LJ78 2L-TE vs Delica L400 4M40

[AirheadNut]

The rear axle components in an LJ/KZJ are similar to those from a V6 4Runner or turbo Hilux Surf. The auto transmission is similar to one from a late 80-series, and the manual is the same as those used in both the V6 4Runners and later HZJ7x cruisers. The front axle components are shared with post-1990 70-Series and 80-Series cruisers. Transfer case is the same as a 60 or 70-Series. Frame is essentially the same as a HZJ77, but with different suspension mounts for the coils. IMO the only weakness you’d find is if you tried to push loads of V8 power through the diffs.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Basically what ^^ AirheadNut said. And regarding the rear axle, really the only thing that's the same as the Hilux/4Runner is the diff size (8"). Basically every thing else is different/unique. Axle housing is unique, axle shafts are unique, radius arms are unique. I believe the diff it's self is unique also. Rear brakes are a mixed bag of pieces from 80 series and Sequoia/FJCruiser/GX470. Interestingly the, LJ7x/KZJ7x rear semi-floating axle bearings are bigger than a 40/60 series semi-floating axle bearings.

The only thing that really fails on the light duty 70 series are the engines. And if you swapped those for big V8 power and put on 35"+ tires with lockers etc., wheeled it hard, yes you could break a differential.

I've been towing a 3500lb 16' camper trailer for years with my LJ78. Total truck/trailer weight around 8500-9000lb. The drivetrain has taken it just fine - not a single issue with transmission/tcase/driveshafts/diffs/axles. Engine needed lots of upgrades though!!

You have to realize with the heavy duty 70 series, most people find the 3B/1PZ/1HZ to be lacking in the power department. Those engines remain really tough as long as they are normaly aspirated. But because people want power, they turbo them. Once they're turboed, they're on the same playing field as the 2LT and 1KZT. Overheating, head problems, etc. can plague them also. The problems are common for any indirect injection turbo diesel. Best option is to swap in a direct injection turbo diesel from another cruiser model. 1HDT for example. Or buy a 70 series with the 13BT - but that really limits you to the swb and mwb. Now if you're going to swap anyhow, why not just start with the more affordable light duty model that has more comfortable coil suspension?

 

[robmobile73]

So are you saying that 90-96 prado mod/KZj70''s, LJ70's have the same axles and diffs as the HZ70's or PZ70's? Learning here and would like to know.

Basically what ^^ AirheadNut said. And regarding the rear axle, really the only thing that's the same as the Hilux/4Runner is the diff size (8"). Basically every thing else is different/unique. Axle housing is unique, axle shafts are unique, radius arms are unique. I believe the diff it's self is unique also. Rear brakes are a mixed bag of pieces from 80 series and Sequoia/FJCruiser/GX470. Interestingly the, LJ7x/KZJ7x rear semi-floating axle bearings are bigger than a 40/60 series semi-floating axle bearings.

The only thing that really fails on the light duty 70 series are the engines. And if you swapped those for big V8 power and put on 35"+ tires with lockers etc., wheeled it hard, yes you could break a differential.

I've been towing a 3500lb 16' camper trailer for years with my LJ78. Total truck/trailer weight around 8500-9000lb. The drivetrain has taken it just fine - not a single issue with transmission/tcase/driveshafts/diffs/axles. Engine needed lots of upgrades though!!

You have to realize with the heavy duty 70 series, most people find the 3B/1PZ/1HZ to be lacking in the power department. Those engines remain really tough as long as they are normaly aspirated. But because people want power, they turbo them. Once they're turboed, they're on the same playing field as the 2LT and 1KZT. Overheating, head problems, etc. can plague them also. The problems are common for any indirect injection turbo diesel. Best option is to swap in a direct injection turbo diesel from another cruiser model. 1HDT for example. Or buy a 70 series with the 13BT - but that really limits you to the swb and mwb. Now if you're going to swap anyhow, why not just start with the more affordable light duty model that has more comfortable coil suspension?

