Tell me about ZD30's

[Brett_J]

Ok found my friend a pristine 01 GU with the ZD30.
She's pretty keen and will probably get it, has low K's (under 170,000km) and is under 22k.
Before I drive it up to Broome I want to make sure the engine wont explode as I have heard they tend to.

I will block the EGR off
Run a manual boost controller and gauge
Probably put a Pyrometer in with a warning when temps get to high

Anything else I should look at doing?
I was suprised how well it goes, especially in 3rd geard, pulls pretty hard.

Cheers

[RICEY]

Clean the MAF and a catch can wouldnt hurt.

[Brett_J]

Oh yeah heard about the catch can too, will do.
Will be cleaning MAF as well

[lil regy]

get an ase cooler kit. take the intake mani off and clean it out as it will be full of build up. They are an absolute pingpingpingping of a thing to work on so when something does go wrong it wont be cheap.

[eScoRt20]

provent 200 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PRO-VENT-200-CRANKCASE-BREATHER-PROVENT-4WD-/261014128326?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cc5a786c6) these look like the best catch cans ive seen. and well worth looking up how they plumb them back into the engine, google search provent 200 and theres a very good write up on one of the patrol forums. otherwise exhaust and a chip are good investments.

[Brett_J]

Do I have to plumb the catch can back into the intake, or like on the R34 shitter I have a small filter to atmosphere.

[eScoRt20]

that provent one just intercepts the rocker cover to intake breather, and then you run a drain out the bottom. but if you set it up properly with a drain to the sump, you dont even need to empty the excess oil. but yes, if you buy a quality can you plumb it back into the intake.

also, floodlights on the back of the car that come on when reversing are great on a patrol. i hate reversing them, and even more so at night.

[lil regy]

From what i have read the zd's vent quite hard and it is recommended to plum it back to give the catch can vacuum otherwise will run the risk of pressurising the crank case

[Brett_J]

From what i have read the zd's vent quite hard and it is recommended to plum it back to give the catch can vacuum otherwise will run the risk of pressurising the crank case

Awesome, cheers

[joshg123]

i personally would stay away from the early zd30's, we just had a customer come through the door with a perfectly maintained example. Blew a hole in a piston, with a maf thats 20,000km old.

Weve done 4 motors in about 12 months.

I dont know the specifics, but the 05/06 motors seem to be much better.

To purchase a good 2nd hand one, and fit it, with consumables it aint cheap. So personally id factor this in your sums, as at 170k its not going to be faultless motoring even if you put the preventative steps in place now. Who knows what sort of life its had in the past.

How much more is it to get a td42?

[Tre-Cool]

my old man picked up a 2000 or 01 model for 12k ish over a year ago with 260K km's. we mainly use to tow cars to the drags etc, but he just took it on a trip upto port hedland were it lost 5th gear coming into karratha.

other than that it is completly stock, nothing in the engine bay has been touched. apart from typical deisel gutlessness. it tows fine and gets better fuel economy than my brothers brand new 2012 model.

go figure.

[Brett_J]

i personally would stay away from the early zd30's, we just had a customer come through the door with a perfectly maintained example. Blew a hole in a piston, with a maf thats 20,000km old.

Weve done 4 motors in about 12 months.

I dont know the specifics, but the 05/06 motors seem to be much better.

To purchase a good 2nd hand one, and fit it, with consumables it aint cheap. So personally id factor this in your sums, as at 170k its not going to be faultless motoring even if you put the preventative steps in place now. Who knows what sort of life its had in the past.

How much more is it to get a td42?

Did the one with the new MAF have the other stuff to stop it happening?

I know they have a bad rap, but after going hard looking through countless forums and asking same questions, it seems if it's well maintained and you put the counter meaures in place you should do pretty well, plenty of examples with 3-400,000 kms on the road still running.

I've priced up the usual stuff and being able to do the stuff myself, it still comes in under a grand, cheap insurance really.
Worst case scenario, rebuilt motors are going for around 4-6k.

For a similar aged/kilometre vehicle in the 4.2 range its a good 5k more, she just doesnt have that at this point, cash is in a locked account.

This guy didn't seem to bullshit and it's in near on new condition, when I arived he was washing his new Navara, he was going to town on it, you could see he'd treated the patrol the same, serviced every 5000km.

But with ALL second hand cars, sometimes you get a lemon, sometimes you get lucky.

[DISTRBD]

How much more is it to get a td42?

