Hello new guy here

[TOMMYTIME]

hello new guy here i have a 92 bj73 (correct me if i got that wrong) with a blown head gasket / cracked head so first thing i am going to do is deal with that i searched for. write up on this and did not see one. i came across a list of basic parts for the job
can i order those from my local toyota dealer?

 

[coldtaco]

I doubt you have a BJ 73, if it is it would be one of the last. post up a picture of the data tag on the drivers side of the firewall.

 

[Gun Runner 5]

hello new guy here i have a 92 bj73 (correct me if i got that wrong) with a blown head gasket / cracked head so first thing i am going to do is deal with that i searched for. write up on this and did not see one. i came across a list of basic parts for the job
can i order those from my local toyota dealer?

When you get your camera loaded with film feel free to post here also …….

Registry - U.S. 70's Registration.

I realize this has been tried before but with the increasing number of 70 Series in the U.S., I thought I would give it another shot. If you live in the U.S. ( nothing personal Canada ) and own a 70 Series can you post the type and state in which you reside. Feel free to post a photo. Hopefully...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[AirheadNut]

I believe the Spanish, VM-powered 73-Series in the early 1990’s were also called a BJ73. Given that this one has cylinder head and head gasket issues I would hazard a guess that’s what it is.

@TOMMYTIME is it a Turbodiesel? 4, 5 or 6 cylinders? A photo or two would be great.

 

[coldtaco]

I believe the Spanish, VM-powered 73-Series in the early 1990’s were also called a BJ73. Given that this one has cylinder head and head gasket issues I would hazard a guess that’s what it is.

@TOMMYTIME is it a Turbodiesel? 4, 5 or 6 cylinders? A photo or two would be great.

didn't realize early 90's Spanish where still called BJ-73 with the VM motor.

 

[TOMMYTIME]

I doubt you have a BJ 73, if it is it would be one of the last. post up a picture of the data tag on the drivers side of the firewall.

ah ok thanks

 

[TOMMYTIME]

didn't realize early 90's Spanish where still called BJ-73 with the VM motor.

its about 35 minutes from my home at the moment i will get some pics

 

[TOMMYTIME]

When you get your camera loaded with film feel free to post here also …….

Registry - U.S. 70's Registration.

I realize this has been tried before but with the increasing number of 70 Series in the U.S., I thought I would give it another shot. If you live in the U.S. ( nothing personal Canada ) and own a 70 Series can you post the type and state in which you reside. Feel free to post a photo. Hopefully...

forum.ih8mud.com

lol i actually cobble all of my pics from slate using a chisel

the rig is a 4 cylinder turbo diesel stick ... why is a b73 so rare ok what mistake did i make here lol

 

[FJBen]

lol i actually cobble all of my pics from slate using a chisel

the rig is a 4 cylinder turbo diesel stick ... why is a b73 so rare ok what mistake did i make here lol

A factory 4cyl turbo diesel can only be:

BJ74 - they didn’t make that in 1992. 89 was last as far as I know.

BJ71 - short wheelbase 13bt turbo diesel motor.

Or

A 92 could be a Spain model with the vm 2.5 turbo diesel

Or

My guess it Could be an LJ73 with the 2LT 4cyl turbo.

Or could possibly be a 3b with aftermarket turbo.




A picture or 2 would clear everything up right away.

 

[TOMMYTIME]

thank you for the info
will post pics soon

 

[paul r]

Welcome. What are your plans for the engine?

If it is a VM it isn't likely worth repairing. Planning to swap something else in?

 

[TOMMYTIME]

Here are some pics of the rig i did get it started and drove it 15 feet

 

[TOMMYTIME]

more pictures i have not verified the cracked head / gasket situation is this thing registerable in cali?
any idea what its worth ? they do have the rear glass
and where can i buy parts from?
thank you guys in advance

 

[TOMMYTIME]

Welcome. What are your plans for the engine?

If it is a VM it isn't likely worth repairing. Planning to swap something else in?

thank you!
no plans for the motor and i'm not really interested in any kind of swap not at this point.
i was told it is geared high so id like to make it more free way friendly
and i saw that it has ac so id like to redo all of that . i have a background in automotive repair
and i am i am well versed in electrical ac ect.
i'm by no means a diesel guy but can repair anything with a motor.
what is a vm motor is that the 5 cylinder ?
according to the speed-0 the thing has 65k ish miles i would be inclined to make it live vs. pulling its heart out.
just out of curiosity what are perspective engine swaps? 4bt?