"Now if you're going to swap anyhow, why not just start with the more affordable light duty model that has more comfortable coil suspension?"
That makes alot of sense........I put a turbo on my 3b. It is still not really right yet. In my opinion, without a turbo it is underpowered for high speed traffic on American roads. At speeds below 45mph it is fine and I think that would be great in most developing countries with bad roads/slower speeds. ......With the turbo it is more like a normal vehicle and I can keep up with traffic but I have to back off on any steady hill climb above 45mph or my EGT's start going over 700C. I also have a fair amount of blowby. Cummins has come down in price on the ISF 2.8 they market in the US for engine swaps as the R2.8 now selling for $7500......I wish they could put a mechanical IP and conventional injectors on it pumping the same amount of fuel for similar power, ditch the EGR and soot trap, and sell it for maybe $6K for off highway use.

 

[gannex]

Hey all, I'm back. Thanks for all your helpful advice everyone. Clearly, the LJ78 is a complicated beast.
so I think GTSSportCoupe has successfully convinced me that I shouldn't buy this LJ78, or at least not for $6k. I am still kind of tempted to buy it due to the seller's offer to let me use his garage & tools to work on it, which isn't an opportunity I get very often, plus I liked the guy, but given the amount of work & parts I'll end up having to put into the vehicle, there's no way I can justify spending $6k. What would be a fair price though? It's got 255k kms, but the engine seems to be running pretty nice (starts perfectly & drives well), frame and body are solid, but the interior is pretty scuffed up.

I'm starting to realize now that I just can't afford a cruiser right now, so I've been looking into some slightly lighter duty, similar vehicles. This will still be my first car, so I think it makes sense to get something cheap I can play around with for a little while so I can figure out what my needs really are before I drop big bucks on something like an LC.

I want something moderately capable offroad, long/tall enough to have a bed + some cargo in the back so I can comfortably sit up (so significantly taller/boxier than a 4runner), powerful enough to reasonably drive long distances on the highway from time to time, moderately fuel efficient, and preferably old and Japanese. I keep coming back to the Isuzu trooper. It kinda seems like the poor man's light duty LC to me, seems to have enough offroad capabilities for my needs (and possibly more than a Delica?), V6 should be fine for occasional highway driving, and it's got that big boxy cab with barn doors like an LC, so it seems like it would make a decent weekend camper. There are some great pictures of a build here and it looks perfect to me. Another nice thing about them is that they're often available with manual transmission, which is my preference. Sadly, a good deal just fell through my hands. There was a daily driver, well-maintained manual one with 200k kms for $2.5k, but someone else just bought it! There's another one available that looks to be in good shape, but it's got 272k kms and it's an auto, and $4k. Too expensive right?

The other one is the old school mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. Actually, it seems like the Isuzu trooper is pretty much a knockoff of a 19990 mitsu Pajero. It's got a slightly bigger 3.0L V6 (the 6G72), but seems otherwise to be a pretty similar vehicle. I found a clean looking auto with 300k kms for $2.5k. This seems like a better deal to me than the $4k Trooper and since they're both automatics, they're pretty equivalent to me. I found a few manual troopers like this one and this one in the US and A, but at that point, I'm paying a nasty exchange rate, plus shipping and importation and I might as well buy a clean petrol Delica.

Do you guys know how the 4ZE1 Isuzu trooper stands up to the 6G72 Mitsubishi Montero? Is it even sane to buy a Montero with 300k kms? (I'm hoping to get at least 50-100k out of it). The thing is, for me, getting a cheaper SUV over an import-only vehicle like a Delica/Land Cruiser makes me really want LHD/manual. Do you think it would be more insane to think about doing a tranny swap on an old Montero/Trooper or importing a manual trooper from the US and A? Any other similar vehicles I should be looking at?
I know I should just get a Ford Excursion or something, but I just really like these old Japanese trucks.

