buying 90 series 3.0td help..... please ;)

[troyzafyn Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close troyzafyn]

Hi All

Im looking at a 2001 rv td to buy....

My questions...

What to look for with 240 000km..... ie problems known to go

Will be tow a 1.3t aussie swag ok, no need to be fast...

How capable off road. Standard now but happy to invest some money such as front and rear locker, snorkle ect.....

Drove it, great to drive, needs new clutch, timing belt bushes ect..

Your thoughts and help would be great !!!!!!!!!!!

thanks

[scottkz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close scottkz]

Pressure in the rad from cold
Excessive air from the oil cap
Iv just put a diesel in my prado and its got 240k on it ... After a 2500k trip in a week and not one little problem !
Gear stick when in gear not running how much slack is in it ...
Colour of the coolant
I have 275 on my prado now and only ever in its life has had the steering rack bushes done
Biggest reason for suspension component failure is oil leaks! Oil kills rubber !!!

[RareSense Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RareSense]

Seriously a real great truck, mine hadn't had any problems and it's done 312,500 and going strong. It's hasn't got any lockers or been raised yet it's done serious off-road Australia a fair few times, including canning stock route (numerous) cape york (few times) serious off-roading, never had a problem very, very capable vehicle. I do change oil every 5000k no matter where I am. Further I don't rev her past 3000k and never cruise over 90kph. I say this so that you won't crack your head as some have experienced cracked heads around 200k onwards, but even with cracked heads most have continued on motoring. I would check general wear and tear and importantly service history and oil changes a must on diesel turbos.

I've regularly maintain it though.

I wish you all the best mate and safe trails

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Only probs I have had (now 170k on the clock) were a cracked head (partly my fault perhaps) and replaced steering rack (leaking end seals). Recommend EGT and a REAL water temp gauge with sender in top hose, and I have fitted a power steering oil cooler and Magnefine filter which keeps what used to be dirty black fluid now pristine red. Pay particular attention to the cooling system as the turbo is oil and water cooled, plus the oil cooler releases it's heat into the water cooling system as well. I recently discovered when I towed home my new 2ton caravan that the temp gauge does not actually move off half way until the coolant temp rises above 105C. I like to keep it below 100 for an alloy head.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

The 90 is a great vehicle and very capable off road. Pound for pound they are better than the 120 and 150 off road.
The 1kz is a great engine that is often under rated. The are as bullet proof as any engine if looked after and I personally know of two that have done over 400,000km with no major issues.

As mentioned the Toyota temp gauge is a piece of crap. It is heavily dampened from half scale onwards and if you go into the red on this gauge it will be too late for your head 99% of the time. Either install an aftermarket one (there is a blank in the top hose alloy piece that can be drilled and tapped for a sender) or the factory one can be modified but this involve removing the dash and taking the dropping resistors for the gauge off the cluster circuit board.
A temp gauge should be your first modification, even if you intend to keep the rest of the vehicle standard.

As with any 4x4 that has potentially had a hard life a close inspection is necessary to ensure it hasn't been abused.

Check trough the service books and ensure regular services have been adhered too.
Check closely under the vehicle for the usual signs off heavy off road use.

Pay particular attention to the steering rack, especially the passenger side end rack.

Check the front lower ball joints carefully and it might pay to check with Toyota if all recall work on the front end has been carried out.

Mick

[troyzafyn Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close troyzafyn]

Thanks everyone! Happy to spend a little on it as reasonably cheap.... How will the 3lt tow the camper trailer and tinny across the canning stock and cape York ect.... I don't mind being slow on highway as long as it can get where it needs to.... If it won't do it well then I may look at a 100 series standard 4.2
Cheers

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Well a 100 series is a different kettle of fish, for towing it'll blow the Prado away. But it will cost you twice as much to buy.

If you mean 105 series (1hz) the Prado is the better tow vehicle, same power more torque.

Prado will tow a camper and tinny no worries.

