Just build the perfect daily driver...Diesel 4runner - Page 2

pete3799 · pete3799's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Where is what's his name.... the East coast guy? He will be drooling over this.....

Notfarnow?
I figured he'd be all over this.
I think he put a VW diesel in his.

look 171 · 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Very good point. I've seen diesel swapped 4Runners and Land Cruisers selling for twice the price of their gas counterparts. I'm thinking you could probably get your investment back pretty easily if you wanted to sell.

V8 swap seems to be the most bang for the buck, you can pick up a number of options in a SBC for under $1000. There's also adapter plates, motor mounts, new accessory mounts, etc available to limit the amount of fab work required.

Cummins can be done, I think it requires a body lift because it's a taller motor. Also supposedly a LOT louder and rougher, and not great around town. I don't think the Izuzu truck motor has the power to move the heavy Land Cruiser.

The V8 Iam talking is a diesel. I think it come out of a Humvee. the Isuzu motor I am thinking about is their commerical delivery trucks. their flat bed trucks or stake bed truck.

I know all about loudness of the Cummins. I have one. If you park that thing in an under ground parking lot in front and next to a wall, it will blow your ear drums. Why do you think its rougher and not good around town. I can't feel the difference that and my LC beside the actual size of the truck. I can't get into most parking spaces around here.

speeder · speeder's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

Cool engine swap...how was wiring up the new turbo diesel motor and running the harness and removing the old 3.4L V6 harness? Was it pretty much plug n play with the EFI or did you have to do some re-pinning? What about the LHD and RHD with the throttle cable, I like the fact that you use re-installed the A\C!

It would be cool to turn the boost up and intercool the turbo diesel. What is the hp/torque on the turbo diesel motor, what about buying maintenance stuff life water pumps, plug wires etc etc, as this engine never came to the U.S? I assume this is distributor less motor with coil on plug?

Cool! Beautiful swap. You truck looks great with 204K on it.
Yasin

Yasin, diesel engines do not have plugs, wires or coils so availability of these items would be non-existent in Japan as well. The only regular maintenance items are probably filters, air/oil/fuel, which one can get from another country due to this wonderful invention that we're typing on.

BRPORSCHE · 07-25-2010, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

due to this wonderful invention that we're typing on.

My keyboard!?!

Sorry I am in a happy mood.

look 171 · 07-25-2010, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobra

That is pretty sweet, how much torque does it have? My buddy did a 510 swap like that. Took the drivetrain out of a 200 SX. More power and a 5 speed transmission in a well sorted 510 is full of all kinds of good.

Is it an emissions thing with the diesels in the US? In Japan they have regulations that make it cheaper to swap out the motor or retire the vehicle, as I understand it.

If you get a front clip like that, you get to see how the motor sits, where the various wires and linkages go, intake and exhaust. Plus you get the mounts. Lot harder make a mount than to cut it off the clip.

Easy to do at the yard too, just cut it at the A pillar, strap it on a pallet.

I don't think you have to smog it if its a diesel in CA. according to the guy I talk to, he just went to a inspection station and the tech gave him the ok. No more smog ever.

Shawn 357 · 07-25-2010, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

I don't think you have to smog it if its a diesel in CA. according to the guy I talk to, he just went to a inspection station and the tech gave him the ok. No more smog ever.

They just started requiring smogs on diesels now. It is just a visual inspection though.

m21sniper · 07-25-2010, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeremyD

Excellent swap - it pisses me off that we don't get the diesel variety of many of these cars. Your choices on diesel SUV's are the VW Tourag at 44K, The X5 at close to 60 and the mercedes at around the same price.

The SUV's in the US are Sooooo suited for decent diesel power

The only time i ever hear anyone mention diesels, or wanting diesels, is on this forum.

speeder · speeder's Garage

And you live in the world's capital of all things motorized, Philadelphia. That settles it.

1990C4S · 07-25-2010, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Where is what's his name.... the East coast guy? He will be drooling over this.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete3799

Notfarnow?
I figured he'd be all over this.
I think he put a VW diesel in his.

Bingo. Brain cramp for me.

speeder · speeder's Garage

You've really got me wanting one of those now, either that or a nice crew-cab Tacoma w/ diesel. Definitely post your mpg on highway when you get a chance. I assume that your 4runner was an automatic before? I wonder how the diesel would be w/ automatic? They are usually great w/ auto due to massive low-end torque.

speeder · speeder's Garage

I think that NFN has either a Toyota diesel or MB diesel in his 4runner. A VW TDI mill would not be suited to the weight and torque requirements of a 4wd 4runner.

slow&rusty · 07-25-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

Yasin, diesel engines do not have plugs, wires or coils so availability of these items would be non-existent in Japan as well. The only regular maintenance items are probably filters, air/oil/fuel, which one can get from another country due to this wonderful invention that we're typing on.