 

[gannex]

an update for those interested:
Instead of getting the LJ78 I ended up purchasing a 1989 Isuzu Trooper LS 5speed with a 2.8L V6. I ended up going against the Delica option because their top speeds are just too slow and ultimately I want something that's a bit better off road, so a big, old, boxy SUV is perfect. As for the LJ78, all your warnings about the 2LT kind of scared me, plus I wanted a gas engine as I will be driving in very cold temperatures next winter (and possibly without a plug available for a block heater). The other thing is I just love driving stick, so the finding a boxy old left hand drive SUV with a 5speed makes the trooper pretty perfect for me. The old Montero probably would have been good too, but it got sold.
Unfortunately, I am now starting to think this was somewhat of a mistake. I made friends with the owner of the LJ78 and drove it a bit more after he fixed the exhaust, and I've got to say, it's an awesome truck. Definitely more awesome then the trooper. That said, I spent a lot less money and the trooper meets my needs.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

an update for those interested:
Instead of getting the LJ78 I ended up purchasing a 1989 Isuzu Trooper LS 5speed with a 2.8L V6. I ended up going against the Delica option because their top speeds are just too slow and ultimately I want something that's a bit better off road, so a big, old, boxy SUV is perfect. As for the LJ78, all your warnings about the 2LT kind of scared me, plus I wanted a gas engine as I will be driving in very cold temperatures next winter (and possibly without a plug available for a block heater). The other thing is I just love driving stick, so the finding a boxy old left hand drive SUV with a 5speed makes the trooper pretty perfect for me. The old Montero probably would have been good too, but it got sold.
Unfortunately, I am now starting to think this was somewhat of a mistake. I made friends with the owner of the LJ78 and drove it a bit more after he fixed the exhaust, and I've got to say, it's an awesome truck. Definitely more awesome then the trooper. That said, I spent a lot less money and the trooper meets my needs.

Congratulations! I think that was a wise purchase!

 

[robmobile73]

an update for those interested:
Instead of getting the LJ78 I ended up purchasing a 1989 Isuzu Trooper LS 5speed with a 2.8L V6. I ended up going against the Delica option because their top speeds are just too slow and ultimately I want something that's a bit better off road, so a big, old, boxy SUV is perfect. As for the LJ78, all your warnings about the 2LT kind of scared me, plus I wanted a gas engine as I will be driving in very cold temperatures next winter (and possibly without a plug available for a block heater). The other thing is I just love driving stick, so the finding a boxy old left hand drive SUV with a 5speed makes the trooper pretty perfect for me. The old Montero probably would have been good too, but it got sold.
Unfortunately, I am now starting to think this was somewhat of a mistake. I made friends with the owner of the LJ78 and drove it a bit more after he fixed the exhaust, and I've got to say, it's an awesome truck. Definitely more awesome then the trooper. That said, I spent a lot less money and the trooper meets my needs.

81' Isuzu diesel pickup was my first vehicle. It was excellent as well as getting 43mpg when diesel was $.75 gallon I drove more than most of my friends at 16. Isuzu is actually the oldest car manufacturer in Japan. They make a good vehicle. One exception to that is the turbodiesel troopers in the late 80's had a reputation for blown engines. In order of durability/problem free use Isuzu would be my choice after Toyota. Nissan and mitsubishi after isuzu.

 

[gannex]

Congratulations! I think that was a wise purchase!

Thanks. I actually think the Isuzu trooper is kind of the perfect for me. It's big enough to sleep, it's a real offroader, it's Japanese and oldschool, it comes in a manual, and it's gas. I haven't decided yet whether gas or diesel is really better for me. For a while, I was thinking a gas vehicle would be preferable for winter starts, but after driving a heavy 4x4 that doesn't get much better than ~20 MPG for a few weeks, I'm starting to see the advantage of having a diesel vehicle.
The trouble is that I could only find one 5speed trooper (the other ones I found were autos, and apparently the 1st gen auto is no good) and it was kind of rusty. I bought it anyways thinking I could fix a few rusty areas, but of course the rust is deeper than expected. Now I'm thinking of getting a whole clean body and swapping it.

