Datsun 720 KA24E Turbo Build

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KA720ET
NooB
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:43 am

Datsun 720 KA24E Turbo Build

Post by KA720ET »

Hello to anyone reading,

The forum looks pretty dead in this category, but I figured I'd add some content quick. I recently acquired an '85 Nissan 720 pickup (auto/2wd/reg. cab/short bed) that I wanted to swap since the motor was bad, and after considering VW TDIs, Honda engines, etc. I landed on the KA24 since it's a pretty straightforward swap and has a decent aftermarket.

Here's my truck.
IMG_2843.jpeg
I didn't care if I got a dual cam or single cam. A guy on Facebook marketplace was offering a KA24E + accessories from a 240SX with a manual transmission, harness, and ECU for $800, so I shrugged my shoulders and figured it was a good deal and picked that up. He seemed cool about everything so I didn't bother looking at the motor too hard. Fast forward a couple of days later and we crack the motor open to find this:
IMG_3235.jpeg
So that's a little bit irritating. The guy is apologetic but seemed to know that I was getting a bad motor. Tough luck, but now it's time to learn how to build a motor.

I bought it fully together with accessories and tore it down to the block in a couple of hours, cleaning what I could as I went. The bores are what scare me:
IMG_3322.jpeg
Hoping a hone will fix this and I don't need to bore it out.

If you haven't picked up on this yet, I'm going ultra-budget on this one. This thing is going to be a ratty project, and I have no need for reliability or any grandeur in presentation of the truck. I'm going to be getting my rebuild kit and turbo parts from eBay or using junkyard parts wherever possible.

So far I've spent $500 on the truck, $800 on the swap, bringing parts to the machine shop next week to see what the deal is from there. Never built an engine before so I have no idea what it'll cost, but fortunately budget for those sorts of things really isn't an issue even though I'm trying to do this all on the cheap.

For my turbo plans, I'm still not sure exactly how I want to do things. I built a turbo Honda del Sol before with craigslist/ebay parts, and from that experience, I want to go with an externally gated turbo (purely for the noises) and manage fuel mechanically (FMU). Hoping to get the engine in the truck with a spooly guy for under $3k. Hoping this forum can be a resource as well!

Cheers
shift_240
Dreams of owning a 240!
Posts: 52
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 3:54 pm
Location: hayward ca

Re: Datsun 720 KA24E Turbo Build

Post by shift_240 »

nice truck. there are a few ka-t trucks check them out
another one bites the dust

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