1HZ auto to manual conversion.

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C

Crazy Dragon

10 Year
Joined
Sep 29, 2012
Threads
8
Messages
32
Someone's selling a HZJ77 auto. It's a top spec with diff locks ,sunroof and even has a winch on it. But the only problem is it's auto. I'm looking for a manual one. But you all know how rare HZJ77 are and this one is within my budget.

Has anyone done a auto trans to manual trans conversion before? Is it very very complicated and expensive?

This truck is in New Zealand. I haven't seen many HZJ77 pop up. The first one I saw was super tidy but super expensive. The 2nd one I saw was not even running but it was still sold after 1 day. Now this one comes up and it's quite untidy cosmetically but still drivable.

I can't decide if I should buy this one and convert it to a manual, or wait a little more to get a tidier manual KZJ78.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/toyota/landcruiser/auction-574141451.htm

PS: It's not possible to import them anymore so if I want a HZJ77 I only have the option of getting one which is already in the country.
 
Different position of the cross member, need to source out the clutch and brake pedal. (Auto has larger size pedal pad).
Auto = longer front shaft and shorter rear shaft
Manual = shorter front shaft and longer rear shaft
Flywheel, clutch cover......etc:bang::bang:
Expensive:crybaby::crybaby:
 
Problem is I'm not sure how much the labour will cost. I don't have the know-how to DIY. I suppose I can get the parts for roughly $2k from a wrecker.

I think the price of conversion is starting to deter me back to my KZJ78 goal again. There's a manual one with it's head just done recently that I've been eyeing.. But the dealer is asking for a high price and it's too far away from where I am. Maybe next time...
 
I'm not sure where you are, but I suspect it would be pretty easy to find someone in the Middle East with a manual 71/76/79 who would trade their manual kit for the auto parts. I constantly hear people here say that it their only complaint about the 70 series is that they only come in Manual.

Of course I'm ignoring the fact that 1hz's are pretty rare here so maybe it wouldn't be so easy after all.

Maybe someone local to you with a manual wants an auto?
 
My feeling is that the electronic A442F automatic in the HZJ77 is very well suited to the vehicle and the 1HZ in terms of gearing and reliability combined with the low end torque of the 1HZ - Personally, this is one of the very few applications where I think the automatic transmission is a better choice than the manual. The auto also has taller gearing for the notoriously under-geared 5 speeds that come with these vehicles - you will be able to maintain better highway speeds with the auto.

As for the KZJ78 - what the hell are you thinking?! Don't waste your time with that POS 1KZTE engine.

~John
 
I really don't understand why everyone hates the 1KZTE so much. It's such a popular engine in NZ. 1HZ is common but not as common as 1KZ.

I guess if it feels really sluggish I could always chuck a turbo on it in the future.

What should I look for before I purchase this truck? Are there any common problems with the HZJ77? It's such a rare truck that I couldn't find any common problems on the internet. Anything to look out for the autobox? I might send someone to go evaluate the truck today or tomorrow.
 
Crazy Dragon said:
I really don't understand why everyone hates the 1KZTE so much. It's such a popular engine in NZ. 1HZ is common but not as common as 1KZ.

I guess if it feels really sluggish I could always chuck a turbo on it in the future.

What should I look for before I purchase this truck? Are there any common problems with the HZJ77? It's such a rare truck that I couldn't find any common problems on the internet. Anything to look out for the autobox? I might send someone to go evaluate the truck today or tomorrow.
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1KZTE don't get the best rep in north america much like the prado's themselves. I know they are extremely common but the heads have cracking issues, more so in the 2L-T series engines. The 1KZTE has an electronic fuel pump. These are expensive as hell and a pain in the ass to get fixed. You can't beat the simplicity of a mechanical injected engine.

I honestly think you will be really happy with an HZJ77. I love mine to death, I have a manual though. I would run the auto but the manual is more fun to drive. I wouldn't consider it being a totally bad thing with having an auto.

Things to look for. I would check out all the fluid first. Ask the owner if he has ever had the overheated transmission light go off on this truck, this usually indicates that the valve body may be cooked. I would pull the flares off to have a quick look to make sure it is not rusting under them.
If those check out I would run it. Starting price is excellent not to mention it has factory diff locks. Highly desirable.

I don't think you can go wrong at all.
 
I've never heard of electronic fuel pump failing in NZ. I know the head cracking issue is inevitable but usually happens after 200,000km mark. It depends a lot on luck, but most of the time if it's replaced, it will last quite long again.

Yeah I reckon manuals are more fun too. But to be honest, when people started importing HZJ77, manuals fetch low value for resale. And that was the period of time where auto = luxury. 10 years later, everyone wants a manual. If the truck I'm interested in is a manual, I wouldn't even have a chance because it's going to go up to 12k or more.

The problem is.. I won't be able to go check out the truck physically. It's too far from where I live so I'll most probably send AA to go have an inspection for me.

Is it expensive to fix the valve body? And I'm guessing the hub locks aren't working so I'll have to factor that into my budget too to have it fixed.
 
Crazy Dragon said:
What should I look for before I purchase this truck? Are there any common problems with the HZJ77? It's such a rare truck that I couldn't find any common problems on the internet. Anything to look out for the autobox? I might send someone to go evaluate the truck today or tomorrow.
Click to expand...

It shares all of its parts with other 7* series which have been around since 1984,so its well proven .
They just dont have any inherent problems.
Look for cracks in the front doors.
Make sure the wheel arches are not full of mud
Check for patched up rust around the windscreen,roof and firewall

As to your dilemna with the auto,I would just go ahead and buy it.If you cant get use to it,look around for bits from a HZJ75.
I think you could sell the auto bits for a tidy sum to the right buyer as they are relatively rare in this part of the world.
Aviod using the parts off a HZJ78/79 series,they maybe cheaper but they are not in the same league.
 
roscoFJ73 said:
It shares all of its parts with other 7* series which have been around since 1984,so its well proven .
They just dont have any inherent problems.
Look for cracks in the front doors.
Make sure the wheel arches are not full of mud
Check for patched up rust around the windscreen,roof and firewall

As to your dilemna with the auto,I would just go ahead and buy it.If you cant get use to it,look around for bits from a HZJ75.
I think you could sell the auto bits for a tidy sum to the right buyer as they are relatively rare in this part of the world.
Aviod using the parts off a HZJ78/79 series,they maybe cheaper but they are not in the same league.
Click to expand...

Buy the 77 forget the prado, trust us.
At 6500 bucks that thing is cheap cheap and will outlast the prado. I honestly think you will get a better resale on the 77 in years to come as opposed to the prado. Plus the 1hz's are absolutely bullet proof.

you can get an extreme valve body out of australia for 1k and make the thing bullet proof. If its never been overheated I wouldn't worry about it at all. Just drive it. Look at getting an EGT and a trans temp gauge at some point.
 
Hmm.. Of course I'll have to factor in that this auction has a chance of becoming a bidding war lol.

How much are you guys willing to pay for this truck? $6500 is only the starting bid, so people can still bid it till it's quite high.

It's really too bad that it's so far away. So I'll be taking a huge risk here as I will never know if there are any existing problems with it now.
 
Crazy Dragon said:
I really don't understand why everyone hates the 1KZTE so much. It's such a popular engine in NZ. 1HZ is common but not as common as 1KZ.

[...]
Click to expand...

Because the low mileage ones we see in the Surf, the Prado and the HiAce are running about about 100% failures of the cylinder head. We only have a small customer base with the 1KZTE powered vehicles, but with the exception of one unit, all the ones that come to mind have needed a new cylinder head.

Also, the electronic injection pump is a pain in the butt to deal with - it's really quite good when it's working well, but when it's not... oh, boy.

The 1HZ is a much heavier duty engine, and the vehicle is far superior in many ways in terms of ruggedness.

~John
 
I'm trying to contact the seller for some questions. Hopefully he will get back to me asap. I want to send an AA inspector to go evaluate the truck for me. I'll keep everyone posted for the results.

How much do you guys reckon I should pay for the truck?

Right now I only know that:
- Few dents, few scratches.
- Front hub locks not working.
- Driver's seat ripped slightly.
- No rust/rust repairs (I highly doubt there's no rust).

Hopefully I'll get some more questions answered soon to make a better decision since I can't inspect it personally.
 
Crazy Dragon said:
I'm trying to contact the seller for some questions. Hopefully he will get back to me asap. I want to send an AA inspector to go evaluate the truck for me. I'll keep everyone posted for the results.

How much do you guys reckon I should pay for the truck?

Right now I only know that:
- Few dents, few scratches.
- Front hub locks not working.
- Driver's seat ripped slightly.
- No rust/rust repairs (I highly doubt there's no rust).

Hopefully I'll get some more questions answered soon to make a better decision since I can't inspect it personally.
Click to expand...

Honestly they don't come cheap out of Japan.
What do prado's in similar condition sell for over there? Use that as a comparison.
Hubs can be converted over with HZJ7* hubs to manual locking hubs, I have done this without a hitch. You could also just convert those hubs with a little kit on here for $20 from a forum member.
Depends on how you feel about it.
 
2L Prados are worth around 3 to 4k even in good condition. Kzj Prados are probably worth around 6k at these kms and year. But good condition prado can fetch roughly 8 to 10k. I'm only talking about autos since this hzj77 is an auto. Manuals are usually roughly 50% more expensive than their auto counterparts. (I've seen manual KZJ78 bidded up to 13.5k before)

The only problem is NZ don't allow importation of HZJ77 anymore. Not even the newer HZJ76.

I don't really know much about the pricing of HZJ77 as there are none to compare with. I might offer him around 7k for a buy now to see if he's willing to part. At most I can offer is 8k as I suspect I will need to spend quite a bit more to fix it up. It's drivable but I think at this age, things are pretty much starting to fall apart.

Do you think I'm dreaming for asking it at this price? Or is it reasonable?
 
i don't think that is out of the question.
Might as well ask. Worst he can say is no.
Just make sure it checks out and your happy with it.
Pay what you want and you feel its worth. Its worth more than a prado but if you can get it for reasonable price point of a prado why not.
 
it shouldn't be much to fix the hubs, depending if you want to convert the current electric ones to manual with a cheap kit or go to the extent on swapping different hubs and such on to make it like the other cruisers.
 
Just gave him a call to talk things over. Apparently he just had it for 3 - 4 months as he got it for a part-trade with a boat. He's driven it and it seems fine. Nothing's showing up yet so far.

Uploaded a 2nd set of photos.. I'm quite discouraged now. It looks quite battered. I would be spending quite a lot to make it look good again.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/toyota/landcruiser/auction-574141451.htm

What do you think Foreal Boreal? He said he's looking for around 7.5k and another 600 to get it send to my place.. Still worth it?
 
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