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Hi all
I am a new member to this forum and thought I'd introduce myself. I am
resident in New Zealand which I know is a long way from Europe but I thought
I might be able to glean a thing or two or maybe add to the discussion. Also
I will be visiting Scotland in June so thought I'd see who was about in
Toyotas in that part of the world.
I am a proud owner of a KZJ78 series Landcruiser Prado with the 1KZTE motor.
I have been 4WDing for around 20 years - started with Landrovers and
progressed to a Toyota Hilux (Tacoma in the US - not sure what they are
called in Europe) which I had for 8 years or so, and then the Prado for the
last 5 years.
The vehicle is a Japanese import - we have many here in New Zealand. This
model did not come out new in NZ, Australia, US or Europe (I think), only
Asia. It is the boxy 70 series shape with just a few body refinements, beam
axles and discs all round and coil sprung. I have modified the suspension
somewhat and it has about a 5" lift overall from standard with custom made
coils and longer travel shocks which give very flexible suspension with a
lot of articulation. I am running BFG 33x10.5" MT tyres and have various
other modifications including snorkel, custom built bumpers and protection
bars, high breathers on diffs and transmission, lockrite lockers front and
rear, polyair bags in rear springs, etc etc.
I am active in a local club doing a wide range of trips covering from 1 day,
weekends, and longer, over a wide variety of terrain - big rivers, snow,
mountains, mud, rocks, forest, beaches, farm tracks etc - we are lucky to
have a lot of options here in the South Island of NZ. We get into some
fairly full-on driving and terrain but also have easy family oriented trips.
We do a lot of camping out - even in the snow in glacier country in winter
(we NZers are a hardy lot!). I am involved in leading trips and driver
training and for the past couple of years have been the Arena Manager at the
annual NZ 4WD Show.
I'd be happy to share any of the knowledge I and others have acquired about
this particular model of Landcruiser - they are quite common here. I'm also
happy to learn from others about things Toyota or 4wding in general. If any
of you want any specific New Zealand information and are intending on
traveling in this direction - just ask - the world is a small place these
days.
Also, if there is anyone out there in Scotland who would be interested in
meeting up with a New Zealand Toyota owning 4wder even briefly, then I'd
love to hear from you.
Best wishes to all from a little big country at the bottom of the world
Linda Simson
1993 KZJ 78series 1KZTE
Christchurch
New Zealand
 
Hi,
I joined the list one week ago ... since we are sharing common interest
on landcruisers.
I currently own prado 3.0 (kzj95 from 96) with 1KZ-TE turbo diesel
engine. I have changed suspension to OME and fixed larger tires
(265/75R16 instead 260/75R16). The latest modification is safari snorkel.
Nevertheless I'm still chasing a hdj80 - today I went to see one (4.2
turbo disel engine). It has almost 400.000 km (cylinder head was
replaced with a new one, injection pump has been rebuild etc...) but it
looks and drives fine. The guy who is selling it is a first owner and
the service record of the car is fine. The only obvious thing which
should be replaced in my opinion is radiator which is still original.
Now I'm really confused since I invested quite a lot of money and effort
in getting prado ready for Algerian trip I'm planning to do next month.
I'm not quite sure if 400.000 km is a lot for such an engine ?
Any advice for a newbie ?
Regards,
Tom
 
hi tomaz
welcome to the site
there are experts on here who know everything about everything..the rest of
us have very little idea about what happens but just love driving the
80..ive just got back from 25000 miles through africa and australia and i
now have 140,000 miles on the clock.
the generally accepted wisdom in africa is that if you look after the engine
particularly with the oil change etc 250,000 mile is nothing.
Mine has never let me down in two long trips through the back end of Africa
and it is with very very great reluctance that i will have to sell it when
it arrives back in england
not sure why you want to replace the radiator if its ok but if you do make
sure its an original, mine was a replacement and it started to leak in
Morocco...but was repaired on the side of the road and was fine
good luck
jeff watts
www.gonewandering.co.uk
_________________________________________________________________
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http://www.slack-o-meter.com
 
