Nissan D21 Hardbody 1.9 swap

Rich'sD21

New member
Joined
Jan 19, 2025
Location
USA
TDI
2WD Nissan Hardbody
I have a 88 Nissan Hardbody pickup. V6, 5spd (was auto before I manual swapped it). 2WD. I know theres been a few TDI Hardbody swaps, but those were 4wd, needing a custom oil pan. Would I be able to get away with a stock oil pan on a 2wd?
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
The TDI is tall.

They hybrid ALH pan that you can get from ID parts and other big TDI/VW sellers is about the most shallow pan I've seen. As was pointed out to me before, make sure you're getting one that fits a diesel and not a gasser as there are differences. You'll also need a matching oil pickup.

I believe there's an old 1.6 diesel pan that is completely steel that will fit however it's theorized that the aluminum of aluminum hybrid pans adds structural integrity to the blocks and could yield undesirable results if an all steel pan is added. Steel is obviously able to be massaged with a hammer or cut/welded/modified much more easily for most than an aluminum pan. Due to the lack of structural support id try the hybrid pan first. Haven't priced one since I purchased mine but I paid 80-100 bucks. I didn't trust their sealer job so I pulled the steel off and resealed the two halves together before install. Maybe someone more educated than myself can dive more into this theory.


Many of the swaps here on pickups/SUVs are ifs so there's usually about the same under hood clearance as youd have on your average 2wd equivalent.

I love the old Datsun style pickups.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
The TDI is tall.
They are? Compared to what? The Nissan VG30i engine, the TBI unit used in the D21, is about 70cm tall. The EA888 engines I have laying on the floor here are about 63cm tall, and they're probably taller than the ALH is, certainly no shorter. VAG engines are TINY. The 88mm bore spacing makes certain of that. That's why they top out at 2.0L. You want anything larger, they have to add a fifth cylinder.

I would imagine the D21's base Z24i engine was even taller than the V6. It is certainly dimensionally much bigger.

Used to service quite a few of those... great little trucks. Optical sensors on the distributors failed a lot, and the 4 cyl of course needed chain replacements eventually.

 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
The TDI is short front to back, even shorter than a 22r if my memory serves me correctly. But it is tall for such a short block.

I believe my BHW was approximately 23-24 inches tall from pan to valve cover. The hybrid pan gave me a good deal of clearance over the stock BHW oil pan due to the extremely large sump area. With the stock pan I believe I was hitting about 27".

This is just about 2 inches shorter than that of a stock LS 5.3 engine. 25-26 inches is also approximately the height of the gm 6.2 diesel from pan to intake cap.

Luckily TD conversions gives us the ability to clock the engines via the adapter in swaps to help with some of the hood clearance issues.

I don't know what cross members look like in the hard body but I did have to take engine height into account for my build. I do have a 1 in inch diff drop and 2 inch body lift. Unlike a sbc swap, there's a turbo that will do wonders to the hoods paint if too close. Probably more of an issue with the BHW manifold set up vs an alh.

2wd will be a bit easier as he'll only have one drive shaft angle to worry about. I'm trying to figure out how we did swaps before laser levels.
 
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oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I think maybe you're thinking they are "tall", just because in every other dimension they are so small. It isn't that they are especially tall (because they aren't.... source: a ruler). But they are so tiny overall that perhaps the proportions make them look tall to you.

Some I6 engines are longer than TWO of these stacked end-to-end, LOL.

In any event, the D21 I believe has a removable frame brace under the engine, like the Toyotas and Mazdas and the rest do...two big bolts/nuts on each side. Then the frame rails are completely open underneath (but it has been a minute since I've been under one). So any oil pan clearance shouldn't be an issue, you just may have to modify that lower brace, or make a new one that drops lower. The sway bar and steering drag link will be further forward, and given the tiny engine may not be in the way at all. Most all the old compact Japanese pickups (like Japanese dirt bikes) follow the almost exact same basic design layout.

We had a guy put a 2.4L inline 6 VAG diesel in his '84 Toyota pickup... which is still the same 88mm bore spacing, so ~50% longer than the 4 cyl, and it still fit between the radiator and firewall, but he did have to find a specific aluminum thin radiator to make it work. Jeep solved a similar problem with the Renault Cherokee, that was never designed nor intended to have an I6 under the hood, by moving the radiator forward UNDER the nose, and shaping it short and wide.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
There was never a question about length, it's the height.

