patrol 4.2 diesel

[the_fatman]

i know there are a few threads on this but i cant find them and its late lol

How bad really is the 4.2 diesel in the patrol ?

currently in my surf 2.4 turbo i get $50 to fill her standard tank and i get around 400k's to it? if i buy the patrol am i gonna notice the difference? lol

p.s yes i am dumb lol

[Ragster]

Bad?? What do you mean by bad? Are you talking fuel economy?

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Have you searched the Nissan Tech Thread? Probly where this one should be too, seeing as how its asking a question about Nissan motors!

How BAD is it?? It's not! Most tend to think that as a N/A motor, it is agricultural but solidly designed and a good performer for what it is (a n/a diesel engine) so it is pretty slow! It is NO Ricer Racer, and it probly won't ever win the Stop light Grand Prix!! But it does get the fairly heavy GQ and GU bodies moving along eventually, with top speeds well above the speed limit possible, but it won't keep doing that once the hills start to grow steeper or the trailer starts to get heavy! Standard car without much in the way of mods, it's fairly economical, with 12l/100km quite reliably achievable. As soon as the mods and lifts etc start, the economy will drop, but probly not into the 20l/100km range; rather the mid teens ie 14-16l/100km. The Std 95litre fuel tank fairly reliably will get you over 600km; although 800km is probly about the best you'll get without working hard and driving for economy!

Generally accepted that a 'soft blow' Turbo will make the 4.2 a much more civilised engine to drive around town, and possible to do that without impacting the fuel ecoomy too much! It's just that most can't resist the extra power on tap, and tend to drive to what's available! Can push them out to almost 20l/100km, but you'll have fun getting there! Long lasting with or without the turbo, TD4.2's are still out there after passing 500,000 km and still going strong. Most tend to get into the 300,000's and even up to the 400,000's without touching anything except maybe the brakes and the clutch!

All in all, TD4.2 is actually the pick of the bunch when it comes to honest, simple, reliable, gutsy, longlived, and relatively economical.
How BAD is it?? It's NOT at all!

[the_fatman]

Dam mate thats prolly the best answer i coulda got , sorry i was vague when i said "bad" i was meaning fuel economy yes, and thanks again for taking the time to answer this :) am a lil slow on the uptake sometimes lol

[fishobob]

All in all, TD4.2 is actually the pick of the bunch when it comes to honest, simple, reliable, gutsy, longlived, and relatively economical.
How BAD is it?? It's NOT at all!

I agree with Peter. I had a 4.2D in a GQ and the 4.2TD in a GU and they are both stonkers of engines. I loved the 4.2TD in the GU, I miss it now I'm driving around in my 99 Troopy with the 1HZ. Love the Troopy though, just miss the 4.2TD from the Patrol:D

[overit]

Hi all!

Im Looking at getting a 95 GQ ST Tray back in a week or so... Just wondering if there a reliable strong 4x4? Ive heard reports by a few people that the GU'S Coil Cabs have chassis problems, ie snapping in half!!! Anyone know if the GQ's had any drama's like this or things to look out for with them?

Cheers

[wrangler35]

I had the 4.3 petrol and had heaps of dramas. i then brought a 4.2 turbo diesel with a gu turbo kit westend diesel injector pump. she now pushs out 120kw.

[bendobinson]

i have a 4.2td gu and the engine is awesome. the fuel economy is fairly good, im gettin about 14L/100kms.

Overit - i own a gu coil cab and have never had any problems with the chassis, it gets a fair hiding and the supsension gets a good work out and the chassis hasnt shown and signs of crackin or anything.

[overit]

Good to hear! Have you been up the cape in it? If so how did it go?

[bendobinson]

nah havent taken it to the cape yet, planning to go around june next year. although me best mate has a gu coil cab, nearly identical to mine and just got back from the cape, he has the same 3 inch lift and 33 coopers and a snorkel, he said it went awesome, went up the old telegraph track and that and had no problems.

i had a look at his chassis today and there is no cracks or anything along those lines. they are awesome trucks, couldnt be happier with mine,it goes anywhere i take it.

[4bdan]

I love the economy from mine, it's N/A and i get about 650-700 k's per tank on average and that's with 280,000 k's on it. Standard size tank, takes about $80-$100 to fill, depending on fuel prices...

[the_fatman]

cheers dan (i take it thats your name hehe) sounds pretty good, my old V8 Vr used to cost me $70+ to fill i'd get around 350 k's a tank hehe but yeah, those figures seem good to me..

