Do people give up on the zd30 way to quickly

Hi
Ok so I want to pose the question are people way to quick or eager to give up on their zd30 and do a conversion. The reason I ask is I had been on the hunt for a spare engine and a manual gearbox to convert mine to manual as I just don't like the auto and i just picked up an engine and gearbox with heaps of spares for $1500 they put in an ls1 auto. they had spend a heap of money on it before the conversion, reconditioned gearbox and new clutch reconditioned injection pump and brand new alternator. then it blew a heap of smoke and a racket so they assumed it had cracked a piston and didn't bother diagnosing. So I got it home and started checking thee engine over and all that was wrong was a blown turbo the bearing in completely gone pistons are fine the bores are perfect not even a ridge and you can still see the hone marks no head cracks so for the sake of checking it they have just tossed it and done the conversion. Good pick up for me and a big waste of money for them. some people just seem to not even give them a chance due to all the bad things that get said about them.
what are your thoughts anybody else seen this happen on some of the facebook pages people just convert them for the sake of it they expect it to fail at some point so they just dump it

mate ive read so much doom and gloom about these 3l motors, we have one a 2002 gu limited edition
had it 3yrs now and still going strong 260 xxx plus at present weve done the simpson qld meet up act 3times and to tarree and beyond
lot of the high country there a strong motor if you give it a bit of respect but its still in the back of my mind that it could go any time
if it happens then ive had a good run out of it and will just have to try and rebuild or replace I like it runs well fuel is good regular oiland filter changes and keeping temps down should help to go a bit longer

Know someone who is in a process of a conversion, had got near 300 tho out the original engine and then its gone and cracked a head, had a heap of extras on it and not even 12 months ago spent over 4g on it with rebuilt turbo ect ect(which didn really need doing), now he is doing a conversion to a TD42, I asked him why not just get another cheap ZD30 engine and prob be all done pretty cheap as some are almost giving them away, he wouldn hear of it, oh well.. Kinda thought 300tho was pretty good since he pretty much flogged it everywhere.

If the ZD30 is any good why did you want a spare engine?

Personally I think most, but certainly not all people who do a conversion do so because it is an opportunity to offset rebuild or repair costs against the purchase of an engine that is more reliable or more powerful or whatever other quality they are chasing.

Lets face it, a ZD30 isn't exactly a good performer in a Patrol.
I had a CRD for 5 years (one of 6 Patrols I have owned) and I quite like it but it didn't have the reliability or torque band of say a TD42.
If it had of crapped out from say Pump and Rail and I had of wanted to keep it I certainly would have converted it rather than reco the ZD30

yeah exactly my 06 has 275000 on it and still going strong but i wanted an engine as a base for a rebuild for just in case and the one i got is in pretty good nick apart from the turbo which if you don't mind a cheap one you can get for $400 on ebay a bit like the one with a cracked head you can get a new head off ebay with valves for about $1200 that's a lot cheaper than a conversion

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Originally Posted by the evil twin

if the zd30 is any good why did you want a spare engine?

Personally i think most, but certainly not all people who do a conversion do so because it is an opportunity to offset rebuild or repair costs against the purchase of an engine that is more reliable or more powerful or whatever other quality they are chasing.

Lets face it, a zd30 isn't exactly a good performer in a patrol.
I had a crd for 5 years (one of 6 patrols i have owned) and i quite like it but it didn't have the reliability or torque band of say a td42.
If it had of crapped out from say pump and rail and i had of wanted to keep it i certainly would have converted it rather than reco the zd30

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all true but they where built for the european market as a passenger car hence 7seater
if i had a choice at the time id probably have a 4.2 but if you ease up on the 3l and not treat it as a big motor it should last a while we live in hope

LOL. I know what you mean about assuming the worst about the ZD30. A friend was on a club trip when his GUIII started blowing smoke and losing power. It would suddenly come good and run well then start acting up again until it pretty much stopped working. They called the RAA who came around to pick it up. The guy said Yup, its a grenade. You need a full rebuild etc. Seen it all before, this is the sixth this month etc.

Anyway, when he got it checked out it was the injector pump. Nothing wrong with the internals. Pump was fixed up and car runs normally. Even the so called experts get it wrong about this motor. There were clues that it had not grenade as it would run ok for short periods of time. But as far as he was concerned, ZD30 must mean its a grenade.

[QUOTE=the evil twin;578321]If the ZD30 is any good why did you want a spare engine?


I figured it can't hurt to have spares and i wanted to rebuild and engine ready to put in so it's fresh before the one in it gets tired. I got the car about 10k cheaper than most around at the time in the knowledge i might need to rebuild the engine if you listen to all the hype about them but so far mine has been good the only thing I don't really like about mine is the auto but I got the spare engine a recon gearbox and most of the bits i need to change it to manual

Seen it about three or four times, where someone is immediately convinced, or the mechanic says it is terminal, only to be an easy fix...... and most people dont even investigate the problems.....

