Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Engines and Engine Systems
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Tinus lotz
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Tinus lotz »

Get a bore scope and see if you can look via glow plug hole its about 5mm i think we measured it on the 4.2 .....but madman is a must .....with all the bells and ect waterlevel especially
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Michael »

Johann, don't stress too much or pull the head or anything like that.

Cheap solution would be to buy a borescope from Gumtree or any other seller for a couple of hundred bucks and inspect the pistons through the injector hole.

Usually, the ZD30 engine fails due to over fueling from a faulty injector, but you would have known that long ago if that was the case. I can guarantee you that your injectors are still ok as it makes the engine fail pretty quick if they are faulty.

As the other mentioned, just fit a Madman and you will be sorted :thumbup:
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Johann 1984 »

Guys,

For your interest. I came across these oaks: The prices seem very fair. I'm just posting it in case someone needs a rebuild.

Hi Johann,

Many thanks for your valued enquiry.

We are sold out on the ZD30’s. We will have in our next container, 2nd week in Feb, they are R21000 incl vat.

Our engines are complete with all hanging parts. They are low mileage Japanese import engines with 65000km-85000km. We source them ourselves from our yard overseas and we have been dealing with the same yard for ten years. We receive really great quality stock from them.

All petrol engines come with a 5000km/3month warranty. There is no guarantee on the hanging parts. Diesel engines have a start up guarantee and one week exchange. There is no guarantee on turbo engines.

Quotations valid for 7 days only, while stocks last. Stock is only reserved on payment of a 50% deposit.

All prices INCLUDE VAT.

We are based in Hartbeespoort, but we deliver country wide at extremely competitive rates.

We hope this meets with your approval and assure you of our best attention at all times.

Regards,
Glenda Maguire Director


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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Johann 1984 »

Seems simpler to just replace the old engine with a new one instead of a rebuild. Judging from some of the comments it seems that rebuilds don't always work as they should. Some guys are on rebuild 4 or 3 due to improper workmanship.
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by ricster »

Be aware that Patrol ZD30 motors are a little different to Hardbody ZD30 motors, but can be used with a little modification if I'm not mistaken.

As said before by others, on such a low mileage, I don't think it will be necessary to open up the motor. However that madman or similar EGT monitoring system is the MOST important piece of equipment you can possibly have in your Patrol. I would spend that R5-6k on the Madman like as in yesterday. Those ZD motors are strong and working that motor excessively hard for long periods of time without an EGT gauge is looking for trouble in my opinion. Like Alex said, us diesel heads like to look at the EGT gauge.... we can monitor that and adjust our driving style to suit..... the Petrol boys just watch the petrol gauge... constantly( hahahaha sorry Alex, I had to throw that in ....hahahaha ).

Juice here on the forum has just hit 300 000Km on his 2001 Patrol and that 3.0 motor pulls like a banshee, and have seen it push hard through the sticky Botswana Pans mud. Many underestimate those ZD30's ( me included a few years back ), but with proper monitoring and an EGR block mod done, you are well on your way for many many Km.
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by ricster »

If you do decide to pop the head off, Even though you are in Kimberly, get someone like Graham ( Pathmaker (Jhb)) or Michael (Jhb) or Frans (tour de Frans (Cape Town))to lift the head and do an inspection on the piston tops. Then with a QUALITY headgasket ( I personally would use a Nissan Original ) and new head bolts put everything back together and immediately fit EGT and do EGR blocking if you haven't already done so. Oh and fit the oil catch can ( not an expensive item at all )
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Peter Connan »

Do not waste your time and money pulling that head. You are likely to do more harm tahn good.

A) The damage will not be visible to the naked eye before catastrophic failure. The reason for the failure is repeated grain structure change, until the whole piston fails in one occurence. I doubt even X-rays will detect problems unless they are really pretty close to happening.

B) Factory engines are built under laboratory conditions. Everything must be spotless. I have not seen a local workshop that works cleanly enough (I am not saying they don't exist, but I have not seen one). And I have not seen a commercially-rebuilt engine that has lasted as long as a factory original.

C) If you pull an engine apart, do not even consider putting it back together without replacing the head gasket and oil pump. If you replace the pistons, you need to replace the rings. If you replace the rings, you need to hone the bores. If you hone the bores, you need to strip everything down, clean everything meticulously. By the time you do this, it's effectively a complete rebuild.

My recommendation:
1) First (and without touching anything else) fit a madman. Drive it for a while like that, and drive it as hard as you ever have. This will soon give you an idea of what the EGT's have been doing.

2) If you find that it is likely your EGT's have gone too high, try the borescope (which I believe will tell you nothing but might make you feel better), and have an oil analysis done (probably only of slightly more value).

3) If you are still not happy, trade it on a 4.8.

And here lies my issue with the 3l TDI: most guys who drive them spend almost as much money at the doctor having ulcers and stress-related problems treated as the guys with the 4.8's spend at the pumps (ok, not really, but most of them spend a lot of time stressing).
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Johann 1984 »

Thanks Peter,

I am looking @ a Land cruiser 76 wagon (got a 4.2 straight 6 diesel in sight) or Patrol 4.8 @ the moment. There is a very low mileage 4.8 Patrol in Zambesi (2010 with 53000 km). Land Cruiser just remain overpriced in my view. But, perhaps with a reason.

Will hear what I can get for my GU but doubt it will be much.

It is sad that one pays top dollar for a rugged 4x4 that one cannot trust. That being said, it has never let me down, and perhaps never will. So... Let me not run things too far ahead... yet. Perhaps I am doubting a perfectly good TDI engine.

On the Aussie forum there was a huge fight over whether it is intentional and purposefull driven fear towards the ZD30 to make it appear unreliable and suspicious while the last 10 years have been quite incident free apparently. There are even claims of the CRD ZD30 detonating. Just claims, no one actually owning up to it. I agree with the author of that specific discussion that it is always "a mate I know" or a "mate of a mate" or "a mate who owns a fleet". Those statements are actually not reliable at all. Hence my suggestion of a record system of year models and mileage. I think hear-say and fear-mongering might be present as well.

This weekend @ Bingelela near Bergville (do visit the restaurant if you can) a farmer (who drives a Ranger) exclaimed that he will never drive a cruiser 70 bakkie because they all roll and "are as dangerous as an open tractor". Once again, truth or fallacy? I think it's a sweeping statement or over-exaggerated claim. Or a dear friend who just bought a new Hilux claiming that all Rangers in the 3.2 TDi has gearbox issues, "just go checkout their facebook page" he claims. Once again, truth or exaggerated statement.

Just a thought.
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by Tinus lotz »

I would keep my patrol and dive it with a madman :thumbup:
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Re: Flogging the ZD30 horse once more

Post by SCUBA Patrol »

Keep the damn Patrol..... every model has it's Monday and Friday issues! The Cruiser's does have their own problem do not be fooled! It really boils down to after sales service, something we as Nissan owners does not really get from Nissan, but Toyota is excellent with..... welll I hope so!

In our community of Patrolers there are more than enough know-how to sort out all our problems.

My 3l Di has more than 190000km on the clock has a couple of niggles and apart from the MADman is stock standard. I'll go to the moon and back with no "maagseer"......

Enjoy your Patrol that is why we can buy them for cheap from those who do not know what they have! It is a dying breed of car!!!!
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