Hi Jeff,
thank you very much for your comment .... regarding the radiator maybe
I'm a bit "conservative" but my point is that is is not a big investment
and it would bring me a piece of mind especially for African trips.
I agreed with the owner that tomorrow my mechanic will check the car.
Any recommendation which parts have to be specially checked (potential
"weak points" ...)?
Regards,
Tom
 
hi
thank you very much for your comment .... regarding the radiator maybe
as i said there are experts on here who are better than me but..in the two
trips the only replacements i needed were the front diff oil seal, which is
easy to spot as when this goes the diff oil seeps out and makes a hell of a
mess on the inside of the front wheels..
If you are planning an African trip please rememebr that there re plenty of
spares for toyotas all the way down, that there are main dealers and back
street dealers all of whom know as much as uk mechanics, and the spares are
cheaper, so stick to "get you home" spares only..i carry spare fan
belts..but the toyota seems to run as happily with one belt as two, spare
hoses (never needed) spare filters (never needed) and a hayns manual (didnt
understand it)
BUT before the trip I go bottom to top and replace anything thats not
perfect.. and a few of the things that are...
When Julian eventually gets out of bed he will no doubt give yu the weakness
if any of this vehicle..his vehicle seems to be unable to cope with great
chunks of iron in the sidewall of his tyres.. but that could be his driving
smiling
jeff
_________________________________________________________________
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Hi Tomaz,
Where are you?
What version of the 80 series engine does it have, the 1HZ (basic 4.2),
1HD-T (12 valve Turbo 4.2) or 1HD-FT (24 valve turbo from 1995+)?
Either way they are all pretty well based on the same block that has a
reputation for being one off the strongest in it's class.
400,000km is equivalent to 250,000miles - in Australia finding 80
series that have done 300,000-400,000 miles is not uncommon, but the
key thing is to ensure that it has been well maintained.
I have also seen quite a few ads for similar 'aged' cars in France.
The great advantage you have is that the car has only had the one owner
who has most likely invested a lot of time, money and love into looking
after the car.
The key areas to look at in general with the diesel 80s are:
Big End Bearings - depending on the model of engine, type of oil used
and location in the world, it is worth getting the big end bearing
changed every 100,000 miles or so - there is a lot of info on the web
about these failing killing the engine.
CV's + Wheel Bearings - the dealers tend not to service these items,
preferring to just replace them when they break or are too worn - so
worth getting them checked - your mechanic should know how to, if not
ask here.
Brake disks, these seem to last on average around 100,000 miles so
check service history and also check the width of the disk to see that
it is within tolerence.
Injection pump and injectors - good to know that the pump has been
rebuilt (how long ago?), might also be worth getting the injectors
serviced as well - poorly serviced injectors will affect the fuel
consumption and can leave to premature damage to the cylinder head.
Exhaust - not a major issue by 8 out of every 10 80 series that I have
seen for sale have always had holes in their exhaust either around the
join above the fronth wheel or where the exhaust runs over the rear
axle - worth checking because this will lead to you failing most road
tests.
Is it an automatic or manual? If an automatic, check that the shifting
between gears is OK and that the oil has been regularly changed. If a
manual check when the clutch was last replaced and also check the
synchro is OK on all gears (I don't know much about manuals so check
with others here)
Actually, find out when and why the injector pump was serviced and the
cylinder head was replaced.
Obviously check for any odd vibrations and or noises. Also it is best
to check the car when it is cold to see how the engine behaves when it
warms up - is it very noisey when cold? Does it the engine smoke a lot
when cold?
Another tip when lookig for a high mileage car is to try to test drive
one or two of the same make, model and age vehicle, but with much lower
mileage - that should give you a feel for what the car should sound
like and how it should behave, making it easier to notice things that
may be wrong with the car you actually want to buy.
I hope that helps. Hopefully others will chip in as well.
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Skype: julianvoelcker
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
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Hi Tomaz
Welcome to the list.
I was just wondering why you intend to buy a new cruiser (one which you dont
know) and then go to Africa in it, instead of going in your cruiser which
you know well.
Im sure your mechanic will give it a good look over but as others have said.
If the Big end bearings have not been replaced it would be a good idea to
replace them.
It only costs a fraction of the cost to replace then compared to the cost to
repair if they break up.
Also the wheel bearings and Cvs need looking at as do the inner oil seals.
Maybe a good idea to replace all.
The radiator would be a good choice to replace and even the hoses.
Change the timing belt , spring, and tennsioner.
Change the fan belts.
Get an oil analysis done on the gear box and engine to see what is happening
in side and hopfully stop you buying a lemon.
Check the drivers side chassis member for hairline cracks.
Check and maybe replace the steering damper.
If the springs and shocks are not new maybe replace them aswell.
Check very well the trailing arm mounts and rubbers.
Check for leaks at the steering box.
Replace the injectors if not new.
cheers
john 92HDJ 80 1HDT
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tomaz Sustar" <[Email address removed]>
To: <[Email address removed]>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 8:11 AM
Subject: Re: [ELCO] new member intro
 
