GC_AUS

Very nice!

just keep the service up & it will last you years - I personally know one of these with over 700K on it going strong & a few others with anything from 250-500K with no real dramas. usually if they have had problems it can be traced to lack of service or abuse.

I've had 6 cruisers & done about 2.5 million Ks in cruisers & its the usual story - be careful of the mods you choose - the more heavily modified the more pain you will have. most of mine I have sold at around 380 - 400K but only because I wanted an upgrade - they were all still going strong.

check all the wheel bearings & re- pack or replace if needed & check the diffs & gearbox for water or too much wear from towing etc. once you have done that just keep service's up & it will be fine.

if you have any concern its well worth getting a "diesel tune up" done with someone reputable to check the injectors & pump are all working as well as they can. obviously like any other vehicle check the brakes & all the usual things but they are the most reliable car on the globe for a reason.

nice clean car man!!

all the best

G.

hate to ask these questions but it has to be checked,-

water in oil / oil in water?

steam from crankcase filler cap?

steam from exhaust after the car is warmed to operating temp?

definitely no tiny leak in the cooling system?

every 5-6 days - so this is fairly slow leak or are these short trips in the vehicle

yep ditto Conrod,

when the fuel filter / pump has been changed they often don't get connected up 'just right' so that will be the first place to check.

if you had the car serviced by Toyota & they actually changed the filter then think yourself lucky...

I've seen a number where they have charged for it but its not done

you might also find the large retainer collar is very difficult to undo - it is available as a spare part with the o'rings.

actually thinking that through maybe 4wdaction maybe be a better spot as I'm not sure there is much Lux stuff on iH8mud

sorry bout that..

roger that,-

don't worry we all have to start somewhere - good onya for having a go!

It is possible that all that got "fused" when it shorted but to kill all that in one go would suggest the short was left in place for a reasonable time.

The AC is a high current draw & should be on its own circuit - the gauges are possibly all on one fuse.

you need someone with the same (roughly) year model to see what is on the same circuit - or this may be a silly question - did you try putting in a new fuse?

if things don't work after being fried with a new fuse then you could be digging out some nasty burnt wiring in there & if you are not electrically minded then it could cost some $$$ to fix. for that era Lux it might be worth hunting down a replacement wiring loom & just replacing the whole lot. usually after a good fry-up you'll find any number of wires that may have melted either all the way or partially through the insulation & so its often a slow process of replacement until you get everything working again.

understand yep car has rego etc but its a good idea to get a pink slip when it changes hands so there is no question of roadworthy when you go to transfer it into your name - remember he might not care what it costs you to fix it once you signed the papers & handed over the cash

have a hunt for 1990 hilux wiring diagrams & you might do well. Might also be worth checking out another forum iH8mud - there are some pretty well informed dudes there

this question is a little more complex that first seems...

ARB makes good stuff, its well Designed, Engineered & tested & in my experience they stand by their claims - I have been buying from them for 30 years.

I think you need to ask yourself just how will you treat the vehicle? 80Kg on the average suburban street is quite different to bouncing across the Simpson...

I would say exercise a little patience & see what other tradie utes have on the cabin part of the roof - go ask them what they think of their purchase & I have no question they will tell you if they are not happy.

can you not have a couple of hoops in the tray or over the canopy if there is one to take the brunt of the load? - the roof panel is way too soft of course & the channels area is the strong point but remember Toyota probably doesn't offer any substantial load carrying option for that application & would rather the load is carried by the tray or a dedicated rack system

replacing a roof or associated structure could be a tad costly if you get this wrong

Hey Aaron,

in NSW its always a good idea to get a pink slip & a bill of sale & a Revs check when you buy a car second hand - go have a search on faitrading NSW for "buying a car" - there is some good stuff in there for you.

if it can pass a pink slip then you at least know it did before you started with it - as long as the pink slip is genuine & its harder & harder to fudge them.

this shouldn't necessarily put you off that car if its really what you want but the price must reflect the quality of the car IE: if it doesn't function as it is meant to then "its a project" -

tread carefully man!

Hi Darrell,

have read of your manual where it says you can use 5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-50 depending on operating conditions etc

for the full list of lub's for your car go to the Penrite website & use "the lube guide" = www.datateck.com.au/lube/PenriteAus/

its shown under "products" - "product selector"

consider the load - towing, temp etc when you make your choice but most would go for the HPR Diesel 10 SAE 10W-40

hope that helps

Rgds

G.

yep same as above basically - my 76 used a little oil in one service but I think you'll find if you make a fuss about it with Toyota they will offer you "the special oil" - no I kid you not....

when quizzed about "the special oil" I am told that for an additional $145 they will put "the special oil" in which will remove any consumption issues completely..... what awesome magic these service people do have...

so far Toyota has used a different oil every service:-

Castrol Magnatec 10-40

Valvoline - unknown (they couldn't tell me...)

Caltex - unknown (they couldn't tell me)

cant wait to get it out of warranty so I can use the correct oil & I too will go to Penrite as I hear good reports all over

as they say "oh what a feeling"

No worries -

I have already sent the part off to get a price back will let you know

Rgds

G.

