbocharger mounted directly over the alternator(it is too high and sticks out a hole in the hood), it was a real pain to pipe the turbochargers exhaust back down thru the only hole in front of the starter real close to the frame, one has to see it to believe it.

You will likely not be happy with a stock SD22 in a 4wd truck, you would likely be going up all freeway passes in third gear, and your freeway speeds will be limited because of 4wd gearing, I have 3.50 gears in my 521 diesel and I have 3.30 gears in my 720 diesel, I have never heard of 4wd trucks with them types of gears, but I have not been looking either.

Personally I would not make another 4wd diesel truck, as I decided the engine didn't have the power to push the truck down the freeway and not drive me crazy, so I converted it back to 2wd and have never regretted it, although now since I turbocharged it, it would push it down the freeway, I still don't regret it.