orizatlan

Guys i'm back. I want to give you an update. In short, my build was successfull. Please ask me a ton of questions so that i can reply with the anwer to keep the knowlege here. I can could not have done it with out you guys so this is my way of giving back.So the last time i posted i was in Lousiana. I am know in Corpus Christi, Texas. Yes, i drove the rig down. No problems. Very Proud! So to sum up my work, the objective was to take an 1982 diesel sd22 out of a datsun and install this engine , wire harness and all, into a 1985 king cab gasser. Once i puclled both engines out. I first thought that the motor mounts were the same. Lessons learned, they are slightly different which requried my to tack on new motor mount to accomodate the sd22. I then coupled the engine and trans and with the hood off and radiator out, i lowered the powertrain into the bay. The truck was about 2 foot off the ground and this is the only way it would have made it. once i, there are very little mechanical things to hookup. Maybe only the accelarator cable. Now electrically, what i did was pull out the entire wire harness all the way from inside the dash to the engine bay. I reinstalled a complete diesel wiring harness. I have the electrical wiring schematics that are color coded. I could not have done it without this either. It is very usefull. I am willing to share. What i could have done differently that would have saved alot of time is install a second wiring harness. So instead of taking out the gas harness, i would leave it in and install the disesl harness in parallel. What you really need from the diesel harness is the glow plug relay and timer and fuel pump positioner. Those 3 things can be integrated rather thank pulling the entire harness out. However, i can say that i have a very neat looking engine bay. So once everything was installed i tried to crank and nothing. My battery was not good enough. so i towed her and push started her in 3rd. After ten yrs of bieng in a swamp, it is incredible that is started the way it did. It was very sound, it purred, and most suprising, it did not smoke. I drove it to the nearest gas station and filled up the tank with fresh diesel. and the rest is history. i know have 6000 miles on it and is my daily driver. I have learned alots about the engine and have loads of extra parts that i am finally ready to sell. Please reply and lets get the details out for the knowledge of all.Looking forward to chatting .

Hey all, Its been a crazy month and i have wanted to document the progress but havnt because i like to post with pictures. So even though i am not done id like to give update and give some lessons learned so far. Since i got the 82 running, i have still not been able to figure out why it smokes so much. So i started preparing the 85 donor/gasser. I pulled the diesel engine. Grinded out the angle irons on the 82 where the motor mounts bolt on to. Pulled the gas engine and trans. Welded on the angle iron onto the gasser, BECAUSE THE MOUNTS DO NOT BOLT UP. Although there was something that i did not try that may work. The angle irons on the gasser had a different bolt pattern. The diesel mount did not match up or sit right because of the pin positioner. WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE is just make 3 hole. Two for the bolts and one for the pin. Then slip a nut behind the angle iron and just bolt up. But whats done is done. What i did instead was bolt on the angle irons that i grinded out of the diesel frame and dropped it into my gasser. i marked where it sat, then took the engine out and welded. I have to say that i am very proud for having welded it right. Everything lined up. I dropped the engine and trans into the donor. Pulled the gas harness Installed the diesel harness Lessons learned: 1. I would argue the the gas tank and the diesel tank are the same. I changed them out but look exactly the same. Even the lines. Unless there is some metallurgical difference that some one can show engineering specification im guessing they are the same. 2. Drop the engine and trans as one piece. 3.Integrate the diesel components( glow plug/relay/timer, and DCP and arm controller) into the gas harness. Why? I lost my A/C, power windows, defrost, radio, and other components. Now i have to back and wire individually and integrate them into my diesel harness. I studied the wiring diagrams for the diesel and the gasser and the everything is COLOR CODED. It can be done. It would save you from taking off the dash and making a mess in an other wise perfectly wired system. More to come

What if i only have start and stop function on my pump controller? When it starts, if it continues to stay in the start position, which in the manual indicates excessvie fuel, could this be the reason it smokes so much. If so, when does the pump move to the run positon? Like it is based on time or heat. I am going to try to move it manually and see if there is any iprovement.

Wayno! I got it running. On Saturday i decide to bring her home and as i was towing it i decided to throw it in gear again. This time it turned the motor and started chuggin. 15 seconds later it turned on. By this time i had emptied the diesel and put 2 fresh gallons and a new filter. I also realized that the reason it may not have turned the first time is because the clutch may have been stuck and as i heated it up it loosed. NEWays, the point is it turned on and it smokes like crazy. I read your post, http://community.ratsun.net/topic/36924-sd22-diesel-engine-issues/ and this is exactly whats happening to me.It initially smoked gray. So as i got up to operating temp, i shut it off and gave it an oil change. Started her back up and saw an improvement. Smokes white now. This led me to believe that there is a ring problem but there is power. This engine was supposedly rebuilt 21K ago. I have also suspected stuck rings since its been sitting for 5+ years. So after reading your thread i guess i am going to check the pump timing and mess with the smoke screw. Any advice? After that i am going to change the pump out with on of the other ones that i have. Other facts: the engine sounds great and has excellent response. Also, i ran out of gas about after an hour of idling. WIth 2 gallons. This also leads me to believe there maybe a waste of fuel some place. Thanks all! Stay tuned for the pictures of my little forest fire. Keep in mind we are recycling and there is a green side to that.=)

If my fusible link was blown, What kind of amps could i put inline instead of just straight bypassing? 15, 25?

