dawg runner

Turns out the gasket was faulty but head is ok. Should be able to get out of it for $500 or so doing work myself. I also replaced all the glow plugs to be sure but they were metal ones so i will get the timer mode done soon. Rumcajs - Is it absolutely necessary to replace the glow plug holders? There did not seem to be anything wrong with the ones in there. Cheers for all of your input. Dave

I found a place in West Ryde Sydney who do head work. Brookers Brakes. Cheers

Stupid Newby mistake. Pulled head off 180 out and it was not marked when cams came out and the idler pully has been spun around as well so i think i am in a spot of bother. I had my head checked and it was not cracked and pressure tested fine, ( he did say there were some minor cracks but they are not causing any dramas ) valves are all seating fine so he is decking it and i will get a new thicker gasket and new bolts and new gasket and slap it back together. When i put head back on how can i make sure the cams are in the right position and also get the idler pully back in the right position. When i took timing chain off i cable tied it to both pulleys so it has not moved so the keyway should line one of the cams back up but just not not sure about other cam and idler pully. I hope i have missed something and it is a simple fix. Flame away if you feel the need becasue it is as i say a newbie stupid mistake but just don't want to cock it up when i put back together. Any help really appreciated. Cheers Dave

Hi, Need to get a new head for my zd30. Womdering the best place to go to for this in Sydney. Any info appreicated. Cheers Dave

Took cooler off this weekend to clean after doing EGR block and fitting catch can. Tested glow plugs and sure enough the 4th rear plug is faulty. I tested 2 ways to be sure. Checked voltage at battery 12.36. Removed bus bar and first 3 plugs had same voltage as the battery. Last plug 11.5. Also no resistance on first 3 and got a reading on the rear plug. Pretty sure it is faulty. I am just going to change the 1 for now with a ceramic and I will replace all with metal once I do the glow plug timer mod. My question is How do you get the glow plug holders out ( the black plastic cups ) so I can remove the glow plug? Any help appreciated. Cheers Dave

Sorry it has been a while. I reckon that it was the fuel. I filled up from same Caltex I always had the other day and it is fine. I will still put the glow plugs on the list of things to do. Will probably do it when I get my bigger cooler and do EGR block. Thanks for your input. Cheers dave

RUMCAJS Thanks for your reply. I will check glow plugs and monitor coolant level. If i do need to replace glow plugs what is the best brand/type of glow plug to get for replacement and also i am assuming if i do 1 i should just replace them all. Thanks again for your help. Cheers Dave

Hi, Over the weekend I flushed my cooling system on ZD30 patrol GU3. I did a lot of reading about air bubbles in the system and was very careful when refilling to get all of the air out. or at least I hope I was. Took the car for a drive to Wollongong ( I live in Sydney ) and back on Saturday night. Knowing I had just done a coolant change my eyes were on the temp gauge more than the road and it did not seem to move at all on the journey. My eyes were particularly glued to it when I was coming up Bulli pass. Drove all then way up in 4th at 80 and it chugged all the way up with no apparent issues. Got in the car to go somewhere at 8 the next morning and started it up and there was some white smoke coming out the exhaust. I thought fogg at first but then I checked it and it appeared to be more than that. Gave it a rev or 2 and it cleared and stopped smoking. Car was running fine so I thought nothing of it. Got to where I was going that morning which was a couple of KMS down the road and stayed for approx. 30 mins. When I was leaving it smoked a little more but again dis appeared with a rev or 2. Left home about an hour later and it did it again but again dis appeared after a rev or 2. This time I went about 15kms in traffic and stopped for 3 hours. By now I had a lot of time to think over the course of my lunch and am beginning to think the worst and I was expecting when I started it again that there would be white smoke but nothing this time. I have noticed over the winter in the morning on first start up it will be a little rough for a second but then settle to idle. I put it down to being cold but this is my first diesel so I am all ears. I have never noticed any white smoke before Saturday morning but I guess I have not really been looking for it and also I usually start my car up on cold mornings and go back inside for a cuppa and maybe I have missed the white smoke if it was there before Sunday. Research is pointing me in 2 directions. 1 glow plugs or 2 head issues. The car runs fine. There is no power loss apparent and there is no coolant spewing out overflow when hot so I am hoping it is glow plugs. Can glow plugs have intermittent faults which would cause it to smoke and I guess the same for head issues? Any help or experience appreciated. Cheers Dave

first thing on my list. Will start with boost, pyro gauges and EGR block. Then will do catch can, dawes valve and needle valve. Already have a 3 inch zorst. Cheers