I still want to get a cruiser eventually though. The trouble is I want a camper-capable 70 seriesr with manual transmission and a dependable engine, and that's fairly hard to find here.I guess an HZJ77 or a trooper would be perfect, but that'll have to wait 'til I have $20k+ to spare. BJ74s seem pretty good, but I think they're just slightly too short. One thing I think would be cool would be to get a cheap BJ74 and restore it and then modify the roof to make a pop-top. A manual BJ74 with a pop top would be pretty much the ideal cruiser for me.

81' Isuzu diesel pickup was my first vehicle. It was excellent as well as getting 43mpg when diesel was $.75 gallon I drove more than most of my friends at 16. Isuzu is actually the oldest car manufacturer in Japan. They make a good vehicle. One exception to that is the turbodiesel troopers in the late 80's had a reputation for blown engines. In order of durability/problem free use Isuzu would be my choice after Toyota. Nissan and mitsubishi after isuzu.

wow that sounds a lot better than my trooper. Like I said, it's definitely no better than 20 MPG. The engine is also pretty weak, but I love how it has to roar to accelerate in 2nd gear, and the top speed is decent. I really like driving the trooper. It's definitely less of a tank than a landcruiser--it kinda bounces over obstacles rather than just cruising over them--but it's fun to drive. The other good thing about the 2.8L V6 trooper is that repairs and maintenance is super easy. It's a dead simple vehicle and it has a GM engine from a chevy S10, so engine parts are easy to source.

Apositive side of the story is that I ended up befriending the guy who was selling the LJ78, who is a mechanic, and he's been very helpful in working on my trooper and let me use his lift (see attached pics). We're thinking about swapping a 1JZ or a 1UZ into it. At the minimum, it will get an electric fan, a snorkel, and a lift. The nice thing about getting a cheaper vehicle (albeit possibly a worse deal) is that I can spend the difference on upgrades rather than having to be near the top of my budget and then penny pinching on the upgrades after that.

 

[FJBen]

81' Isuzu diesel pickup was my first vehicle. It was excellent as well as getting 43mpg when diesel was $.75 gallon I drove more than most of my friends at 16. Isuzu is actually the oldest car manufacturer in Japan. They make a good vehicle. One exception to that is the turbodiesel troopers in the late 80's had a reputation for blown engines. In order of durability/problem free use Isuzu would be my choice after Toyota. Nissan and mitsubishi after isuzu.

I've had 2 Isuzu P'up diesel 4WDs. They are like cockroaches. First one I had at 16, beat the living crap out of it. Zero power, but just kept going. SOld it and that person rolled it within a year.

2nd one I had just a few years ago. 4wd diesel Found in a farmers field...was used as a parks and rec vehicle for the city and 30 years of summer 17yr olds took it's toll on the body! It ran good, again slow as all get out. Bought for $500, sold for $3k. Probably shouldn't have sold it, but we really needed something safer and bigger for errands.

Fantastic little trucks...slow and no power, but hard to kill.

 

[FJBen]

Thanks. I actually think the Isuzu trooper is kind of the perfect for me. It's big enough to sleep, it's a real offroader, it's Japanese and oldschool, it comes in a manual, and it's gas. I haven't decided yet whether gas or diesel is really better for me. For a while, I was thinking a gas vehicle would be preferable for winter starts, but after driving a heavy 4x4 that doesn't get much better than ~20 MPG for a few weeks, I'm starting to see the advantage of having a diesel vehicle.
The trouble is that I could only find one 5speed trooper (the other ones I found were autos, and apparently the 1st gen auto is no good) and it was kind of rusty. I bought it anyways thinking I could fix a few rusty areas, but of course the rust is deeper than expected. Now I'm thinking of getting a whole clean body and swapping it.

