hilux surf 2.5 or 3.0?

vinnie13 · 22-02-2015 7:52pm #1

hi guys im looking for a jeep and have seen a few nice hilux surfs about,its not going to be used everyday but when used it will get a bit of towing pulling pushing etc
its going to be a all round work bus i guess.
im not big into how new a jeep is rather how good the mechancis are so i dont mind a old one..
is there anything i should be asking or looking for in either the 2.5 or the 3.0?
is there any reason i should go for a early or late model for faults?
is there any reason i should go for one over the other excluding reasons for running cost fuel etc.

im guessing been a toyota they are pretty bullet proof and for a early 90's jeep theres a lot of them look pretty cool

Flood · 22-02-2015 8:00pm

A friend of mine has a 3 litre he reckons they are the better of the two, his is a jdm one and is well loaded, a 10 year newer irish paddy spec one wouldnt even match it.

Cheensbo · 22-02-2015 10:48pm

They'll either be a 2.4 or 3.0 -

The 3.0 is the same 1kzte engine that comes in the landcruisers of the late 90's and is an exceptionally reliable unit. They come in non-intercooled in the 2nd gen and intercooled in 3rd gen.

The 2.4's are considered to be more prone to overheating & hg faliure but i've not had one so I can't comment.

The 2.4 will only be in the early (up to the first half of 1994) gen 2's, after that they came with the 3.0.

Auto boxes are pretty good in them, autoboxes sometimes require larger a/t oil coolers because of a possibility of overheating during very heavy work.

The manual gbox is hard as nails if you can find one but they're very thin on the ground

1st & 2nd gen Surfs are part time 4wd, while 3rd gen are full time 4wd.

Watch out for rust on the chassis and body, particularly on the rear doors and on the rear chassis cross member and where the upper spring mounts attach.

If you happen across a 4runner - UK version of the surf, make sure to do a very detailed check all over the chassis for rust.

Cheensbo · 22-02-2015 11:09pm

Also, on gen 2's, make sure that the tailgate window works correctly both from the keyhole and the switch in the cab, if it doesn't work, the split tailgate cannot be opened.

CJhaughey · 23-02-2015 10:06am

I had a 3.0td in a 90 series Landcruiser which is mechanically the same vehicle just different body.
Permanent 4wd means they will never be that light on fuel but mine wasn't too bad.
Engine was exceptionally reliable with oil/fuel filters and oil changes all that it needed over 170k miles of driving.
I replaced the radiator once because the gauge started to move on the motorway and it had no problems after that.
If you do get an Auto I recommend fitting a separate transmission cooler instead of the factory version which has the autobox cooled by the radiator water. These fail and water gets mixed with the transmission fluid with a big bill waiting at the end.
The pump on the 1-KZTE can make a whining noise apparent from the cabin, this is a slack spring in the fuel return valve and can be sorted simply by removing and stretching it then replacing it.
I would recommend the 3.0 over the 2.4 purely because there is no replacement for displacement when towing.

pete4130 · 24-02-2015 12:36pm

3.0 for sure. Bigger is better. I've driven the 3.0's in work and while they aren't fast to accelerate they do get up to motorway speed and hold it pretty well. Just got to push it a bit hard to get some decent performance.

Engines are reliable too.

I think all the Surf models are Japanese imports? They are badged as a Four Runner here in Australia.

The auto boxes can get hot if over worked (low range, dusty sand, climbing, high revs etc...) so a/t coolers are a good idea, especially if towing. I've had the a/t oil temp warning light come on in a newer 3.0 D4D auto in deep bull dust and had to sit it out for about 15 minutes before I kept going (at a much less aggressive pace).

vinnie13 · 24-02-2015 10:49pm

thanks for all the replies lads a credit to the forum, they have made my mind up il get the 3.0 manual.
il drop in with a new thread when i find one and give a update.

dhog4n · 26-02-2015 10:54pm

I have a 2.4 Surf for the last eight years. It's a great machine but the 3.0L is a better choice for power and fuel consumption really. Both are solidly reliable but both can suffer from cooling problems, mostly due to age and varying maintence regimes. Overheating causes cracked heads in the 2.4 and, in bad cases, in the 3.0 as well.

Worthwhile preventive maintenance jobs on purchase are replacement radiator cap, thermostat, coolant flush and a thorough inspection of the radiator and coolant hoses. It is also well worth replacing or recoring the radiator as it has a lot of heat to get rid of, especially with the auto box being cooled by a pipe running through the engine radiator.

If at all possible, test drive it up a long hill under load to see if the temperature guage registers excess heat. Like a lot of cars, the guage in the Surf is set up to sit firmly in the middle unless the temperature really starts to get high. Getting hot is not the end of the world as long as it cools down when the fan kicks in, but if it happens quickly or there is coolant loss you mostly likely have cylinder head problems.

All that aside, there aren't any other common problems with the Surf. They don't suffer drivetrain failures, they are typically relatively rust free and well equipped and are comfy and smooth to drive.

hilux surf 2.5 or 3.0?

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