Outer Limits 4x4 Board

first time diesel buyer and dont mind admitting knowing fug all about diesels to be honest its stopped me from buying one .....what do i look for in a diesel when buying im sick of dragging the shell truck around behind the big petrol guzzler

the good thing about the TD42 is that they are a tough motor. takes a fair bit to kill them, but it is not impossible. things to look for are the basics like service history - they need to be serviced every 5k in order to get the life out of them. other things, are they overly rattly? could be a simple rocker adjustment, could be something more sinister, like a stuck valve (still relatively easy repair). how does it drive? does it blow heaps of smoke all the way through the rev range? does it have dead spots while accelerating?

dont be put off by high k engines. the TD42 is known for doing well in excess of 500k when looked after.

if you are concerned at all, or want a 2nd opinion, get a mechanic to look over it. they often dont charge too much for a pre purchase inspection, and it can give someone like yourself peace of mind that the engine appears to be sound.

good luck

Two main things I have seen with the TD42 is:
1) water sucked in through the intake. This bends the conrod(s) and usually wont sound right or run smooth.

2) people who dont run a decent coolant - plenty of expensive alloy parts to disintegrate around a good engine. Hard to spot from the outside. Check around the engine for signs of brown (rusty water stains), current condition of coolant, and service history.

3) If the valves are noisy it could be that the rockers or rocker shaft is worn. This can become apparent after a head change as some mechanics dont clean out the oil galleries after surfacing the head and the swarf chews out the rockers and shaft.

Main thing is to get a engine you can see running and with a service history. Even better if you buy if from the original owner and you can sus him out to see how its been looked after

Make sure the injector pump is in good nic.

Thats all I have to add.....