Massive changes to the old 1kzte.

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

Long time member. Been AWOL for a long time between posts.
history of our girl.
brought new in 2005. Had it since.
the usual mods up until 1 year ago.
we had a little mix up at the diesel bowser.
Long story short, it got a gob full of petrol and was running horrible for a few days until it went to the mechanics. He discovered unleaded in the fuel filter. A call to the insurance company had the engine out and off to the engine builder for a rebuild under insurance. Included in that was new injectors, glow plugs and a rebuild of the injector pump. Happy happy joy joy.
while that was away we got a new radiator, turbo, exhaust, engine mounts, clutch, redarc gauges for egt, boost and dual battery volts and charging amps. Bull bar got a sand blast and re powdercoated.
it came together as a new engine, matching numbers, 280,000km car.
Happy with the result, 13psi boost, but fuel economy was a little heavy from before. All good.
a recent purchase of a stoney creek camper got us towing a camper again, and the that’s when the EGT’s we’re getting a little high. So spoke to diesel remap and Dyno and settled on a unichip and Dyno tune of the old girl. Just to set all the components to work with each other. Ended up with a tow tune, low down about 20hp and about 40nm gain and all through the range was improved.
yesterday fitted a bonnet scoop to help and today we gave it another test run.
wow.
great get up and go. Did not set the egt alarm off unless I left it up to the cruise control on a hill. Fuel consumption down a little. But over all it went brilliantly.
it feels so much lighter.
need to back off at 100 as it just wants to go, and it gets there so much easier.
Love the old girl. It was her last chance, if it was still unhappy to tow it was going to be traded in. Glad that didn’t happen.
120 for ever.

[jeff s Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close jeff s]

Bonnet scoop

[Russ WA Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Russ WA]

Wow Jeff, and I thought I was the only one who still had the old girl , now have 280000 km on the Gold Prado and second set of injectors and glows . No Mods on the engine.
It blows a bit of white smoke on start up but runs fine.

Drives like a neew car still and we are off to Gibb in June with another hire camper trailer to test it out.

good to hear you have kept it running.

Russ

[adrian5800 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close adrian5800]

Yep still got ours too, can't see me getting rid of it any time soon. I've spent the last 13 years modifying it.. 280,000km, still going well though I don't use it as a daily now. Set up for touring with the camper. Spent some time on it recently, resealed the steering rack, new rack ends and tie rod ends, resealed the timing case (slight oil leak), new water pump, timing belt and idler, new water hoses, coolant, rear wheel bearings, body mounts, rebuilt gearbox. Mostly genuine parts ex Amayama or Partsouq.
Last mod I have done is adding an ARB pressure connect to my central tyre inflation system..

[dimitria Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close dimitria]

I too still have my old girl from new 2003 1ktzte, same age as my son, who has declared he wants it if i ever want to upgrade. Last year got it dyno tuned and was amazed to find it still had the same torque as new and only lost 1kw of power. Has a puff of white smoke every morning and a few spins to start, but eventually always does. Did this just before we went up through Mt Aug, karajini, mill stream and coral bay, july/Aug 2021. Epic trip want to do it again in a couple of years. Only disappointment on the trip was for the lack of kick accelerating passed Road train and losing speed on inclines. Noticed some coolant lost so will need to sort this out, taking it for a pressure test soon. Go out too collie with mates to play in the mud quite often, so gets used as a proper 4x4.

Would love some extra power, was very frustrating being able keep up with traffic on hills or pass when everyone else was passing. But love the old girl, cause we got her within weeks of our son has become one of the family.

[carco Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close carco]

Using coolant…..don’t waste the effort of a test, save for a replacement AMC head.
The cracks won’t open up until she’s really hot and they’re not usually in the combustion chamber so you don’t get water on oil etc, coolant goes straight out the exhaust.
280,000k’s is still early days. My old 90 had well over 550,000 on original bottom end. AMC head fixed her overheating problems.
If I still had a KZ I’d fit a fuel cut defender and wind up the boost. Won’t make much more top end hp but will improve low/mid range heaps. No need to alter pump or squirters as there’s plenty of headroom in the lower rpm range. Extra boost will also lean her out making for lower EGT’s.

[Happyjack Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Happyjack]

An interesting read
I have an 03 GXL 1kz-te 5 speed manual, bought back in Mar 2012 at 120k, 360k on the clock
Had the rear lifted 2" as the previous owner had only done the front!
fopr the last 5 years I have been towing a 2.2t poptop - my home!
all up on the road with caravan the steed weighs in it 3050kg ( incl 180 towball weight)
Over the years apart from the usual; of brakes, and clutch
New radiator, water pump, alternator, starter motor, gear box and tfr case
EGR plate fitted and catchcan, intercooler and inlet manifold cleaned.
Injectors - only cost me $70 ea as they had just been fitted to anothe 1kz-te and the engine blew up after less the 1km! the mechanic did warn him!

Now, I have done some reading and a lot of research and phone calls and am earning a few roubles over the summer harvest I am getting Redback 3: turbo back exhaust fitted as a first step to improving the towing performance -sadly needed once I hit any hills.
Then I will look at getting a plug-in module - but which one?
I have seen some to steer away from.
The choice seems to be between Unichip, Steinbauer, and Chipit. Although it is interesting when I talked to a diesel specialist shop - not a tuning shop - thet said for the pre-common rail 1kz-te there is not a lot that a module can do to standard. I guess the only way would be to go to a shop and ask to see before and after Dyno before paying for it. If they don't like that the they can't be that confident in their product?
THEN there is another option I have to check out and that is fitting a hi-flow Turbo. Probably close to the same price fitted as just a module on it's own by the looks.
Interesting times.