Alaskan Trooper build

[AKghandi]

Things will be happening soon, Should be ready for winter and any trips next summer.

Also I will probably build a camping trailer out of an 85-89 subaru wagon next spring. should work out alot better.

 

[MA_Trooper]

Things will be happening soon, Should be ready for winter and any trips next summer.

Also I will probably build a camping trailer out of an 85-89 subaru wagon next spring. should work out alot better.

Let us know how it goes. I'm debating rebuilding my 6VE1 or getting one that is already re-manufactured to swap in. Also toying with the idea of a complete swap to a diesel but that would be quite expensive.

 

[AKghandi]

Let us know how it goes. I'm debating rebuilding my 6VE1 or getting one that is already re-manufactured to swap in. Also toying with the idea of a complete swap to a diesel but that would be quite expensive.

I wont be doing a full rebuild, just pulling the heads and replacing all the gaskets. The engine has nearly no blowby and great compression, but it leaks like a SOB and smokes on start up.

 

[MA_Trooper]

I wont be doing a full rebuild, just pulling the heads and replacing all the gaskets. The engine has nearly no blowby and great compression, but it leaks like a SOB and smokes on start up.

ahhhh, dang. I have the opposite issue. Not a single leak anywhere but I burn about a pint every 1K. Haven't checked compression yet, I know it isn't great. I may just get a new engine/trans to drop in. Save myself the time of a rebuild.

 

[AKghandi]

So a few things have happened, as you can see the heads are off. Everything went pretty smooth, until one of the head bolts snapped in the block.. It broke off about 2" below the deck surface, and since drilling it didnt go well I will be helicoiling the hole and using a shorter bolt. Not exactly what I want but it should work.

 

[Classic City Overland]

Looks like you have a great build going. Good luck on your headbolt shenanigans, they are a pain to get out without breaking like that. Wish you the best of luck. I'm with @Chris Jones all my Zus burn/consume oil, not leak.

 

[Vadim]

Great progress on your build. I am planning to do the water pump/timing belt and valve cover gaskets this winter. Hoping I dont run into any issues. Anything specific to look out for?

 

[MrCoffee]

Love the thread! My wife had a 1990 Trooper, then a 1991 Trooper and we loved them both for overlanding. Bone stock, except for the 30.5"X9 tires, her Trooper went everywhere my 1988 YJ went without an issue. we spent plenty of nights sleeping in the back, exploring logging trails and abandon roads all over New England. Even a memorable trip to Hamilton ONT! :)

Cheers!

 

[AKghandi]

Great progress on your build. I am planning to do the water pump/timing belt and valve cover gaskets this winter. Hoping I dont run into any issues. Anything specific to look out for?

Valve cover bolts are 5mm hex. Aside from that if you are on the isuzu trader fb there a fsm pdf in the files section

 

[AKghandi]

So the truck was put back together but something wasnt right. Then it started leaking. So the heads are coming back off and quality headgaskets are going in. My headbolt repair seems to be holding though. I put 2 helicoils in the hole and used a length of 7/16 hardend all thread that I also JB marined into place. It held the full 46 ftlbs.

 

[Andy G]

Any more progress on this beast?

 

[AKghandi]

Any more progress on this beast?

Not A whole lot, been battling a valvetrain noise that comes and goes intermittently. I pulled the pan and found a bunch of plastic in the pick up. Turns out the drivers side cam chain tensioner ate one of its plastic pads. Cleaned it all up and replaced the tensioner. Still have the noise. So I bought a new oil pump and I will be pulling everything back a part and finding that dang noise.

 

[AKghandi]

OK still here still wrenchin on this thing, its gettin to the point I can actually take it places.
First I had to solve my engine issues. so I replaced the engine.... and the transmission.


Out with the old.

In with the new. Resealed used motor with 119k. Backed it up with a resealed trans with a mere 64k and new clutch.

About 7 months ago I sold the 33" K02s. I needed the cash to go to school.
Its ok because I now have 35s

And on monday I bought this

This is a very clean one owner truck that was passed down to a teenager who promptly drown the motor and now its locked solid. however, it has a very clean interior and lots of little parts my truck is missing.
Today I pulled the interior out of the parts rig and pressure washed the carpets. I am going to clean and compare all the parts and put all the best ones back into my truck.



For now thats it. later this year with any luck I will have a winch bumper and lockers. will most likely add a snorkle in a couple months.

 

[MrCoffee]

Awesome build thread! I see troopers now and again, always think of doing the same, but my own F-150 build is keeping me hoppin' at this point. Will be taking it up your way next summer (that the plan anyways) for a couple of month of trail exploring.

Really looking forward to seeing more of your build! :)

 

[TRED LYT]

Nice job on your Trooper. I had a 1991 and loved it. A sad day when I sold it. Not quite sure why Isuzu stopped making them. They’re great rigs! Keep on building. Can’t wait to see how it comes out in the end.

 

[AKghandi]

Pulled the carpets from both trucks and pressure washed all of them and re installed the best sections. thankfully the carpet is a 4 part setup. The rear passenger side carpet was nearly gone from a previous owner leaving a battery back there.
They are still stained in places but most of what the camera is showing was easily vacuumed dirt.

every piece that came out went back in after a good scrub.


even found a cargo liner from a passport that happens to fit. its ugly from some previous person painting it black but since I keep a bunch of tools back here it will protect the cleanish carpet/

this center console was nearly a bio-hazard when I started.

After every thing was put back together the rest of the interior plastics were cleaned and detailed.

much better place to spend time now.


As for mechanical work all new bearings and seals for the front hubs are on the way as well as a full set of brake hoses and a set of drilled and slotted rotors front and rear with some good pads. in a few weeks I will be ordering a set of poly bushings for the rear control arms and a set of poly for the front arms shortly after

 

[Webb]

Great thread! I have a 1996 manual I bought from auction. It didn’t take much to get it mechanically sound and it’s been super dependable to date. I haven’t done anything to yet because I haven’t run into thing it can’t handle (it helps that I’m super cautious). Excited to follow this thread.

 

[NC-Trooper]

Man this thread is making me want to get a little reckless and by another Trooper