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Hi all!

Im Looking at getting a 95 GQ ST Tray back in a week or so... Just wondering if there a reliable strong 4x4? Ive heard reports by a few people that the GU'S Coil Cabs have chassis problems, ie snapping in half!!! Anyone know if the GQ's had any drama's like this or things to look out for with them?

Cheers

I have heard of a couple of Coil Cabs having significant Chassis failures, but they were as a result of stupendously damaging driving and from what I heard, Nissan rejected any warranty responsiblility and that was upheld in the courts, simply because of the very inappropriate driving and virtually willful and attempt to destroy the vehicles!! Anything will break if you try hard enough!

That said, I've put GQ's thru a helluva lot more than most, and have had fairly big names in the comp world gob-smacked at the absolute pounding that my vehicles have taken over the years, and the relatively few mods that we've implemented to stop things breaking! The rear Coil seats are a well known issue, best solution being a full width C channel across the top to hold it all level and in place. Front Shock hoops have a range of A/M replacements for the same reason. The chassis on the RHS rear is re-inforced at the cross member behind the coil seat by the panhard mount. The LHS really needs similar re-inforcing at that same place to stop the end of the chassis, that carries all the weight of the fuel tank, from flexing and ultimately breaking. There are a few relatively minor other issues associated with the chassis & suspension, fairly well known!

There are also a few body concerns. The firewall and inner guards in GQ need seam welding - the GU is already done! The floor to firewall seam needs a re-inforcing panel where the inner guard joins the other two, it can crack thru the floor there. 'A' pillar at top & bottom of windscreen, inner guard join and bonnet hinge, and the inner guard join down the bottom where the firewall, 'A' Pillar and inner guards all join! The front of the inner guard and the radiator/grille support panel flex and crack if joins aren't cared for. The bases of all the seat mounts tend to crack if the vehicle is jumped or driven at speed over very rough terrain, and the inner guard where the battery (main) or Aux battery sits are also prone to the same thing.

These cracks can be significant, but not really a major problem! The only cracks that are real issues are those in the chassis, the body bits seem to manage even though large sections have been isolated by cracking! In the Gulf Country, I've seen a vehicle (GQ Coil Cab) with no RH inner or outer guard, no bonnet, no RHS 'A' pillar, no RHS door, cracked and barely complete windscreen, a roof that had been pushed down to the top of the RH door before being beaten back up (with a lump of wood by the looks of it!) and it was STILL going strong!! The owner/driver just buckled up and never fell out! It had been in a high speed collision with a Buffalo, and the buff won!! The Nissan didn't stop tho, it only had about 650,000 km on the clock and was just getting a new set of brake pads put on (only the second set! - He used buffalo's to slow him down!)

Don't let all this stuff put you off, I've never seen all this in any ONE vehicle, (1 of mine got close tho!) and every vehicle that has had some part of this has been used hard and has still been going strong! Even with the damage they have been going strong and not hesitating at all!

If you want a strong and reliable vehicle, the GQ/GU's have it all over every other type of vehicle out there, and I reckon that they are more robust than the L/c 75, 78, & 79 series! I've seen the Patrols taking care of themselves and dragging a string of other cars along thru some of the harshest terrain that Oz has to offer, while the L/c's have been able to look after themselves, but not drag another single vehicle, let alone a string of them!! And things DO break on the L/c's, with arguably MORE ship stoppers than the Nissans! Once a L/c breaks anything, it tends to STOP, while the Nissans just keep on keeping on!

Try 'em you'll luurve them!

[BIGDAVET86]

i have a 95 ST coil cab and i love it. ive had a few issues lately but just electrical and brakes capilers need some attention. they are heaps better riding than a landcruiser and in my opinion more comfy. Mine has done a fair few rough as guts km's and has just ticked over 255 000km without anything major except a rear main seal. that only cost 900 with a new extreme duty clutch as well. air con compressor tensioning pully has got me a few times, on my 4th in 3 years (will be putting it in tomorro).

rest assured that they are reliable, mine has been in some pretty stupid situation and it has allways got me home in time for tea.

i have personally never heard of the chassis failing and i would expect that there would be visible signs of damage in one that was going to let go, or some proper living on the beach rust happening, just try to keep the jumps down to 4ft or less eh.(it will be hard with the N/A TD42 but try:D

give it a few inches of lift some nice 33" or 35" tyres and get ready to have some serious fun.

