sick surf

[WARRIOR72]

well its finally happened,after 3000miles and 18 months of owning my surf i fear the heads given up the ghost!!
started yesterday with the coolant pumping out of the expansion tank, i suspected it was a sticking thermostat so this morning decided to have a better look in the daylight. i started it up and after turning over for longer than usual it started with very bad idling and glorious amounts of first blue then sweet smelling white smoke....i nearly reached for the hose pipe to stick it in the back window/ exhaust and end it all!! after refilling with coolant it then felt as though the pistons were hydraulicking and it wouldnt turn over for about an hour!now i have a decision to make do i spend about a grand getting it fixed or just s$$$$ it for spare parts (have a heart and think before you ask me for my wind deflectors or bull bar!!! im on the edge!!
last week i spent £450 on four new tyres and the glow plugs, whats even worse is the engine head was done two months before i bought it
i love the 'truck' to bits but should i cut my losses and look for a better 3.0 or go with my heart and repair my baby?

[BUSHWHACKER]

To be honest you'd probably get more for it if you part it out rather than selling it as it is.
Think of what it cost you when you bought it plus the amount you've spent on it plus what it will cost to repair..........
If it were mine i would tear that engine out and fit a V8. It would be cheaper than buying a 3.0 even with the extras needed and it would be the ultimate Surf.

[sledge]

repair it, better the devil you know

[Chillitt]

Steveo has a 3 ltr for sale, he would take yours in px.... be worth more fixed, but its an option.. good luck, whatever you decide!

[surfenstein]

im with vince on this one.rip its guts out and give it an engine thats its supposed to have.

[plumb bob]

After my experience I'm with bushwacker and vatchman, put a new and more reliable engine in, might as well go for the V8, future repairs will be cheaper.

I've spent more on repairs than the surf cost me and much more than its worth, and it's still not right and will probably swallow another grand before its right( initial cost £1400, new tyres+suspension £600, new head+cam belt+sundries £1400 and now fuel pumpand steering idler problems), and then how long will it be before it goes wrong again?

These old 2.4's are inherantly flawed IMO and are now too old and too expensive to repair.
Stick a V8 in it and keep smiling!
Oh, and I've just had Tax and insurance demands land today, thats another £700 I ain't got, so I may have to register it SORN or s c r a p it or buy a doner vehicle.

[gkm24]

Any history of engines which fit Surf's?

Is there a preferred engine which transplants into surfs which would make it more reliable and to stop us crying into our beer/lager/Bitter?

[plumb bob]

Well, there is of course the old favourite rover lump, or I did see a couple of posts regarding the toyota lexus V8, and a company that specializes in fitting them. You could do a forum seach or wait for bushwacker to post a link.

[coolsv650]

well its finally happened,after 3000miles and 18 months of owning my surf i fear the heads given up the ghost!!
started yesterday with the coolant pumping out of the expansion tank, i suspected it was a sticking thermostat so this morning decided to have a better look in the daylight. i started it up and after turning over for longer than usual it started with very bad idling and glorious amounts of first blue then sweet smelling white smoke....i nearly reached for the hose pipe to stick it in the back window/ exhaust and end it all!! after refilling with coolant it then felt as though the pistons were hydraulicking and it wouldnt turn over for about an hour!now i have a decision to make do i spend about a grand getting it fixed or just s$$$$ it for spare parts (have a heart and think before you ask me for my wind deflectors or bull bar!!! im on the edge!!
last week i spent £450 on four new tyres and the glow plugs, whats even worse is the engine head was done two months before i bought it
i love the 'truck' to bits but should i cut my losses and look for a better 3.0 or go with my heart and repair my baby?

Can I have your bull bar & wind deflectors















Err. no I wouldn't be so cruel.
Well there is nothing to lose by whipping off the head to have a look, it might be the head gasket.... (although i would bet my wages on it being the head) sweet smelling white smoke is normally 1/2 burnt diesel so it sounds like one of the cylinders is low on compression, looks like the head you "inhereted" was an unmodified one, the 2.4 I recently didn't look that old either. I don't subscribe to this "cost me more than it's worth thing" What I tend to look at is

1) how long do you intent to keep it?
2) What is it's "smile factor"
3) How happy with the vehicle are you (up till the failure)
4) What can I get for the cash if I replace it

To be honest I could rather of not replacing the head on my 3.0L, but I'd rather had the surf than a Mondeo This is the best motor I've ever owned. Go on, mend it..... Youo know you want to

[Phantom]

Well, there is of course the old favourite rover lump, or I did see a couple of posts regarding the toyota lexus V8, and a company that specializes in fitting them. You could do a forum seach or wait for bushwacker to post a link.

I think LASupertrux are fitting them Lexus lumps.

[M35A2]

well its finally happened,after 3000miles and 18 months of owning my surf i fear the heads given up the ghost!!
started yesterday with the coolant pumping out of the expansion tank, i suspected it was a sticking thermostat so this morning decided to have a better look in the daylight. i started it up and after turning over for longer than usual it started with very bad idling and glorious amounts of first blue then sweet smelling white smoke....i nearly reached for the hose pipe to stick it in the back window/ exhaust and end it all!! after refilling with coolant it then felt as though the pistons were hydraulicking and it wouldnt turn over for about an hour!now i have a decision to make do i spend about a grand getting it fixed or just s$$$$ it for spare parts (have a heart and think before you ask me for my wind deflectors or bull bar!!! im on the edge!!
last week i spent £450 on four new tyres and the glow plugs, whats even worse is the engine head was done two months before i bought it
i love the 'truck' to bits but should i cut my losses and look for a better 3.0 or go with my heart and repair my baby?

That definitely sounds like the head has gone. Stevo does a genuine Toyota head with exchange cam, lifters, valves, cam belt, genuine Toyota head gasket and aftermarket gasket set and head bolts for £799 inc postage. If you can do the job yourself this is what it will cost to fix. It would be worth next to nothing like it is.

I have just done my 3.0lt head and it cost me £1,500, this is on top of the £530 for a new rad and shocks, £200 for a new exhaust, £150 for a new cambelt and tensioner, new starter contacts and it still needs new tyres.

I think you need to fix it.

[WARRIOR72]

i think deep down i gotta fix it, shes given me 2 years of hassle free motoring up till now bless her!my mrs said she couldnt imagine me in another car after the surf so im gonna rip the head off this morning and take a look ive managed to get everything priced up for 708 inc vat thats for genuine toyota bare head,bolts,head gasket,head set,belt ,tensioner,rad cap,thermostat, coolant.i may even save another 100 if i decide to swap my head parts over myself than getting local engine rebuilder to do it (dont like the idea of them thar tappetts ) thanks for your input...still undecided bout v8 conversion. how much did that cost you vatch approx?

[PDR]

I don't subscribe to this "cost me more than it's worth thing" What I tend to look at is

1) how long do you intent to keep it?
2) What is it's "smile factor"
3) How happy with the vehicle are you (up till the failure)
4) What can I get for the cash if I replace it

I would have to agree with this line of thought. I had to make the same choice in February when one of the head gaskets went on my V6 petrol Surf……

In the end I paid £1,073 to get the gaskets fixed and so far (touch wood) I think I made the right decision. Yes I know that I will never recoupe the cost of this repair work and yes it is heavy on petrol…..

But the engine has only done about 57k and the rest of the truck is in great condition. It has everything that I want in a 4x4 and I really like it.

What else can you buy for this sort of money that is as much fun as a Surf to drive ???

[MattF]

I would have to agree with this line of thought. I had to make the same choice in February when one of the head gaskets went on my V6 petrol Surf……

Me too. I've always had the mend 'em and keep 'em running philosophy, no matter what the vehicle. Unless the vehicle is dropping to bits around you, it's a no-brainer decision in my opinion.