i got a trashed 1980 datsun 4x4 pickup with a nissan z motor in it. it is a four cylinder and it has two spark plugs per cylinder. it wont run due to the big hole in the block but i was trying to figure out if i can use any of the three other nissan motors and just put the head on it and make a performance motor with it. so if anyone has info it would help. thnx =D

Well, we need at least an engine number to confirm what it might be:rolleyes:

Indeed, Nissanman.

Snake-

Why do you think it is a Z motor? All the Z motors that I know of are straight sixes (from 1969-1983) or V6's (1984-present). Photos of the engine and serial numbers will help figure out what kind of engine you have and where it came from.

remember, 4 cylinder Inline-4 pickup truck. Should really narrow down the possibilities.

An 80 Nissan truck would have a Z20S 4 cylinder. You won't be able to build much of a 'performance' motor using that head. It was designed for lower emissions. People have used the Z series 4 cylinder blocks with an L series 4 cylinder head to make a larger displacement four cylinder performance engine but it requires a lot of machine shop work. Basically because of the way a Z20S is tilted, the only engine that will go in a 80 Nssan pickup is another Z series 4 cylinder unless you change the transmission also as it's bellhousing is tilted to match the engine. Maybe this will clear up why he's calling it a 'Z' engine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Z_engine

If the engine rebuild idea doesn't work out you could pull the front differential and sell it to a Zcar performance nut. The diff should be a R180 with a 4.375 ratio.

I had a Frankenmotor (Z22 block, L-16 head) in a 510 that I once owned. The guys in the 510 community have worked out the recipe, if you want to go that route...they're not difficult to assemble. The LZ22 type engines are extremely torquey, so they tend to be worth the effort.

One link to some info about the NAPS-Z and L-series head combo is here:

http://www.srpl.com/~robert/2007/Jason_Gray.htm

I was in the process of building one of those when I sold my last 510. I don't know, I think that no matter what you do to the Z series engines you'd probably still have a better motor if you chose a KA or an SR. That being said, you're proposing the exact opposite of what he's talking about. He seems to want to put the NAP-Z head on 'any of the three other nissan motors' that he apparently has or has access to. Even not knowing what the other three motors are, I don't know why anyone would want to use that head on anything but another NAP-Z and the only for a 'daily driver' type engine.

  sblake01 said:

I was in the process of building one of those when I sold my last 510. I don't know, I think that no matter what you do to the Z series engines you'd probably still have a better motor if you chose a KA or an SR. That being said, you're proposing the exact opposite of what he's talking about. He seems to want to put the NAP-Z head on 'any of the three other nissan motors' that he apparently has or has access to. Even not knowing what the other three motors are, I don't know why anyone would want to use that head on anything but another NAP-Z and the only for a 'daily driver' type engine.

Right. Obviously the head wasn't built for performance on the Z-series engines. I don't know of any application for that head....the block on the Z-series motors was the desirable piece.

The first time I read his post, I missed the part about the 'hole in the block'. I guess the block is shot, in that event. In which case I can't imagine a use for the motor other than as a boat anchor.

The KA is a terrific motor in a 510, since you mentioned it. A friend of mine has one in his car. You don't get quite the performance that you'll get from a VG, mind you, but it's still very, very good.....

I also helped a friend put a Z24S from a Nissan truck into a 80 510. Strong running car but nothing I'd call hi performance. I owned a 81 200sx with a Z20E which is the EFI version of the engine. Again, not much for performance but good as a daily driver.

i have looked at the other three motors the head wont fit on those. could any of you tell me how much money i could get from this head, this is a multi valve single cam 4 cyl 8 spark plug head. im just wondering if i can get more for it by selling it or recycling it. the reason i thought it was a z motor was because it says "nissan z" on the top of the valve cover. the engine # is z22 014849 , so it is a z22. thnx

As mentioned in the earlier posts, that head is not a performance head, it is an emissions head. As such it does not have any special value.