Age of Cam drives in a 2.8 4JB1T

[BalkaRoo]

This is a very interesting site you blokes have here, I was given a link from another US based site (plannetisuzu) by a very friendly chap from Costa Rica who gave me an answer to my querie, but there is a few things I would like to know.

What I am wondering is were the belt drive and gear drive cam timing designs made at the same time or were the belts first and the gears later or vice versa? I just got a timing belt for my 1988 2.8 Ltr Jackaroo and was going to replace it before I go on a bush trip in April so it didn't break a couple of hundred miles from the nearest garage but when I got down to it my Jack has a gear drive timing set in it. I have been told by a spare parts person (don't know whether to trust him or not) that no series 1 jackaroos were ever equiped new with gear drive only with belt drive, so do any of you blokes know if that is true ? If it is, are there any other things that differ between the original belt drive engines and the replacement gear drive engines (like injection bits, water pumps ect) or is the timing drive the only major difference.

Graham

[geeves]

These should almost be called different engines but they are not. The basic engine is the same with as far as I know only 2 differences. In Jap domestic vehicles (imports for the rest of us) they changed from a gear drive to the belt in 88. This probably aplies in a lot of other countries as well. The Jackeroo and Rodeo are Australian assembled and for the Jackeroo used the gear drive to the end of that model in 91 and for the Rodeo all the way through to about 98. The correct designation for the belt drive engine is 4jb1ti with the I designating intercooler but this engine is fitted to Mus without the intercooler
The other differences with the gear drive engine is a different oil filter and thats about it.
Easy way to tell the 2 engines apart is the timing cover If its alloy its a gear if its plastic its a belt.
Ive heard rumours of a later 4jg2 engine with a gear drive but never seen one
confused????

[WayneB]

I wonder how hard it be to convert a belt drive 2.5 to gear drive and can it be done at all????

[geeves]

Everything is possible. New crank new cam different front end on the diesel pump. Machine the front of the block to take the seals. Easy

[Yarno]

Belt is much quieter....

[geeves]

I missed part of the question. The 2.5 is probably the 4ja1. Dont know if there ever was a gear drive version of that engine. If thats the case it will be slightly harder than my above method

[BalkaRoo]

Thanks Geeves, thats cleared it up quite nicely.
It sounds like my spare parts bloke had it 100% wrong, series 1 Jacks are all exclusivly gear drive with no belts, he had it the other way round. I think I am quite happy about that, I can put up with the extra noise, thats what the CD volume knob is for.

[wbski007]

Yeah I could put up with the extra noise too, belts can break to easy, gears don't, I'm looking for bullit proof, like my Cummins.

[costaricanzuu]

Hey Balka Roo great you made it over here a great place also for all of us diesel burners..
well my 2.5 4JA1 its gear drive... more confussing I guess

[BalkaRoo]

Hey Balka Roo great you made it over here a great place also for all of us diesel burners..
well my 2.5 4JA1 its gear drive... more confussing I guess

Thanks for the tip and the link, I find myself going through here regularly, theres a lot of Diesel information and some very knowledgable blokes here.

Graham

[wbski007]

Wellcome to the culb, BalkaRoo, I think your gonna like it here