I still want to get a cruiser eventually though. The trouble is I want a camper-capable 70 seriesr with manual transmission and a dependable engine, and that's fairly hard to find here.I guess an HZJ77 or a trooper would be perfect, but that'll have to wait 'til I have $20k+ to spare. BJ74s seem pretty good, but I think they're just slightly too short. One thing I think would be cool would be to get a cheap BJ74 and restore it and then modify the roof to make a pop-top. A manual BJ74 with a pop top would be pretty much the ideal cruiser for me.

wow that sounds a lot better than my trooper. Like I said, it's definitely no better than 20 MPG. The engine is also pretty weak, but I love how it has to roar to accelerate in 2nd gear, and the top speed is decent. I really like driving the trooper. It's definitely less of a tank than a landcruiser--it kinda bounces over obstacles rather than just cruising over them--but it's fun to drive. The other good thing about the 2.8L V6 trooper is that repairs and maintenance is super easy. It's a dead simple vehicle and it has a GM engine from a chevy S10, so engine parts are easy to source.

Apositive side of the story is that I ended up befriending the guy who was selling the LJ78, who is a mechanic, and he's been very helpful in working on my trooper and let me use his lift (see attached pics). We're thinking about swapping a 1JZ or a 1UZ into it. At the minimum, it will get an electric fan, a snorkel, and a lift. The nice thing about getting a cheaper vehicle (albeit possibly a worse deal) is that I can spend the difference on upgrades rather than having to be near the top of my budget and then penny pinching on the upgrades after that.

I'm doing that exact thing with my BJ74.
BJ74 Poptop, modular top camper or something



That said, good luck on the Isuzu, decent vehicles but I'll play super cruiserhead for a momemt.

I caution you on throwing good money after bad here. Spending a lot of money on an Isuzu Trooper, to swap engines, swap axles, lifts etc to just seems like a bad plan. You will never get anything close to your money back on one of those so potentially lots of money down the drain.

IMO, I would get it reliable, crank the torsion bars for a little lift, maybe put a block to lift the rear and drive the heck out of it and see what your needs are for an "offroad" vehicle. Then in the future IF you still want a Land Cruiser, you can know which things are important to you.

Welcome!

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

I'm doing that exact thing with my BJ74.
BJ74 Poptop, modular top camper or something



That said, good luck on the Isuzu, decent vehicles but I'll play super cruiserhead for a momemt.

I caution you on throwing good money after bad here. Spending a lot of money on an Isuzu Trooper, to swap engines, swap axles, lifts etc to just seems like a bad plan. You will never get anything close to your money back on one of those so potentially lots of money down the drain.

IMO, I would get it reliable, crank the torsion bars for a little lift, maybe put a block to lift the rear and drive the heck out of it and see what your needs are for an "offroad" vehicle. Then in the future IF you still want a Land Cruiser, you can know which things are important to you.

Welcome!

I can't agree more. Put some good tires on and the type of lift FJBen recommended and run it as is. It'll go anywhere. Then save up for your HD landcruiser dream.

 

[robmobile73]

I'm doing that exact thing with my BJ74.
BJ74 Poptop, modular top camper or something



That said, good luck on the Isuzu, decent vehicles but I'll play super cruiserhead for a momemt.

I caution you on throwing good money after bad here. Spending a lot of money on an Isuzu Trooper, to swap engines, swap axles, lifts etc to just seems like a bad plan. You will never get anything close to your money back on one of those so potentially lots of money down the drain.

IMO, I would get it reliable, crank the torsion bars for a little lift, maybe put a block to lift the rear and drive the heck out of it and see what your needs are for an "offroad" vehicle. Then in the future IF you still want a Land Cruiser, you can know which things are important to you.

Welcome!

Totally agree with FJben here. There are simple cheap ways to do some mods to make a older non collectible stock vehicle better for wheeling: DIY longer shackles on the back, DIY body lift using hardware store parts and rubber boat trailer rollers, good used 31-33" mud tires that someone left at the tire store when they put on 35"s, unbolt 1 side of your sway bars when you go off roading for better articulation..etc..

