76BJ 4cyl diesel engine blown, what do I swap it with?

[76BJ40CR]

Ok, so for starters, I’m working in Germany and my 76 BJ40 is in Costa Rica with my wife’s family. The 4cyl diesel engine blew and they can’t find the parts to fix it. I want to have the engine swapped, but it needs to be a full kit if possible. It needs to be something a decent shop in Costa Rica can install without too much trouble or custom fabrication. Willing to go auto or manual transmission but leaning towards auto. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[76BJ40CR]

Added pic of our BJ:

Ok, so for starters, I’m working in Germany and my 76 BJ40 is in Costa Rica with my wife’s family. The 4cyl diesel engine blew and they can’t find the parts to fix it. I want to have the engine swapped, but it needs to be a full kit if possible. It needs to be something a decent shop in Costa Rica can install without too much trouble or custom fabrication. Willing to go auto or manual transmission but leaning towards auto. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[mattressking]

Being in Costa Rica - find another B series and drop it in....anything more will be a headache if you're overseas. If anything ship a B series from a surrounding SA country as that is a very commonly used motor. You can also look at a B series from a 70 series as well.

 

[76BJ40CR]

Being in Costa Rica - find another B series and drop it in....anything more will be a headache if you're overseas. If anything ship a B series from a surrounding SA country as that is a very commonly used motor. You can also look at a B series from a 70 series as well.

I hear you, but I would really love to put a modern gas engine and transmission in it. There has to be a kit for a Chevy 350 or V6 that someone makes, I just don’t know where to look.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I'd suggest you start by finding a reputable shop in Costa Rica first. They ought to have some idea of what it costs to fix/swap and source something local

 

[charliemeyer007]

Try Advanced Adapters for v8 conversion stuff

Advance Adapters - Advance Adapters

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www.advanceadapters.com

 

[76BJ40CR]

I'd suggest you start by finding a reputable shop in Costa Rica first. They ought to have some idea of what it costs to fix/swap and source something local

We have a long time mechanic that the family uses, but I think this might be beyond his scope. You’re probably right about finding a specialty shop. I’ll have the wife start asking around.

 

[45Dougal]

You'll save a good amount of work by not switching fuels.
How about a more modern toyota 6 cyl diesel turbo?

Depends on your ethos I guess. Why do you have a 40? Because it's exceptionally robust in all respects? Because you can drive it virtually anywhere?
Or because it looks pretty and cool, and reliability, durability, and epic survival is irrelevant?

 

[76BJ40CR]

You'll save a good amount of work by not switching fuels.
How about a more modern toyota 6 cyl diesel turbo?

Depends on your ethos I guess. Why do you have a 40? Because it's exceptionally robust in all respects? Because you can drive it virtually anywhere?
Or because it looks pretty and cool, and reliability, durability, and epic survival is irrelevant?

I love everything about our 40! The fact it was my wife’s grandfather’s since 76 is awesome! It has been all over CR. The problem is sourcing parts for the old diesel engines there. A newer Toyota turbo diesel is not off the table. I do love the fact that the old diesel needs no electronics and is basically EMP proof.

 

[Living in the Past]

V8 would not be as easy as another B engine. 3B? The transmission input shaft on the B engine will be harder an adapter. Not sure about Germany but in the US if you planned to import it later a petrol in a diesel 40 series would not be allowed. May sneak in a close diesel could work but can't fuels can't convince it the original engine .

 

[45Dougal]

The diesel engine is a very specific sound, and feel. If you like the heritage, then changing that might take away a lot of the experience.
Seems like there are plenty of 1HZ about, or better a 1HD-T if you can find one. Even a 2H from a 60 series are still viable to maintain if you want to go that old

 

[FJBen]

As said, a B series , 3B, 13bt, 14b, 14bt, 15 should “bolt in”.

Unless you get a killer deal, I would skip a 3B unless it’s a much newer well maintained one.

13bt are great, but getting older.

14b/bt would be great. Should be plenty of parts still left and respond well to turbo if it’s just the 14b.


There will be some mods needed possibly on radiator/hoses etc, but the big one may be the transmission. I’m not sure if the older bj40 transmission bolts up to the newer B series. You could always swap the h55f/split case but then it would be a bigger project, however still less than a V8/6cyl diesel swap.

I agree looking for drive trains out of a 70 series.

 

[76BJ40CR]

As said, a B series , 3B, 13bt, 14b, 14bt, 15 should “bolt in”.

Unless you get a killer deal, I would skip a 3B unless it’s a much newer well maintained one.

13bt are great, but getting older.

14b/bt would be great. Should be plenty of parts still left and respond well to turbo if it’s just the 14b.


There will be some mods needed possibly on radiator/hoses etc, but the big one may be the transmission. I’m not sure if the older bj40 transmission bolts up to the newer B series. You could always swap the h55f/split case but then it would be a bigger project, however still less than a V8/6cyl diesel swap.

I agree looking for drive trains out of a 70 series.

Would you recommend just buying a 70 series donor vehicle with a good B series turbo engine and use the whole drivetrain and axles? I wonder how much of a headache that would be?

 

[45Dougal]

I thought the 2H fits straight onto the 3B gearbox.. what does your vin plate say on the transmission row?

 

[76BJ40CR]

I thought the 2H fits straight onto the 3B gearbox.. what does your vin plate say on the transmission row?

I don’t have the vehicle here with me, it’s in Costa Rica. We need to gather all that info still. I did find a shop in CR that specializes in the Old Toyotas and can do the work if needed, so hopefully they are not crazy expensive!

 

[1MOA]

When you say "blew" what specifically happened? Did it blow a head gasket and it was shut down quickly? Spun a main bearing, Fuel injector pump?

 

[76BJ40CR]

When you say "blew" what specifically happened? Did it blow a head gasket and it was shut down quickly? Spun a main bearing, Fuel injector pump?

From what I have had translated to me, it sounds like a main bearing that damaged the crank beyond repair and they cannot find a crankshaft for that engine otherwise it would probably just get rebuilt. Personally I prefer to take the opportunity to add an engine that makes more power as it was so underpowered it wasn’t safe to drive in traffic because it was so damn slow to accelerate. Add in any climb uphill and you have a line of cars waiting behind you.

 

[PEOPLES]

I don’t have the vehicle here with me, it’s in Costa Rica. We need to gather all that info still. I did find a shop in CR that specializes in the Old Toyotas and can do the work if needed, so hopefully they are not crazy expensive!

Well, to fix a old Toyota there is no "old Toyota Spezialist" needed. Sometimes the shady workshops have some creative ideas

Down here in Brazil, they still fixing about anything and repair stuff, you would never think of being repairable. I would first look for a workshop, ask them, they should ask some engine specialist and have a look.
I saw holes in the block and head being "fixed", looked like %§$"§ but worked.

The 14b is/was common in Brazil, but we also run the OM314 and OM364 in the J4 chassis.

 

[AussieHJCruza]

The easiest swap will be another B engine. The next easiest will be 3B, 13BT, 14BT etc etc.

The H/F input shaft is different to the B input shaft.

If you go with the newer B iterations, just investigate the flywheel/clutch situation because I'm recalling (Maybe incorrectly) that the later engines have a different flywheel bolt pattern which you'd want to ensure you can get a flywheel/clutch that will fit in the bellhousing, bolt to the engine and mate up to the transmission input shaft.

 

[1MOA]

find a 13bt engine clutch and transmission and drop it in.