Hi David,

right I see what you mean - I just went looking myself,-

they seriously charge $195 for that?

some say... that's a rip off!!!

mate I make SM parts all the time & that part should be more like $30-50 including the postage

send me a PM if you like & we'll sort something out

Rgds

G.

this is back again...

for your battery tray try POR15

expensive but its good stuff

Hey John,

looks about right,-

try

allfourx4.com.au

themountco.com.au

& I would happily recommend SydneyCityparts on fleabay for genuine - the guy does an excellent job & the parts are shipped faster than you can get to the dealer

have a look at the other rubbers while you are under there - usually they fail from being ground away by grit or oil saturation from a drip above somewhere.

careful if you go to urethane over rubber - some of the urethanes last less time with the grit - just acts like sandpaper.

Rgds

Gary.

Excellent news David!,

that's exactly the gizmo I was thinking of but I had no idea what it was called - there is a few pictures of it if you search "edic repair" & you should find a link to one blog called "Sandcruiser" & also some more bits n pieces on IH8Mud forum.

there should be another earth from memory running form the gearbox or thereabouts to the chassis rail but I haven't been under there for a long time so you would have to look.

Usually you get that problem with the earth points after a run across the desert or in salty environment - its like an electrolysis reaction

good to hear of another 60 happily on the road

all the best

G.

I don't want to panic you but do a goggle search on "Hilux Death Rattle" & have a read of some of those to make sure you find the cause.

also check out Baileys diesel group - no I don't work for them & no I don't get any kick back but they do have a good rep & they seem pretty well onto this problem

good luck with it

I see the post above is pasted from one of their articles so you might have already been there sorry.

Hmmmm....... thinking

personally I keep my "delicate little bits" away from auto electricians but then these days there are a few girls doing that job so what ever

alternator off its mounts.... just check you have a good earth both with the alternator & also the earth strap / cable to the body from the battery. with this actually go to the trouble of remove & replace - sometimes they get a crusty build up underneath the bolted tab & just making sure its tight doesn't do the trick. I doubt it but a dodgy negative return might cause something strange to be happening somewhere in the rest of the electrical circuit.

sequential...

yeah sure I believe you...

Ha that's pretty funny - I had completely forgotten that other post - just as well I gave the same suggestions hey!

at least you can tell who actually reads their email..

can you measure the output from the alternator? - should be easy if you can drive a multimeter - they are like a cattle prod but different.

Alternatively....

"alternatively" you could take your alternator out of the vehicle & take it to a different autoelec & have them test it under load for which they have a machine quite different to a cattle prod.

that will confirm the alternator question mark & then you can move on from there through the system.

I'm still on the electrical front but just for curiosity run your eye over the fuel line to see there is no crushed line or something weird like that which is starving the fuel to such a degree as to cause the miss. it would have to be a kinked rubber line or obviously very squashed metal line.

does this car sit around in extreme tropical conditions by any chance? you can get a black fungus that grows in diesel which could cause your symptom - this will be obvious by the nasty black crap that comes out of the fuel filter when you remove it. - most diesel additives have a fungicide to stop it these days.

boat engines will often starve with mould if they have sat in tropics & have the dreaded black gunge in the lines - it clogs the filter so hence starves the motor.

Diesels of that vintage are pretty straight forward once they are running - its just fuel / air & compression. granted automotive ones have solenoids which make them easier to shut down but there isn't much that could make that engine stop once its started & running ok. 8 deg isn't cold forthat motor by any means so not likely to be anything to do with cold.

how about lift off the air inlet once its running to cross that off - I've never seen a 2H stop from a blocked air filter but normally you would have figured that out by the crazy amount of smoke coming out if it were blocked - they are hard to kill. if the filter is clogged with a dead rat or something then the engine will breathe a bit better without that

just another thing to cross off is oil pressure? - again pretty simple motor so as long as there is some pumping through then that shouldn't be an issue

I am still listening so may the force be with you!

Hmmmm.... 2 wives.... that's brave

I knew a guy that had 5 but he's dead now

cant imagine what killed him

no worries David,

yeah yeah - electrical,- just for peace of mind check the voltage from the alternator & chase it through the system - I just wonder whether some relay isn't getting enough or maybe it got tired after 25 years.... You'd think Toyota would think of that hey....

there's a surprising amount of relay's up under the dash If I recall on that model

maybe just don't use the lights....

all the best mate

G.

Hi David,

its an odd 1 agree - I would have a close look at the shut off solenoid & the push rod that closes down the engine - i think they do go out of adjustment after some time. Otherwise I suspect some electrical issue with something that has slowly vibrated loose or built up resistance in a contact perhaps.

