1HD-T Engine Failure - Calgary, AB - Advice/Tips welcome!! (2 Viewers)

[OGBeno]

Thanks. It seems like a really good community here, I do appreciate all the feedback I've been offered.

It's tough to stay positive after owning this HDJ for 2 months, sinking $4k into maintenance, and then having the engine let go. I'm not a machinist nor a millionaire, and even Audi's/VW's I've owned in the past (2.7t's and VR6's) haven't fxxxed me like this. I will probably sell it after the engine is fixed and move on. I've read some good things about UZJ100's.

I don't blame you bro.

Fact of the matter is that owning 20-30 year old Land Cruisers is becoming more and more difficult because of age, neglect, and well, in all honesty, these vehicles do take a lot of money to maintain.

Get something newer and be significantly more happy.

 

[77cruiser77]

On the contrary you won't get your money back after a rebuild and there is something to be said for an engine you know the history of. These engines when maintained properly are extremely reliable.

Another vehicle could be another unknown.

All Landcruisers are expensive to own but once everything is as it should it's just a matter of oil changes after that

 

[sailor]

....Unless something else takes a dump...

 

[MonsterCruiser]

On the contrary you won't get your money back after a rebuild and there is something to be said for an engine you know the history of. These engines when maintained properly are extremely reliable.

Another vehicle could be another unknown.

All Landcruisers are expensive to own but once everything is as it should it's just a matter of oil changes after that

Exactly my thought as well. I know it's tough to stomach after it's caused so much pain, but you could be further ahead by just keeping it after the rebuild.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Sell it, you will never have the same faith in it you once had.

 

[Rock40]

Sell it, you will never have the same faith in it you once had.

I don't agree. After the engine is rebuilt, he should be VERY confident in the vehicle. Crap happens, he's fixing it, he'll have a much better understanding of the truck once it's all back together. Personally, I'd keep the darn thing.

 

[B Point]

I'd seriously be contemplating John's offer.....Sell the bummed lump for parts. Previously cracked and replaced heads screams "throw in the towel" to me. Selling off the head, block and whatever internals that are still viable, injectors, pump, turbo... some good cash there if liquidated even if they themselves need to be serviced. OR... keep them as spares. Christ you're in this deep which isn't really all that bad considering the price of a new LandCruiser, and they ain't no 80 Series..that's for sure.

 

[Douglas S]

I think the people that say these vehicles are (typically speaking) expensive to run/maintain haven't actually owned a vehicle that is expensive to run/maintain.

My truck has not been expensive in the slightest, and that's including a lot of unnecessary maintenance.

 

[absalom]

I think the people that say these vehicles are (typically speaking) expensive to run/maintain haven't actually owned a vehicle that is expensive to run/maintain.

My truck has not been expensive in the slightest, and that's including a lot of unnecessary maintenance.

Agree completely, try owning a N54 BMW. My HDJ81 is practically free to maintain when compared with that motor.

 

[wrongway around]

What a drag about the head being pooched. That was a new head not just a rebuild . I'd hold off until someone who atually knows what there doing looks into it instead of running it through the gears and guessing.

 

[Malahki]

I had a very similiar experience with the HDJ81 I bought (sight unseen). It turned out it had a bad motor too. So after lots of stress exploring my options and trying to decide what to do with it, I chose the rebuild route....

Lots of time, money and more stress involved. Bottom line I wish I had cut my losses in the beganing or held out for an entire parts vehichle. You will never recover your initial investment and will only get into it deeper and deeper the farther you go. After all do you really want to put that old turbo ect.. back on a freshly rebuilt motor?? Even patching it back together as cheap as possible and dumping it on someone else (thats what happened to me), will still take time and money and your just screwing the next guy. So unless you love that particular truck your best bet is to sell it as is or part it out.

That said if you choose to rebuild like I did you could potentially end up with a great truck. But theirs still lots of other issues that could pop up. Also if rebuilding be prepaired for the unexpected. Everytime you discover you need something new its going to add up to more $$ and could add a week or more time to the build. I bought my rebuild kit through engines Australia but I cant say enough good things about Akella (Yan @ Cruiser Addiction) and John at Radd Cruisers for helping me source all the extras and unexpected bits and pieces.

Good luck whatever you decide

 

[wrongway around]

Oh and it has good front and rear lockers.

 

[sailor]

Yep- If you are unprepared to get completely financially upside down in this thing, I would cut and run. Unless, of course, you have an absurd emotional attachment to it. None of us suffer from that.

If, like me, the 'emotional attachment' diminishes to the point of 'meh..', you will find yourself with an immensely expensive, poor performing suv that you could sell for a fraction of your investment.

It is a 24 year old car with no reliable doccumentation regarding it's history, mileage etc. These things are not magic.

 

[zipdoa]

Been mulling it over lots lately. If the truck was mint inside and out with low K, I'd probably keep it and rebuild. The more I think about it, the less sense it makes to put a freshly rebuilt $10,000 motor into a mediocre 80-series shell, with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

I think parting it out makes the most sense. It has locker, fridge/freezer, and all the motor bits that could scare up some good money.

I'm also eyeing a 2007 LX470 at this point. I'm thinking the newer the better.

 

[Elbert]

Its a hard call to determine when to cut your losses and stop the bleeding and consider other options. The major issue with the diesel rebuilds is the price point of the rebuild vs. the actual cost of the entire vehicle. If you go upside down in the truck....would only do it if you planned to keep it "forever"...otherwise probably best to move on to another project. Also if you're going to do a rebuild you might as well go "all-in" and do it right, which of course with a yota diesel is going to be crazy $$.

You might consider other engine options or call it a day and move on...and sell off what you have now.

 

[zipdoa]

Its a hard call to determine when to cut your losses and stop the bleeding and consider other options. The major issue with the diesel rebuilds is the price point of the rebuild vs. the actual cost of the entire vehicle. If you go upside down in the truck....would only do it if you planned to keep it "forever"...otherwise probably best to move on to another project. Also if you're going to do a rebuild you might as well go "all-in" and do it right, which of course with a yota diesel is going to be crazy $$.

You might consider other engine options or call it a day and move on...and sell off what you have now.

The truck isn't special enough in any regard for me to consider doing a complete resto. If it was a 97 LHD with a 1HD-FT, it would be a different story, but these early hdj81's are relatively common and IMO it doesn't make sense to resto this RHD 1990 cruiser.

 

[zipdoa]

So I was just offered $6k for the truck. I think I'm gonna take it. What a rough ride... hopefully the next time I post it will be a positive experience with a 100-series!

 

[IanB]

So I was just offered $6k for the truck. I think I'm gonna take it. What a rough ride... hopefully the next time I post it will be a positive experience with a 100-series!

That's a great offer! I was getting people who thought I was asking too much when I had a complete 1HD-T driveline with a GOOD engine, and whatever was left of the truck after I parted it (complete, rolling, driving unit, no lockers, or anything else that was worth removing) for $8k. Take it and run IMO.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Agreed take it and run. That's a solid deal.

 

[rustybucket]

If you take it into a shop make sure the cranke is align bored and the engine is hot tanked. BTW, did the timing belt shred? it is suspect? send it to the manufacture for a second professional opinion. I just took my 84 bj60 to Rad Cruisers and he was shocked how smooth my engine ran at 475,000 kms.