If you try to crank up the torsion bars a bit ensure you spray them with PB blaster penetrating oil and let it soak in for awhile(overnight). Put the front end on jacks before you try to do it. Those bolts are Powerfully hard to turn in my memory and your truck is much more rusted than mine was.

DIY bodywork that isn't perfect can be concealed a bit with something like bedliner, vinyl wrap, or a matte or camo paint job. These can be DIY and somewhat stylish....ensure you liberally apply rust converter inside as much as possible, grind it down heavily on the outside, and drill drain holes in the bottom of the panels after you're done to ensure water doesn't collect there inside the panels.

There are alot of cheap "get'r'done" type of Mods/fixes that you can do with a older play vehicle to keep it going and wheeling when you aren't or it isn't a big spender or target for big spending. Nothing wrong with that if that's where you are in life or your hobby if it suits your needs.

 

[gannex]

Despite everything we discussed, after driving the Trooper for a while and then trying out the LJ78 again, I still kind of want a 70 series cruiser.
I've also spent a bit more time working on mechanical stuff now and I think I'd be comfortable with owning something that takes the maintenance of an LJ78. I'm going to drive my trooper for a while and just consider it some more for now though, but I just wanted to ask you @GTSSportCoupe what do you think would be a reasonable price to pay for an LJ78?
I remember you paid something like $3k for yours, but yours needed a lot of work when you bought it right? Also, I think the price of cruisers in general has gone up.
What would be a fair price for a perfectly functional, rust free LJ78 in today's market in Western Canada?

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

Despite everything we discussed, after driving the Trooper for a while and then trying out the LJ78 again, I still kind of want a 70 series cruiser.
I've also spent a bit more time working on mechanical stuff now and I think I'd be comfortable with owning something that takes the maintenance of an LJ78. I'm going to drive my trooper for a while and just consider it some more for now though, but I just wanted to ask you @GTSSportCoupe what do you think would be a reasonable price to pay for an LJ78?
I remember you paid something like $3k for yours, but yours needed a lot of work when you bought it right? Also, I think the price of cruisers in general has gone up.
What would be a fair price for a perfectly functional, rust free LJ78 in today's market in Western Canada?

Haha, you're a sucker for punishment! But yeah, LJ78's are pretty awesome. And if you want it bad enough, you'll do what it takes to make it work for you. I love mine. But it has taken a lot of blood sweat and tears to make it into what it is now.

From what I've seen, LJ78's in reasonable running shape and a few imperfections seem to be selling for around $5-6k CAD or so. Mint ones, or upgraded ones will be more (6k-10k). Ones with blown motors or rust will be less (2k-5k). When I bought mine the motor had a lot of issues. And you're right, they are a little more expensive now (mainly since the USA hit their 25 year importation point and could start buying them also).

 

[gannex]

Haha, you're a sucker for punishment! But yeah, LJ78's are pretty awesome. And if you want it bad enough, you'll do what it takes to make it work for you. I love mine. But it has taken a lot of blood sweat and tears to make it into what it is now.

yes. Well I've realized that the trooper will also involve similar punishment. I guess all the vehicles I like involve such punishment. With the right friends and tools around, it's not so bad. One thing I am worried about though is that diesel might not be ideal for winter conditions. But I just want that fuel economy.

From what I've seen, LJ78's in reasonable running shape and a few imperfections seem to be selling for around $5-6k CAD or so. Mint ones, or upgraded ones will be more (6k-10k). Ones with blown motors or rust will be less (2k-5k). When I bought mine the motor had a lot of issues. And you're right, they are a little more expensive now (mainly since the USA hit their 25 year importation point and could start buying them also).

So my friend who was originally selling his for $6k has upgraded his exhaust and now wants at least $7k. But he also fell in love with it now and wants to keep it, so I don't really want to take it from him. However, there is another one for sale for $4k: It looks to be in good shape, and comes with a parts vehicle, but the motor is broken, but my friend has a parts Hilux Surf with a good motor, so I was thinking I could get the broken one and swap in the 2LT from the Surf, and then, since the motor is out anyways, it would be a good opportunity to upgrade a few little things and maybe do an intercooler.