These common swapped engines I mention are measured at the sump, a rear sump where they are the tallest. The front of the pans have 3 to 5 more inches of clearance.

Even the compact hybrid TDI oil pan is pretty much the same depth from front to back. On a rwd truck/suv this means cross member and possibly steering arm clearances being taken into account. Even with my tandem pump an inch from the firewall I still had to move my steering shock as it hit the oil pan.




I've not been under a 2wd yota but if you remove the front cross member on the 4wd you now have no structural integrity holding your lower control arms to the frame, this is where the adjustment keys are attached that hold your alignment.
 

Rich'sD21

New member
Joined
Jan 19, 2025
Location
USA
TDI
2WD Nissan Hardbody
I MIGHT be wrong, been looking at pics of 2wd Hardbody's with no engine, and it appears the only thing that would be in the way of the pan is the crossmember, a removable part. I've found a couple of aftermarket crossmembers that are lower than stock. The steering linkage should be in front of the pan.
 
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oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
That's what I said in post #5.... removable cross brace. And you may have to modify it or make a different one, or as you've found, an aftermarket one.
 

caffeine

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2021
Location
B.C., Canada
TDI
03 Allroad w/04 BHW/02X conversion, 00 ALH Jetta
They hybrid ALH pan that you can get from ID parts and other big TDI/VW sellers is about the most shallow pan I've seen. As was pointed out to me before, make sure you're getting one that fits a diesel and not a gasser as there are differences. You'll also need a matching oil pickup.
The gasser pans are fine to use; in fact, the hybrid steel-bottomed pan often swapped onto Mk4 TDIs is factory equipment on Canadian market City Golfs and City Jettas (Mk4.5s with 2.0L gas engine as the only option).

1.8T pans have a flange for an oil drain that is not needed on TDIs, which is why that would not be the preferred option.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
If the cross member just bolts on and is completely independent from the steering id be tempted to weld square tubing on each side of it to act as lowering blocks.

Add trussing if there's any needed structural integrity to it.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
The gasser pans are fine to use; in fact, the hybrid steel-bottomed pan often swapped onto Mk4 TDIs is factory equipment on Canadian market City Golfs and City Jettas (Mk4.5s with 2.0L gas engine as the only option).

1.8T pans have a flange for an oil drain that is not needed on TDIs, which is why that would not be the preferred option.
Oil return drain for the turbo?

Mine did not have that. I think I made the purchase from id parts or cascade German and it was stated it fits the TDI engines.

I purchased it along with my timing belt kit and balance shaft delete parts. The only wrong part I got was the oil pickup as the ALH pickup hit the oil pan so make sure you're getting a matching pickup at time of purchase.

I ended up going back and purchasing their turbo pressure side adapter to put t clamps and silicone couplers on 2.5 inch aluminum charge pipes as well. I tried a cheaper one and it leaked from day one.
 

northern diesel

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2023
Location
Northern BC
TDI
2006 mk4 TDI Jetta Wagon
Oil return drain for the turbo?

Mine did not have that. I think I made the purchase from id parts or cascade German and it was stated it fits the TDI engines.

I purchased it along with my timing belt kit and balance shaft delete parts. The only wrong part I got was the oil pickup as the ALH pickup hit the oil pan so make sure you're getting a matching pickup at time of purchase.

I ended up going back and purchasing their turbo pressure side adapter to put t clamps and silicone couplers on 2.5 inch aluminum charge pipes as well. I tried a cheaper one and it leaked from day one.
I’ve been looking to solve an oil pan clearance issue in my cab over yota- I’ve got the cross member out- and looking to weld some “lifting pucks” to add a bit of room, but somewhere (I think on this forum) I remember seeing a v-shaped oil pan adapted for an alh swap. Does anyone know if this works or exists - I’m guessing maybe the oil pickup on the “front” side of the engine might not work - but if anyone knows the link to this discussion - I’ve searched a bunch and I’m drawing blanks.
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
The only V shaped one I saw was a Toyota van on the samba forum. It was running a dry sump. Looked like a custom weld job fabbed from an aluminum pan, tapped for AN fittings.
 
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