Cheers
Dave

[Anjitago]

I changed from a 2.4 hilux to a 4.2 patrol and fuel economey went up by 1lt per 100km to 12.5 ltr/100

[4fingermick]

1990 Patrol Diesel with aftermarket turbo, 120,000ks, good load on the weekend, 120-130ks the whole way on the highway yesterday, 14.5km/100ks. I'm sure the economy would be a lot better at a more sedate pace, put it just loves thundering along. Sure gobbles up the miles though. Mick.

[Pmc]

mate you will love it ive got a 2006 TD42TI ST-L PAtrol wagon mate i love it and the engine is a great one.

She just keeps going if you push her she pauses for a second then kicks right in and will happily chirp the tyres at the lights and slide the back out in the wet. not that this is regular driving patterns!!

i drive a 100km round trip to work each day (across the city) and im avergering mid 12's and towing im getting mid 15's with both a 1800 kg full hight caravan and a taller wider 2000kg dual axle furniture trailer. ti goest up towards the low 20-21's when i tow a 3300 kg 30 ft climbing wall (dont do that often)

im getting about 870 km standard weeks driving out of both the main and sub tanks
hope this is of some help!

[monee]

I Have 4.2 In A Gu Its Got A K&n Air Fillter & A 3 Inch Excorse And Gets Over 800kms Per 95lts Of Fule Go S Really Good Love It..

[chickenlittle]

fairdinkum, i've got a 01 gu 4.2-14pound boost & pump to suit4"lift, 33" tyres ,straight through exhust, k&n air filter, serviced regulary and i only get 420 round town-500 tops on the highwayout of the standard fuel tank i thought this was normal and thats not to mention when im towing or giving it a boot full, , im starting to think somthing is wrong. i know the boost would change the economy but it only changed by about 40-50k's per tank it sounds like the old girls allways been bad on fuel. :crazy:

[MY-TD6i]

I have a GU III td4.2 intercooler with a 3inch exhaust I had the injectors and pump re-tuned at 20,000k's, It has 126kw and fuel economy is excelent, We (me, the wife 3 kidsfully loaded) drove from the central coast to broard beach (QLD) just on the main tank of 95 ltr's at a distance of 870 km's and refueled because it was under the 1/4 mark.

[Yom]

Just a quick thread revival (was searching for something else)

My 93 GQ LWB 4.2D uses less diesel than my mate's turbo 2.4 surf and its also a shiteload quicker (well, its still a snail lol) :D

[A.J.]

Well as you brought the thread back anyway I'll pop my 2c worth in ;)

I have a GU Patrol TD42 n/a diesel.

It weighs in at just under 2.5t, just had it on the weighbridge few weeks ago.

I run 33" BFG ATs and unfortunately I drive 85% in the city.

I constantly get a fuel consumption between 12-12.5 litres on 100ks !
That includes regular weekend trips out in the scrubs.

I reckon thats pretty good for a car that size and weight!
And, it has done 270,000km!

[Michi]

my one is a '98 GU 4.2l (no turbo) diesel running on 31x10.5R15 with 320000km on the odo and I get av. 12.5l/100km which is good - as long as it gets me where I want to, but speed is a different subject :-)

Cheers

Michi

[Michi]

currently in my surf 2.4 turbo i get $50 to fill her standard tank and i get around 400k's to it? if i buy the patrol am i gonna notice the difference?

There will be a difference that you now need ca. $100 to 150 to fill her up, but you will get nearly 1000km out of it...

And I hope the price for diesel will not go up anymore


I know - I'm dreaming...


Cheers

[Prados]

is $1.49 too expensive? :)

[jedsute]

how bout $154.9 ?

[bshslt]

It's costing me about $100-$110 to fill the 95ltr tank and only getting max 500kms out of it around town. I am running 35's. You guys think i should be getting more?