The mechanical issues can be reliably fixed if you have the parts, but a car with bad body issues will never look perfect without a huge amount of very highly-skilled, artistic sort of work.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

yes. Well I've realized that the trooper will also involve similar punishment. I guess all the vehicles I like involve such punishment. With the right friends and tools around, it's not so bad. One thing I am worried about though is that diesel might not be ideal for winter conditions. But I just want that fuel economy.


So my friend who was originally selling his for $6k has upgraded his exhaust and now wants at least $7k. But he also fell in love with it now and wants to keep it, so I don't really want to take it from him. However, there is another one for sale for $4k: It looks to be in good shape, and comes with a parts vehicle, but the motor is broken, but my friend has a parts Hilux Surf with a good motor, so I was thinking I could get the broken one and swap in the 2LT from the Surf, and then, since the motor is out anyways, it would be a good opportunity to upgrade a few little things and maybe do an intercooler.

The mechanical issues can be reliably fixed if you have the parts, but a car with bad body issues will never look perfect without a huge amount of very highly-skilled, artistic sort of work.

If you're looking at the one in the interior on Kijiji, it's been for sale for quite some time now. Bargain him down a lot on his price if you can. If you sell un-needed parts from the extra truck you might be able to make a lot of your money back too.

 

[gannex]

If you're looking at the one in the interior on Kijiji, it's been for sale for quite some time now. Bargain him down a lot on his price if you can. If you sell un-needed parts from the extra truck you might be able to make a lot of your money back too.

yeah, that's kinda what I had in mind ;- )

EDIT: Looks like the listing is dead. No reply after several days and it seems that she's never replied to anybody. :- /

 

[gannex]

@GTSSportCoupe wow I actually tracked down the owner from the dead listing. Tomorrow I will test out the 2LT from my friend's parts Hilux Surf and if everything works then I may have myself access to a cheap LJ78. Before I pull the trigger I want to learn a bit more about what's needed to get an LJ78 running as a reliable vehicle. Would you mind PMing me (I can't seem to send PMs yet)? I'd like to ask you a bit more about your inbtercooler mod.

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

@GTSSportCoupe wow I actually tracked down the owner from the dead listing. Tomorrow I will test out the 2LT from my friend's parts Hilux Surf and if everything works then I may have myself access to a cheap LJ78. Before I pull the trigger I want to learn a bit more about what's needed to get an LJ78 running as a reliable vehicle. Would you mind PMing me (I can't seem to send PMs yet)? I'd like to ask you a bit more about your inbtercooler mod.

I shut my PM's off as I was getting too many 2LTE related questions. Also I prefer to help out in the main forums where it benefits more than one person.

At this point I recommend you read some LJ78 build threads on here. @Jarrat @Nas90tdi @Postoy @malteser and others have some very well documented build threads. I don't have time to find them for you, but if you search by their user name you should find them pretty quickly. Those four builds will give you an excellent idea of how you should proceed.

Also, download all the manuals and get familiar with them. I've posted them countless times; here is one location: Help!

From my experience though:

- First thing I'd do to the vehicle would be catch up on maintenance. They're all behind. Brakes, tires, fluid flushes, grease, front axle rebuild (go to manual hubs right away, you won't regret it), t-stat, timing belt, water pump, belts, glow plugs, viscous fan clutch service, exhaust repair/replace, etc. Check engine compression before you start dumping lots of money into it.

- Add some gauges. At the least, boost and pyrometer. Coolant temp would be a good one too; although personally I don't mind the factory one.

- Next I'd remove the emissions system (EGR/PCV) and all related parts (VSVs, throttle plates etc.)

- After that I'd add a trans cooler inline with the radiator one.

- Upgrade radiator to a three or four core as thick as possible (get the original re-cored), and increase the fan size (2H fan from HJ60 is a direct swap upgrade). Coolling problems will become a thing of the past.

