Solid axle diesel hilux help

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Threads
3
Messages
9
Location
Martinsville, VA
I've been looking into buying this 1994 Toyota hilux 2.8 diesel with a solid front axle. It's going to be my first car and I plan on going off road (not just dirt roads).

I don't know how reliable that diesel is. Has anyone had any problems with one?

What are some things I have to look out for??

Here are some pics of the truck I'm looking at:


image-1269281611.jpg



image-1364061960.jpg



image-264403436.jpg



image-3068305720.jpg



image-59415997.jpg

image-1269281611.jpg


image-1364061960.jpg


image-264403436.jpg


image-59415997.jpg


image-3068305720.jpg
 
I think that is 3L diesel, which I think is known for headgasket problems. Someone with more information will likely chime in.
 
Hello there,

The 3L is a pretty good engine from a reliability point of view as long as you dont overheat it.

I managed to crack my head by doing so, but it was purely my own fault. A plugged rad is a very bad thing to ignore.

In naturally aspirated bone stock from, the truck will be pretty slow, but also very near to deserving the term "bulletproof". Tediously so to some, I recommend you test drive it on the highway ahead of time.

A turbo swap from a 2LT is a relatively simple and cost effective upgrade provided to you can do the work yourself. Set up conservatively it is a huge improvement in everyday driveability. But, not certainly not necissary just to get into the woods.

That being said, as a mechanically injected diesel, you will be hard pressed to find a more reliable engine for off road use. Very little to go wrong, as there are minimal electric goodies to fry.

I have a friend with basically the same truck who plugged up his alternator so bad one night it wouldn't charge at all, using his lights killed the battery almost totally, truck stayed running just fine.

A truck like that is, in my opinion, an excellent build platform.

I have a 1990 LN106, ie the same truck as pictured above. I've since added the turbo mentioned, bumpers, sliders, skid, two lockers, dual t-case setup, homebrew snorkle, 4.88s, and 35's, all done a little at a time. I've run mine through a whole lot of sh*t and abuse including a trip down to the rubicon, wheeled craziness all the way from ontario to the foothills of alberta, to the bc interior and its stood up really well. I drove it for months with the head cracked thinking it was just the gasket, still ran like a champ. Truck was and still is my daily driver.

Water over the hood, ridiculous cold, desert heat, all in a days work. How many people could get into their rig, drive it 3000km, wheel like crazy and drive it back without issue?

With a bit of maintenence, that truck will never let you down.

Start slow with a decent set of tires, add a rear locker, and for the sake of insurance a snorkle, and you will be equipped to run any trail your skill level will allow. Mod as your skills progress, and you will end up with a hell of a rig.
 
I had the 3.0, this one is a 2.8. The 3.0 is legendary, the 2.8 got a bad rap for some minor head issues. So long as it was cared for, I had many mates in Adelaide with this engine and they loved it. Besides, even if you blow that engine up, it is widely available at pretty much any wrecker anywhere.
 
These guys got it right.

You have no idea how much I wish I could get a truck like that here. Double cab. Solid Axle. 3L.

I have the 3L's less reliable and more head cracking prone cousin, the 2LT-E, and even with all of it's issues, I love it. Plenty of power for my needs, and my head hasn't cracked (yet). I live way up in the mountains, so it gets plenty toasty coming up the hill, but so far, so good.

My suggestion is that you do some maintenance as soon as you get the truck. Timing Belt, including new idlers, water pump and flush the cooling system. Those are the things that will lead to the engine prematurely failing, and that way you'll know they were done.

I would also put a turbo setup off of a 2LT-E onto it, but that's just me. I love turbo diesels for efficiency reasons.

Dan
 
G,Day

I've owned a 95 LN106 duel cab for 10 years now and its been a great truck. They are still popular out here in Central Australia in remote country where a simple truck makes good sense...
The 3L is regarded as the most reliable of the L engines out here and are often described as bullet proof. I bet the right side engine mount is broken, very common problem. I drove mine with two broken mounts for years and when I finally replaced them the right side broke again soon after... still broken
They need regular oil changes due to small galleries in the crankshaft, I do mine every 3000 km ~ every 6 Months.
Mine gets driven hard which is good for a na diesel but it aint fast, It will do about 125 kph (this is with std diffs 4.3:1 and 30 in tyres) and its a pain in city traffic but out here in flat open country its all good...

Good luck
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom