3b diesel power (1 Viewer)

[MarzBj42LX]

Hi all,
This question has probably been asked a million times lol. But I’m going to ask it one more time and hopefully get the answer I want and your thoughts.
I’ve got a 1983 BJ42 Lx with 5 speed and im wanting more power. I use the car for camping and touring so it really struggles when I hit an incline/hill on the hwy or freeways especially when I’m carrying all my gear. So I need advice on the best option.
1. Turbo the 3b( I have manifold and turbo to suit)
2. Engine swap to a 13bt
3. Suck it up and pull over and let people overtake. (I do this already and have to hear down to third even second on big hills and I feel like I’m reviving it’s tits off)

Your assistance is appreciated everyone.

 

[David*BJ70]

Compare to my ex-BJ70, I found my BJ42 5spd geared with 4.11 way less sheepish.

Well, I know that will not convince you to think differently.

Other than keeping tire size at +/- 31 … turbo may be the answer … and seem that already have the kit.

 

[bcsteel]

My take,

I have a turboed 3b, very safe numbers(boost, egt), with smaller tires it barely keeps up with modern traffic but does ok. We live sea level snd small town with no crazy freeways. If I were to build up a 3b I’d put the least amount of money possible into it and shop for something more modern in the meantime. Depending on where you live you could pick a bunch of different options for your truck that are 1. Still supported. 2. Capable of more reliable power.

 

[ceylonfj40nut]

Depends on power you seek. Outside of a HDT or 12ht, most Toyota early diesels are gutless but reliable. Not sure where you live and how hilly. Consider 1UZ or 2UZ of you want to keep Toyota and want more power. My son has a an LS in his 40. Has incredible power to keep up and beat most traffic in the US. Does 75-80 mph on Colorado roads/passes. Good choice. It’s not Toyota. Great option though.

 

[MarzBj42LX]

Thanks for the input guys. I’m located in Australia. Im not fussed with needing a lot of power….I like to cruise along anyway. It’s just when I get to a hill I have to gear down to 3rd sometimes 2nd and make her scream and then I end up holding up traffic.
I’m only considering the 13bt because it’s a strait swap I believe?
I want a easy solution…I know I could go a few different options for the engine swap but there’s alot more work involved.
And plus I only want to spend about 5-6k.
Basically something that will push the car a little more to make it more comfortable to drive.

 

[bcsteel]

Being in Australia you have lots of options. 13bt, 14b, 15b, 15bt etc. most of those would be sorta direct swaps. I’d count on some head scratching and beer.

13bt would probably be the easier swap but I bet there’s a few guys on here that know more than I.

 

[Greek Cruiserhead]

Being in Australia you have lots of options. 13bt, 14b, 15b, 15bt etc. most of those would be sorta direct swaps. I’d count on some head scratching and beer.

13bt would probably be the easier swap but I bet there’s a few guys on here that know more than I.

Ditto!
Most of these engines (e.g. 14B or the 15B) can be purchased in OZ and are within your budget!
PS. Even in Greece we can get a good JDM 14B, for less than 3.500 USD/euros...

 

[MarzBj42LX]

It’s a tough decision!! I just don’t know what to do. I love the nostalgia feel of it and the struggle, it makes it part of the journey. Though when on long trips it does start to get annoying especially when the truck is fully loaded with camp gear. I don’t want to do a extreme conversion. I want a easybolt in option that’s why I’m thinking the 13bt. The question is Will there be much difference in performance between a turbocharged 3b and a stock 13bt? Which will be better to drive? I’m only leaning towards the 13bt because it’s built stock with the turbo..and the Toyota engineers prob no what they are doing instead of trying to turbo something that wasn’t meant to be turbocharged. If there will be better performance from the 13bt then i think that’s the answer. Bolt it and done and I don’t have to worry about engine issues. Plus I can keep the 3b on the side incase I want to change it back! Buttttt lol if the power will be the same then I might as well bolt the turbo on because I already have the kit.

 

[duncanrm]

Before any decisions, have you covered off on all the basics to make sure the 3B has the best chance to shine for you?

• Tyre pressures good and high
• Rolling tyre diameter as small as possible within reason (aesthetics, clearance maintained etc)
• Valve clearances bang on
• Injector Spill Timing perfect
• Injector spray patterns excellent
• Air filter in good condition
• Rolling weight as low as possible (unnecessary water, gear etc removed)
• Driving style suitable
  • Get down to a lower gear a bit before you really need to do
  • Dont let your revs drop, you'll never recover them
  • 5th gear is a waste of time mostly
  • Get a run up if you spot a hill

I tour in an unturboed 2H with a 4 speed, I'm still slow up hills but I dont care. I get from one side of Australia to the other every year and do a lot of the remote tough/long tracks. The diesels just shine in this country, so easy to maintain, diagnose and fix with no unnecessary bull**** or engine bay clutter that so many upgrades bring with them.

 

[MarzBj42LX]

Before any decisions, have you covered off on all the basics to make sure the 3B has the best chance to shine for you?

• Tyre pressures good and high
• Rolling tyre diameter as small as possible within reason (aesthetics, clearance maintained etc)
• Valve clearances bang on
• Injector Spill Timing perfect
• Injector spray patterns excellent
• Air filter in good condition
• Rolling weight as low as possible (unnecessary water, gear etc removed)
• Driving style suitable
  • Get down to a lower gear a bit before you really need to do
  • Dont let your revs drop, you'll never recover them
  • 5th gear is a waste of time mostly
  • Get a run up if you spot a hill

I tour in an unturboed 2H with a 4 speed, I'm still slow up hills but I dont care. I get from one side of Australia to the other every year and do a lot of the remote tough/long tracks. The diesels just shine in this country, so easy to maintain, diagnose and fix with no unnecessary bulls*** or engine bay clutter that so many upgrades bring with them.

Thanks for that mate. You have a good point. Maybe I should just enjoy the ride and experience. I’ll get all the things you mentioned checked and see how I go. It’s prob the cheapest option lol. Though it’s hard to find a good old school diesel mechanic that knows what they are doing. I think I might just keep it the way it is and enjoy.

 

[Irish11]

As a 3bii owner I say you just embrace the slow. There is a certain elegant charm to going way slower than modern traffic, haha. I am also in the market for a replacement motor in the future (bad blow by and my local cruiser specialist says its not looking great for the head gasket/head). In the mean time I invested in a decal to remind everyone else who is not aware of diesel Toyota's of the 3b's power.

Realistically aim for highways and not the freeways, take it slow and enjoy the scenery. As well as what duncanrm mentioned, with making sure you are setup to take advantage of the 3b's sweet spot, slower speeds and crawling where it sips on fuel and the torque carries it along. Its not a modern freeway motor for sure. That being said there are a number of people who have turbo'd them, as well as swapped them out for 13bt and 15bts.

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[Gimme a 60]

My dad had a BJ60, and he really loved it, he also put over 200,000 km on his. He says that it’s never a vehicle that you should expect to drive fast, he just enjoys the slow rumbley nature of the beast, and I too am a 3B fan for that reason. In the end I think it’s worth keeping it for the reliability.

 

[dirtyham]

Being an LX keep it 3B and drop a basic turbo setup on it, keep all the stock equipment