2.8 diesel engines

[Jas]

Hi all are the 2.8 turbo engines any good im not going to be towing anything maybe a camper trailer at the biggest. Only asking this as I have been told there not that good on a highway trip and lack power for hills etc.

Help please

[YNOT]

The RD28 is a good motor, though a little small in a Patrol. As long as they're not heavily loaded they go quite well on the highway. With a fully loaded camper on the back you have to expect them to slow down on hills. With a big exhaust and a tune up they go a lot better.
From my own experience GU Patrol with RD28 turbo intercooled (standard) goes better than a TD42 naturally aspirated (standard) GU.
Off road is a completely different story, the bigger engines are better.

Tony

[wildgu6]

Hey Jas.
I have a 98 GU 2.8 TI Done around 200k.
Every day driving I usually change around 2800-3000.
If I am overtaking and need to get the baby going I can push it to 3800-4000 and it loves it.
Mate in a 200 series cruiser (V8 twin turbo diesel) is actually shocked how well the trol sticks with him on the open roads.
They love to tow loads, but as Tony said, they will slow a bit on hills as most vehicles do with a load.
Without a load as long as no-one slows you down and you get a run at the hills, they handle it pretty well.
Yes the bigger engines are better offroad as you would expect but I have NO problems at all off road with the RD28Ti. (mud,sand,rocks,water, all good) as long as you keep them reving.
Its a beast, I love it and have no prob' recomending it.

All the best with your decission Jas.

Cheers Pete

[Jas]

Thanks for the info I will be using it for off roading so im sorta trying to way up things and decided what I should by. This car is going to have to last me a good 5 years or so I would say so I want to be shore.

[YNOT]

Reduction gears in the transfer case will make it better off road without affecting on road performance.

Tony

[Jas]

Thank for the info fellas

[Jas]

So if I was to get a 2.8 is there any difference in the motor from gq to gu and how much would it cost around abouts for exhaust and tune up on a diesel.

[YNOT]

GQ has a mechanical injector pump, GU has an electronically controlled pump and a small intercooler. GU is slightly more powerful but needs the extra power to push the extra weight.

Big exhaust is about $1000 (easy job to do at home with basic tools). A proper dyno tune to set it up properly with more boost and fuel would be about $500.

Tony

[the ferret]

Yeah, block the EGR, 3 inch zorst, two stroke in the fuel and she'll go like the clappers!!:clapping:::

[Jas]

Thanks,

What is the EGR and why 2 stroke what does that do to the diesel and what sort of amounts are you talking about. So seeing as the gq dont have electronic fuel I would say that would be the better choice?

Jason

[YNOT]

EGR is exhaust gas recirculation, check this thread for more info;

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?40-Blocking-the-EGR-Valve&highlight=blocking

I'll see if I can find the thread about adding 2 stroke to fuel.

Tony

[the ferret]

EGR, Exhaust gas recirculator, pokes truck loads of carbon and exhaust gas into the inlet manifold to help wear your engine out. only on turbo intercooled motors tho.
2 stroke oil in the diesel at 200 to one helps to lube the injection system, quietens the motor and as far as I am concerned, more power, better fuel economy, some say upto 25% altho I havn't seen this sort of saving yet. Do yourself a favour and do some searches on "2 stroke in your diesel" .

[wildgu6]

Thanks for the info I will be using it for off roading so im sorta trying to way up things and decided what I should by. This car is going to have to last me a good 5 years or so I would say so I want to be shore.

Jas are you looking at dragging the camper through the bush, sand and mud etc ????
Just to get you thinking some more on your decission, even though I recomend the 2.8 highly, I dont think I would like to pull a camper through the sand etc with mine. Thats where the bigger motor would be better hands down. The 2.8 needs to be kept revving as I said previously were the larger engines can just cruise through the tough stuff.
Sorry if this screwed up your thought pattern, but dont want you getting something that is not going to suit your needs.
As for Rods suggestion on 2 stroke, I might look into that one as well, Cheers for the tip Rod.

Pete

[Timbo]

Get a chip for the 2.8. Highly recommend them, just imported one from Italy for $240. Took 20mins to wire in, coupled with my 3" straight thru exhaust and blocked EGR (only other mods done) the 2.8 is really great now. 4th gear up hills is easy and sometimes 5th is feasible too. 2nd & 3rd gears are great now.

If my 2.8 ever blows up again, I'll be putting an injected V8 in it.. no mucking around again.

[the ferret]

Hey Timbo, have you fitted boost gauge and egt gauge (piro), do you have any boost spikes with the EGR blocked? cheers Rod.

[YNOT]

Get a chip for the 2.8. Highly recommend them, just imported one from Italy for $240. Took 20mins to wire in, coupled with my 3" straight thru exhaust and blocked EGR (only other mods done) the 2.8 is really great now. 4th gear up hills is easy and sometimes 5th is feasible too. 2nd & 3rd gears are great now.

The chip can only be fitted to GU RD28, GQ had a straight mechanical injector pump.

Tony

[mick27]

Pete
its mick27, sorry mate been trying to find you, have you had any dramas with your GU pulling to the left, i have brand new tyres all balanced, bearings good, other then trac bar under there how can you camber these things. Any ideas.

