Toyota Cracked heads 3L diesel - heard of any on Prado's or Hilux's

Phil,
I think you will find if you search the archives, you will see there has been a 90 with a cracked head who posted it on the 90 lists, Simon Christies 90 series had a cracked head just after xmas last year, from the injector hole, he traded it on a 120 series after he had it repaired when they were first released, he was on 90series as well as 90scool_aus list and is now on 120scool email list at www.lcool.org

Surfs with cracked heads I have heard 2nd hand, but not seen any, are apparently an issue in New Zealand, where many have been imported, havent heard of many here.

Thanks for pointing that out Darren. I found that post in the archives - August last year. Sounded like they replaced the head several times and the block once before working out where the crack was. Ended up being at the injector hole on 3rd cylinder.

No worries Phil,
had to crack test the head with the injectors in place to find it from memory.

The surf also had no intercooler to keep inlet temps down either.

Jeff's surf does have a factory intercooler as it is the newer KZN-185 model, same running gear and motor/turbo/intercooler setup as the 90 Prado.
My surf (kzn-130) has the same 1KZ-TE motor, but 4 runner running gear and not intecooler.

OK, the models I have heard of the issue with are the non intercooled version.

Hey Jeff, good to see someone else spells Jeff correctly. Your quite right in the need to maintain the cooling system, what you have said fits my story. In January I went to Canberra drom Gosford and the temp went right up there on hills, I tried to keep it down but it was sitting atleast 3/4 way, when usually it sits just below half and does not move. Well when we got back I got the radiator checked and yes poor maintainance with old coolant had clogged up the radiator, anyway got it fixed and all seamed fine running up and down the F3 to Sydney & back, but then we went to the snow and just before Tumut the temp rose again - I guess when we originally heated up the motor the damage was done. Costs will be $1650 for a second hand reconditioned head with valves etc all set up on it; otherwise a new head would cost $1700 and I would have to fit and set my valves etc in to the new one. All up probably cost $3300. Anyway these damn alloy heads are not like my old XW V8 Fairmont they are bullet proof being cast iron everything.

LOL - Yeah mate, it's the only bloody thing I can spell right!!
Yeah I know what you mean, my mate has just recently bought a wide track feroza and is used to his old kingswood. That thing used to go up to 130c in the drive throughs!! Didn't bother it though, it just kept going and going!
The frozi overheated on the weekend when we were being a little silly and racing each other in the pinjar pines down this 4 lane wide sand track fire brake thing that divided the open space to the air force firearm training ground, going flat out for about 10 minutes in deep sand side by side, then my viscous fan cut in and he left me behind as the surf started to loose power with the fan fully locked. (no temp problems though!!). Then about 2 minues later I going screaming past him as he's stopped on the side of the track. Turns out his viscous fan was stuffed and was'nt even slightly locked in.
I told him off, gave him a lecture! "This isn't a friggin kingswood mate, don't do that do it, don't let it get hot!"
$3k hey... Is it worth investing in a torque rench and doing it yourself? I have the 1kz-te toyota service manual in .PDF format, I'm sure it would have all the info you need... At least then you might save a grand or so...