advice on a poorly Patrol

Hey All,
We bought a patrol 2 months ago (1997 GQ ST 2.8TD with 380,000km). We got it reasonably cheap, and expected there to be work need on it. We also knew there was a possibility it would need a new engine too, as it was sold as "serviced every 5000km" but no evidence.
It drives very well - and is in good condition too.

Anyways - we booked it in for a major service and checkover - knowing that there may be some serious issues.
So the mechanic (who we trust) called me today and said the crankshaft is in a bad way, and some other stuff too (sorry - i'm a girl, and it doesnt mean much to me :S )
He is gonna take a look and come up with some ideas, but he did mention it might be worth considering getting a new engine.

So, here's where you all come in (hooray) :D
Anyone been through this before? And can anyone explain pros/cons of new engine, Vs reconditioned etc etc. I have a budget in my mind - but would be really grateful for anyone who can give me an idea of what it may cost, so I don't die of shock when I see the mechanic on Friday.

Any advice is gratefully received!

Reconditioning deisels is $$$$ (my 2.8 cost $11.5K)
Wait till you talk to the mechanic, see what he says needs doing, and add at least $2K to it.

Paul

go on ebay type in "nissan patrol", click on "parts and accessories", then click on "engine and components" and you should find rebuiild kits in there for a price comparison for you. These kits include sleeves, pistons, rings and bearings, seals and gaskets, and a head I think from memory. Best of luck and hope it goes well for you.

Hey I hope it dont cost to much but do keep us in formed on the out come

I have the same model Patrol and have just had the head, radiator, waterpump, timing belt replaced at a cost of $3800.00.

New head (exchange) - $1950.00
New tripple copper and brass core radiator - $440.00
Water pump - $110.00
Labor and other parts - $1300.00

It now runs great.

Still need to do an injector service, replace hoses and belts, Air filter and suspension work. Probably about another $2500.00.

But then it will last for a fair while as I look after my vehicles.

Let the mechanic decide on what is needed and then weigh up the cost factor. I bought mine in good nick (except for the blown head) for $6000.00 with 260,000 ks on the clock and now I have a really good vehcle at less than the market value of a similar make and model.

If you need a hand just sing out.

Cheers,

Rob

Ok - so i talked to the mechanic, and he showed us the damage :S
So the crank keyway is damaged, and has chipped away and wouldnt hold the key, so someone had previously wrapped some metal around the crank and the key to hold the crankshaft pulley in place.
The mechanic has said he could weld the keyway in place, but not a permanent solution, which would risk the weld breaking and the damage to engine would be severe, as the pulley would slip.
He said that it missed when they started it, so is being overcautious about the potential for a cracked head. He did say there was no moisture, and will do a pressure test this weekend.

Replacing the crank and a bottom end rebuild looks like the way to go (and loads cheaper than a new/reconn'd engine) - but to get us running, what do you think of the welding idea?

Hope this all makes sense - it's all from memory of what the mechanic said :)

As your mechanic said, welding is only a temporary repair. So do you spend $1500 odd now on a temporary repair, or put that money towards a long term repair that will need to be done in 6 to 12 months anyway? If you can afford it, it makes more sense (to me) to do the repair properly.

You could always pull out the diesel and drop in a RB25DET and double your horsepower!

Tony

I would be getting the job done correctly, patch ups always seem to come back and bite you and then you will be up for more $$$

Agree with above, do it properly or don't do it at all.

Yeah Agreed also, No point in cutting corners if your going off road, your only asking for trouble.


Cheers
Paul

Welding the crank can be a temporary fix if you're not a very good welder but if you get the crank properly remanufactured then you'll find there are specialists that can repair the keyway quite successfully and permanently. Whilst general welding is not rocket science, it does require some understanding of metallurgy to effect a good repair. If the section under repair is highly stressed then No, your weld will probably not have the shear strength to cope, but the keyway for the harmonic balancer is not highly stressed in regards to shear forces, it is a locating point and also is an interference fit to some degree. The reason it chops out in the first place is from the bolt coming loose. Loctite should be use to secure the balancer nut to prevent it coming loose and allowing the balancer to move and chopity chop the keyway. If the keyway was supposed to cope with all the torque then it would be on a splined shaft. do some googling for crankshaft repairs/repairers... you might find the fix cheaper than first thought.

We have decided to get the bottom end work done - just waiting for a quote from the mechanic :)

The mechanic has done some more checks etc, and happy that there is no damage to the head. The pressure tests showed no leaks, and he is happy that it only needs the bottom end work :)

Will keep everyone posted!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tracemul7

We have decided to get the bottom end work done - just waiting for a quote from the mechanic :)

The mechanic has done some more checks etc, and happy that there is no damage to the head. The pressure tests showed no leaks, and he is happy that it only needs the bottom end work :)

Will keep everyone posted!

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Great news if there is any Trace, all the best and hopefully you will be back off the road soon.

Hey All - just a quick update!