[Prados]

That's how my wife works out economy. ($ per Km)
It's Lts per 100 Km :) The cost of fuel fluctuates so much, you can't calculate it like that. That's why she belly-ached so much about the Prado till we sold it. Now she's finally talking Lts per 100Km so I'm back in the market for a 4x4.
The little lady is in finance and she lives and breathes $$$. So if I can give her figures on the chosen 4x4 I will have her blessing.
Next time we travel she can enjoy the scenery and not complain how much this is costing us.
:)

[sandj]

Peter,
I own a 97 GQ NA 4.2 and have heard fitting extractors and a 2.5" exhaust will increase the power quite a bit. Any comments? I will be fitting a hi-clone and K&N filter as well. 200K on the clock and very happy with it although a little more poke would be good. Tow a Dingo camper and am heading outback again soon. Cheers sandj

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Fitting extractors and a 2.5" or even 3" exhaust will increase the power a noticeable amount! The K&N filter will help too, and regardless of anything else I'd still be looking to fit a snorkel! I think you'll be able to find a spot for the Hiclone that will give you better fuel economy once you've got all the rest settled! I'd get the rest settled first tho, work out what your fuel economy is going to be like that, THEN put the Hiclone in and adjust it's position until you get the best response. I doubt that the Hiclone will make a significant difference to noticeable power, altho you might have a 'seat of pant's' impression that it is smoother. MOST of your gains will come from the extractors and exhaust. The Hiclone should be able to help you find a little fuel economy on an N/a TD4.2 tho! Make sense?

Enjoy the process! It's all meant to be fun!

[sandj]

Snorkel is already there. I believe the hi-clone on the 4.2 fits inside the filter directly above the inlet - what adjustment would there be? Thanks for the info on the extractors. Don't really want to spend the cash on a turbo, etc.
Cheers

[austravel]

Hi,

I notice some posts saying the chassis cracks/breaks are not common place. I guess as per vehicle numbers that's the case but it's more common than you think. If you load them and use them often it's possible they will develop. Another reason, the main one, is if you stiffen the suspension or add air bags. Again not saying all will do it but still often enough. I've had the gq rear towers collapse and when being fixed told it's pretty common, their words. If you do a search of other forums you find that quite a few have a fix done to the towers if they intend loading them heavily or do long K's on very rough roads. Just last year I cracked the chassis in a leaf sprung gu in WA and was told it's very common. Nissan do know about it and in Broome it would have been fixed under warranty if it hadn't lapsed and I didn't have air bellows fitted. Each repairer I spoke to said they did quite a few each year during peak season. On returning home the local suspension guy said he'd just come back from WA and saw quite a few coil cabs that had split in half. Again heavily loaded, telstra, power companies and mine vehicles.

Mine cracked (the gu) vertically down the chassis near the shockie mount, only on the inside channel. The gu towers let go coming back from the cape and damn lucky they didn't go through the floor.

All you need to do is be aware it can happen, do or get the fix done to the coil towers and if you do use the air bags/bellows be very carefull of loading them to much.

Seeya.

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Snorkel is already there. I believe the hi-clone on the 4.2 fits inside the filter directly above the inlet - what adjustment would there be? Thanks for the info on the extractors. Don't really want to spend the cash on a turbo, etc.
Cheers

Make sure that the Hiclone is facing the right way, there is a little arrow on it that has to point along the air flow towards the engine! Surprising how many buy 'em and fit them themselves, then say it won't work but when it comes out, they'd put it in backwards!! But once it's in there the right way, you hafta move it in or out, ie not so deep into the tube or more deep into the tube. In the N/a TD42 I think (rememberancer aint so good these days, I blame the medication!) that you need to keep it fairly shallow in the tube, only just right in, if that makes sense?! It should when you see it fitted! But if that makes the performance or fuel economy get worse, move it!! Even just a few mm will make a difference, but it might take a few tries to get it right! The first one I put in a N/a TD42 almost stopped it, but I'd pushed it fairly deep into the tube on the top of the inlet manifold, and it'd virtually blocked off the air going in - diesels don't work without air! Had to move it out a fair bit!

Re the extractors & exhaust, you really aren't going to get turbo style performance improvements, but it WILL be better than without - you can certainly feel it in your daily driving for the first few weeks, then you'll just start getting greedy for more power like the rest of us!

Cheers!

[Brucey]

I have a 97 GQ with a 2.8 and it used a whisker more deisel than my brother's older 4.2 GQ on a 4 day trip a couple of years ago.

He does drive a bit slow though. He must have been getting aroung 13L/100 K's not bad I thought for the big motor.

[madgaz]

NISSANS RULE!:thumb:

[Blooness]

Gday

Any more info on these beasts, my Dad has a 94 4.2 Diesel Ute, and is pretty happy with it. Its ticked over 200 000kms. Im looking at buying it off him when he retires from work.

Dan