Alright! I thought the white connectors were the fusible links and i was like...???... that looks like a connectore. And i even checked continuity across them. But know that i have seen the picture it makes sense.Thanks for the clarification. PROGRESS! It was just the battery.haha. I know! So i put in a bigger battery with about 750CCR and this one was able to turn it. I am so excited. And yes, i did turn it by hand. That is why i was so stumped when i was tryiing to push start her. Anyways, i got the engine turning and it moves smooth. A friend of mine thought to put starter fluid so we did that and guess what it almost started. So we immedeatly loosened the no.1 injector to see if it squirted as we cranked. We did not. So now i am thinking that it may be the arm controller on the pump. When i move the ignition to the ON position, SOMETIMES the pump moves into place. Sometimes it does nothing. Also, i have switched out 3 glow plug relay and still cannot get hot glowplugs. But i am getting closer. MAN , when i get this thing on i am gonna run her for hours!

Wayno.... you were right! I was not able to turn the engine by towing it. Why is that? I know its not stuck. So here i am towing it down the road at about 20mph and when i put it in 3rd i felt something. i thought the engine was engaging. I wasnt leaving black marks probably because i had the other sd22 in the back of the bed. So i probably towed it about 300 yds or so when i told my sidekick to stop becuase i smelt something burning. Guess what it was... the clutch. Si i was not able to transmit the power from the tires to the engine. I even tried it in 5th, and no luck. Back to the drawing board. The reason we had inititially tried to turn it on this way was because the starter did not want to turn. i connected the battery and all the lights in the dash turned on... but no crank. But i also noticed that right before we began towing there were no lights working in the dash? But i made sure the pump was in the right position. So after the towing yesterday know my plan is to start it the right way. I pulled the starter and had it tested... PASSED. And know i have no lights in my dash. I also changed out my ingition to one that works and check the continuity at all phases, its good. When i place the ignition in the ON position nothing happens. Just the other day all the lights came on and my plugs were hot. So i have also performed the following test. http://asavage.dyndns.org/Nissan/display1.php?Path=720/FSM_1982&db=Nissan&table=720_FSM_1982&Page=20-043 And all good here. I guess my question is, why wont my starter crank??? Please help me guys Puling the engine on the second truck,last weekend This is the engine we took out in an hour. Just a pic of the engine apart from the trans and it harness. Also, can somebody tell me what a fusible link looks like. Becuase i followed my electrical diagram on the starter circuit to find just a normal connector as show in the picture above. Tom me its just a normal connector. Is this a fusible link?? I know a fuse when i see it in line but this does not look like one.

I forgot to mention that the electrical problem was the DPC. The engine was stuck on START. So lucky me i have 3 more, and have already tested them. WHen i turn the key, the controller moves the arm the the right position. YEah!!

First things first, Sergent, I do have one transmission that i am willing to part with but cannot garuntee its funtionality. All i know is that when i turn one side, the other turns as well through all gears. And when i put it in reverse it spins the opposite direction. Send me a personal message with your offer and location. So, since the last time i posted i have been able to take out two engines from there bay. They came out so easy!! I literaly took one out in an hour. I am impressed by the simplicity of this machine. I have also been in the dash of one of these and found that taking the harness out is not as hard as i thought. There are connectors everywhere. Its plug and play. At first i was taking all kinds of pictures and notes but when i compared them to the refrence manual they had it all. The manuals i have show every connection and what it is for. I have been comparing electrical diagrams with both the 85 gasser and the 82 diesel and i think i will be able to use the diesel harnes for the most part and plug my gasser auxilary connection to the rest. There will be more to come on that when i get there. Right now i have switched my focus to the white truck that is mechanically intact. This engine was supposedly rebuilt 21k ago and had an electrical problem that the owner did not want to fix because he did not want to spend a dime more on that truck. The rebuilt cost hiw 2000. So he sold it as it was to that man that i bought it froim. So this is what i have done in preparation to start it. 1. Checked the oil. Had to add some and even took off the injectors and poured about half a liter of marvel mystery oil in each of them 2.Checked the cooling system. Had a good level of clean looking antifreeze. 3. I placed the truck in 5 gear and rocked it so as to engage the engine. The result: I smooth turning engine. It did not sound scratchy. 4. Checked the air intake. No clogs. 5. Put the battery in and turned it to the on position. The dashboard lit and the glow plug light lit up and after about 15 seconds went out. At this point i went to the engine and touched them... they were hot!! Good sign. 6. In order to complete the fire triangle(heat/glow plugs, oxygen/air, and Fuel/Diesel), i rocked the truck to find that i can hear the diesel. I had initially thought to use it, but since it has been sitting for year thought to myself... Dont be a cheap bastard and do the right thing. So Today i will be emptying the tank out and pouring fresh diesel, 2 gallons, and a brand new fuel filter. I love that this pump has a manual primer. I am going to empty the tank. And prime/suck the line of the old fuel. Once empty i plan to install the new filter and diesel and catch prime there. 7. I did try to crank it but I think my starter may be stuck. Since i really want to turn this thing on..... this is my plan.... dont laugh I am going to tow this truck at about 20mph, turn key to on position ( glow plugs on), and throw it in 3rd or 4th gear. Tow it till it combusts! Dont worry, I have done this many times. For those of you who know, this is a sure way to turn your engine on forcefully. Wish me luck.

