Proud new SFA owner!

[KZNSFA4Y]

I am a new owner of a 1992 SFA 4y (chinese) DC. The vehicle has had a blow over and a new interior fitted. I was fortunate enough to see the stripped out interior and there was not even a hint of rust. It has 421000km on the clock and the new motor was fitted at 395000. The motor runs like a dream, I don't know why so many female dog and moan about the power as it is similar to my wife's verso 1.6 up to 100. There is such a distinctive character of the hilux 4y combo that is addictive. I do want to fiddle with the setup to try get to my goal of 10l/100kms at 100km/h. Optimistic to say the least especially concidering I want to keep it carb fed.

I have wanted this shape hilux since I was young and saw the black one in the Back To The Future movies. I love driving it and the era it was born in. I want to keep it as true to it's origional spec and keep the style of the vehicle to the trends in the late 80's early 90's.

There are a few problems with it:
There is a problem with the front diff. It is noisy and seems to be locked as it is difficult to turn on tar. I am going to check the oil level ASAP.
There is a bit of a whine at 80 to 100 at full throttle.
The suspension is shot yet pretty comfortable on the highway.
The brake bias is way too far to the rear and the back left brake is not working.
Other than a few cosmetic things that are needed and the list above it is in fantastic condition and sexy as anything.




Any advice on the above problems would be appreciated. I am also not sure what petrol to use in the chinese 4y?

I have been quoted R5500 for the front diff and R6500 for the rear diff to be fully reconditioned including crown and pinion as well as spider gears by Gearmax in PMB.

4x4 Megaworld quoted R18000 for an old man emu full suspension excluding shackles. They want R7000 to supply and fit shackles! So I think I will fit Ironman shackles for a fraction of the price.

I am going to slowly fix all the things on the vehicle to turn it into a cape to cairo machine.

I am considering adding another transfer case to increase the climbing power of the vehicle as the current setup could be lower for my liking.

I have steel rims that I will be spraying the same grey as the landcruiser steel rims. I am however in love with the wheels on the flying white SFA on the site banner. Please can some one give me details on these rims.

I look forward to many happy conversations on this forum, thank you for all the fantastic info on this site it helped me choose a good SFA.

[rebuilder]

Welcome
Im sure you will get all the info here you will need. There are lots of informative and helpfull people on this forum. Well done on your excellant choice in vehicle

[swartvark]

Welcome to the SFA family!!
Nice looking Lux... and it'll look great with dark grey rims!

[Hi-Hilux]

Welcome to the best forum and congrats on the SFA, modified or standard they are stunning! One of the clever ooms/uncles/toppies will help you with your questions soon.

[Mud Dog]

Welcome to the best forum and congrats on the SFA, modified or standard they are stunning! One of the clever ooms/uncles/toppies will help you with your questions soon.

Nou wat is met jou fout dat jy nie kan help nie, Trevor!??

Welcome to the forum, Cameron!

There is a problem with the front diff. It is noisy and seems to be locked as it is difficult to turn on tar. I am going to check the oil level ASAP

First check out that the hub-locks are actually disengaging. You will have to remove them to do this (mark their orientation first). The fact that you are having difficulty turning on tar might also suggest that there may be a non-selectable locker in the diff. I also don't like that it's noisy .... could be an indicator of a bigger problem, and professional help might be the best option here.

There is a bit of a whine at 80 to 100 at full throttle.

Gearbox or diff? Usually this is a diff whine ..... not too serious but also usually not a cheap fix (crownwheel & pinion replacement). If it only happens under load and only in certain gears (like 4th and 5th) .... then is gearbox related. Again, professional help would be the best option.

The suspension is shot yet pretty comfortable on the highway.

Replace it completely with an upgrade (don't waste your time and money with standard OEM stuff). Personally I would go for a full OME kit, but if there are budgetary constraints then I would consider Mikem (a good local product).

The brake bias is way too far to the rear and the back left brake is not working.

First is to get that left rear working. Could just be a corroded / sticking slave cylinder, but could also be the brake components in the drum. Strip both sides and clean them out setting them up properly (if memory serves me, there is a topic or two that covers it here .... do a search), checking on the shoes and slaves at the same time. Once they are both working properly you can adjust the bias by way of the LSPV (load sensor proportioning valve) located between the rtear axle and load body (again, there are topics covering this).

