96 nj 2.8 seems sluggish

[Monty]

hey guys thought it was about time i asked some q's about my new truck after getting rid of the safari.

ok its a nz new nj 2.8 lwb with rear diff lock too but its auto done just about 230kms must have had some work done on the motor as it looks in really clean cond, the truck looked like it was a soccer mums car until i had it althogh i think it may have got drowned at some stage there are a few interior peices with rust on them ie back of front seats etc.

ok so the diff lock is awesome my that has saved me a lot!
next the thing is getting really sluggish i've owned it for about 18 months and it seems to be working a lot harder than it used to.

i'm thinking the auto is on its way out i sometimes have to back off the acc to get it to change gears and it just doesn't feel right, but i'm not going to spend money on the auto i'll be changing it to man. so for my next q i've looked thru the search about whats required and from what i can tell its just gearbox transfer case (as the splines are diff) clutch assembly etc but is that it what about drive shafts etc? surely someone has done this?

and the other thing i was reading about was the egr vavle i've read a few posts about blocking them off, any thoughts on the matter?

its been a while since i last did a economy check but from memory the last time i filled it i only got around 500km to a tank which doesn't sound right and i'm sure that was just normal driving,

Any ideas much appreciated

Thanks in advance Lee

[red-devil]

EGR value i blocked mine off years ago as i had a leak there, while over on a coast trip. after blocking it off truck ran fine so i neave unblocked it and fix the leak.. O my pajaro is the 2.5

[meece4x4]

ok so the diff lock is awesome my that has saved me a lot!
next the thing is getting really sluggish i've owned it for about 18 months and it seems to be working a lot harder than it used to.

LOL Sluggish and Pajero are two words commonly found in the same sentence

If you have noticed a slow drop off in performance I would be looking a doing a full service, new oil, new fuel filters and new Air filter, i know my 2.5 looses about 30% power when the air filter becomes even the slightest bit dirty, funny thing is im convinced my Paj is a Vampire as it *aways* performs better at night than during the day *blink blink*. try running some injector cleaner through it as well (not that I'm 100% convinced that the over the counter stuff at Ripco etc really does a lot but you never know)

cheers Meece, btw mine was really sluggish when i bought it now it's mearly gutless

[red-devil]

funny you say your truck works better at night, same , an i just thought about it cooler air is why. mmmm mite think about a cold air box. No im going back to my drag racing days

i was able to drag off 2.7 and 3 lts motors going up the steep hill at wozleys which is steep so i never have the lack of power

mine you, i have 12 psi of boost running it should be 7 psi

[Monty]

"LOL Sluggish and Pajero are two words commonly found in the same sentence"

damn!!

so i checked the air filter since i havn't cleaned it since i put the unifilter in and thats around 10k km and yes it was filthy but i did notice there was a bit of oil around it in places, seemed like engine oil but i can't see how it would've got there the only breather pipes that would feed back into it were after the filter and before the turbo.......

as for the egr valve i read a few posts about them doing it in the uk, and i'm going to block mine off i don't like the idea of trying to reburn burnt gases. if you don't mind how did you do it? the plate they sell on the uk forum was only .8mm thick but i was thinking 3mm as we have a lot stainless in that thickness at work?

on another note anyone have anyother free mods that can be done, i can't spend much money the mortgage says no!!

"mine you i have 12 psi of boost running "
i was looking in the service manual and from what i read the 2.8 peak at 14psi correct me if i'm wrong please

oops just noticed the land cruiser in your photo duh!

[red-devil]

i have a pajaro too.

my pajaro used to run at 7 psi from the turbo so i use a few washers and lifted the diafram thats opens the over boost flap so you dont over boost. thats cheap. i lifted it about 2mm.

i use a plate that was 1mm thick for the ecg but if thats the plate you have then use it.

PM me and ill send you my address if your in chch i can show you a few tricks.

Jono

[meece4x4]

"LOL Sluggish and Pajero are two words commonly found in the same sentence"

damn!!

so i checked the air filter since i havn't cleaned it since i put the unifilter in and thats around 10k km and yes it was filthy but i did notice there was a bit of oil around it in places, seemed like engine oil but i can't see how it would've got there the only breather pipes that would feed back into it were after the filter and before the turbo.......

as for the egr valve i read a few posts about them doing it in the uk, and i'm going to block mine off i don't like the idea of trying to reburn burnt gases. if you don't mind how did you do it? the plate they sell on the uk forum was only .8mm thick but i was thinking 3mm as we have a lot stainless in that thickness at work?

on another note anyone have anyother free mods that can be done, i can't spend much money the mortgage says no!!

"mine you i have 12 psi of boost running "
i was looking in the service manual and from what i read the 2.8 peak at 14psi correct me if i'm wrong please

oops just noticed the land cruiser in your photo duh!

Pass on the oil?? I do know that my 2.5 Pajero is really pissy about clean filters and lets me know when they need changing/cleaning ... as in "

"You want to get to 100kph huh?? ... clean my airfilter first then we'll talk about it, but i want 2 days notice in triplicate and a down hill straight!"

the only other mod Ive done is to adjust the wastegate actuator the bar that goes from the turbo to the spring thingy on top of the manifold on 2.5's (not sure about 2.8's they may be different, mainly to take up the fact that the spring on mine has lost a little of it's tension over the years but also it does give me a few pounds more boost as it holds the wastegate closed a few psi higher, made a noticeable difference in pickup.

[Monty]

cheers jono i might take you up on that offer even someone else having a drive might be able to compare, might be time for a boost guage and see how much it runs and i have a programable boost controller which may be able to help get the boost on early and stronger something to look into anyway. but i'm looking for things to make it better/more effecient

"You want to get to 100kph huh?? ... clean my airfilter first then we'll talk about it, but i want 2 days notice in triplicate and a down hill straight!"

thats brilliant its just like a talking car......

[pajeroboy]

i would have to agree with jono on this a,i runing about 12 - 15 psi boost on mine,my b a little high as i tend to get a boost dump under hard loads,(diesel with a blow off valve) i got bigger xhaust pipe to that helps.

and year i have out pulled 2.7 and 2.8s with mine going up hills

[meece4x4]

hmm all this talk of EGR valves got me motivated, Ive blocked them off in my prevous diesels before but when i noisied around under the bonnet of mine i couldn't find one, dosnt seem to have any EGR plumbing at all in fact apart from the Wastegate dodad there is no other round flying saucers under the hood to be found,

[red-devil]

my old girl can still get to 110kph with eassss.

only prob is i new head as the current one is blown

[pouw]

EGR Valve - I used to have the 2.5 1992 model diesel and from memory all I did was disconnected the hose and stuck a screw in the end. I checked it every 2 days or so for about a month and it never came out, and the truck ran fine. If I recall correctly you can find out how to do it that way from the Pajero owners club in the UK which is www.pocuk.com Save a little money

[NJV6]

The 2.8's and even with the auto do go well, they are hardly sluggish.

Few things to do
Block EGR
Renew Air filter
Renew fuel Filter
Get the auto serviced! They do need their oil changed as well.


To change to a manual you will neeed a 2.8 manual gearbox and transfer case. The manual and auto ones are different.

The oil residue will most likely be coming from the Breather which the EGR amplifies. Any motor (especially higher km Diesels) will have a bit of blow by.

Fuel pumps can be a bit of a problem with these. As someone mentioned, try the uk site for some info on the fuel pumnp fix, most get overhauled.

[nicinnz]

Does the engine seem a bit noisy at 4000rm like a clattering/rattling noise? If so your timing chain could be stretched. We have struck a few 2.8's come into our workshop with stretched timing chains. The easiest way to tell is remove the rocker cover and look down at the timing chain tensioner and see if its extended all the way out. If it is you will need to replace the chain. I would recommend you use a genuine mitsy chain as allot of after market chains aren't up to the job. The mitsy chain doest have a joining link so you will have to cut a link out and put in a joining link which you can get from repco etc, them you just careful wind the new chain on, you don't have to strip down the front of the engine. And when putting the joining link on remember that the camshaft rotates anti clock wise.

[Pajmad]

First putting washers under the wastegate acuator doesnt change the psi it opens it just doesnt open the turbo dump as far so it runs a higher boost, second the 2.8 diesel pumps do leak from the front seal, if they are it can get hard to start or run rough for a few k's or its making oil, or the diesel in your tank will turn black with engine oil as it sucks it from the front seal. this will make them not as grunty as they should be. , also i run 23Psi on a 2.3 4d55 so 14 on the 4m40t shouldnt be a problem

[Monty]

Wow its been a while since i posted on here but i thought i would give a bit of an update to this post. so i blocked off my egr valve with some stainless plate the whole job took around an hour (i wish i had done this years ago) butt most importantly is it made a very noticeable increase in power as i just put some new mtr's on which slowed it down a bit.

hope this helps others out in deciding to do this or not.

[NJV6]

If it made that much difference I'd say it was stuck open and you were loosing boost. If you are feeling like tinkering one day take the inlet manifold off and give it a clean out on the inside, it will be packed with soot etc from the EGR.