KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

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sasafaris
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KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by sasafaris »

I am at the stage of contemplating moving on to another vehicle. My old faithful Gunga Din, a kzte DC 4x4 is 18 years old and 550000 km tired. Still goes fine, but little niggly things.
The vehicle has never been driven hard, but has been driven in hard places.
I was looking at getting a slightly newer 2004 model, but notice that these vehicles have achieved cult status and compared to an equivalent year model/mileage 2.7 petrol there is a huge difference in prices.
Bearing this in mind, and the fact that I do not anticipate more than a couple more years wandering around the sub continent, and will then use it for purely recreational purposes, should I look seriously at the petrol version?
I am a dyed in the wool KZTE guy, but I am open to comments either way. I wonder if the huge discrepancy in price is validated.
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Mud Dog
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Mud Dog »

I would stay with your KZTE and rather spend some of the funds you would have used to replace it, on a bit of TLC and take care of the "niggles".
Diesel is more readily available than petrol in the northerly states, you go further on it so more economical than petrol (the 3RZ is a guzzler) and your vehicle is already set up for what you do. :winkx:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

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Baasvark
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Baasvark »

With your current vehicle you know what have - niggles and all!

If the body + chassis still looks good then the rest can be sorted over time at a financially convenient pace...

Rebuild the motor - 30k
Redo all suspension rubbers + bits - 10k?

Replace suspension?

Interior + seats?

I would stick with kz as well...

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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by 4x4 Junkie »

Stay with the KZ. They are slowly appreciating in value. Whatever you spend now in sorting the niggles, you could recover (in part) later.
If you still have blank pages in your passport, it's probably time for a road trip.
sasafaris
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by sasafaris »

Thanks for the input.
I am currently having the engine refurbished.
For 550 thousand KM remarkably little wear. Crankshaft needs slight attention, pistons good with rings reasonably ok but being replaced.
Full new set of bearings, big end and mains, oil pump and new seals and gaskets stem to stern.
Head ok but replacing pre combustion chambers and valve guides.
New oil pump and engine mounting rubbers and one bolt which had the nut missing for who knows how long.
Next new shackle bushes, then aircon to be sorted out and then hopefully all good for the next plenty thousand km.
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Mud Dog
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Mud Dog »

Wise choice IMO. :winkx:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
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Baasvark
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Baasvark »

sasafaris wrote:Thanks for the input.
I am currently having the engine refurbished.
For 550 thousand KM remarkably little wear. Crankshaft needs slight attention, pistons good with rings reasonably ok but being replaced.
Full new set of bearings, big end and mains, oil pump and new seals and gaskets stem to stern.
Head ok but replacing pre combustion chambers and valve guides.
New oil pump and engine mounting rubbers and one bolt which had the nut missing for who knows how long.
Next new shackle bushes, then aircon to be sorted out and then hopefully all good for the next plenty thousand km.
If you can, consider replacing the head. 550k km is a good innings and they are notoriously sensitive....

Are you doing water pump, oil pump and radiator as well?

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Baasvark
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Baasvark »

Baasvark wrote:
sasafaris wrote:Thanks for the input.
I am currently having the engine refurbished.
For 550 thousand KM remarkably little wear. Crankshaft needs slight attention, pistons good with rings reasonably ok but being replaced.
Full new set of bearings, big end and mains, oil pump and new seals and gaskets stem to stern.
Head ok but replacing pre combustion chambers and valve guides.
New oil pump and engine mounting rubbers and one bolt which had the nut missing for who knows how long.
Next new shackle bushes, then aircon to be sorted out and then hopefully all good for the next plenty thousand km.
If you can, consider replacing the head. 550k km is a good innings and they are notoriously sensitive....

Are you doing water pump, oil pump and radiator as well?

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Ok I see you are doing the oil pump.

Might be worth considering the rest while it's out...

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sasafaris
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by sasafaris »

baasvark, thanks for that.
I replaced the head at around 300/350 000km, and apart from the precombustion chambers it is in good shape according to the mechanic.
i am replacing the radiator, I put a Silverton one in a few years back after I overheated it, and will be replacing it with the same or upgraded unit.
Water pump I did last year.
sasafaris
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by sasafaris »

I just priced a Silverton radiator at R4000 for OE spec unit, Toyota OE R11000. quite a disparity.
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Baasvark
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Baasvark »

sasafaris wrote:I just priced a Silverton radiator at R4000 for OE spec unit, Toyota OE R11000. quite a disparity.
Yes I know! Went through a similar excercise recently. Opted for a 4.2 cruiser radiator as it's around 20mm thicker and I was looking for extra cooling capacity.

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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Thabogrobler »

I have a theory regarding cracked heads and radiators.

In short, I believe there are some or the other element left in engine blocks after casting (I believe sand) which fouls radiators.

Coupled with a bit of dirt blocking a radiator on the outside in conjunction with a poor heat dissipation design and you end up with either a cracked head or overheating engine.

I am a firm believer of a new or at least a properly cleaned radiator every 100 or 200 000km.
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sasafaris
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by sasafaris »

Happiness!! I got my truck back. Engine rebuilt from bottom up. Replaced faulty crank sensor and ECT sensor, how the engine worked before these were replaced is testimony to Toyota KZTE not knowing when to die. I chipped it awhile back to compensate for crappy performance, and have now taken the chip out, it was redundant, and the truck is performing like it did when it was new.
At 550000km the cylinder and piston wear was statistically insignificant. Rings were a bit tired.

I have to compliment Troy van der Merwe from Crest Auto and Battery in Hillcrest Kzn. he has been looking after my vehicle for years, and prompted the rebuild rather than fixing bits and bobs in an ongoing costly exercise. Troy kept me advised with progress photos and reports on a almost daily basis. It was interesting seeing the engine stripped down and rebuilt, painted and cleaned, looking like new when finished.
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Mud Dog
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Re: KZTE vs 2,7 petrol

Post by Mud Dog »

Awesome!! :thumbup:

Now it will keep going for another few good centuries on the clock. :winkx:
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

Image
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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
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