I am also not sure what petrol to use in the chinese 4y?

Unleaded is fine.

I have been quoted R5500 for the front diff and R6500 for the rear diff to be fully reconditioned including crown and pinion as well as spider gears by Gearmax in PMB

This would be the way to go in my opinion. Those prices seem a little wild although not completely over the top. Shop around a bit and try Mayfair Gearbox & Diff as well.

Best of luck with the re-con, and enjoy the vehicle. If you get stuck, ask here ..... most of the time someone will be able to help.

[CasKru]

Welcome to the forum

[Family_Dog]

Welcome Cameron!

Great looking Hilux!

I can't quite see what tyres you have on your SFA, but be aware that mud tyres make a serious whining sound at 80-100km/hr! May not be from your diff or gearbox. Does it also whine in 4th gear at that speed?


-F_D

[2.8 d/cab SFA]

welcome

[Traveler]

Welcome Cameron, neat and clean looking Hilux.

[KZNSFA4Y]

Thank you for the warm welcome and the great advice. I am going to start with the brakes and then check the oil level in the front diff as maybe there is no oil in it. Pls advise what oil i should use and maybe if there is any additive to loosen it up if it has become rusty and stuck. The hub locks are working fine there is only a noise when I engage the 4wd and drive it.

I am planning on reconditioning both diffs, what would a good price be? And can it be done by a mechanic or should it be taken to a diff specialist?

I have ATX tyres on it.

[Mud Dog]

The hub locks are working fine there is only a noise when I engage the 4wd and drive it.

Was this what you were talking about on tar?? "It is noisy and seems to be locked as it is difficult to turn on tar."

I'm not sure that you are aware of this, but .....
Don't engage 4wd on a hard surface! You will damage the diffs or X-fer box! If 4wd is engaged on tar or any other hard / non-forgiving surface, the stiffness in trying to turn is normal. Only vehicles that are fitted with a centre diff or have visco drive couplings can do this. When turning, the arcs of each wheel are different, so too is therefore the distance travelled by each wheel. Also the sum of the distances travelled by the front wheels differs from the sum of the distances travelled by the two rear wheels. (The front axle travels a further distance than the rear axle). If the surface doesn't allow slippage of the tyres all the drive components come under severe strain (especially diffs and x-fer box). This is referred to as "Axle wind-up". Something has to give ..... either the tyres scrub / slip or gears will strip / shatter.

[KZNSFA4Y]

I hope I havent damaged something. I think I might have as it was noisy afterwards. I was not aware of this. I hate the fact that I might have broken the front diff. I will check it on dirt road tomorrow hopefully. And it didn't help that it was in low range!

[cheetah]

You at the right place, enjoy it here.
Toyota Hilux sfa, good choice.

[Mud Dog]

Cameron, you're not the first to do this, and you won't be the last. Don't beat yourself up about it though, we all have to start learning from some point and can only hope that our 'school fees' are not too expensive.

With a bit of luck it's only the spider gears in the diff that have taken the knock.


P.S. If for any reason you need lower gearing on tar or a hard surface, you can engage low range 4x4 but leave the front hubs free (not engaged). However I wouldn't recommend doing this for prolonged periods. (If you are going to do this to tow something free like a stump or a vehicle out of a ditch, first check on safety issues like where to connect {recovery points}, what type of tow rope / strap, the use of bridles etc., etc. Do a search here on the forum, these issues have been covered quite extensively in the past.)

[KZNSFA4Y]

Hopefully, I just hope that it will work somewhat for the time being. As above I want to recon both diffs anyway as well as open the transfer case and gearbox and recon those if need be.

I was quoted R12k to recon the transfer case and R8500 for the gearbox at gearmax.

I am still not sure what price is good when it comes to reconditioning the diffs, gearbox and transfer case. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Mud Dog]

To the best of my knowledge, 8.5k for a proper gearbox recon is a fair price, but surely you mean 12k for transfer case and gearbox .... the X-fer box on it's own cannot be 12k .... surely! Do yourself a favour though and get some other quotes ...... also try a Mayfair Gearbox & Diff Centre near you.

