Friday, Oct 24, 2003 at 08:36
Truckster,
The GU2 3.0l has an identical gearbox to the 4.2 GU2.
The ones in 4.2 have been failing as
well.
When my 5th gear went I asked to inspect the stripped box. There was an issue with the 5th gear cog where it was splined onto the main shaft. The replacement cog has a longer boss at the spline (about 1/3 bigger). IMHO it was also a problem of manufacturing tolerances where there was insufficient interference in the fit between the 2 components (Ie the fit was not tight enough). Mine failed at 72k's and has since done 70k's without any issues.
The gentleman mentioned above is certainly knowledgable on the subject.
I would comment that the Patrol G/box otherwise is built like the proverbial outhouse.
As for the motors there have been some issues certainly with the GU2 versions which Nissan have honoured - my motor was replaced at 140k's. It does seem that more work is needed to make the 3.0l more bullet proof. As for the size thing - there are thousands of these size motors in the 2-3t delivery trucks doing a mighty job each day. Nissan has to improve matters in this department.
As for towing - the 3.0l will easily handle a large camper - however that said there is a need to keep them spinning above 2-2500rpm or they will bog down big time. (I have the manual)
I concur with other comments re the 3.0l on road being more lively than the 4.2T - have chased a few - the pickup is far better. This is especially true at 100kph. After all apart from the torque band in the 4.2 coming in at 1000rpm versus 2000rpm for the 3.0L the HP and Torque outputs are virtually identical.
Things in life are often a compromise and technology advances. For a new vehicle a 7 grand saving is hard to ignore (plus additional service costs for the 5k oil changes). For people who buy new and run to 100k's then VFM the 3.0l is hard to beat.
As for the problems -
well that happens to everyone (eg the 80 series or the Hilux 2.8 etc - I guess that the Customer is now the QA department for a lot of manufacturers)
For long term ownership and serious offroad and towing - yes the 4.2T comes to the fore based on PAST experiences. I do not have any info regarding the longevity of the new intercooled 4.2T and the electronic injection as they have only been about for the last 12mths or so. It is difficult to ignore past performances, however the I/C4.2 is somewhat of an unproven identity. Much the same as one should buy a Commodore because it won
Bathurst this year sort of stuff.
If you have any comments to add to this
forum for the GU3 3.0l or the GU3 I/C 4.2T, I would be glad to hear them.
Regards
Pete G
FollowupID:
25252