Still going for drug money , Brunswck diesels sell turbo 4.2 engine only 6-7k and people are payng it :/

[Yakky Bear]

Dad was one of the best diesel tech's in the trade ehen he was around.

Soo many problems with these.
Best advice, dont do it brett. Dad had a different story about zd30's every week.
Nissan used to send them to him because they couldnt work it out.

I'd advise against it.

[joshg123]

Still going for drug money , Brunswck diesels sell turbo 4.2 engine only 6-7k and people are payng it :/

Brunswicks are the only people i buy a zd30 from to supply a customer.... had too many issues with other ones. They seem to be able to supply clean late model low km motors that we are having a good run with.

Its the only option i offer customers, too many comebacks with rebuilt units or 2nd handies from other sources

[Brett_J]

It's been bought, I was just wanting advice on other mods that I hadn't thought of.

Unless anyone here apart from me that works on diesels for a living can tell me exactly what else goes wrong with them, I can't see them being different once the small things are covered, to any other diesel in keeping it maintained and running properly for a good life.

[31-EVO]

Seen two come through our workshop with carbon build up around the injectors and of course that then blocks the oil pick up in the sump, then you get a small smurf inside it knocking away with a hammer due to oil starvation( but i'd say this was due to lack of servicing or incorrect oil). Apart from that, everything else has been covered really. They love eating head gaskets also, but I've never done one personally, thats ust what I've heard around the grap vine.

[Turbo2.6L]

Ok found my friend a pristine 01 GU with the ZD30.
She's pretty keen and will probably get it, has low K's (under 170,000km) and is under 22k.
Before I drive it up to Broome I want to make sure the engine wont explode as I have heard they tend to.

I will block the EGR off
Run a manual boost controller and gauge
Probably put a Pyrometer in with a warning when temps get to high

Anything else I should look at doing?
I was suprised how well it goes, especially in 3rd geard, pulls pretty hard.

Cheers

Am i the only one looking at this price & thinking it's high, as in WAY FUCKING HIGH??

[Brett_J]

Am i the only one looking at this price & thinking it's high, as in WAY FUCKING HIGH??

It's not a 33 shitter
Find me one cheaper in better nick with less than 16000kms a year on it, feel free.

[Turbo2.6L]

It's not about finding one cheaper, it's about paying crack pipe price for a known unreliable platform. There's a reason they have a bad rep & it isn't because of an internet bandwagon, they just have a lot of issues.
As already stated earlier, even if you put these preventitive measures on now at 160k, what about the first 160k of hard life? Will that be magically erased?? Good service history or not, they pop.

Have to lol at the 33 comment as well. Can't all be baller & drive around in 34's champ :)

[esky]

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/nissan-patrol-2001-12613865?base=1216&vertical=Car&eapi=2&Page=2&sort=~Price&cr=15&__N=1246%201247%201252%201282%204294963846%2042949 63358%201216&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~0.5|Year:2001,2001

[Brett_J]

It's not about finding one cheaper, it's about paying crack pipe price for a known unreliable platform. There's a reason they have a bad rep & it isn't because of an internet bandwagon, they just have a lot of issues.
As already stated earlier, even if you put these preventitive measures on now at 160k, what about the first 160k of hard life? Will that be magically erased?? Good service history or not, they pop.

Have to lol at the 33 comment as well. Can't all be baller & drive around in 34's champ :)

The only people that complain about them are those that have never owned one or repair them. One workshop that does a few a year and all of a sudden it's an epidemic!
There are thousands running around perth doing fine, and with a lot higher K's, with any second hand car you can get stung. In terms of a diesel, 170,00 kms is low K's!
If someone can actually come up withy something definitive why these blow with the measures in place, that separates them from other compression ignition engines I'd love to hear it.
So far its one workshop, a guys dad and internet stories.
The guys on the Patrol forums all seem to report no issues once the measures are taken place. Sure one or two will go, but I also have heard horror stories of 4.2's dying. It's the luck of the draw.
What makes you think this has had a hard life without looking at it over me actually being a mechanic and looking at it and saying it has been looked after?
Bottom line, the cars been paid for, I just wanted to see what I missed, thanks for your informed post.

Oh and the 33 comment wasn't mocking your car, otherwise I would have said GTR, it was directed at a common car not worth a pinch of shit, the 34 is no better.

[Turbo2.6L]

Ok, they're an awesome engine & indestructable. She's already made the purchase & you now have the answer you wanted to hear.

Happy days.

