Isuzu Trooper diesel...yay or nay?? (1 Viewer)

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83 chif

83 chif

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Sep 11, 2007
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I found a diesel isuzu trooper for sale, and i read about them on mud before, and a bit on the net, but i'm just looking for more input. It's a 1990 with an 86' 2.2L turbo 5 speed, 4 door, 4x4. Great interior and straight rust free body and rust free frame. What do you think it's worth? I'm probably going to get rid of my 4runner to pick this up. I haven't seen a diesel trooper for sale before, but I wasn't really looking either. Just want to know what a fair price would be and what your general input is about the truck...

How durable are they? tough axles?? durable IFS?? what usually breaks on these guys?

thanks for any input....
 
??

anyone know how decent the low range is with stock size tires? does isuzu use their own axles? i'm going to search the net, but just figured i'd ask...
 
They had serious teething problems, which is why you never, ever, see them anymore. Can't remember for sure, but I think it was the head gasket that went south. I'd do serious research before I'd abandon a 4runer (or anything else) for this turd.
 
that's it?

only one negative response...that's not good. but i have heard about that problem before, and i was told they corrected it, but i'm trying to figure out if the motor i'm looking at is the early ones that blew up, or the later corrected ones. thanks for the info...

anyone have anything to say about em?
 
83 chif said:
I found a diesel isuzu trooper for sale, and i read about them on mud before, and a bit on the net, but i'm just looking for more input. It's a 1990 with an 86' 2.2L turbo 5 speed, 4 door, 4x4. Great interior and straight rust free body and rust free frame. What do you think it's worth? I'm probably going to get rid of my 4runner to pick this up. I haven't seen a diesel trooper for sale before, but I wasn't really looking either. Just want to know what a fair price would be and what your general input is about the truck...

How durable are they? tough axles?? durable IFS?? what usually breaks on these guys?

thanks for any input....
Click to expand...
Keep your runner
 
yea but its a diesel

yea, i'd like to, but this is a diesel truck for the price of a toyota diesel motor. i don't do any extreme wheeling, i just want a reliable 4x4 to explore with, the mileage is a must and WVO is just so damn cool.

i've done some research on the isuzu diesel and it was a problem with the rods used in them, they used three different types and had trouble with two of them (or something?). either way, the motor was rebuilt and has upgraded rods, so i'm guessing its going to keep goin for quite a while.

it seems pretty rugged....any criticisms of the truck??
 
I live on an island and so I know everybody here. About 1981or 2 there was a rash of Isuzu diesels bough by people here. Maybe 5 of them. A friend and I were talking about them the other day and we were able to recall every one of them and we concurred that every single one of them is still in use. I missed one of them last summer (4x4 p'up)when it sold for 400.00 still running strong. The guys kids had inherited it for a highschool ride and smashed it up repeatedly but couldn't kill it. Another of them is a 4x4 flatbed that a contractor bought new. It mostly hauls demolision debris from worksites. ... And one other thing, the fishboat guys love isuzus....
 
83 chif said:
I found a diesel isuzu trooper for sale, and i read about them on mud before, and a bit on the net, but i'm just looking for more input. It's a 1990 with an 86' 2.2L turbo 5 speed, 4 door, 4x4. Great interior and straight rust free body and rust free frame. What do you think it's worth? I'm probably going to get rid of my 4runner to pick this up. I haven't seen a diesel trooper for sale before, but I wasn't really looking either. Just want to know what a fair price would be and what your general input is about the truck...

How durable are they? tough axles?? durable IFS?? what usually breaks on these guys?

thanks for any input....
Click to expand...

Howdy,

I have a 1985 Trooper with a 2.3L Turbo Diesel (it's for sale by the way). The head gasket and head are toast and I haven't been able to find a new/rebuilt head.

It's a super nice little rig and I'd recommend it to anyone as long as they can fix/find parts when they need them. I'd buy one again if the price was right.
 
Hi All:

I have a 1991 Trooper (bought new) that is now used only as a daily driver, but once was a 'wheeler.

The 1988 and newer Troopers have a stronger transmission, t-case, axles, etc. in comparison to the earlier versions.

The early diesel engine apparently has had problems. The later 3L diesel engine (not offered in North American vehicles) is suppose to be a good powerplant (from what I've read in Aussie 4x4 'zines.)

