2.8 or 4.2 Patrol.

Hi there Roachie, thanks for the info, do you know when they bought out the factory turbo patrols 4.2L what year and any idea on what they would be worth, Im a bit weary of putting on after market turbo specially if they are going to have the same probs as the hilux, eg clutch, over heating, not much gain in power, bearing problems or is none of this an issue with the 4.2 with an after market turbo on a patrol. Only want to spend about 20k on the actual vehicle as Im keeping another 5k for all the extra gear as mentioned,or am I pushing sh@t uphill trying to find one at this price ?? . Regards Steve M

G'day Steve,
The GU series 2 came out with turbo added to the 4.2 in 1999.
Prior to my GU, I had a 1993 GQ RX and I bolted a Safari turbo onto it. It had 40,000klm (2 years old) on the clock when I bought it (ex-Waterways, Batemans Bay, NSW; and I was living there too, so I knew the bloke who'd been driving it...very well looked after). I had the turbo put on almost straight away (1995) and kept it for 5 years with 277,000klm on the clock. I never had any issues with the truck. Clutch was still original when I sold it. I didn't do as much towing or rough track driving then, as I do now. I certainly recommend the GQ with turbo added. One thing I do recall the blokes at Cooma Diesel telling me way back in the mid late 90's though.......they reckoned that from 1996 til the end of the GQ, the pistons that Nissan was fitting, were lighter and so the pre-1996 model were a better bet for fitting a turbo. Not sure if there was any truth in it, just something to keep in mind.
Cheers
Roachie

Thanks for that Roachie, will see if I can find out any more in regards to the piston situation, if it was an issue or not, I will turboglide in woolongong and see if he's of any information in regards to this, he's been doing turbo's apparently for about 30 years. Thanks for that. Regards Steve M

"Bilbo it!!"

Gee thanks, Andrew. I'm legend!! La de dah, la de de dah de dah!!!

But as Roachie says - the 4.2 Nissan diesel is bulletproof. I couldn't break mine in my old GQ trayback ute and I abused the crap out of that truck for 10 years. Not a race car by any means, but like a Fremantle hooker when the fleet's in - it'll pull all day without complaining.

I have a prospecting mate with 2.8 GU Patrol. It's adequate, pulling a 1 tonne camper trailer but does require a lot of gearbox use. It is, however economical. One downside is that they are "dead" below 2000 rpm and the motor is prone to going of tune quite quickly - as most small but heavily loaded cars do. It then benefits from an expensive fuel pump overhaul.

I personally wouldn't buy one.

"Frodo" WAS a 2.8 litre it's now a 6.5 litre and "Frodo" loves his new engine :)

As does Bilbo.

Bilbo

Hi there Bilbo, you have a great way with words, I love the saying,still laughing to myself, I think after reading all these return messages it will be worth going the 4.2, as I just asked Roachie about turbo etc, if you have any further info please add it to his list.I want what ever I get next time to do the job right first time as I will be keeping it for a while as my wife and I are now trying for kids so wont have the extra $$$$ later on to spend so need to spend now while I'm allowed. Regards Steve M

Stephen,

You won't go wrong with a TD42 - turbo or no turbo. The turbo doesn't do a lot for the TD42 anyway. It's an older design, pushrod, poorly ported, poorly gas flowed truck engine. Fast - it is not. But a turbo will give the TD42 a bit more poke - which it needs.

It will show the water temp getting a bit warm if you push it hard - say 100 kmh for 3 hours plus with 2.5 tonne van behind it. That's down to the cooling water channels in the head and block being a bit on the small side. It was after all an engine that was built as a slower, truck motor and not a high speed highway road eater. If ya want the latter then buy a 100 series 1HDT- FE turbo diesel Landcruiser - expensive but awesome to drive! (I really miss mine.)

BUT- you will NEVER blow it up. Never. It will outlast the bodywork by years. The Nissan gearboxes in the GQs are the strongest manual box in any 4WD. They don't break. The gearboxes in the later GUs were as good - excluding a period around 2000 to 2001 (?) when Nissan had a few machining tolerance and heat treatment probs with gearbox mainshafts which caused a few to strip 5th gear splines. All other gears worked OK and you could drive home in 4th if 5th packed up.

GQ and GU Nissan diffs fitted to vehicles with 4.2's in em would drive a tank. Rarely a problem with 'em.

Look for rust along the roof line above the drivers and passenger doors in older GQs. Also check on GQs for rust in the engine bay where the firewall panel joins the panel that carries the windscreen wiper mechanism. The welds get rusty from the inside at this point. By the time it appears outside it's too far gone. If it's got dual batteries on it check the inside wing skin where the 2nd battery sits - they crack if it's been worked hard on dirt roads. I used to weld mine up every year or so on my old Ford Maverick. Check for rust along the front wing bottom edges where it's bolted to the body just in front of the doors. This area is a dirt trap and doesn't always get flushed out by owners. Rust builds up at the back of the wing panel.

