Rookie Patrol (and diesel) Owner - what should I do first?

[SiberianPatrol]

Ok mates. As of today, I'm the proud owner of a 1999 Patrol GR RD28TD manual transmission. The guy I bought it from kept it in good condition, but nothing spectacular. I'be been reading through the forums and while there are a lot of tweaks and mods I want to do down the road, I need some advice on what to do right now.

What are the things I need to do to the engine, drivetrain, etc right away? What would you recommend changing, checking, tweaking, etc. if you were the new owner of this vehicle with limited service history?

Thanks in advance.

[SiberianPatrol]

Note: I'm not necessarily looking for major mods at this point, more just the basics on general maintenance and service. Sorry if the question is too vague.

[Chubba]

G'day SiberianPatrol, First thing I would do to improve the patrols ability would be a 2'' suspension lift and a good set of 33'' tyres.. That would be a good start IMHO

[happygu]

Matt,

I always like to change easy stuff like fluids, drive belts, and radiator hoses on a second hand vehicle, especially if you aren't sure of the service history. ( Keep the old belts and hoses somewhere in the truck for emergency spares ). Check Brake Pads, Look for any signs of oil weeping or fluid leaks.

I do also like to give the engine bay a good steam clean or wash - to allow myself to find any potential problems, looking for signs of leaks and/or loose clips. Check the state of the radiator from the outside too, as we often get a build up of bugs, mud, grass seeds, and other obstructions which an cause overheating if left....

There are bigger items that are easy enough to check, but will take a fair bit of time to repair ( if needed ), like the front wheel bearings ( the front hubs are usually dismantled,checked and reassembled with fresh grease every 40,000klms over here ) - vibrations through the steering can be attributed to loose wheel bearings, or worn bushes/components.

Common problems often found with the 2.8 diesel ( assuming it is the same as ours, and I think it is ) can be cracked heads, worn injector pump ( if the motor is hard to start when warm, then this is a sign that it is wearing a little ), and the biggest one is a loose harmonic balancer - which chews out the main crankshaft. Other than that, they are pretty good.

[threedogs]

Same as Happy says change all your fluids that gives you a starting point for future servicing.
Maybe improve the lighting if night driving but a 2" lift and some 285s/33" will see you go most places
IMO

[SiberianPatrol]

Matt,

I always like to change easy stuff like fluids, drive belts, and radiator hoses on a second hand vehicle, especially if you aren't sure of the service history. ( Keep the old belts and hoses somewhere in the truck for emergency spares ). Check Brake Pads, Look for any signs of oil weeping or fluid leaks.

I do also like to give the engine bay a good steam clean or wash - to allow myself to find any potential problems, looking for signs of leaks and/or loose clips. Check the state of the radiator from the outside too, as we often get a build up of bugs, mud, grass seeds, and other obstructions which an cause overheating if left....

There are bigger items that are easy enough to check, but will take a fair bit of time to repair ( if needed ), like the front wheel bearings ( the front hubs are usually dismantled,checked and reassembled with fresh grease every 40,000klms over here ) - vibrations through the steering can be attributed to loose wheel bearings, or worn bushes/components.

Common problems often found with the 2.8 diesel ( assuming it is the same as ours, and I think it is ) can be cracked heads, worn injector pump ( if the motor is hard to start when warm, then this is a sign that it is wearing a little ), and the biggest one is a loose harmonic balancer - which chews out the main crankshaft. Other than that, they are pretty good.

Thanks, Happy! The 2.8 engine is the same across the board on models as best as I can tell. I will go ahead and change the fluids and filters to give a baseline for future services, the belts and hoses as well. Is there a timing belt or chain on these models and what is the recommended service on that? My repair manual is in the post on it's way to me, and it will give me a lot more info once it gets here.

Would you also crack open the diffs and replace the diff oil front and rear? Is there anything to be careful of when washing the engine bay since the intercooler is on top?

[SiberianPatrol]

G'day SiberianPatrol, First thing I would do to improve the patrols ability would be a 2'' suspension lift and a good set of 33'' tyres.. That would be a good start IMHO

Same as Happy says change all your fluids that gives you a starting point for future servicing.
Maybe improve the lighting if night driving but a 2" lift and some 285s/33" will see you go most places
IMO

Thanks, mates. It has 33s on it already and I was told it has a 2" lift. Need to crawl up under it to check it out to make sure on the lift. First step is to get a good wash today.

[threedogs]

when you wash the engine bay dont squeeze the trigger,
otherwise you could be forcing water into places water should not be. lol.
Maybe remove the battery and wash under there always seems to be mud/dirt there.
Have you put up any pics yet?? we love pics

[SiberianPatrol]

Will post pics today. Got to get her cleaned up a bit then will post up.


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[SiberianPatrol]

Just an overview photo for now. Will get some under the hood and interior later.


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