Quote from mechanic about $3500 for bottom end rebuild, plus $500-1000 for the major service that we had originally booked it in for (we supplied most of parts to save money) - so between $4000 and $4500 all up!
Latest update yesterday is that the engine is out and the work is being done! Yay!!!
Hopefully should have it back next week - and ready for some adventures! Woohoooo!

Will keep you all updated :D

Great stuff, for sure keep us updated!

@ least it should be reliable Trace!

if you are removing the crank anyway why not just get the front where the damper sits built up and machined back to spec a cheaper option ive used many times on many occasions

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adlarplant

if you are removing the crank anyway why not just get the front where the damper sits built up and machined back to spec a cheaper option ive used many times on many occasions

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Hey Adlarplant - until last month i didnt even know what a crank was lol (being a girl, i'm pretty sure i can use this as an excuse to look confused at ANYTHING to do with cars/engine).
So basically, I have no idea what you mean :(
If you can explain in girl terms that would be excellent!

And a quick update: We should be able to pick her up tomorrow!!! Yay!! The total bill has come in just under $4500, which includes the bottom end rebuild, major service, front brakes, aircon compression unit replaced, plus a number of things like the aircon pulley was totally missing etc etc. Cant wait to have her back and ready to go!!

We're doing Adelaide to Melbourne via Great ocean Road between xmas and new year, so looking forward to that trip :)

Love to see the list of things done. I hate it when mechanics use woman to double their profit for the week.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tracemul7

Hey Adlarplant - until last month i didnt even know what a crank was lol (being a girl, i'm pretty sure i can use this as an excuse to look confused at ANYTHING to do with cars/engine).
So basically, I have no idea what you mean :(
If you can explain in girl terms that would be excellent!

And a quick update: We should be able to pick her up tomorrow!!! Yay!! The total bill has come in just under $4500, which includes the bottom end rebuild, major service, front brakes, aircon compression unit replaced, plus a number of things like the aircon pulley was totally missing etc etc. Cant wait to have her back and ready to go!!

We're doing Adelaide to Melbourne via Great ocean Road between xmas and new year, so looking forward to that trip :)

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Trace, can I advise you to buy really good oil and coolant, to put into the back of FURBY 4 for when you need to do top ups while travelling. Get instructions clear from mechanic what you need to do to keep your warranty valid with him, before leaving his shed.

Sounds like you got out of it reasonably lucky, $4.5K not too bad. Best of luck with it from now.

Paul

Just a thought - if the motor is out, you might check a few things. Your mechanic has probably covered this, but replace the bushing in the rear of the crankshaft that supports the "nose" of the gearbox input shaft. Can't translate that - but it should make sense to your mechanic. Also, an opportunity to inspect and replace/recondition your flywheel and clutch. Don't forget the clutch slave cylinder. The starter motor has had to come out, at least replace the brushes, maybe bearing too, (possibly a diy job for you - definitely a learning experience). And with the motor out of the way, you might learn a few things about your vehicle by looking inside the engine bay - look for "loose ends", oil stains, broken things, etc. Try to make sure that everything you see in there is in place, is not damaged and has a home to go to. Ask questions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tkn

Just a thought - if the motor is out, you might check a few things. Your mechanic has probably covered this, but replace the bushing in the rear of the crankshaft that supports the "nose" of the gearbox input shaft. Can't translate that - but it should make sense to your mechanic. Also, an opportunity to inspect and replace/recondition your flywheel and clutch. Don't forget the clutch slave cylinder. The starter motor has had to come out, at least replace the brushes, maybe bearing too, (possibly a diy job for you - definitely a learning experience). And with the motor out of the way, you might learn a few things about your vehicle by looking inside the engine bay - look for "loose ends", oil stains, broken things, etc. Try to make sure that everything you see in there is in place, is not damaged and has a home to go to. Ask questions.

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Thanks tkn - the work has all been done now, and we've been driving around for a few weeks :)
The clutch was replaced the week we bought the patrol (the guy selling it arranged this)

All is good, except a couple of things:
- the glow plugs light flashes when the patrol is running. It starts fine, and the mechanic has tested the glow plugs and they are fine - however we will get them all replaced when it's at the garage next
- we noticed a rubber bushing on the driveway at the weekend - it may not be from the patrol, but wanna get it checked out anyways. It was round, black rubber, maybe 3-4cm across, about 1cm deep, with a hole in the middle (yep, i know that is probably really un-useful - but just incase anyone knows what it is). It was worn, so we're gonna get it checked over, just incase.
- there is a bit of vibration/noise when running, but in neutral with the clutch out - put the clutch in and some of the vibration/noise goes (this is since we bought it)

any advice? We're gonna take it to the mechanic tomorrow, but just thought i'd check with you clever folk :D

Cheers, Trace

We leave on Sunday for an 1300 km round trip, so wanna make sure it's all good :)

well the good news is that the bushing we found isnt from the patrol :)
So we're all good for our trip now - the other stuff can be checked out later.

Good luck with it all & have a great trip. It will do you & the Patrol a world of good...lol