98 GU 2.8 turbo diesel, worthy rigs?

Gday im just tryin to get sum feedback on the 2.8 turbo diesel in the GU. Is it any good? Sounds like a small engine for a larger 4wd?

I own a 99 2.8td gu. Yes it is a bit lazy in take off and does not overtake very well and if you are going to be towing I would steer clear and head towards a 4.2td. But I can't fault it off road with some 33's and a lift they are pretty much unstoppable I go anywhere all the other boy's go no worries. Engine wise if you treat it right and look after it machanically it will last. Just make sure the owner before did or fine tooth comb the engine and make sure the head is good.

and probably a much safer bet than the early 3ltr 4 potters too

I have a 97 gq 2.8 and I love it!! Sure it needs some balls but with fuel economy I get average 1300km on a 145lt tank as I drive 95% on road as a daily
cheers stevo.

I was told just the other day that the last of the 2.8's were the pick????

had a couple of 2.8 GU's and loved em, as old mate said they are a little under power but on the trails in low they go well also they do have an issue with the harmonic balancer but if you keep an eye on it they are fine. they also have a radiator that is not much chop and will do well with an after market unit. they also respond well to a 3" exhaust, one last thing is the injector pump is expensive to overhaul and is usually cheaper to just replace it with a new one. overall it is a great engine when treated right and will serve you well and the best part is you can pick up a great truck for not a lot of money just make sure you have it inspected and check service history, cheers and good luck with the hunt!

Hi. I own a 2000 2.8. Love it. Yes they could use a bit more get up and go but if you drive with the quirks of the motor in mind then there are no dramas. They love to rev. I have a diesel chip but rarely use it. Does help with towing but even then I only tend to use it on long uphill runs. Have towed a 16ft van around NT no drama but that is pretty flat country. It is imperative to have the oil done every 5000 k's. Has performed with no drama both on and off road for me so I am more than happy with it. Life does go by slower in a 2.8 no doubt about it but what's the hurry?

G'day buddy. I have a 98 / 2.8Ti, Got no complaints fuel wise coz I'm use to driving V8s at $150 a week, with the 2.8ti it's down to $50 for an every day driver, couldn't give you exact mileage but cover a few Ks.
As for power, down low its very slow off the mark, but when they get going they are great, lose power up long hiils on the black top though, they are a revvy motor so you need to keep them wound up for best results, never had an issue towing, but never pulled a c/van, jetskis and trailers not an issue, definitely would be a piece of poop with no turbo, it's only std though, have read if chipped and exhaust they have a lot more up and go.
Out bush in 4wheel I can not fault it. Goes almost anywhere
Don't get me wrong I love it but next time I will be looking at 4.2 TD .

Hi, I have a 1998/2.8 GR/GU (Short WB) here in the UK, I love the engine and I agree with everybody else, pulling away is a little slow, but once the Turbo is spinning, and she's above 2000 rpm she's great, goes really really well, economy isn't bad for a 2.8 straight six turbodiesel (old school, none of this funny high-pressure direct injection stuff) I can't complain. As everybody keeps saying make sure it's really well checked over, and if you can get a mechanic friend to take a quick peek at the important bits even better. Good luck with the hunt, and hope you find what you're looking for.

Got a 98 2.8 just love it ive towed a camper all over the place with it no problems yes there slow on take off but it suits me and as for off road pretty much unstoppable in low and now ive just fited 85% reduction gears ive fallin in love with it all over again

Have to agree with these blokes. Nothing wrong with the 2.8. They're a great motor and I'd go as far as calling it the baby 4.2. I hold it above the 2000-2004 3ltr, most definitely.

They're a slow poke on the road but it's to be expected when the little engine that could is pulling 2 tonne of car. In the bush though, it's a weapon. My 2.8 went everywhere the 4.2's did and also the 3ltr's and even the V8's. You can only go so far up a rocky hill :)

I only bought a 4.2td because I wanted to on road performance and towing power for the future. I personally wouldn't tow caravan with a 2.8 because I'd pull my hair out in how slow it'd be, but that's me. I'm not into towing caravans at 150km/h but I like to be able to take off on a hill before the lights turn red again! ;)

I really need to clean the old 2.8 up to sell it. Might even take it for a spin now! OH, and BTW.. the 2.8 turbo diesel sound fricken awesome! Sounds better than the 3ltr and 4.2 IMO. THe exhaust sound is just awesome. Loved driving in the bush with all 4 windows down so I could listen to it. Music to my ears!

hi everyone, just registered after doing some google on the 2.8lt TD engines. im looking at getting my hands on a patrol sometime in the first half of the year. heard a fair bit of grief has been had with the 3.0lt td engines so tending to stear clear of them and i believe the 4.2lt td are a little out of my price range. the thing i am curious to is how would a 2.8lt td go as far as beach driving and a bit of bush bashing? from reading the previous comments it appears it goes pretty well in low range, and then when the rpm's climb above 2k. is there anything i should look out for aswell with the 2.8lt? ive been a bit out of the 4WD loop last few years after owning a commodore but keen to get back into it. cheers for the help and the previous comments are really helpful!

Great feedback every1 cheers heaps! Very much appreciated input and i will be keepin my eyes peeled! Juz another thing tho, wot difference would fittin 35s, few inches of lift, sum rear draws, 3/4 roof rack and the usual bullbar winch spare tyre ect make to its overall performance? I do alot of beach fishing and sum moderate - difficult offroading so will all those extras make it a bit more heavy and not as good offroad?

Being an older car, you may find the bullbar and other stuff in the front will result in less airflow; therefore showing up any shortfalls in the cooling system.

35s will make it even slower on the take off, and make rock crawling / going slow harder. Consider a set of reduction gears in this case. Even 33s suffer in this way. Also your speedo will be out (going from 31in to 33s corrects the error, 35's will over correct it)

High revving stuff like sand and mud may manifest itself in a main oil seal leak.

It is often cheaper to buy a vehicle with the bullbar etc fitted.



(don't mean to sound all doom n gloom, love mine)

A guy that i know owned a 2.8 gu for 6 years and changed the head gasket 4 times, he rubbished the motor because of this issue. But who knows if he ever gave it a bit of a warm up in the mornings before he drove it like it was stolen to work. They sure do take off slow as others have posted as i gave one a run on the black top back in 1998 when they were new and i was in a 1993 hilux 4x4 2.8 TD and i had three and a half car lenghts on him for around a 1km till we had to stop for lights.

I keep mine pre warmed to at least 24-30c while parked, so it has less to warm up when driving.

Hello mate I've 2000 NP with RD 2,8 and love it one featrue to add is that it is lazy in comaparison with 4,2TD however the NP with 2,8 has about 500 kg less weight which may make a difference out of road