The last thing I need...
 

Was talking to a buddy today, and he mentioned something that caught my interest. He has a 1991 Isuzu Trooper he is looking to sell pretty cheap. It moves under it's own power, but has some issues. First off is a blown out front locking hub. Second, and possibly more serious is a knock from the engine (GM 2.8L V6 TBI). He suspects it could be a rod knocking, and has tracked down a potential donor engine. Of course I say it's the last thing I need because I already have a small car and two XJs. The second XJ was easy to justify because it had parts I wanted for the first one, but the Trooper would have no commonality. Just something to think about...

If it has a D44 it might be worth buying. The Isuzu D44's are a decent swap for any XJ, AND the shafts are equal length so you'd only have to carry 1 spare.

It would be interesting to look at it.

An axle swap might be more work than I am interested in doing, but than again an engine tear down and swap would be a lot of work too.

He also has a D-50 but it doesn't run. Attempted engine rebuild but he thinks there are bearing clearance issues.

Have to throw this out there:




I've always liked the old troopers, too bad the engines (and auto trans on the later ones) kind of sucked.

I don't remember that commercial but it's a good one! Don't think I've ever seen a Cherokee without power steering.

When I was about 13, I wanted a Trooper. Unfortunately I think you're right about the engines. The most reliable engine I've heard is the original 2.0L 4 cyl with the chain-driven overhead cam. Not a lot of power for a truck this size, but would explain the super low standard axle ratios. This one wouldn't have that engine though. It would either have the 2.6L belt-driven 4 cyl or 2.8L V6. The 4 cyl seems to suffer from the strain of moving such a heavy vehicle, and we all already know about the V6. I don't know which transmission this one has, but I suspect it's the manual.

Another interesting thing about this one is the 4wd is not shift on the fly. Transfer case on manual versions is gear-driven though.

Got to take a look at the thing today. It's a 1993 Trooper with the 3.2L SOHC and the 4L30E transmission. He says the engine has some sort of knock. I've read that a common issue with these engines is knocking from the timing belt tensioner. Of course it could also be lifter noise, or something more ominous like a rod. Had no battery so we couldn't listen to it. There's also something wrong with a front hub...

Word of warning, the 4L30E in the Trooper is pretty much a grenade. If it has more than 100k mi and has never been rebuilt/replaced expect it to fail soon.


The 4L30E isn't really a bad transmission per-se, it was used in many other vehicles (including 90s BMWs) without issue, but it was never designed for a vehicle as heavy as the Trooper and thus has an extremely high failure rate in them.



It could be something minor/simple, but the 3.2L/3.5L used in the Trooper/Rodeo is known for issues with the PCV system causing excessive oil use, which often leads to a low oil level (if the owner doesn't check it regularly) and engine damage (bearings, etc.) from oil starvation.

Been thinking more about this one lately, especially since I maybe selling the heep. We were going to fire it up this evening, but it was cold, windy and drizzly so we passed on that for another day.

I don't need it, and money could probably be better spent on OME springs and JCR bumpers for my other XJ. A benefit with the Heep was parts commonality with my 99 XJ. Part of last summer, while the heep was disassembled, I had to borrow the wheels from it for the 99 while I bought all new tires. Unfortunately, absolutly nothing on a Trooper will interchange with a Cherokee, save for maybe a few light bulbs. On the other hand, it is totally different, which makes it interesting. The back seat, an often noted drawback of the XJ, rivals that of an Explorer or WJ. Might not be enough of a justification, but the more the owner's wife wants it gone, the cheaper it gets!

I talked with the owner of the Trooper around the end of last month. I decided if it needed a new motor it was more of a project than I felt comfortable with, so he dropped the price to free if I remove it. If it's useful, great, and if not, I'm out the cost of a tow dolly rental, and will haul it to the fire department to get chopped to pieces. I'm in!

Not so fast! The day we decided this, we got hit with an early snow storm and about 14 inches overnight. How quickly priorities change. Had just about finished digging out, when work called, so now I'm on the road. Guess I'll be claiming my prize Trooper in the spring.

A Trooper in our Club (red one). Stroked to a 3.1Lhttps://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...cf&oe=56B49CE1

I love those old troopers