Forgot to mention 2 things: 1. I just bought the datsun service manual for the 82's and i already had the 85's manual. So i have the electrical diagrams and just need to figure out how ti integrate. If im already going to be in the dash installing diesel instrumentation, Wouldnt it be easier just to use the diesel harness then. What about my alternator? And my idle control when i turn on my compressor? TOO many questions..... sorry 2. Good call on the tanks. I was just going to rinse the gas tanks and flush the lines. I did not know that there was a metallurgical difference. I will be sure to pull those as well. Now... can we bolt the diesel tanks into the gasser? I sure hope so CU soon Just wanted to throw this one in here.Its my second engine.

Again thank you so much for the advice. I have taken a real good look at what i have and found that there is no way to use the old frames. All three diesel frames are in poor shape in comparison to my gasser. I liked to idea to swap cabs but this is no longer possible. This leaves me with the option to swap motors out. Take a look at what i found in one of the trucks, Somebody already went through the trouble of pulling the entire harness out. Its a beautiful umbelical cord! I am planning on pulling the harnesses off the other two trucks as well and take alot of pictures so as not to forget. I like Cahoon520's idea to use my gas harness and integrate the rest. I guess sitting here what i really want is to have the electrical set up for my air condition and lighting. Then i would need to pull the instrumentation on the diesel dashes and install them on the gas dash. Does this sound like i am on the right track??

So let me see if i understood correctly, Option 1: is to remove the cab from the 85, which will require: a. disconnect the engine electrical and components b. remove the dashboard and all the electrical ???? c. then do steps a & c for the 82. d. then once the 85 cab is on the 82 frame i reassemble the 82 dash into the 85 cab along with all the components?? Is this really easier than just swapping out motors? Option 2: a. Swap out the motors.( which will require motor mount modifications b. Completer the missing wiring??( which is tricky but not impossible) ** Option 2 does give me the benefit of having all other auxiliary wiring intact ( i.e. lighting) Today will be the first day that i actually put a wrench to all of this. My goal today will be to thoroughly inspect all frames, wiring, and bodies, and come up with an execution plan. I am also going to take a battery and maybe turn one over. Id like to know your thoughts thanks alot. Also, does anybody have a thread of someone who swapped cabs?

I dont know how bad you need them but i have some. I actually have the entire motor that i will be pulling and will not be able to use the existing mounts for the motor that i plan to install. But all of this will be probably a month from now.

Thanks for the quick response. Below are pictures of my 4 trucks. ( My wife would kill me if she saw the smile that brings to my face, haha) So this is my inventory. I have 3 SD22 powertrains and an extra Z24 gasoline engine and transmission. As i mentioned earlier, shout if you need it. Well im sad to here that i will not be able to use the mounts on the diesel. But welding new mounts sounds way easier than changing out cabins. Especially giving the great condition that my 85 is in. Can i couple a SD22 to the z24 5 speed transmission?? Just curious

Whats up everyone. This is the first time i post and my goal is to succesfully swap into a diesel engine with your help. I am going to do my best with all the documentation since that seems to be the hardest to find these days. I recently bought a 85 nissan king cab with a carburated gasoline engine. I bought it for 600 bucks and the body is in empecable condition. I have not even tried to start the motor that is supposedly knocking. Right off the bat, if you want this engine, let me know. I also recently acquired 3 1982 diesel datsuns. They are all junked but 2 of them are intact at there engine bays. My plan is to pull the Diesel powertrain and put it into the king cab. My very first question is, Will a SD22 bolt into a 85 nissan kingcab?? 2nd qustion, Since the diesel engines have been sitting for years, are there any recommended procedures to go through before cranking the engine? Ive heard to pour a special oil into the top cylinder to seep into the rings and then manually rock the crank until it smoothly turns?? I will be posting pictures as soon as i can figure out how. ALL FEEDBACK WELCOME!