[Brett_J]

Ok, they're an awesome engine & indestructable. She's already made the purchase & you now have the answer you wanted to hear.

Happy days.

You're an idiot.

[DISTRBD]

but I also have heard horror stories of 4.2's dying. It's the luck of the draw.
What makes you think this has had a hard life without looking at it over me actually being a mechanic and looking at it and saying it has been looked after?


What was killing the 4.2s ?

[Brett_J]

What was killing the 4.2s ?

One had sludgy mud in the sump, the other 2 I heard of was seized injectors.
But I don't put that down to a common problem, could be shit fuel, could be shit getting into the sump, who knows, no engine is perfect.

My whole point was that yep they get a bad rap, they can be sorted with a few things and live happily forever, but some don't as the damage was too much, a risk you take.
Otherwise it gets "stolen" :P

[ForgedV6]

Its fairly evident you have already made up your mind on the questionable reliability of the early ZD30.

Happy motoring to your friend.

[DISTRBD]

no engine is perfect.




4.2 is :)

[Brett_J]

Its fairly evident you have already made up your mind on the questionable reliability of the early ZD30.

Happy motoring to your friend.

You missed the point of the OP entirely then.
But props on providing another useless post :P

Shut up Bart :P

[South]

Tick tock tick tock boooom!

The early ZD30 is widely known amongst all to blow the fuck up! They have since fixed the issue and the newer ones are improved.

It's not a my mates uncles brothers mates daughter once had an issue and it blew a bit of smoke, rather you could be gently driving down the road and it would throw a rod.

Nissan confirmed and replaced THOUSANDs upon THOUSANDs of the boat anchors. In and out of warranty because it was a manufacturing design fault.

Those thousands of early ZD30s you see driving around Perth have probably already got a new motor.

It's a shit engine

[ForgedV6]

You missed the point of the OP entirely then.
But props on providing another useless post :P


No i didn't miss the point but your reply comments are very defensive towards others providing their experience on the ZD30.

I'm also looking into buying a 4WD and would personally steers clear of the early ZD30's. Most forums call them the grenade engines.

[lil regy]

if there is no service history of it having injectors replaced recently i would also replace them while you are doing all the other preventative measures. should be under $300 ea.

[Tre-Cool]

new spark plugs help too...

[Passage GT]

nissan 'mostly' fixed the problem with the series 3 update in 2003, most people still fit the nads mods (dawes valve to control boost, egr block, catch can and scanguage to monitor and clear codes that the egr block can occasionally throw up)
plenty of people that have done the mods and look after them and still going strong, the later crds have none of the problems of earlier ones but for some strange reason fuel economy is all over the shop with them, no one can figure out why, some people get 11s to 13s others get 17+
i think if you've done a compression test etc, clean manifolds, do the nads and control the boost and it should be ok, most of them died by overboosting.
heaps more info on the patrol 4x4 forums.

[Brett_J]

I've told her the issues and left it with her to see if she wants to get her deposit back, it's not set in stone.

Will have to look for other options, the Petrol versions chew the juice and 4.2TD's are going for drug money.

[Turbo2.6L]

What does she need it for? If it's for towing a caravan/heavy trailer etc you can't go past a cruiser or patrol, but if it's just a beach basher or general dirt track warrior you could get away with any 4x4...

[Brett_J]

She had her heart set on a patrol or cruiser, I've talked her into looking at other cars, prados seem cheap for what they are. Would be keen on looking at a turbo diesel.

[VS5LUTE]

I just got a ZD30 with 312 xxx kms, unknown if it has a new motor but i'm guessing so. Put a boost gauge in a couple days ago and noticed spikes of over 24psi on occasions, doing that NADS as necessary but every time I drive it my butt hole is clenched, always think its going to blow.

[Philbo]

http://www.mypatrol4x4.com/topic/57-nads-step-by-step-guide/

Here ya go did it to my 2005 Nissan Navara 3.0. Also replacing the fuel pump is a huge one but EGR and a Pyro gauge and boost gauge should get you by.

[suburban]

apologies if repost, but - its troo !

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHyV7i_VRBdHyGEagU4i5MH6Nb0rTUl 15q5XdQa5D5X2KXo6v6o571aNf2

[Brett_J]

Ended up with a 05 4.0l Prado, I drove it up to Broome and down the beach n stuff, great car for what she wants, plenty of poke and 7 seats for the kids and dog, plus all the usual 4wd necessities - lift kit, spotties,bull bar, tow hitch. Good price too.