It would be interesting to actually see the percentage of grenade 3l DIs. Mine (GU4) has 180 ishk's and no sign of anything. Sure it happens but I think its a bit overstated and many small problems are just assumed to be grenades. What about the 3l CRD. If you go on whats on this and other forums they all develop water leaks behind the timing cover.
Like everything in life, the bad things get the publicity and the good things don't. Peeps who have 3 l motors and no problems don't write into forums, tweet or go on FB about it.
Anyway as you indicate, it may mean that there are a few second hand, good, cheap 3l out there if we (I) need one.

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Originally Posted by roofy

all true but they where built for the european market as a passenger car hence 7seater
if i had a choice at the time id probably have a 4.2 but if you ease up on the 3l and not treat it as a big motor it should last a while we live in hope

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was trying to compete with the likes of RangeRover and Shogun/Pajero, the 2.8 was deemed as gutless and had to meet the more stringent emissions that Europe were imposing back then......... Europe back then were still very much petrol users and diesel wasn't as widespread

you could look at it this way, take mine as an EG 2004 model clean, plenty of mods,
scenario 1 blow motor and rebuild OE motor RRP $$$$$
scenario 2 motor blows and replaced with a 4.2 TD Now my RRP is $$$$$
scenario 3 motor blows and replaced with a late model LS1-2 my RRP is now $$$$$
please feel free to fill in the $$$ signs

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Originally Posted by threedogs

you could look at it this way, take mine as an EG 2004 model clean, plenty of mods,
scenario 1 blow motor and rebuild OE motor RRP $$$$$
scenario 2 motor blows and replaced with a 4.2 TD Now my RRP is $$$$$
scenario 3 motor blows and replaced with a late model LS1-2 my RRP is now $$$$$
please feel free to fill in the $$$ signs

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1 holy shit
2 oh shit im dead
3 shit f#%k im sellin the house

This might sound very cynical, but It isn't hard to lose faith in a motor, when you go to a mechanic or 4x4 workshop and he has 3-4 other patrols, bonnets up, with the same issue.
Like when I was at 4x4 obsession recently, to ask about my timing cover leak. There was 2 of them there, same issue, same spot, all CRD's. They fix that many of them, they could just about do it blind folded. All work that costs thousands, not just a few hundred bucks...
Same with my turbo as well, he points me to a shelf of all failed Garrets out of a 3L patrol. The bloke I spoke to, might have been Brett, his own words are, the 3L patrols keep 4x4 mechanics above ground.
When I bought this thing, I had the typical "she'll be right attitude". Won't happen to me. But so far I've copped ALL the common faults with these things. And shes just clicked 60k. Whats gonna happen when It hits 100K plus ?
This may or may not sound like a whinge, but there it is. My 2c. So yes, to answer OP's thread question.... It's easy to give up on a 3L very quickly.

My 2006 ST-S GU IV 3.0 Di did suffer the "common" issues of a failed clutch at 70k and the dreaded water leak behind the front engine cover at 80k. Each cost around $3k (new clutch and solid flywheel). I did replace timing chain etc and water pump as the engine was out but they looked ok.
I suspect it is the luck of the draw on who gets a clutch or water leak.
HOWEVER, while the engine was out for the water leak, I did get the intake manifold cleaned and it REALLY needed it at 80k. EGR the next step.
BTW this is a replacement for a 4.2 that just got old, and I am happy with the truck--takes me anywhere I am prepared to go.

The main reason the Garrets have an inordinate failure rate in the ZD30's is because people overfill the sump with oil.

There are warnings all thru the manuals against doing it yet the worst offenders seem to be Nissan Dealer workshops.
Specifically IIRC "Caution, do NOT overfill the sump with oil or damage to the Turbocharger oil seals will result"

Wen my Turbo failed and was replaced under warranty I worded up my local dealer and told them it is a known issue and I check the oil level every time I pick the car up and will be back in here to have any issues annotated on the service records against future Turbo failures.
After an animated technically discussion (swearing match) with the mech's it was established it was an old school habit from the Grenade Days when extra oil in the sump was part of the bandaid fix in the Series 1 and 2

I said this is a Series 5 and if you want to be fixing it under warranty for the next 20 years keep at it and here is a copy of the page from your factory manual.
(the look on the faces was priceless)

Didn't have any problems at all after that and was still going gangbusters when I sold it

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The main reason the Garrets have an inordinate failure rate in the ZD30's is because people overfill the sump with oil.

There are warnings all thru the manuals against doing it yet the worst offenders seem to be Nissan Dealer workshops.
Specifically IIRC "Caution, do NOT overfill the sump with oil or damage to the Turbocharger oil seals will result"

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Same experience with a dealer up my way. Took three attempts (complaints) before they put in the correct amount. Luckily no damage done (that I know of).
Had a similar experience with a dealer service on a Merc vito van from work. I guess some of them think more oil is better than not enough?

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Originally Posted by kevin07

1 holy shit
2 oh shit im dead
3 shit f#%k im sellin the house

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That was a supercharged LS2, under $10k plus installation

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Originally Posted by threedogs

That was a supercharged LS2, under $10 plus installation

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Sign me up for a $10 'charged ls2, I'll have ten!!

