Exhaust Advice

Hi all, I came across this forum while searching for some answers. Hopefully somebody here can help.

I recently bought a 1986 4x4 Navara ute (not flat tray) It has a reco Z22 fitted (yea i know, odd) that seems to go very well, however it had a terrible home made exhaust system fitted, that rubbed on the front drive shaft, and had more holes than swiss cheese. I picked up a complete exhaust from a wreckers in good nick for $100. It should fit with the Z22 right? or is the Z24 higher or something?

You might be asking yourself why I havnt just put it in and seen for myself. Well the exhaust came in 2 pieces. I tried for about an hour today to get the front piece in but failed terribly. Does anyone know the trick for getting it in? I am guessing dropping the front drive shaft out might help? any thoughts?

Hi Taz, and welcome along.

You should be able to get the exhaust in and out without removing the driveshaft and so on, but yes, it's a pain in the backside.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no difference in size between the Z20, Z22 and Z24, but to be honest, I hadn't heard of a Z22 until your post.

Thansk for your reply. Yea I think the Z22 came out in the datsun. I read somewhere that the Z24 is 2cm taller than the Z20, Z22. If thats the case I am hoping the 2cm doesnt make too much difference to the down pipe.

I would slide the exhaust piece in from the rear, correct?

Where does it separate? I remember taking exhaust manifolds and the first part of the exhaust out through the engine bay.

I have heard that 2cm thing, but had forgotten it. Should think you could still get it to match up someway, even if you've got to bodge it.

It separates pretty much in the middle. way too long to get through the engine bay, IT could prolly be done on a 2WD, and no matter how hard you try to slide it in through the rear it gets jammed against the bell housing. I ended up calling a exhaust specialist today, and he told me I need to remove the front drive shaft as well as the cross member to slide it in. I started doing this, I have the drive shaft out, but when it comes to the cross member, the fuel and brake lines run across the top of the bolts on the drivers side. You cant get a socket on the nut, and cant get a good enough bite with a ring spanner.

I have decided to cut it, and rejoin it with a sleeve and some clamps once I have it in. I will let you know how I go with the down pipe.

btw I have a webber carby with the dual throats on it. It has one of the small rectangle chrome filters on it. Anyone know where I can get a replacement element? DO they even make them? All I can find is the complete filter unit.

Just so everyone knows, if you exchange the Z24 out of your D21 with a Z22 the down pipe will not fit, neither will a set of extractors. The Exhaust from a Z20 should fit though.

Taking it to an expert on monday to have it cut and shut to fit, because I dont have the right welding gear, thanks for the advice though.

Well, my exhaust was cut in the middle with a sleeve of some thought. I assumed that was normal! I can understand having difficulty getting the whole length out.
Best of luck with it.

lol it had to have some serious modification to fit. The guy said its a good bit of pipe I got though, should last a lot of years. Ended up costing me a little more than a planned, but still a fraction the price of having a new system fitted. Especially seeing as I had to get manifold as well.

Learning about the D21 gear box atm. I got mine stuck in reverse somehow. I can select other gears but it remains in reverse as well. I took the shifter out to have a look, and the selector arm wont push over to select reverse or 5th. I am guessing something in there is worn and the selector has slipped out when returning to neutral leaving it in reverse.

So I need to release it out of reverse somehow. Any thoughts on how to do this, I would love a diagram of the gearbox if anyone has one. I was thinking I might be able to get in where the reversing light fitting is and flick it back somehow.

i got mine stuck in 4lo last night got me super frustrated then it clicked... had to push the lever in lol.

sorry not being helpful, once u get your shifterout of reverse have a check of your gbox fluid may need replacing..

also have you hunted down the pdf's for ur engine and the chassi?

the difference could be that you aquired an exhaust system for a 2wd. i had a 2wd 2.4 and bought a set of extractors to suit, only to find they werent going to fit. realised they were for a 4wd, and i couldn't shorten them. they hung down much lower

Taz,
these manual gearboxes are really not the best, and this one will be getting a bit long in the tooth. Probably a good chance that if one gear or item is worn, there'll be more damage in there. Might be time to think about getting it refurbed.

I have it in at the mechanics atm. I had to drop the tail shaft out to tow it in. All the forward gears seem fine and are very quiet and still feel nice and tight. Luckily I have an old school mechanic that I take my vehicles to, and he knows heaps about old 4wd's. He says it is common for reverse to play up with these boxes, because of the way they are designed. he says when they are sitting in 5th gear the selector has a little movement and rattles a little wearing it down.

on a plus though, I might have picked up a bull bar for free.

nice work! where in aust are u?..

i need a full suspension kit for mine its moaning and creeking when turning lol

I'm in Tassie mate.

oh nice. done anything else to it?

Nothing special it already has had a lift with 31x10 muddies fitted. Im not interested in going extreme.

pitty your not in tassie too we could have went halves in a complete ute I found for $1400. The roof is stoved in but apparently everything else is in perfect working order with only 250K km's on it.

ahh dang.. u done more then me ive only got AT 215 tyres lol

Yours isnt sitting at the mechanics with a screwed gearbox though.

Hopefully I will get it back next week, and I will post some pictures. I think there might be a few people around here that will love the sticker I have on the back window.

haha true but ill have to take my alternator off soon to be exchanged.. i think the bearings dying.. just cliked alittke over 300,000k ill post a pic later