Experiences of ETP - Engine & Transmission Parts (esp. for 1KZ-TE Prado engine)

Submitted: Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 10:17
ThreadID: 97034 Views:4784 Replies:2 FollowUps:4
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Hi all,

Has anyone had experience with ETP Engine & Transmission Parts? My diesel 95-Series Prado (1KZ-TE engine) has a splitting headache (cracked head) and a replacement from ETP has been recommended by the mechanic - the alternative is to use a genuine one.

I want to get the head that is least likely to crack and put me in this predicament again... The genuine one is marginally more expensive and I'd happily pay the extra for some peace-of-mind but the trouble is, the genuine heads crack, hence they need to be replaced so frequently that there is a wide range of after-market heads available. My wondering is how can I tell if this particular after-market one (from ETP) will be any better than the genuine, or it is just a cheap knock-off that will be even worse?

Has anyone had experience with ETP products in general? Or even better, specifically with a replacement head for a 1KZ-TE engine in a 95-Series Prado?
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Reply By: Member - Broodie H3 - Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 14:09

Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 14:09
Just a dumb Question but what is causing the heads to crack, and for what it is worth I would be replacing with genuine, with the warrant peace of mind that comes with it.
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AnswerID: 491492

Follow Up By: tim_c - Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 14:13

Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 14:13
The only problem with that is that the genuine one's crack too! Hence there is a large contingent producing aftermarket ones, and hence I find myself needing to source a replacement one too... doesn't do much for my peace of mind.

From what I understand, the metal in time becomes 'soft' and fails at a thin point - the compression ratio on these engines is around 21:1 which means quite high operating pressures.
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Reply By: t303 - Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 19:23

Monday, Jul 23, 2012 at 19:23
AMC heads (cast in Spain?) seem to be regarded as superior, I would have got one to replace mine, but I had a genuine on the shelf. I would only use one of those two, not no-name Chinese castings. Also, I would strongly recommend (ie do it, or I'll send the boys round! ;-) ) replacing the radiator/thermostat at the same time. Running hot will kill the new one as well. I saw about a 8-10 degree temp drop after replacing the rad. An aftermarket sensor in the return hose is the only way to really know the temps as the OE gauge reads half way with temps anywhere between 65-95 degrees. If you see the OE gauge hit the red, it's already too late. Having an EGT gauge you can see the correlation between boost and water temp. Remember that your water also cools the oil cooler that cools the oil from the turbo, and trust me that it heats up surprisingly quickly under boost!
AnswerID: 491514

Follow Up By: tim_c - Tuesday, Jul 24, 2012 at 09:11

Tuesday, Jul 24, 2012 at 09:11
Thanks t303. I'd also heard AMC heads were supposed to be good, but my advice on that seemed to be mostly from UK sources, which would have a milder climate than Oz.

The radiator just went in for a proper clean out (ie. take the tank off the top, stuff rods down the cores to make sure they're all clear, etc.) and I'll be putting a new water pump and thermostat in.

Do you have any recommendations for an aftermarket temperature gauge/sensor? I was having a look at the Engine Guardian yesterday. I've also heard of the Engine Saver but they seem quite expensive for what they are.
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FollowupID: 767037

Follow Up By: t303 - Tuesday, Jul 24, 2012 at 12:37

Tuesday, Jul 24, 2012 at 12:37
My advice (and yes it might be expensive, but so are head replacements) is to get a combined gauge like the one I fitted: madman EMS2. They have a local distributor. You need to watch: boost, EGT, coolant temp. They all increase, and in that order. I have this gauge plus a 15psi boost gauge in a double binnacle screwed to the dash above the centre radio stack. You get a few extra features as well, such as oil press, voltage and excedence alarms for user set limits. It's a compact all-in-one solution. Having seen what numbers can be produced whilst towing 1.5t camper over the last 13K km, I absolutely cringe when I see people with 3.0L turbo diesels dragging around >2t caravans at speed, blissfully unaware, because the standard gauges give no indication of the conflagration within!. At the very least you need EGT and coolant temp as a priority. It is the high EGT that produces the heat that weakens the alloy head, especially if the cooling system cannot remove it. Have a search on Prado specialist forums, it is discussed over there at length. Water pump will usually be OK unless bearing noisy or leaking. generally done at the second timing belt change at 300K. But, if you do the head, you might as well do the belt. If you reuse the hydraulic tensioner (which I personally don't recommend- if you get a Gates kit from CBC it is supplied anyway) then use a drill press, not a shop press to S L O W L Y and gently push the shaft down. Constant low downward pressure does the it. If the tensioner lets go it is usually terminal. It's starting to sound like a tutorial now, so I'll just shut up ;-)
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FollowupID: 767052

Follow Up By: tim_c - Wednesday, Jul 25, 2012 at 15:49

Wednesday, Jul 25, 2012 at 15:49
Thanks again t303. I just ordered a coolant temperature gauge with digital read-out. Not sure I'll need a boost gauge as the turbo doesn't have variable vanes so I'm not sure that it can over-boost?

I also got my new thermostat today but it's rated at 180°F/82°C (the one I removed from the engine the other day was 76°C) - I note it is in the bottom radiator hose so probably should be using a cooler thermostat.

I've also ordered new timing belt & tensioner kit - will note your advice about installation as I had one go weak on my last car (Jackaroo). It wasn't terminal in that case though - it mustn't have slipped any teeth. I just had the timing belt rattling around loose inside the covers and wondered why it sounded so rattley! Replaced tensioner and all was okay again.

Instead of potentially breaching chit-chat rule, perhaps we can continue this conversation by email - just email me at my username at hotmail.com, cheers.
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FollowupID: 767169

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