Honestly, I can't imagine that this diesel powered Trooper will get you much better mileage than your 22R-E powered 4Runner. Parts are *far* more available for your 4Runner than the Trooper (unfortunately) as are re-built engines, transmissions, and so on.

If it was a Trooper with the 3L I'd say go for it, but . . . .


Regards,

Alan
 
PM idcruiserman He had one for awhile. They command pretty high prices when compared to the gas Troopers. I wouldn't worry about the rig not being rugged enough. I've seen plenty of the gassers get abused and abused and abused and they come back for more.
 
m8 here in Aus we call them Jackaroo's
they are usually seen as soccer mum 4bys
but some are starting to be seen out on the good tracks
relatively cheap to run
yup the Aussie built ones also have been known to blow heads
& rust form around the rear side windows
the manual will be the pick of the lot as the autos some times have sloppy gear changes
 
trooper

roadmaster, i sent you a pm...


alright...thanks for all the info and opinions. all things considered, i'm still looking at buying it if he has had the rods replaced. i don't wheel too hard and just want a 4x4 to run wvo in. even if the mileage is the same as my truck, i want to play around with the veggie grease. thanks again fellas....
 
83 chif said:
roadmaster, i sent you a pm...


alright...thanks for all the info and opinions. all things considered, i'm still looking at buying it if he has had the rods replaced. i don't wheel too hard and just want a 4x4 to run wvo in. even if the mileage is the same as my truck, i want to play around with the veggie grease. thanks again fellas....
Click to expand...
:cool:my next rig will be a diesal.
 
I'm a little late but I'll pitch my $.02, FWIW, and perhaps give you a couple of new-to-you references.

I have an '88 Trooper with the 4ZE1 2.6L gasoline EFI engine. I replaced the head at about 130K miles, and now its approaching 198K. It has been a very good truck for trails, hunting, and family camping-trail/ride outings.

I've been watching T-Diesel Troopers for over a year, and they've gone for up to $6,000 on the internet auctions and internet classifieds, depending upon condition ($6,000 being the high side, low mileage, clean, clean, clean).

Here's a couple of good websites for info...planetisuzoo.com and 4x4wire.com. The latter has an "Isuzu Diesel" dedicated forum. Independent4x.com has Isuzu-specific aftermarket, including Aussie lockers.
 
If you want a diesel to experiment with, you may want to find a 6.2 K5 Blazer. They're reliable and extremely easy to find parts for. I've always heard that Isuzu 2.3 was a rat.
 
JJS said:
If you want a diesel to experiment with, you may want to find a 6.2 K5 Blazer. They're reliable and extremely easy to find parts for. I've always heard that Isuzu 2.3 was a rat.
Click to expand...
This post will not please Hilux:flipoff2:


No man you are 100% correct. I want to veggie a motor also;)
 
diesellllllll

yea, i had a 6.2L before that i was swapping into my jeep, but i ended up not being able to finish...stupid college....but from all that i have read, the 6.2L has as much of a bad rap as the isuzu. maybe worse. some 6.2Ls supposedly have week main bearing retainers that cause the crankshaft to sort of explode out of place or something of the like. i posted on a bunch of forums and read all around online and heard from people who have owned the 6.2 and swear by them, and others who have owned the 6.2 and curse them for exploding without any warning. but there are tons of them, and i never actually met anyone who had one go on them, just read about it online. either way, i remember hearing that their rotarty fuel pump doesn't like veggie grease too much. that's all that i remember about the 6.2. i don't mean to shoot down your suggesstion, just figured i'd share.

thanks for the suggestions and replies though!
 
Only thing that I've seen on the 6.2's is a tendency to crack cylinder heads. Had not hear of lower end troubles until now. ColoradoK5.com's forum is probably the best place to go looking for info on GM diesel 4X's.

Next door neighbor had one of the Isuzu diesel 4 door cars. I'd always hoped to buy it from him for the engine, but he moved b4 I had the chance. As neglectful as he was towards the car it never seemed to miss a beat.
 
Don't we have a guy with an GM 6.2 V8 TD FJ80? Maybe you should contact him and ask how his rig is doing after the swap?
 
Makelo said:
Don't we have a guy with an GM 6.2 V8 TD FJ80? Maybe you should contact him and ask how his rig is doing after the swap?
Click to expand...

He likes it... getting over 20 mpg on veggie oil. He had some problems with the trans, putting it in wrong..... He should have used an nv4500 instead of the 700r4
 
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