Buying a Diesel Toyota Hliux Surf

MarkBlack

New member
Hey, guys so I've been looking around on some sites and Japan has some super cheap Hilux Surfs for sale. I'm talking a 1992 diesel 4x4 with only 60k miles for 5k delivered. Has anyone else ever thought about this? The only bad part is that the steering wheel is on the right side. I want it just because its diesel, but the low mileage makes me really want it. Any opinions?
 
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Something to watch out for is the old 4cyl diesels (especially the 2LTE) are notorious for cracking heads. That being said, theres one local to me that I'm considering, a 2LTE with a KZTE head.
 
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Something to watch out for is the old 4cyl diesels (especially the 2LTE) are notorious for cracking heads. That being said, theres one local to me that I'm considering, a 2LTE with a KZTE head.

You can't put a KZ head on an L engine. Do some research and grill this guy before handing over cash. Could be that he meant a 3L head or he's really spewing BS.
 
You can't put a KZ head on an L engine. Do some research and grill this guy before handing over cash. Could be that he meant a 3L head or he's really spewing BS.

Thanks for the heads up. He says its a "3L KZTE" head, and that the previous owner swapped it. Is there an easy way to tell what head it is by looking at it?

Sorry for the thread hijack, MarkBlack.
 
As above, you can't put a 1KZ head on an L series motor. I'd second that it would most likely be a 3L head on the 2L-TE, which seems to be "the fix" to the poorly designed 2L-TE head.

I wouldn't bother buying the diesel if you want it for anything other than just the novelty of having a diesel. They're not the greatest motors.

The KM's are most likely incorrect, as I believe Japan has no rules regarding rolling back odometers etc.

If you do really want to buy it, factor in the cost of replacing the head.

And if you do buy it, check the condition of the entire cooling system. Flush the block and replace the coolant with Toyota Green (I think) and make sure the viscous fan hub is locking in properly.

Heat is the biggest enemy of these motors. I've replaced a head on my 1KZ-TE and that wasn't cheap. I'd hate to think how much it would cost you in the US.

If you've got any questions on what to look for etc. head over to the Toyota Surf Forum. There's a wealth of knowledge on all things Surf over there.

Edit: Sorry, didn't realise the 1KZ/3L head thing was a different post. All above still applies.

sneaky: there is a 3L motor (2.8 diesel) and the 1KZ-TE motor (3.0 turbo diesel). There are completely different motors and the 1KZ head would not fit a 2L-TE, so it would be a 3L (2.8) head. Google them, they look quite different.
 
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