Cylinder Head Compatability

[silverz]

Hi,

This may have been discussed before but I couldn't find it. Does anyone know if an E88 cylinder head from a 260Z will fit on a L24 block without any mods?

 

Any info will be appreciated

Thanks

 

Peter

[pauly_adams]

dont see y not they have the same size bores and the same water ports etc that y im going to change my pistons to flat tops from a L24 motor to up the comression eg more balls lol

 

cheers pauly

[modular9]

that is exactly what I have. I have a l24 bottom with e88 260z top end. No mods.

 

E31, E88, N42 heads all have square ports so you should be cool for exhaust headers. and stock exhaust and all.

[NZeder]

The 260z E88 have larger ex valves. You are correct they have same bore at 83mm however the L26 blocks (same casting number P30) have notches on the ex side of the bore for extra clearance for these larger valves. So if the factory did this they did it for a reason. So I would research this more if I was you.

[silverz]

Yes thanks for confirming it,  I have heard that the exhaust valves were larger. How did you get around this Modular 9?

[modular9]

ok this is weird. When i bought the car it had the e88 head on a l24 bottom end. The bloke said it was a stroker but i thought ( now know ) it probably wasnt, so i did what all self respecting car nuts do ... i whipped the head off.

 

So the l24 looked stock. Did a little research on the net regarding what a stock l24 looks like and it concurred with what i had. So's any modifications must have been done to the e88 head. Other than a pretty lovely port match to the manifold I didnt notice anything out of the ordinary on the head. So I went to repco and got a new gasket ( asked for a l26 gasket ) and screwed it all together again.

 

I remember something posted on the classicz forum where they worked out that there were two e88 heads ?! anyway according to this poster the later E88 stamped ( the letters and numbers were larger about 1.5 to 2 cm vs  1cm ) were a better flowing e88 and I read this as being larger exhaust valves like nzeder says. Same post had someone saying that all of that is BS. Either way I have the later e88.

 

I honestly can say i didnt see any modding though i was looking for untoward valve stem seals at the time.

 

Got me wondering what is going on now. Might have to look at the head again.

[NZeder]

I don't think the block notch thing is any issue unless you are running large lift or have the head shaved. Did you also know that an L24 L26 block is good for 3mm overbore ie takes an L26 out to L28 spec or put a L26/L28 crank into the L24 block and you have an L28 once bored 3mm over.

[modular9]

nzeder : Thanks for the info. Very important info ... must file away. I was going to source an l28 from somewhere and put the e88 head on. Now i think i will have a closer look at what i have.

 

[warrenz]

The E88 head was fitted to the 240 as standard from 71 to 73 and then the 260. The version fitted to the 240 had smaller valves but the chambers are the same cc size. The very early 240's had the E31 head.

 

Warren

[pauly_adams]

just wondering does any one know what a E30 head is like as i may be able to aquire one cheap ive just never herd of one till last week

[NZeder]

E30 = L24 head with very small valves and CC was installed on the 240K and other L24 Nissan/Datsun sedans of the day. Need a lot of work to get any performance from = not worth the trouble + they are usually old and soft better to get a later N42 as these will have the larger valves, newer and not as likely to have been through as many heat cycles = softens the alloy and sometime too much.