2.4 or 3L?

[Don Logan]

Hi, i've been after a Surf for a while now and after hearing the head horror stories associated with the 2.4, am wondering whether to just get a 3 litre.

I've read on here that the 3 litres don't have the design fault with the head and that they are more or less the same as 2.4's in terms of fuel consumption, but just give more power when needed.

Is it worth buying a 2.4 at all if it hasn't had a modified head fitted? I heard that only 20% of them will give problems?

And is a 3 litre gonna rape me on insurance?

I'm going to look at a 91' J with 100k miles tomorrow, anything else i should look for/check apart from the usual second hand car checks?

Cheers in advance.

[yoshie]

No brainer 3.0ltr every time

[darkdezigns]

im brighton,if u need help,just ask

[Don Logan]

Aah nice one....

There's a '91 2.4 i was gonna take a look at in Patcham. It's done 100k miles. The bloke said the head was done when it was imported but he's got no reciept so is probably lying or just assuming. Is there any way of telling?

Would it be worth looking at if the head hasn't been done? I read that 80% of them are unaffected by the head problems. I can slip you some cash if you want to take a look at it with me. He wants £1300ono but i'd give him an insultingly low offer.

Cheers.

[Apache]

Dont be daft!

Look around a bit. We're starting to see L plate 3.0L's from £1500 these days.

[darkdezigns]

Aah nice one....

There's a '91 2.4 i was gonna take a look at in Patcham. It's done 100k miles. The bloke said the head was done when it was imported but he's got no reciept so is probably lying or just assuming. Is there any way of telling?

Would it be worth looking at if the head hasn't been done? I read that 80% of them are unaffected by the head problems. I can slip you some cash if you want to take a look at it with me. He wants £1300ono but i'd give him an insultingly low offer.

Cheers.

no need for cash matey,i'll come look with u if u like,any evening or weekend,and as apatche says,thats expensive,but u can be damn sure it will have for sale for a while,ie wave cash in front of him etc

[stormforce]

i would seriously offer about 900 to 1k for it as he has no proof that the head has been done.If the truck is immaculate then yea it may be worth that little bit more but it will need to be special in my opinion to be worth more than 1k.You can get a 1993 or 94 2.4 for 1300 if you look about

[darkdezigns]

i would seriously offer about 900 to 1k for it as he has no proof that the head has been done.If the truck is immaculate then yea it may be worth that little bit more but it will need to be special in my opinion to be worth more than 1k.You can get a 1993 or 94 2.4 for 1300 if you look about

even minty 2.4's are 1k round here now

[Don Logan]

Mate, i was gonna offer 700 to 800. I'm not daft... I meant it when i said insultingly low. I know they're ###### hard to sell, i think i'll let him stew for a bit anyway.

But, is it worth even looking at if the head hasn't been modded? Anyway of telling?

Cheers for that Breakdowntruck, much appreciated. Might give you a shout.

Might just go 3 litre and avoid the head worries.

Cheers chaps.

[darkdezigns]

Mate, i was gonna offer 700 to 800. I'm not daft... I meant it when i said insultingly low. I know they're ###### hard to sell, i think i'll let him stew for a bit anyway.

But, is it worth even looking at if the head hasn't been modded? Anyway of telling?

Cheers for that Breakdowntruck, much appreciated. Might give you a shout.

Might just go 3 litre and avoid the head worries.

Cheers chaps.

i havent had a 2.4,but tbh,if it had new head done,it would have a reciept for about a grand,not the sort of reciept u would chuck away,but there is a small chance,ive no idea diffrence u could see in the engine bay tho

[Don Logan]

Yeah, i think i'll go for a 3l anyway.

I looked at a '94, 3L, 117,000 miles one today. It was all good on the test drive and looked fine everywhere with everything working properly. The only problem was that there was grease and oil around the front left shock. The person i took along said it might be something to do with the CV joint or drive shaft. Any ideas?

Another thing was that the gear lever that controls high and low and 4wd/2wd etc, was sometimes really stiff and sometimes worked fine. We drove along in 2wd, pulled over, stuck it in 4wd and drove a few metres on some gravel, then tried to stick it back into 2wd and had to bugger about a lot with a fair bit off grinding before it worked.
Do you have to have the handbrake on or have it in park to select between 2wd/4wd/hi/low/N etc? Didn't really know what was going on tbh. Is this gearbox buggered?

Also, after the test drive there was a bit of water dripping down over the front left shock. Dunno what that was?

I dunno if this is stuff that can be sorted without spending too much, and if anyone has any advice, it would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[yoshie]

Yeah, i think i'll go for a 3l anyway.

I looked at a '94, 3L, 117,000 miles one today. It was all good on the test drive and looked fine everywhere with everything working properly. The only problem was that there was grease and oil around the front left shock. The person i took along said it might be something to do with the CV joint or drive shaft. Any ideas?

Another thing was that the gear lever that controls high and low and 4wd/2wd etc, was sometimes really stiff and sometimes worked fine. We drove along in 2wd, pulled over, stuck it in 4wd and drove a few metres on some gravel, then tried to stick it back into 2wd and had to bugger about a lot with a fair bit off grinding before it worked.
Do you have to have the handbrake on or have it in park to select between 2wd/4wd/hi/low/N etc? Didn't really know what was going on tbh. Is this gearbox buggered?

Also, after the test drive there was a bit of water dripping down over the front left shock. Dunno what that was?

I dunno if this is stuff that can be sorted without spending too much, and if anyone has any advice, it would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Probably after you have forced it. Maybe find out how it works before jamming it back and forth.

[Apache]

For transfer box lever, into neutral first. There may have been nothing wrong with it. Forewarned is forearmed.

I cant believe people selling these things dont know this basic stuff!

[Don Logan]

The bloke who went to view it with me drives a Pajero and knows how to use his transfer box properly. He couldn't suss why it wasn't going back into 2wd and moving through the transfer lever settings.

The bloke selling it wasn't there to explain how it worked. He was away, so had his mate meet me at his house with the keys.

If the gearbox was fine and the transfer lever wouldn't budge at first, then what am i doing wrong? We had it in Park and had the handbrake on.

Any thoughts on the other problems?

And what does the red button at the base of the gear levers labled in japanese do?

Cheers.

[Don Logan]

And Yoshie, i didn't sit there grinding it back and forth forcing it. If it made a grinding noise, i'd leave it alone and try something else until it changed freely.

If you know of a link or want to explain to me how to use it properly though, i'd appreciate it.