Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all,

I got an inspection done on a vehicle, here's the major issues as I see them. If anyone could give me an idea of what they would cost to repair I'd appreciate it - gotta figure out what the total cost of buying the vehicle is going to be.

• Vehicle has 347000km, next injector service is due at 354000km

• Mud encrusted gearbox / transfer case is damp with oil (am i the only person sick of people not cleaning the underside of their cars before trying to sell them?)

• Engine mounts soft

• Engine ring blow by and oil ejection evident at breather hose at side of engine.

• radiator pressure check required, possible coolant leak, but possibly due to owner spilling some while filling.

• replace clutch

• steering wheel very vague and light at speed, car feels like it's wandering a bit while driving

• replace air cleaner element

• adjust or repair power steering pump pulley - excessive run out

• replace engine exhaust manifold gasket - leaking at forward area and studs not fitted to manifold

• cracking and fatigue in floor pan around seat mountings, cracking in seat mountings.


phew, they're what seem to be the biggies - at the end of the day, id prefer a 13-bt version as the 3b is a bit slow, and people seem to think the 13-bt is better. Locally released MWBs are damn hard to find at the best of times it seems, im not sure weather I should keep looking and be without a car, or get this and spend some cash bringing it up to spec.

Anyone have any ideas?


Cheers
Matt

I'll quote drive in - drive out price range for each, but this is only a guide. there is a lot of variation in prices a shop will charge to fix stuff.

matt g wrote:• Vehicle has 347000km, next injector service is due at 354000km

$250 - $350

• Mud encrusted gearbox / transfer case is damp with oil (am i the only person sick of people not cleaning the underside of their cars before trying to sell them?)

I don't know about selling them, but I sure am sick of working under them all crusty. transfer case overhaul is about $300 - $450, add $1500 if it needs all new gears in the transfer. (is it noisy? 3B's are pretty easy on the tranfer gears so they are probably ok)

• Engine mounts soft

$200ish

• Engine ring blow by and oil ejection evident at breather hose at side of engine.

all diesels have *some* blowby. a compression check ($50 - $100) will tell you if its "normal" or if it's getting towards needing a rebuild.

• radiator pressure check required, possible coolant leak, but possibly due to owner spilling some while filling.

radiator repairs are pretty cheap, as are hoses etc. say $400 if you need a radiator recore/replacement.

• replace clutch

$450 - $750 depending on the clutch you buy and the skill of the shop involved.

• steering wheel very vague and light at speed, car feels like it's wandering a bit while driving

since you don't say what vehicle it is, it's hard to say what it would cost to fix. if it's a landcruiser and needs all the steering joints and rod ends replaced, around $500.

• replace air cleaner element

$40

• adjust or repair power steering pump pulley - excessive run out

again assuming landcruiser, these can be "adjusted" with a few taps of a hammer. no biggie.

• replace engine exhaust manifold gasket - leaking at forward area and studs not fitted to manifold

this one is bound to reveal more broken stuff, set aside $300 and cross your fingers. if it just needs the gasket and a tighten, $150.

• cracking and fatigue in floor pan around seat mountings, cracking in seat mountings.

depending on how extensive, could be anything from $50 to $300 to get them welded up.

phew, they're what seem to be the biggies - at the end of the day, id prefer a 13-bt version as the 3b is a bit slow, and people seem to think the 13-bt is better. Locally released MWBs are damn hard to find at the best of times it seems, im not sure weather I should keep looking and be without a car, or get this and spend some cash bringing it up to spec.

ok I think this is a BJ70 you're looking at? There looks to me like about $3000 worth of repairs needed, assuming the engine is ok and you could easily double that if you want the engine reconditioned. The price tag on that vehicle would have to be around $4000 for it to be a worthwhile proposition, assuming the body is rust free, wheels and tyres are good, everything else works etc. If you are able to do a lot of the work yourself then it could be viable, but you need to expect that it's going to be on stands in the shed for weeks before it's a reliable vehicle and you'll need something else in the mean time as a runabout.

for mine, I wouldn't buy it on the basis of the cracked floor alone.

hope that helps.

Brian

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the reply.

It's a 1985 BJ-73. the vehicle is $7900 already, if I'm looking at upto $3000 in repairs, plus it needs new rear tyres - perhaps im better off waiting to look for a newer one with the factory turbo engine?

Decisions, decisions.

Cheers
Matt