Info on 98 gu patrol 2.8l turbo diesel

The 2.8 is a tad underpowered, but if you're patient theyre a good reliable, underpowered Patrol.

285's is asking too much. The 2.8 already struggles with low-end torgue, and for this reason it was never a good towing vehicle. The other problem is the small clutch and the dual-mass flywheel. The gearbox is different to all other Patrols, basically it is termed a "light-duty" box because it's origin comes from the Nissan sedans of the 280/300Z era. The reason they had to use this light box was purely the physical dimension of the engine block which cannot support the larger heavy duty Patrol box and clutch arrangement.
In all honesty, if you are doing lots of towing, buy something else.

Wardy,

I've gotta agree with Desert mate.... the 2.8L was/is grossly underpowered for the size of the job it's being asked to perform.

There has been quite a lot written on this forum about this vehicle, but I know from experience that the search feature is not always as good as it could be and you may need to persevere a bit.

Clutch & gearbox seem to be the weak points, but there have also been sad tales about the motor itself and the turbo.

I'd certainly suggest you hold out for a 4.2; even the naturally aspirated 4.2 would be better IMHO.

Good luck

Cheers

Roachie

Hi Wardy,

Here Here to the above, I had one of these, and even from the GQ days this capacity engine in such a big car is asking alot if you want to tow anything bigger than a box trailer, and even then you need patience.

I sold it after only 4 weeks, simply due to the lack of power.
My suggestion, if you can't stretch the budget to the 4.2TD or 3.0TD in the GU, then go for one of the last GQII Diesels nat aspirated, or if lucky a good one with the turbo conversion already done. If you aren't fussed about fuel usage then go the petrol, it has plenty of power and proven reliability. Given that in recent days I am seeing diesel fuel prices 13c per litre more than petrol, the value diesel once gave over petrol is significantly eroded.

Cheers,
Wayne

Hi Wardy,

Take note of all the info above as it is all absolutely correct, just to add to it we bought ours 98 2.8 aprox. 3 months ago with 220 k on it with the intent of a conversion, all seemed ok with it, after taking it to Paul Geary at slacks ck to see if it was ok for another few months and one trip while we finished the house, I was informed that the radiator header tank was rotten, one new radiator required, the lower timing belt pulley was flogged out, if I was lucky only the keyway but could be the crank, the tensioner pully (I think) was also flogged out, the clutch was also on it's way out, (the clutch is expensive due to the unique 'all in one' style of it as stated above). All of these are apparent common problems to look out for as the k's start to climb.
If you can get the vehicle cheap enough and the rest of the car is in perfect condition and only used as mums taxi like ours was, then budget for a conversion of either a 4.2 TD utilising the 2.8 intercooler, or a 6.5 V8 naturaly asp or rear mount turbo version ( side mount won't fit).
Hope some of this helps and if you decide to go down the conversion road then thats a whole other story with numorous threads in the archives.

Good luck
Avagoodn
Pezza

Wardy,

A different slant on things. How much is the vehicle? If it is a good price then look into it further. I actually still own the 2.8. Makes me a bit of the black sheep but when I was looking the 4.2 had a $8,000 - $10,000 premium on them and the early 3.0L, well, I get to my destination - if a little slow.

Just as a reference point, a 2.8 diesel GU will tear the strips off the old SD33 that was sold in the MQ, but what we consider powerful now, and then, is a completely different matter.

Look at the service history, but more importantly see if you can talk to the person who drove it previously, as with anything, a vehicle which is poorly driven because it "doesn't have enough power", could possibly also be a dud because that's what the driver thinks of it.

My '98 2.8 GU has 206,000 on it at the moment, bought at 146,000 and the rest done in my time. Regular service, check anything that needs doing and fix it. To date the list includes

* Tappet cover gasket
* Rear wheel seal
* Timing Belt
* Timing belt tensioner
* Couple of front seals
* Water pump

All done when injectors changed (at my request), at 192,000 . Only use Caltex CXJ, says on the label "designed for high revving Nissan diesels"

If the vehicle is at the right price, and has a known history, then it may not be all that bad. But remember that you have to drive it accordingly, avoid lots of clutch slip, don't rev the &%&^ out of it and enjoy the scenery as it gets you to your destination safely.

Oh, and forget about the 285's, 265/75 X 16, or perhaps even 235/85's, are fine and speedo is dead accurate.

Regards

Rolande