Try Lcool dot org as well as someone there has probably come across a similar problem.

a sticking injector would give that effect in a 1-3 cylinder engine but not in yours - I would run some injector cleaner through to see if that makes any difference but I doubt it - its just something to cross of the list

strange that it happens with electrical load on - that brings me back to the resistance question mark

i'll be watching to see what you find

best of luck

Gary.

no worries man,-

2.5" I would think might be a bit small - I had a 2.75" mandrel bent system on mine & it didn't have a turbo. I also put extractors & a Unifilter on & that made a bit of difference,- particularly in sand or down low the torque was much better. The extractors gave it a bit of a note but it was all fine. You cant do the extractors thing obviously because of the turbo but any improvement in breathing will help. The Unifilter or K&N whichever is your preference is a good thing - they definitely breathe better & you can wash them of course so no more expensive filters. I think I have said this before but not too much oil in the filter whatever you do.

Yep - definitely get a tune when you have the dosh - again it all helps. Worth having a good look at the injectors too - the 2H is pretty forgiving so often the injectors might be a bit inefficient but you don't really pick up on it. I think Berrima Diesel have a pretty good rep if they are not too far away for you otherwise there must be someone in Vic.

I know I am plugging 4WDaction again but have a look at the "VDJ76R Military" thread on there & you will see some of the same topics you are going through - check out a product called Dynamat.

Good to hear you have a sensible approach to the tyres - a huge amount of people burn a lot of rubber up on the highway which all sucks money out of the pocket. Keep the hardcore tyres for where you need them

ok - better get back to it

G.

Hey Lach,

have a look on 4WD Action & search 2H Turbo

1335 matches - there must be some useful info in there....

catchya

no worries man -

tyres - do a quick search for Beadell Tours dot com dot au & have a read of his tyres blurb. Its a very well written article & regardless which way you decide is best from there you will have a pretty good understanding of the pros & cons of various tyres. sorry I cant paste a link here for you - replace the words dot obviously but you knew that :)

Be careful about the tyre shop - they almost always will "sell" you something they want you to buy rather than what you maybe should buy for your requirements. I'm not criticising tyre shops - my local one is excellent & they are sensible but the owner has a VDJ76 & he spends time in the outback so he has a sensible head on his shoulders. some do not....

if you're just cruising then something like Coopers AT3 or BFG AT or Mickey Thompson STZ should be cool - more off road then more homework & something a bit more angry.

Intercoolers - well you might pick up one of a VDJ76-79 from a wreckers pretty easy but there are heaps that would fit - just need to measure the space & make suitable brackets really. anything that has enough airflow capability would be fine I think so the real thing will be how much air the engine can force through with the turbo. You might think this strange but for some reason I recall that the 2H pushes 222CFM in standard form - I only know that from fitting a Donaldson on mine years ago. there will be calculations around to figure that out but again I think the best thing will be to learn from what others have already done - we already have wheels so there's no need to invent a new one unless you are heading down the path of hoverboards perhaps...

I reckon the fire in the engine bay would have been from the turbo - they do get red hot under load so add dry grass seed or spinifex & you have a barbie pretty quick - just have to scrape the paint off the bonnet before you chuck on the steaks. A big exhaust should be the quickest solution for that unless you have that already.

cash - yep join the club I think everybody could relate to that one.

good to here the sounds are up & running! - so did you go with the 15" subs behind the seat or just enough pressure to stop the windows from rattling.

Hi Lach,

sorry about the delay - away for a couple of days

Tyres.... now I don't want to start anything here because tyres can cause more arguments than any other topic I think - I would suggest the best thing is to watch what the others in your area are using. BFG AT's are popular in some areas but not others & I think you could say that for any brand really. what works on one surface may be useless on another so it really comes down to where you plan to use your rig. I know that sounds like a cop out but its actually true - I have bought certain tyres based on popularity only to find they lasted about half the time I had the previous ones on the vehicle - what works in the desert may be a stupid choice for the beach if you get my drift. It all comes down to experience really so sorry but the best advice I can give is see what your mates are using & be prepared for some heated discussions...!

Intercooler - my preference is top mounted on a 4WD. the amount of air rushing through mine is heaps - of course Toyota would have done airflow tests & the bonnet on my car is shaped to increase the flow as the air drops through the hole in the bonnet but a good scoop at anything over 30kph will shove a fair amount of air through the cooler. Front mounted is good on a city car but if you have any big grasshoppers with long tails or stones then the front mounted unit is quite vulnerable. the argument against of course is that you are forcing the hot air down under the vehicle but at any reasonable speed that's negligible.

How about a nice rex one? - there's one on ebay now for a decent price. there's also the 3.0ltr Rodeo which had a scoop which you might pick up cheap at a wreckers

I think there are some heat wraps you could have a search for which might be useful to cut down the heat off the turbo - they use them on large boat engines so as long as you protect it from stone damage then it might be a goer? - again the biggest thing here is get the heat out of the engine bay so the turbo can have airflow around it

ok - keep up the good work!

G.

sorry - forgot one more thing..

I changed the core in my radiator on my last 2H from the standard to a mitsubishi truck core which was 5 core instead of 3 I think the original Toyota one was - never had a heating problem again. There are some pretty well priced aftermarket radiators now which may be worth a look with the added heat from the turbo etc - probably the same guys that do the intercooler will be able to help there

G.