motor swaps

[Throbulator]

I'm looking at a 1985 Hilux that started life as a 22r but has had a 2000 model 2L-TE motor placed in it (turbo diesel EFI), at a really good price. about 6000$ in Costa Rica (lowest priced diesel hilux around).

I'm buying it as a work truck, because Hilux is an extremely reliable truck. I've heard some people say that after an engine swap the car has all sorts of problems and stuff, but some people say it's only bad, say, if you change put a motor in a different brand car, for example a isuzu motor in a jeep.

So is this a good idea for me? Will the car not be as reliable. Or is it a good deal and i should go get it.

PS: i just talked to the guy and actually he's not sure if its 2000 or if its newer because cars with those motors were not sold in costa rica until 2000

 

[bryan89]

its only going to be reliable as the person who did the swap.

any motor can be put into any vehicle and work flawlessly if the right person is doing it.

is the person you are buying it from the same person who did the swap?
if so, what are his qualifications? does he do this type of thing (custom fabrication) for a living? or is he some hack?

One way to find out, is ask what he had to modify to get it in there (like core support and radiator, motor mounts, exhaust, wiring etc). then go look at those things on the vehicle. Does it look like a wad of crap or like someone spent some time thinking things out?

Check out the quality of the welds, if any were required. do they look like boogers? (a sign of bad penetration) or nicely stacked semi-circles.

Are wiring connections made with duct tape, or were they properly terminated and/or soldered? if any wires pass through sheet metal, do they have a properly sized grommet to avoid shorts from rubbing raw metal?

How long has the motor been in the truck running? if its been in there for 30 thousand miles without a problem, i would not be as skeptical as if the guy just finished the swap last week and put it up for sale.

How does the vehicle drive? Can you take it up to highway speeds without vibrations/ awkward sounds?

So you see, A lot of things can be found out with a simple inquiry.
So, is this truck going to be plagued with problems and be unreliable?
Its possible. But it could be fine and last 20 years. Just use a little common sense when you go look at it.

 

[Throbulator]

Thanks for the sound advice. Makes perfect sense. I'm 99% sure he got another mechanic to put it in, mechanic work is cheap labor here. He did the engine swap a year ago, but hasn't been using it much at all. He sais everything works fine and hasn't had a problem.

I geuss I'll just have to see, I'm gonna take it to a mechanic and have them check it. Once I tell them that it had an engine swap I'm sure they will know exactly what to look for.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

I can't say for sure in all the world markets, but the 2L-TE was only available up into the early 90's when it was replaced by the 1KZT diesels.... as far as I know...

Definitely take it to a mechanic and get it looked over! Let us know what happens!