Check the seatbelt mechanisms for full retraction and check that they don't jam when your putting 'em on AFTER you've started rolling. (Yeah- we all do it don't we!).The inertia reels are very sensitive.

Nothing major. Nissans? - older ones, are mobile bomb shelters!

I have heard that they are the only vehicle that the Iraqi insurgents will not use as a 'bomb car" - the bomb goes off inside the car OK, but the explosion stays INSIDE and no-one outside gets hurt!

Speaks volumes eh??

;)

Bilbo

Hi there Craig, I didnt know they made an auto in diesel patrol, what year model would that be, ??? my wife would love an auto, would definately have to be turbo in auto as I would imagine it would be gutless otherwise, or was this an import, I wont buy an import eg that was not sold here in australia pain in the arse with insurance and parts and also resale. Regards Steve M

Steve...
I have a factory TD42 Auto GQ with Denco Diesel Forsale ... plenty of goodies..

Rear Storage, Roof Console, ARB bar, Paratus seats, OME suspension 33 BFG MT's Fully Engineered for upto 6inch lift, currently has 4inch..

PLENTY more goodies... lemme know

Hi there Truckster, still to sell my lux yet but if you have any pics of your truck would be appreciated, you can email me on stephenkelly@optusnet.com.au and what sort of price you are also looking at and klms etc, probably wont be for another 2/3 weeks waiting for our money to come out of a fixed term then will be on the lookout big time. Regards Steve M

these are what I have at short notice.
Murray Sunset with the EO crowd.
http://www.gupatrol.com/pics/gq.jpg

Swifts Creek with Crazie and S&J
http://www.gupatrol.com/pics/gq1.jpg

Wombat holes at club property
http://www.gupatrol.com/pics/gq2.jpg
http://www.gupatrol.com/pics/gq3.jpg

Long weekend just gone Lovicks Hut area.
http://www.gupatrol.com/pics/gq4.jpg

Also on the long weekend just gone up the Hcountry.
http://www.gupatrol.com/pics/gq5.jpg

Ps. there were only 300 GQ Autos in TD42 made :)

Hi there Duncs, I know exactly what you mean I was the same with the hilux, I added all the stuff but in saying that I would still sell to a friend as I think myn has been looked after as well as possible, I hope it will sell easy as I dont think the klms are to high considering its age 285k 89 model and has every single reciept that has been spent on it since new including every receipt for all oil changes which is every 4k + genuine filters, I'm going to ask around the 12k mark it is an sr5. I wont be buying anything that has been near the coast or any thing that does not have full service history as I am fussy. Regards Steve M

Hi there Mal the hilux's probably had IFS where as mine has the live axle up front and has a whole heap more wheel travel than a standard hilux with ifs. Maybe I should explain myself better, I am also after something that will have plenty of ground clearance which I can get out of a patrol with a decent lift also some thing a bit more robust for our weekends away where we do a bit of hard stuff which the hilux has done brilliantly, originaly we were going to sell our commodore and get the prado for my wife to drive and keep the hilux but dont want the expense of running 2 4by's and not only that the commodore will be alot harder to sell and I really dont want to get rid of it now after looking in the papers I am going to get jack sh@t for it (17k/19k). We bought in new in 01 and has only done 64k so still like new, has all the gear elec/win, 4 air bags, cruise, blah blah blah, so we decided 2 nights ago that mine is going and get myself some thing bigger more powerfull for towing the camper, also the hilux is not worth as much as the commodore there for spending amount has dropped as well down to 20k instead of 25k as I want to spend 20 k on vehicle and 5k on accesories.Regards Steve M

Thanks for that Ange, much appreciated, will definately be turbo, either factory or after market. Yes definately let me know if you see or hear of anything, not in a rush still to sell my lux which I think will sell very quickly and will take my time looking for a patrol, dont want a sh@t box that has been thrashed. Regards Steve M

Thanks Barnesy, I will go the 4.2 and yes I will be patient as well as I want a good one and I'm fussy. Regards Steve M

Thanks there Coyote, going by the replys thats seems to be the consensus to go for the 4.2 over the 2.8. Thanks for your reply. Regards Steve M

here here...

my 2.8 head had a hair line crack in it which we only noticed after we sprayed some degreaser on it and it tended t stay wet in one spot for osme reason.. my local mechanic welded it up for $20. But still agree.. too small a donk for a vehicle that is over 2T empty.