No experience with the 3L donk, but wot's wrong with the Nissan Auto - I'm really loving mine! Yes, I did the Wholesale Automatics Nomad Valve body and clutch plate upgrades, but the harder I drive it the more I like it. It actually feels smoother and stronger under the pump than when pussy'd around town taking the kid to school etc..

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Originally Posted by onlyme376

yeah exactly my 06 has 275000 on it and still going strong but i wanted an engine as a base for a rebuild for just in case and the one i got is in pretty good nick apart from the turbo which if you don't mind a cheap one you can get for $400 on ebay a bit like the one with a cracked head you can get a new head off ebay with valves for about $1200 that's a lot cheaper than a conversion

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Yes those cheap ebay turbos are garbage. I saw one first hand last November. A customer came to me after being his NAD'S kit from me and had issues tuning it. I told him to bring it around and I'll do it for him. (His intercooler was like a strainer, lol). Anyhow I saw the new turbo and for some reason I put my hand on the outlet pipe of the turbo to give the hose a good move to see if it was on tight. The inlet half of the turbo was moving against the outlet half. Like the to halves weren't held together. It was quite bizarre.

I lost faith in my zd30 and now own a gu iv td 42ti.
Blown turbo was like 3000 to get a shop to do it. Nads install couple of hundred. New clutch and fly wheel 2000, gearbox let go 1500 for a second hand one and the straw that broke my back injectors went was going to cost 3000 car was worth 6000 so sold it for 3000 and that feeling of disaster and what if something goes wrong when I'm out in the bush has now vanished and I now enjoy 4wding again.
People love their car know what it does and holds sentiment value. Buying a new one with a better motor is normally more expensive than the conversions.
If I didn't get a good price for my current td42ti I would have done a conversion.
Not gospel but I believe a td42 conversion is about 15 000 and a l98 auto conversion (6.0 with 6 speed auto from a ss) is about 20000 IMHO I'd rather either of these than a 8-10000 rebuild of a zd30.
Obviously if you're handy on a spanner it gets cheaper

Something I need to do. Get off my rrs and start this td sitting im my garage.

Yeah I can see where people come from when the have issues I question weather the issue sometimes is they are used as a shopping cart constant cold starts and shorts trips like drop the kids to school then home sit for 6 hrs and then repeat when I was looking there was a salesman at a nissan dealer trying to convince me to by one that had under 100000 on it and the owner who was a diesel fitter owned it had to rebuild it. Apparently he went to the mines every week in a different car and his wife used the patrol and it blew at 90000. My thoughts were if he was a decent diesel fitter who should have known how to look after it and would rather the one that had 180000 on it had was still good the one i eventually got had well over 200000 on it when i got it but it was mostly highway work and no NADs done so I bought t knowing it may need rebuilding at some stage but it is still good at 275000 and when I removed the inlet manifold to clean the crap out it wasn't to bad. Fortunately though I do have a really good diesel fitter / machinist in the family so a rebuild should come fairly cheap compared to some of the figures i have seen banded around

Old man's 03 GU zd30 has done half a million km's now, no nads, and he only services it every 25,000-50,000kms... Tops up the oil in between but that's it. He has towed his almost 2T boat from Melbourne to QLD and back at least 5 or 6 times. He's never had an issue with the car, except the auto being a bit slippy when it was low on oil. And after half a million kms he's still getting 12L/100km's on 33's on the highway.

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Originally Posted by Throbbinhood

Old man's 03 GU zd30 has done half a million km's now, no nads, and he only services it every 25,000-50,000kms... Tops up the oil in between but that's it. He has towed his almost 2T boat from Melbourne to QLD and back at least 5 or 6 times. He's never had an issue with the car, except the auto being a bit slippy when it was low on oil. And after half a million kms he's still getting 12L/100km's on 33's on the highway.

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Probably if it grenades at one million k's, someone will say I told you so.LOL

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Originally Posted by 4bye4

Probably if it grenades at one million k's, someone will say I told you so.LOL

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Hahahaha, yeah, any day now...

no such thing as a cheap 3 litre di turbo people are asking 4.5 to 5.5 k which is ridiculous mine has just gone i will be gettin the $1200 rebuild kit that includes pistons and rebuilding it.

RAAA have never had an expert so called or otherwise :)

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Originally Posted by Magician

no such thing as a cheap 3 litre di turbo people are asking 4.5 to 5.5 k which is ridiculous mine has just gone i will be gettin the $1200 rebuild kit that includes pistons and rebuilding it.

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Add a new head, turbo, injectors and then labour, 4.5 -5.5k is reasonable.

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Mudski true but u can do a rebuild if you are handy on the spanner with new head new turbo and injectors for under 4 k which makes 4 -5 k for second hand engine a big risk it may detonate 2 weeks later or like mine 1 week after i brought it. i looking online for full workshop manual for my 2001 3.0 turb and i will be off to the races

Sorry i was thinking you were talking about a rebuild for that price. We got Sir Roofys motor for around 5k. Fully rebuilt, new head squirters and bits. Changer over too.

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