Mick

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Thanks everyone! Happy to spend a little on it as reasonably cheap.... How will the 3lt tow the camper trailer and tinny across the canning stock and cape York ect.... I don't mind being slow on highway as long as it can get where it needs to.... If it won't do it well then I may look at a 100 series standard 4.2
Cheers

P*ss it in!!!!
I towed 1.5T Pioneer camper all over, about 14L/100Km at 95ishKMH with a full roofrack to boot! DO NOT tow in 5th, the R151 box WILL fail eventually (despite the experts that will tell you that they have done it forever and it hasn't failed YET?). Here's a secret if you are towing; get 31.5"+/- tyres (I use 235/85R16) and you will drop a couple of hundred revs in cruise. I run a perfect 2400rpm at 95kmh in 4th. It actually runs lower EGTs and uses less boost(fuel) than in 5th. That tall profile tyre is preferred by the more discerning desert specialists because it's taller(more clearance and also less likely to stake, slightly better fuel use) and bags out the correct way (fore and aft) rather than sideways which exposes the sidewalls. They are also generally cheaper than say 265/75. More go, less show!
Oh, and ya gotta love 1100+km from a tankful!!!!!!!!

[troyzafyn Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close troyzafyn]

Hi MickL

Its a KZJ95R RV, does this still have the 1hz....?

Cheers

[troyzafyn Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close troyzafyn]

sounds awesome!

Dis you tow along these tracks as above....?

excited!!

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Hi MickL

Its a KZJ95R RV, does this still have the 1hz....?

Cheers

A 100 series Land Cruiser diesel has a 1HDTE 4.2 direct injection diesel.
A 105 series Land Cruiser diesel has a 1HZ 4.2 indirect injection diesel.

The 1KZTE in the Prado makes the same power but much more torque than the 105 series Land Cruiser.
The Prado is also several hundred kilos lighter.

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Haven't done any desert, but some don't recommend trailers in the deep sand anyway; normal dirt tracks fine. The RV (as is mine) 1KZTE 3.0L and poverty pack, no flares so 235/85 tyres will juuuust fit inside the guards with 7" prado steel rims.

[clarkie383 Member Find all posts View Profile Close clarkie383]

I cant say to much as have only had my TD 90 for a few months.
I picked it up very cheap with engine troubles and a bit of paintwork needed.
Turns out a cracked head which i replaced myself.
Also did my own paintwork as thats my trade.
Took it for a 1300km trip to test it out and see if it was to my liking,loved it and got 1230 out of the tanks.
Much better than a cruiser i think.
Just about to put a bigger dump pipe and exhaust on which apparently will boost up the torque.

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Just been discussing exhausts with a an old mech mate of mine because I have been looking at a system to drop the EGTs while towing. While he has only done one serious turbo setup (a V8 cleveland with a huge blower out a 4" sidepipe; this Ford ute could hunt down a Honda 750 over a 1/4mile, shifting 1st to 4th at 2500rpm then flat out in 4th to the finish) but he has picked all the brains and tells me you have to start with the exhaust and map the turbo to suit. If you do it wrong you end up with your power way up in the revs with no useful torque (unlike the V8 mentioned, which, if you passed a car at 50mph in 4th, throttle wide open, would be doing 100mph before you could pull back into the left lane). His advice: if you were to be replacing the turbo you could map it to suit the 3", otherwise keep it pretty much like the maker set it up. My plan at this stage is to replace the monster (2ftx1ftx9inch) muffler with either a straight pipe flange to flange, or perhaps a hotdog or similar straight through and see how it goes without spending big $$$. You will also avoid the droning at cruise that some of these big systems end up with. Maybe then consider a 2.5" mandrel bent job.

[Derb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Derb]

I have had a KZJ95R and only upgraded to a 100 series cruiser to tow my heavy van (2.8 tonne) as the Prado was working way too hard. The Prado is much more capable off road and more nimble to drive and handles better on the seal. I would buy another one tomorrow if I didn't have such a heavy van. A brilliant vehicle.