Hi Tomaz
welcome to the list :)
I only will add short comment on John's post:
if you have to do ALL those things to make the cruiser good-just forget
it...
It still will be a Cruiser gone 400000km-better find one in good shape
cheers
Lubo
PS: unless you don't have someone to do ALL those reparations without money
:)
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Byrne" <[Email address removed]>
To: <[Email address removed]>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 3:56 PM
Subject: Re: [ELCO] new member intro
 
Hi Lubo
If only things were that easy.
I know the list I gave is kind of scary but most of the things I suggested
are hidden dangers that like to creep up on you when you expect them least.
A lot of owners and dealerships just dont care, dont know, dont want to
know, or dont want to spend the money keeping the cruisers properly
maintained, its a fact.
They are all wear and tear issues that need attention from time to time.
You could just as easly get a much lower mileage cruiser and have a lot of
expensive repairs if it was not maintained.
Just look at my run of bad luck and all thanks to how my cruiser was badly
neglected before I bought it.
I even had a mechanic check it out before I bought it.
The internal workings of the engine and if it is healthy or not can show up
in an oil analysis, same with the gearbox.
That will cost about ?25 to check and well worth it.
Compared to maybe ?6000 to strip down the engine and repair it plus not
having it for maybe weeks.
The Cvs and wheel bearings are things that should be renewed every now and
again anyway.
The Radiator and hoses can get blocked or partially blocked over time.
If the springs or shocks are tired they can give up especially with the
extra weight carried on a long trip to Africa.
It all amounts up to a lot of extra strain on a lot of parts and its better
to be safe (literly) on the road especially when away from home possibly
with family.
cheers
john 92HDJ 80 1HDT
 
Hi John
all my sympathy for what you say-I did not object it.
I mean if you 're going to buy a car and after that go through all those
checkings and reparations
it will turn into nightmare.that's what happened with me-unlucky with the
car(just like you ,though without mechanic-
just trusted Toyota:-( ) and now I feel I want to get rid of it :-(
there are not so many HDJ80 out there with low mileage but hopefully
maintained properly!!!!
I just can't believe that someone could neglect car like this but there are
some!!!
cheers
Lubo
'96 HDJ80 250000km on the clock( and a lot to repair again)
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Byrne" <[Email address removed]>
To: <[Email address removed]>
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2007 6:51 PM
Subject: Re: [ELCO] new member intro
 
Hey Lubo
This is why if i had the experience I have now of landcruisers with the
great help of this list and new friends I would have insisted on a really
percise pre buy inspection with all the things I know know included.
I think one of the problems is that (some people, a lot of people) just dont
know how to service the cruisers.
They think its like a car and its not.
Toyota will give them a basic service but thats it.
People dont want to spend their money on the maintainance (usually) and then
pass all the problems onto the like of you and me who get stuck with a
bottomless money pit.
Toyota dont really want to spend the day stripping out the CVs and repacking
them when they can make much more money on quick car servicing.
Also one fact to remember is the age of the cruisers.
Most cars of the early 90s are now tin cans full of beans or something like
that.
What is the problem with your cruiser now.
Lubo I know that feeling of shit I have had enough ,im going to get rid of
this piece of crap and I really can understand how you feel.
I presume you have been very close to getting rid of it and buying something
younger and less expensive to repair when things go wrong.
cheers
john 92HDJ 80 1HDT
 
Hi John,
Understandably you have a very pessimistic view of land cruiser ownership, but
I think that most of your problems are down to pure bad luck and the total lack
of anyone with sensible 4x4 workshop experience working on it.
And don't worry you aren't the only one who has had bad luck with mechanics, I
know of other listers with similar problems - but in total 98-99% of the LC
owners on the list are having a trouble free time.
I think they would be happy to do it - billable hours = ???, the key thing is
that the CVs and wheel bearings aren't on the service schedule to be checked or
anything.
They may be on there to be replaced at 100,000 miles but more often than not
the car is no longer getting a dealer service so it get's ignored.
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Skype: julianvoelcker
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
Hi,
I posted two replays yesterday but unfortunately from the other e-mail
account so they were not dispatched to the list.
tnx for all the answers & regards,
Tomaz
---------------------------------------------------
Hi John,
thank you very much for your answer. The long list makes me think ....
I just finished one such list in order to prepare may existing cruiser.
the thing is that here in Slovenia there are not many hdj80 around and
so I thought it might be a good opportunity ...
But I agree with you - at the end of the day it would be just too much
to invest (time and money) to make it "expedition ready" in such short
time. I think I'll stick to the "old faithful"...
tnx & regards,
Tomaz
-----------------------------------------------------
Hi Lubo,
... I think the hdj80 case is closed ....
tnx & regards,
Tomaz
 
Hi John
the fact is that the car has no 'problems' according to toyota-just not big
things to worry about,but I don't like how it goes
and if I want to have it 'good' then I have to change the rear prop,overhaul
the diffs and the transferbox and fix the 2nd and 3d gear -and that is a
suicidal act...and cost a lot here!!!!!!!!!!many of you guys can do most of
the mechanic yourself but I have to go always to Toyota and just now paid a
bill 1500? just for fixing the leak from the IP and change the motor
holders.
but the car is loosing its value and I already paid it twice (and more) and
if I tell you I drive that car only with 2 seats you'll laugh
but that are the rules in Norway:the car cost me 16000 euros but to register
it here with 5 seats the state wanted 22000 euros...
that's why I had to slaughter the back seats and build up fence and made it
'truck'...
aaaaaahhhhhh-that was long-sorry for that....
cheers
Lubo
 
Hi Rodger,
I have a manual that might cover the diesel 60 series, will have a look
tonight.
Have thought before that putting a 2H in a 40 series making a HJ40 would be
a wise move, 60 series are coming up in quite good mechanical condition for
not much money. Particularly good idea if replacing a thirsty 2F but I do
like the petrol engine.
Newcastle under Lyme, not far from me, actually I work in Stoke on Trent.
Malcolm Bagley
Stafford UK
FJ45 '75 & FJ45 '76
-----Original Message-----
From: [Email address removed] [mailto:[Email address removed]] On
Behalf Of Rodger Attaway
Sent: 22 May 2007 12:04
To: ELCO mailing list
Subject: [ELCO] new member intro
My BJ is modified as follows: 2h engine (3980cc) 5 speed box, transfer box
and axles from a 60 series
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14:01
 
Hello folks,
As a new member I thought I'd introduce myself: I'm Rodger and I have a
modified '77 BJ40. I've owned the BJ for 5 years, purchasing it after a long
search and many miles in the UK.
My BJ is modified as follows: 2h engine (3980cc) 5 speed box, transfer box
and axles from a 60 series. Front suspensionis coils, widened front
wings, although I'm currently reconditioning a second hand set of standard
wing but will use flexi-flares to stay legal. Full roll cage and the front
seats are from a truck but there's not much else in the way of creature
comforts but who cares it's great fun.
Vehicle was converted to be a offroad race truck before I bought it and I've
put doors and a softtop on it and am slowly working my way through the
truck. Most of the mechanical stuff is done and the body will get some
attention over the next few months.
Can any member explain the wiring for the tacho (also from a 60 series) -
sensor is in the bellhousing with 2 wires. Tacho itself has 3 wires
(excluding wiring for light) - I assume 1 from sensor goes to power and the
other to the tacho. on the tacho the second would be power and the third the
earth but I cannot find a wiring diagram for the diesel. What colours go
where?
Regards,
Rodger Attaway
'77 BJ40
Newcastle under Lyme, UK
[Email address removed]
 
Hi Rodger,
I have a FJ40 in a fairly standard set-up. Before I bought it I did a whole
load of research. While trawling the net I found this. I don't think it will
solve your problem in one hit but there might be some useful info for the
future as it is pretty comprehensive.
http://www.off-road.com/tlc/faq/faq.txt
Steve Ackhurst - 1979 FJ40
Clapham, London
E: [Email address removed]
On 22/5/07 12:03, "Rodger Attaway" <[Email address removed]> wrote:
 
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