Part 3 Of Our Anti-Grenade Series
The Second Final Step In Restoring The Mighty ZD30’s Reputation — In This Part We’re Going To Discuss Turbochargers And Exhaust Manifolds.
Turbochargers
Choosing The Correct Turbocharger Is One Of The Most Important And Often Most Confusing Parts Of Building A Reliable ZD30. Without A Clear Goal For The Vehicle, It’s Very Easy To End Up With A Setup That Either Runs Out Of Breath Too Early Or Suffers From Excessive Turbo Lag.
A Turbo Should Always Be Selected Around The Intended Use Of The Vehicle:
- Touring
- Towing
- Daily Driving
- High Horsepower Builds
Bigger Is Not Always Better, Especially On A ZD30.
ZD30 DI Turbo Options
For ZD30 DI Owners, Turbocharger Selection Is More Limited Compared To The Later CRD Engines. The Early DI Patrols Have A More Difficult ECU Strategy Along With A Cylinder Head That Simply Doesn’t Flow As Efficiently As The Later Models.
Because Of This, There’s A Practical Limit To How Large A Turbocharger Can Be Before Driveability Starts To Suffer. Going Too Large Usually Results In:
- Excessive Turbo Lag
- Poor Low-RPM Response
- Higher EGTs Before Boost
- Sluggish Towing Performance
Our DI-Spec 44MM Turbocharger Is Designed Specifically Around These Limitations, Providing A Good Balance Between:
- Fast Spool-Up
- Safe Boost Levels
- Improved Mid-Range Power
- Reliable Towing Performance
Rather Than Chasing Massive Peak Horsepower Numbers, The Goal With A DI Patrol Should Always Be Responsive, Usable Power That Keeps Cylinder Temperatures And Exhaust Gas Temperatures Under Control.
ZD30 CRD Turbo Options
CRD Owners Have A Lot More Headroom To Work With Thanks To The Improved Cylinder Head Design And Far Better Injection System Compared To The Earlier DI Engines.
This Allows Us To Be A Bit More Aggressive With Turbocharger Sizing While Still Maintaining Good Response And Driveability.
With The Improved Airflow And Better ECU Control Found In The CRD Models, We’re Able To Run Larger Compressor And Turbine Combinations Without Creating The Massive Turbo Lag Issues Commonly Seen On DI Setups.
Currently, We Have One Proven CRD Turbo Option Available, With A Second Higher-Performance Option Under Final Testing. We Use The Di Spec Unit On CRD Patrols And Yield Great Numbers And Driveabilty!
- Faster Spool-Up
- Stronger Mid-Range Power
- Lower EGTs
- Improved Top-End Performance
- Better Overall Reliability Under Load
Our 46MM Version Has Been Pulled From The Line For Further Development, Allowing Us To Improve Spool Characteristics While Extracting More Power From The Overall Package.
The Goal With The Updated Design Is To Deliver:
- Faster Boost Response
- Improved Mid-Range Performance
- Increased Top-End Horsepower
- Better Overall Driveability
This Turbocharger Will Be Recommended Primarily For CRD Models, As The Improved Cylinder Head And Injection System Are Better Suited To Supporting The Increased Airflow And Performance Potential.
While It Can Be Fitted To A DI Model, It Would Be Done At The Owner’s Risk Due To The Limitations Of The Early ECU Strategy And Cylinder Head Design.
Exhaust Manifolds
Exhaust Manifolds Are One Of The Most Common Failure Points On Both Early And Late ZD30 Engines. Over Time, The Factory Manifolds Are Known To Warp Under Heat, Often Pulling So Hard Against The Cylinder Head That They Snap Studs Completely.
This Is Usually What Causes The Infamous High-Pitched Squealing Noise Many Patrol Owners Know All Too Well.
Once A Manifold Begins Leaking, It Can Lead To:
- Reduced Turbo Performance
- Increased Exhaust Temperatures
- Poor Spool-Up
- Exhaust Smell In The Engine Bay
- Broken Studs And Expensive Repairs
When Upgrading Or Replacing A Turbocharger, It’s Always Good Practice To Fit:
- A New Exhaust Manifold
- A Quality Stud Kit
- New Gaskets
Doing Everything At Once Helps Prevent Future Failures And Saves Pulling The Turbo Back Off Later Down The Track. A Properly Machined Manifold And Quality Stud Setup Go A Long Way Toward Keeping A ZD30 Reliable Under Higher Boost And Increased Exhaust Heat.
We Stock Genuine Manifolds Along With Japanese Made KP Gaskets!
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