 

[TOMMYTIME]

are the light guards and bumper guards factory ?? what about those wagon wheels?
the tag does say bj73 the motor is a 4 banger turbo is it safe to say that is not the original motor?
the P.O. did say it was imported from spain

 

[AirheadNut]

Unfortunately that is the VM Motori engine, likely the HR 588. They have a reputation for being very unreliable due in part to their individual cylinder heads causing head gasket problems. Most, if not all, of the VM powered Cruisers that get to the States will get swapped eventually.

That said, there are some really good things about that rig. It looks fairly clean from a rust standpoint, has AC, and has the removable door tops and folding windshield, which is pretty rare. Being LHD is also a plus in the US.

I am not well versed in California emissions laws and regulations, but would hazard a guess that it would be quite difficult to register in stock form. Were it to be engine swapped, it would have to be to something that would conform to regulations and pass emissions, likely a newer gas engine, or perhaps something like the new Cummins R2.8.

If it were mine I'd do another VW TDI swap into it; with a bit of tuning it would go down the road with plenty of power and get 25-30mpg.

 

[Felde]

are the light guards and bumper guards factory ?? what about those wagon wheels?
the tag does say bj73 the motor is a 4 banger turbo is it safe to say that is not the original motor?
the P.O. did say it was imported from spain

The last builds of the BJ73 were done under license from Toyota in Portugal, using the VM engine. The rigs were sold pretty much only in Portugal and Spain, on the Canary islands and some in France. So yes, it is an original build.
There were some accessories available from factory, but the bumper and light guards are most likely aftermarket, I guess.
Wheels (rims) are factory.
I second @AirheadNut.
The truck appears to be complete and has some rare parts on it.
It has rollcage and rear seats. That's also rare. Most trucks were setup as vans w/o rear seats.
Doorcards and even the carpet look good and I don't see much rust. (Please share some pictures of the frame and undercarriage, axles, knuckles, tank, brakelines, underside of doors, wheel arches.)
Check for the AC compressor: R12 still or already converted to R134a?
The VM engine family comes from Italy and is kind of a universal beast that was used in a lot of applications, many of those in agriculture.
The engine has about 116hp. Parts are available in Europe but may be scarce in US.
Except for the engine you might have a juwel that just needs some polishing.
Very interesting. Would be great to see this rig coming back to life in a build thread.
Cheers Ralf

 

[FJBen]

Yep, vm engine with a pretty bad reliability record.
Has 5 cylinder heads, they tend to leak/blow and are genuinely unreliable. Need a special jig to allign them properly. Its not worth the time and money to fix only to have to fix again. According to some sources: 98hp at 4000rpm 162tq 2600rpm

There is a reason everyone swaps these. Basically they are junk and unreliable.


That said, the rig looks great. Factory 1/2 doors front and rear are great and rare. Some rubbing compound or other paint treatment will have the outside looking new.

 

[TOMMYTIME]

so whats it worth ?
bummer about the motor are they really that bad ?
what is the engine swap of choice ?
does it share the same transmission bolt pattern as say a 22re ?
there is zero cancer that i noticed an i didnt realize it had half doors up front
any body in ca actually register one of these??

so how long does a valve job last for ?

 

[paul r]

Motor is a bit of a bummer if you didn't know what you were getting and not planning to swap, since eventually they almost all do. But honestly a 3B has a lot to be desired if you intend to drive on the freeway so it isn't a real gem in my mind. But as others have said the rest of the vehicle has some good things about it assuming they are in good shape.

A 22-RE is not a direct bolt in but anything can be done. Would need an adapter, but I'm sure it has been done somewhere.

I'm not 100% sure but I would guess it is an H55 (not sure on input shaft flavor probably fine spline) so Toyota engine swaps that would bolt in would be anything B Type. Best of those would be 13BT or 15BT/FT/FTE I would think. 1HZ or 1HDT/FT/FTE are also great options. Sky is the limit outside of that and is only bounded by budget and creativity.

My understanding is that California will not be cheap, quick, or easy to do correctly and going through the CARB modification and EPA certification process I have heard it can cost $7-10k to get it through the only real legitimate path with California Environmental Engineering. All the other process leave some exposure in my opinion.

If you had dreams of building it up on a budget and registering it in CA it may be a bit of a bubble burst. If you are willing to invest the time and money it takes to do it right I think it is a dream vehicle.