- An intercooler would be the next thing. It absolutely transforms the performance of these things. Allows tuning such that the thing will feel like a normal 4 cylinder vehicle. You should be able to out-accelerate traffic, pass other cars, and climb steep grades at posted speed limits after this mod/tuning.

- After all that, you can start looking at lift kits, bigger tires, bumpers, sliders, roof racks, winches etc.

 

[gannex]

I shut my PM's off as I was getting too many 2LTE related questions. Also I prefer to help out in the main forums where it benefits more than one person.

At this point I recommend you read some LJ78 build threads on here. @Jarrat @Nas90tdi @Postoy @malteser and others have some very well documented build threads. I don't have time to find them for you, but if you search by their user name you should find them pretty quickly. Those four builds will give you an excellent idea of how you should proceed.

Also, download all the manuals and get familiar with them. I've posted them countless times; here is one location: Help!

From my experience though:

- First thing I'd do to the vehicle would be catch up on maintenance. They're all behind. Brakes, tires, fluid flushes, grease, front axle rebuild (go to manual hubs right away, you won't regret it), t-stat, timing belt, water pump, belts, glow plugs, viscous fan clutch service, exhaust repair/replace, etc. Check engine compression before you start dumping lots of money into it.

- Add some gauges. At the least, boost and pyrometer. Coolant temp would be a good one too; although personally I don't mind the factory one.

- Next I'd remove the emissions system (EGR/PCV) and all related parts (VSVs, throttle plates etc.)

- After that I'd add a trans cooler inline with the radiator one.

- Upgrade radiator to a three or four core as thick as possible (get the original re-cored), and increase the fan size (2H fan from HJ60 is a direct swap upgrade). Coolling problems will become a thing of the past.

- An intercooler would be the next thing. It absolutely transforms the performance of these things. Allows tuning such that the thing will feel like a normal 4 cylinder vehicle. You should be able to out-accelerate traffic, pass other cars, and climb steep grades at posted speed limits after this mod/tuning.

- After all that, you can start looking at lift kits, bigger tires, bumpers, sliders, roof racks, winches etc.

Thanks for the guide @GTSSportCoupe! I'll consult this when I'm planning out the upgrades.
I'll definitely do the gauges and EGR delete. Will EGR delete be a problem bringing it from BC to AB though, when I have to do a new province inspection?
Do you think it really needs a trans cooler? I thought the automatic trans on these things was solid.

So, as of right now, I am looking at two LJ78s. My friend still has the original LJ78 and he is considering selling it in a couple of months(which would buy me time to repair my trooper and try to get some of my money back for it). Probably $6-7k. As I mentioned, the interior is ****ed up, but the frame/body is super clean and the engine runs well. He is also working on an intercooler mod and an exhaust mod, so it will come with a pre-installed inercooler (he's doing top-mounted though). The main benefit is that I know I can trust him (unlike the ****head I bought the trooper from) since he's a friend and an experienced mechanic. He lent it to me for a day actually, and I cruised around a bit and that test drive is what convinced me I actually want an LJ78. Extremely comfortable ride.

The other one is the broken engine LJ78 in PG for $4k (but I would offer less). I looked at it more closely. Possibly a little rust on the underside, but nothing terrible, and the interior is better than my friend's truck. My friend said he'd give me the 2LTE out of his parts Hilux (minus the turbo, which has gone to his LJ), so I figure I could get it stock for $4-5k. That frees up $2-3k for upgrades, but means a lot of extra work + it's an unknown quantity. The other thing I'm thinking is, if I'm going to buy an LJ78 with a broken engine for ~$3k, would it not be more worthwhile to just swap a more powerful engine in right off the bat? I think I could get a 1UZ for $1k or so. That said, I really like the sound of the 2LTE actually, but you guys talk it down so much on here that I'm worried about it.

There's also this one, that came up in AB yesterday, for $7.5k. Looks really clean, and low miles, but it means a trip over the mountains, and I think it's a bit too expensive.