Hi guys, I have come to my senses and got a patrol. Very happy with it. 2003 ZD30 165000 with all the fruit. Can't wait to get it off the black top. My name is Dave and i am Sydney. See you soon guys. Cheers Dave

Been a while. I got one. 2003 first reg 2004 ZD30 patrol. 165000 on clock with all the fruit.F & R Lockers, turbo timer, snorkel, rear work lights, lift with snake forged arms and tough dog springs and shocks, heavy duty TJM winch bar with winch and 4 x HID spotties, 33 muddies, millweld rock sliders, dual batteries with 2 new batteries. Serviced every 10000 up to 110000 by nissan and then new owner serviced every 5000 and has spent a bucket load on it maintenance wise. All wheel bearings just done, new clutch, brand new turbo,( old one develeoped a water leak. ) Paid 23K. a little over market value which is 18000 or so but for all the extras i got i am stoked. There is at least 15K worth of extras on it that i would have inevitibly put on it anyway. One problem i have with air lockers. When i first got it a week ago i tested the compressor by turning the main switch on and it would run for a couple of seconds and then cut out which is normal. I then activated both of the air lockers with the same result for each locker. When i turned the lockers off there was no release of pressure " pfffft " which i thought was strange. I left it for a couple of days and looked at it again on the weekend and then there was nothing at all when turned the main switch for compressor and then nothing when each locker activated. The only thing that changed between the first and second time was i set the hubs from lock back to auto becasue the guy had left them on lock. My front diff and axles will be well oiled. I put the air hose in to the auxillary fitting and activated with the switch but still nothing. I have lockers in my 4 runner and i have never had any issues like this with it. Has anyone encountered problems like this before? I really don't want to have to take it to ARB. I will do some troubleshooting tonight. I will take the comp out and make sure it is getting power when i flick the switch and then maybe start with the pressure switch. Any troubleshotting tips appreciated. On another note i will hopefully come out and meet some of you on the next 4wd day. Cheers guys Davo

Thanks mate. I am starting to see that there are a lot of happy ZD30 owners out there. The funny thing is that the internet is absolutely littered with bad stories of the ZD30, but every one that i have had a chance to approach in person love them and can't fault them. It is always the people who have never owned one but they have a mate of a mate that has had problems. Kind of makes u think a bit. I am still trying to work this lady down. But if i have to let it go i will. There will be others.

Turns out the 4.2 with 175 on clock was not a 4.2 but a 3.0. I thought it was a little low priced for a 4.2 2003 model. I just want to get the newest model patrol possible with the cash i have and if it has to be a late model 3.0 then so be it. I have to sell my 2001 VX SS as well which is advertised at the moment. If i can get a reasonable price for that it will push my budget up to $25000 or so. Not that i would pay that for an 05 but at least as soon as i get it i could do NADS straight away. Or maybe even save a little more and look at a CRD

Thanks for your input. Am definitely not mechanically illiterate so servicing does not bother me. Would defintely do the NADS mods as i have done quite a fair bit of reading on this and people seem to get quite positive results. I thought it was low KMs for this year model. 8 years old. Average KMs per year is generally 25 000 which would mean this has done a little less than average kms. All this a side i think you are right in that i should walk away becasue i think she is asking 2 much. I have not completely ruled out the 4.2 TD but i would need to get one at the right price. There is a 2003 one for sale ATM with 175000 on clock with a Roof racks, bullbar, dual batteries, Cargo barrier with13 months reg and advertised @ 22000. I am going to check it out today.

Stock as a rock apart from a turbo timer from new. Have not driven up to 110 but have driven it around the block maybe to 60. Advertised since Sunday.