[Gunta]

6.5k for the diff is not bad from Gearmax. I would let them do it as it is there diffs. While you are at it you can have a locker fitted to the rear with not to much price difference. I paid 6.5k 5 years ago with a locker from Gearmax and it is still running.

[KZNSFA4Y]

I was quite impressed with Gearmax's service when I went for some info. They said that I should just bring the vehicle in so that they could test the diffs, gearbox and transfer case. The transfer case alone was R12k and they told me that they don't like to do repairs on them so they outsource recon units from somewhere else. They might even advise me where I can get it cheaper. They also have a reasonable warranty. I think it's 30000 or one year.

So far everyone I have seen in pmb to advise on repairs the vehicle needs, they want a labour charge just to look at the vehicle and do a visual inspection and quote. I don't find this completely unreasonable but it does seem like they are not going out of their way to find work. It is silly as they seem to spend quite a bit on advertising and then drop the ball when you get there. I don't like it when I enter a business and it feels like I am not yet seen as a valued customer and I have to spend hard to join the club. Gearmax was brilliant with their service when I walked in the door.

For my roadworthy I need to replace my shackle bushes back and front. I took it to a 4x4 specialist in in town and they wanted R1400 for the labour. This in my opinion is a bit much considering the competition in PMB not unreasonable though. I then got a quote of R500 but it was in a part of town I am not familliar with and I was not sure I could trust them especially since my vehicle was not insured. Last week friday I took my bakkie to the Hilton car wash down the road and while I was there I noticed there was a mechanical repair shop behind it. I enquired there and they quoted R300 . I asked a local or two about their work and everyone had something good to say. They also quoted R2500 to replace the clutch with a LUK kit and have the pressure plated skimmed.

The clutch shudders badly when it is warm or I use it on a steep incline in reverse.

I am happy to spend up to R65000 on my bakkie to turn it into the cape to cairo machine I want. Seeing as though the body and interior are in very good condition, the motor is new, and I like the bull bar, roll bar, tow bar and side steps as they are fitting to the era and style of the vehicle. This leaves money for the suspension, reconditioning of the drive train, new tyres and toys. So I am going to be very price concious (quality taken into account) with every rand as I will mean more toys for the same money.

So in short, I love my Hilux and it inspires me to work hard so that it can take me and my family to amazing places. Why have a just a car when you can have a LUX! I have driven my father in laws landy 130 many times and it doesn't feel as solid as my lux even with a 1/3 of the milage and age.

[KZNSFA4Y]

Ok so mayfair gave me a better price on the gearbox and transfer case R7750 gb and 8550 tc. They still want a labour charge to remove and refit but I think if I do both at the same time maybe I can get it included. R16300

Gearmax has a better price than mayfair on the diffs. R12000

4x4 Megaworld has the best price on OME at R18000

My local mechanic R2500 for a new clutch and skim R2500

New tyres R6000 budget. Looking at going BF AT 31".

Brake Upgrade kit R3000

Total R55000.

This leaves me with R10k for toys such as powder coating my rims, Minor mechanical repairs such as upgrading the interior fan and repairing the problem with my windscreen wipers. Fitting a second fuel tank (please advise), smash and grab and air suspension system and the entire undercarriage sprayed with that special black piant.

I have decided to keep all the adventure stuff on a seperate budget as they are easily removed from the vehicle.

[rebuilder]

I have a spare transfer case thats still good. You can have it for R2000 and a spare gearbox for R4000.

[Gunta]

Thats a good saving if the gearbox and Xfer case is fine. I would not be in such a hurry to have the xfer case fixed as they are pretty bullet proof, maybe just have the gearbox done.

[Mieliemonster]

kerels ek het iewers 'n voeltjie hoor fluit dat ek my gearbox kan ingee vir 'n recon kan iemand dalk help my box het op gepak Ek bly nogals ver van die stad af

[Rider]

now you not proud, you chose to sell it

[Mountain Man]

Cameron,
You can also try JJ's Motor Works in Pietermaritzburg. When I lived there I used to use him to do the repairs on my Hilux's. He did his trade test on these type of vehicles so knows them well. I have not used him since 2008 so don't know what his set up is like now.