[YNOT]

Camber can only be adjusted with offset kingpin (swivel hub) bearings.
Castor can be adjusted with off set castor bushes, off set king pin bearings, or for bigger lifts drop arms, drop boxes or castor plates.
Castor is what will cause your vehicle to pull to one side.

Tony

[jace75]

mine has pulled to the left for years no one i have taken the car to has been able to fix.

i am going to gt adjustable pan hards to see if that will help. i got a wobble too so i need to get mine looked at by someone who knows there way around patrols now.

Bob Jane and others just dont cut the mustard!

[YNOT]

I'd be surprised if replacing the panhards fixes the pulling left, but it might help with the wobbles.

Good idea finding a Patrol/4WD specialist to look at the suspension.y

Ton

[Lambroast]

Hi all,

Speaking of a Patrol suspension specialist, does anybody know of a decent one in the Perth northern suburbs ?

Cheers
Simon

[wildgu6]

Pete
its mick27, sorry mate been trying to find you, have you had any dramas with your GU pulling to the left, i have brand new tyres all balanced, bearings good, other then trac bar under there how can you camber these things. Any ideas.

Hey Mick,
Here I am buddy. If your looking for anyone and cant find them just send them a PM mate.
Haven't had any major dramas with pulling to the left, Has a very very very slight pull but none that have caused me any worry or any tyre wear.
But the infamous death wobble comes and goes, new tyres, balance and alignment and all good for a few weeks then back again, another balance and alignment check and gone again, but still keeps coming back. Next thing to try for me is new panhard bushes and if that doesnt cure the beast I believe you can get a 3mm longer kingpin ?? which has sorted another members wobbles.
There are a few threads going around re: steering wobble, seems to be common with GUs. I will see if i can find the thread links and PM them to you sometime this week.


Cheers Pete

[rkinsey]

mine has pulled to the left for years no one i have taken the car to has been able to fix.

i am going to gt adjustable pan hards to see if that will help. i got a wobble too so i need to get mine looked at by someone who knows there way around patrols now.

Bob Jane and others just dont cut the mustard!

I found this bloke in Seven Hills. Seems tp know his stuff and only does 4WD vehicles. I'm taking the Patrol over there today to have it inspected so I can get a report on what is wrong with it so I can then spend the next 12 months getting it ready for our trip to Lake Eyre.

Total Care 4WD
02 9838 9779
2 Artisan Road
Seven Hills NSW 2147

Cheers,

Rob

[mick27]

Mick27
Thanks Tony, i might look into that its driving me up the wall, With jace75 i had the same problem with the wobbles, i took out a spacer from the top off the swivel hub and tightened up the bearings no more wobbles.

[starck]

Hello Jas.
I guess You have them (RD28TD) not so often in AU? In EU it's completely up-side down. 2,8 DIESELS are 95% of marked. Most of them are very old and made over 200 kmiles.

What I want to say is those small engines are lighter naturally and more "modern" constructions but please, concern following:
Must be in really good cond then You find it to purchase. No "small mendings" acceptable - difficult start, white smoke, odd working while cold, strange sounds etc.

Problem is those engines are very easy to warm-up. Enough is to drive too fast too long. Temp goes not over the red so one feels it's OK - but usually it causes over-warming.
Most of my friend are using 2,8 and are very satisfied - I used to have one too - bought it in Berlin. But hygiene with cooling system is life/death situation for this motor.

Best regards. I hope being at least some helpful.

[damianovdd]

Problem is those engines are very easy to warm-up. Enough is to drive too fast too long. Temp goes not over the red so one feels it's OK - but usually it causes over-warming.
I hope being at least some helpful.

For me your post was useful. Now i know what to pay attention for while i drive. But can you also tell how we can avoid this problem? What has to be done to improve the cooling system?


excuse my english :)

[starck]

I live in PL and 90% of second hand cars we buy in Germany. There is no speed limit at all !!! Most of Patrols are just heavy duty vehicle - and germans just run them up to 150 - 170 km/h.
Half hour of such a drive makes 2,8 warmed-up. That is why we are so sensitive about Patrol 2,8 engines - most of them here are already dyeing.

Anyway if You often cheange thermostat, if You go into mud clean Your radiator immediately (not with high pressure), check indicator of temp while driving, do not go over 140km/h for long time.
Then 2,8 is as reliable as 4,2 or other Nissan hearts.

Regards to Bulgarian friend

[jado]

i have a 98 2.8 gu and whenn the motors r in good nik they go pretty well on the highway or anywhere for that matter mine is stock standard with 340 000 +km on the clock nd it beats most NA 4.2 diesels in a straight line but u have to drive em more like a car to get em goin dont be araid to take it to 3000-3500rpm they dontt mind it at all imo. mine only jus developed a heating problem recently on fraser is.as it haad to work really hard on the soft sand (near on high tide) and i still only think that is because i couldnt resist the tempation to wind just a little more boost into it.
i haave heard a lot about these motors having cooling issues and i reakon most likely related to the head gsket or head it self and been a diesel if it olny has a minor gasket or head leak but still enouhg to cause drammas most combustion leak sniffers will not detect it (i know from at least 2 accounts now) i will defend this motor where its due but i still think mr. nissan was on crack when they put in in the patrol