The Nissan ZD30 engine family is a 3.0-litre (2,953 cc) inline-four cylinder diesel engine with a bore and stroke of 96 mm × 102 mm (3.78 in × 4.02 in), that replaced the Nissan QD, BD and TD engines. At Renault it also replaced the Sofim 8140 engine and is the only truck diesel engine which remained with Nissan Motors when they sold Nissan Diesel to Volvo trucks in 2007.

Design

It features a cast-iron crank case, which is horizontally divided in the crank shaft plane into a lower and an upper part. A set of gear driven balance shafts is located slightly higher than the crankshaft, the vacuum pump is placed on the gear cover and driven by the RH (intake side) balance shaft. The Gerotor oil pump is also located on the front side of the crankshaft. A serpentine belt with hydraulic tensioner powers the a/c compressor, the water pump, and (via a freewheeling pulley to reduce squeaking when engine decelerates) the alternator. A Dual-mass flywheel may be used with manual transmissions. The aluminium-alloy Crossflow cylinder head houses two camshafts (DOHC) driven by a combined gear and chain drive operating 4 valves per cylinder (16 in total) by bucket tappets. Exhaust is on the LH side which makes an “exhaust forward” arrangement when the engine is installed transversally. Even the first series of "mechanical" engines have an ECU with Electronic throttle control (Drive by wire), MAF sensor (not for engines with 96 kW and below), advanced lube oil monitoring etc. Turbocharged and intercooled engines have Swirl flaps incorporated into the intake manifold to improve combustion at low revs. The original versions of this engine were introduced in 1999, utilizing a VP44 distributor injection pump, and represent the transition from the former naturally aspirated, all mechanical, ohv engines with swirl combustion chamber (except the truck engine BD30 with direct injection) to the later 2nd generation common rail DOHC design. The ECU's functionality has been improved during the life time of this first generation and with the introduction of the later Common Rail engines.

ZD30DD

The base ZD30DD engine was naturally aspirated with a VP44 distributor injection pump, had 77 kW at 3800 rpm and 226 Nm at 2000 rpm, compression ratio was 18.5:1. On the Nissan Caravan with manual transmission torque was limited to 209 Nm). Application:

ZD30DDT

This engine was supplemented with a turbocharger, non intercooled, 110 kW at 3400 rpm and 314 Nm at 2000 rpm, compression ratio 17.9:1. Application:

1st Generation ZD30DDTI (2000–2006)

This engine was upgraded with an intercooler and still utilized a VP44 distributor injection pump, which may create confusion because later Common Rail engines have the same engine denomination. Several power levels were available. 1.) 89 kW at 3200 rpm, 265 Nm at 1600-3200 rpm 2.) 96 kW at 3450 rpm, 265 Nm at 1600-3450 rpm 3.) 116 kW at 3600 rpm, 352 Nm resp. 333 Nm (MT) at 1800 rpm 4.) 125 kW at 3600 rpm, 353 Nm at 1800 rpm

2nd Generation ZD30DDTI CRD/Common Rail Injection (2007)

This major revision of the ZD30 became available in MY 2007. At that time the previously offered TD42TI was discontinued due to failing updated EURO IV emission standards and was replaced by the commonrail ZD30DDTI engine. Bosch injection equipment was utilized with a 1600 bar system pressure and an improved ECU. Compression ratio was 17.9:1, to keep emissions low a hot EGR with heat exchanger was also installed. Beginning in 2012, this was gradually replaced by the smaller but equally powerful YD25DDTi engine. 1.) The common rail ZD30 engines were first seen on Renault Master and Renault Mascott in 2004, three years before the introduction by Nissan. The Renault Master is the only known transversal installation of this engine. By Renault the engines may have been named ZD3 or DXI 3. 2.) Initially this power level offered 96 kW at 3600 rpm, 260 Nm at 1600-3400 rpm, but was slightly improved to 96 kW at 3400 rpm, 300 Nm at 1100-3000 rpm while engines were modified to comply with stricter emission requirements (Euro VI at present). 3.) Initially this power level offered 110 kW at 3600 rpm, 350 Nm at 1600 rpm, but was slightly improved to 110 kW at 3400 rpm, 350 Nm at 1800–2500 rpm or 2000 rpm while engines were modified to comply with stricter emission requirements.

ZD30DDTT

This engine is based on the 2nd generation ZD30DDTI but features twin turbo charging, Euro VI, 130 kW at 2600 rpm, 540 Nm at 1400–2200 rpm.

Remark

There is also a ZD25 engine built in China, where it is also known as the DK4A diesel engine. With a 92x94 mm bore and stroke, it displaces 2498 cc and produces 75 kW in with common rail injection and an intercooler.