3 litre turbo diesel vs 4.2 turbo which one is best to buy

[mellows40]

G'day all

I currently own a fj40 and am updating after 15 years of almost trouble free 4x4ing ... I want to buy myself a gu patrol wagon . my question is... I have heard about the troubles with the 3lt turbo. and advice about searching for a 4.2. both diesels ... can some one..... any one.... close the book on what exactly is the problem with the 3lt turbo????? I have heard .. "oil pick up is stuffed"... " they put in the wrong injectors " the turbo over heats and seizes.. the engine has to work too hard and can't handle it.... the engine is a piece of s$@#... .... On the good side I have heard get the right one and it will last forever .the suspension is great it's easy to make better just about rules off road with very little mods.... So Please can some-one put me straight?.... To coin a phrase... " I"M SO CONFUSED!!!"

[PGS 4WD]

TD42 has more torque initially and is easily upgraded with exhaust, boost anf fuel mods to make reasonable power. Not particularly economical. Early 3.0L had issues, engine, clutches, flywheels, injector pumps, turbos, intercoolers...the 3.0L direct injection motors at this point seem much better, and get respectable economy. Still an initial lag off the line, annoying taking off when towing of loaded, up hills etc, a bit of clutch riding is necessary.

Joel

[macneil]

buy a 4.2 and be done with it.. with the 3lts if you have one eye consistantly on the egts u may be able to make it last for ever but just so much easier to buy a 4.2...

saying that my parents have one has been a good car has about 110xxxkms on it.. mates mums has 170xxxkms but my brothers only just made it to 80000 before shit went down hill...

[tweak'e]

Nissan has never official said what the problem is.
the best i've heard is that the early ones had weak pistons. this coupled with control system issues is what gives the problems. later ones don't fail as much and mostly seam to be caused by control issues.
there is a few work around's for the control issues.

the 4.2 is certainly more reliable but in stock form the 3 litre outperforms the 4.2.

[mellows40]

I will be using it at the start for the first few years as a tow vehicle for my 40 so I can bash IT around and do some hard core stuff without ruining my daily driver the new GU....

[choppedtrol]

honestly just look for a 4.2. there are too many dramas with the 3lt. i know of a few things that go wrong with them, but 4.2 is the strong reliable one

[chunks]

Go the 4.2 mate, ZD30 = poo.

[Robbos_toyotas]

yeah i can vouch for the 4.2

[BOOSTED GQ]

4.2 all the way

[bigbluemav]

ZD30!! And while you're doing it, you may as well throw in the Range Rover diffs that the other bloke was going to put in his GQ!!

(Only KIDDING!)



Go to patrol4x4.com for the FULL story on the ZD30. Lots of REALLY good info on how to make a ZD30 survive.

THe consequence of the ZD30's bad rep is that they can be had for very cheap! TD42T equipped GU's are NOT cheap.

[chpd80]

I have heard of NEW 3.0lt diesels going bang, I dont think the problem
is isolated to the old ones.
I would go the TD42 or the 4.5 petrol on gas before touching a 3.0lt

[nerida67]

4.2 all day everyday
who said the 3.0 got more power ????
as u said ,youll be using it to tow
there is only one answer
4.2
PS i dont know how the 3.0 gu compare to the rd28
but wat our rd28 pulled up hills and struggled our 4.2 efi(gq) does without a sweat

[Nuttaa]

I have heard of NEW 3.0lt diesels going bang, I dont think the problem
is isolated to the old ones.

Have you got a reference for that?
i did hear of a holed sump.

[money_killer]

4.2TD with out a doubt, dont waste ur time or money with any other motor

[mellows40]

OK..... i hear you all..... even though the 4.2 may cost. up to 15k extra it will pay me in the long run to pay it...... I'm convinced.... with every one telling me (at home) plus with the advice I'm getting from here. I'll keep looking for a 4.2.. it really sounds like the 3ltr is a dud... I'm after a turn key 4x4 not something i have to fix up first...upgrades are one thing , fixing the manufacturers stuff ups are another... a great big cheers to all

[MyGQ]

I personally know 3 GU ZD30 owners, Series 1, 2 and 4 who have had their GU hand grenade on them. and it seems that someone on here has had a 08 Grenade on them too, so if thats the case, Nissan haven't fixed the problem, they have to know why it keeps doing it first

[chunks]

Nissan needs to wake up to themselves. Toyota has a 4.5 v8 turbo diesel meeting emissions laws, but Nissan has to use a 3 litre 4 cylinder

[drew4130]

Nissan needs to wake up to themselves. Toyota has a 4.5 v8 turbo diesel meeting emissions laws, but Nissan has to use a 3 litre 4 cylinder

Agree Nissan have gone soft as f&*k...its as g4y as Toyota putting a Hilux engine in their Landcruisers

[PGS 4WD]

I'm not dissagreeing that the 3.0L is rubbish however it does return better economy than the Toyota. We need one of the vehicle manufacturers to make a complete package. Toyota Diffs go bang as they can't hack the torque and Nissan diffs cop a ton yet they put a weak as piss engine in front of them. Go figure.

[Skegbudley]

TD42 has more torque initially and is easily upgraded with exhaust, boost anf fuel mods to make reasonable power. Not particularly economical. Early 3.0L had issues, engine, clutches, flywheels, injector pumps, turbos, intercoolers...the 3.0L direct injection motors at this point seem much better, and get respectable economy. Still an initial lag off the line, annoying taking off when towing of loaded, up hills etc, a bit of clutch riding is necessary.

Joel

An easy $75 modification will have a ZD30 sh!t all over a 4.2. No need to ride the clutch on takeoff when you have 6psi boost @ 1500rpm and 10psi @ 2000rpm.
Yes, the early ones had issues but most of these have been resolved.
Do as Bigbluemav recommended and visit www.patrol4x4.com
There is a wealth of info on these motors and how to protect them there.

[Dodger]

I have a 4.2td Gu 2000 St model and it has towed an off road caravan around the block 3 times without any mechanical problems and has now completed over 200,000 ks . It has had a Motson stage 2 upgrade that bettered its performance and this was done before 20k .
The only criticism I have is the fuel consumption at around 14ltrs/100k mt and 18ltrs/100 towing and these are the best figures. worst are 16ltrs/100 mt and 21lts/100 towing.


SO MINE IS A VOTE FOR THE RELIABLE 4.2TD ALSO.

[bogged]

SO MINE IS A VOTE FOR THE RELIABLE 4.2TD ALSO.

its not really a hard decision....

[patrolmad]

Having had several Patrols (ZD30s) as company vehicles with high mileages and never having a problem with any of them, I think it is like everything, if it is mechanical you can have problems. Treat them right and they will look after you.
2002 sold at 302,000 kms
2005 sold at 348,000 kms
2008 now has 193,000 kms on it and going strong

[chunks]

Treat them right and they will look after you.

You can't avoid inherent design flaws in an engine by the way you drive it. I'm sure there are plenty of ZD30s that were perfectly maintained that still went boom.

[MyGQ]

One of the guys i know was a stickler for 5,000K oil and filter changes on his ZD30 series III, went boom. To say the problems have been fixed is not quite right is 2008 CRD versions are still going boom