Doh...that's right...Denis..thanks..and here I was looking all over the picture for plug wires and a distributor. Goes to show you how much I know about Diesel engines.

chapo · 04:05 PM

your engine swap in Ca will have to pass smog, diesel or not. Good luck at the referee station with the dmv.Took my neighbor about a year for them to approve a stock audi 5 cyl swap into his syncro vw

WIL84911 · WIL84911's Garage

Interesting and congrats! Not to hijack... I thought all along diesels are expensive to maintain. Not so?

1990C4S · 07-25-2010, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WIL84911

... I thought all along diesels are expensive to maintain. Not so?

I would disagree with the general principle of that statement. In the (unlikely?) event of a failure, yes, but in general, no.

cnielsen · 07-25-2010, 03:10 PM

Because of the increased compression...the engine blocks are made stronger to resist all the internal forces. Also, no real ignition system means more reliability. I'm hoping that this low mileage, the motor is just getting at a break in point and should give me many trouble free years ahead.

The "half-cuts" are the way to go versus just getting a motor/tranny and wiring harness. We stole a lot of little goodies off that front clip to make the transplant go smoothly. Frankly, I don't know what we would have done if we didn't have the whole clip. I have since been able to sell a lot of little bits from it too which helps to recouperate my investment.

The conversion from RHD to LHD had very little to do with the motor and tranny. The biggest issue is lengthening the engine wiring harness. There are about 40 wires that have to be lengthened 30", that took the better part of a day with a soldering iron and heat shrink tubing. Other details were minor dash trim in the conversion of the auto to the 5-speed. The shifters were bent the wrong direction and the trim pieces are all bass-akwards. The pedal assembly also did us no good so a LHD one was fitted. We were able to source most of those parts from a local toyota wrecking yard.

Wiring was the biggest hurdle. I lengthened the main harness but I ended up hiring an automotive electrician to sort out all the other details and even he said it was not easy. He had to splice a ton of things into the main chassis wiring harness behind the dash and that looked like a rats nest of wiring... that was $700 well spent IMHO!

cnielsen · 07-25-2010, 03:15 PM

I had the 4Runner up in West Seattle last night going house shopping with a friend. We were on these little steep windy roads traversing the hillsides...and the Runner did fantastic! Going down the steep hills, just put it in first, let out the clutch...there is enough compression there to keep you crawling down the hill without using your brakes. Then going up steep hills, you can lug it up in 2nd and it just powers right along. You can tell it makes 100% of its torque right off idle...there is no need to ever rev this motor above 2000RPM! And the sound echoing off the house fronts was addicting. Beth finally said she was getting car sick so my fun was over

Dottore · 07-25-2010, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cnielsen

I had the 4Runner up in West Seattle last night going house shopping with a friend. We were on these little steep windy roads traversing the hillsides...and the Runner did fantastic! Going down the steep hills, just put it in first, let out the clutch...there is enough compression there to keep you crawling down the hill without using your brakes. Then going up steep hills, you can lug it up in 2nd and it just powers right along. You can tell it makes 100% of its torque right off idle...there is no need to ever rev this motor above 2000RPM! And the sound echoing off the house fronts was addicting.

Great to hear. I absolutely get this. I feel the same way about my diesel ML. The huge torque and the fact that the engine is never stressed makes for a whole different driving experience. It feels like you could drive up vertical walls. This is particularly cool in mountainous terrain, where my ML seems to leave everyone else very far behind. Also love the mileage. I've owned a lot of cars and I have to say if I could own only one it would be the diesel ML. Best all-around car I've ever owned.

Sorry for the hi-jack.

Very cool swap and I commend you for it. You'll have a ton of fun with that truck.

1990C4S · 07-25-2010, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m21sniper

The only time i ever hear anyone mention diesels, or wanting diesels, is on this forum.

I think he built himself an exotic 4Runner.

notfarnow · 07-25-2010, 06:14 PM

wowee! that is SLICK, I would trade my granny's kidney for that truck.

I did a similar swap, but WAY over at the cheap & ugly end of the spectrum. $1400 1991 'runner, then bought a complete (but rusty) 1987 Toyota pickup with a NA 2.4l diesel.

invited friends over to tear aparth the truck:

Engine was pretty much a bolt-in. The old mechanical diesels just need 3 wires to run: fuel cutoff, starter, glow plugs.

The truck keeps getting uglier, but I love it more & more. Hacked the arse off it this winter to make it a 4dr pickup. VERY useful for me now, just need a ladder rack so I can lug lumber & plywood. Also going to put on a turbo and a bigger alternator over the winter.

I really admire the factory quality swap of the OP's truck. I have seen those and they are a LOT more work than it looks. LOts of very friggy details, so hat's off for such clean work. Mine looks like it was done by a drunk, because, well...