Replacement engine for frontera sport 2.0L

[rzsmokey]

Hi All, was pointed in this direction by the Frontera Owners Group as a possible source of info for choices when replacing the motor in my Frontera.

Obviously current is a little sad 2.0L Opel.

Any ideas what might work? Even would the later V6 motor from the 5-doors go in? Or what other Isuzu options would I have to look at?

Thanks for help!

Smokey

[geeves]

Im guessing this is a frontera sport. We never got these in NZ but from what I can make out they are much the same as the gen 3 Mu which is available in NZ with either a 3.2 or 3.5 V6 petrol or a 3.0 diesel engine.
All of these options will require a different computer and all the wiring nightmares that go with it and may require changes to cross members gearboxes etc
The options I would go for would be the 2.6 petrol or 2.8 or 3.1 diesel from the earlier jackeroo/bighorn/Mu. You would still need a gearbox and probably mount changes and could end up with driveshaft issues but all are fixable.
Also need to consider local rules on vehicle mods. Engine swaps are rarely the cheap option A rebuild of the current engine with a few performance tweaks is normally cheaper and quicker but if you want an ultimate machine why not. The Nz 4X4 action mag is doing an article next month on a Bighorn with an LS1 Chevy engine. Will this fit?

[elysian]

Alan ..




Personally, I would look at rebuilding the current engine as Alan said before..

The Frontera Sports also came out with a 2.2 litre engine in 99/00 .. you could look at swapping one of these engines in , but still would need some certification work.. but not as much as a completely different engine

If your looking at doing an engine swap, then you can get basically anything that will fit .. but going this route will require major paperwork and certification ... the sky (and your wallet) is the limit .. As Alan said , it can be a nightmare .. if you do look at change the engine.. remember to get any and all wiring looms , computers , the gearbox the engine came with(if possible), the radiator and hoses , basically the whole kit and kabodle that's in the engine bay of the engine in question ..

the main question is what type of driving do you do ? Do you only drive it on road and no off road? mainly on road with the odd off road driving (using the 4wd mode, either 4High/4low) .. or regular off road driving ?

[geeves]

Yes its a gen3 Mu but with the Frontera badge. Why England and Germany got a choice of this Opel motor and the even worse 2.4 diesel we will never know. At least Aus only got the petrol engine. They go very well with a decent size engine.
What about rebuilding the engine as low compression and add a turbo

[rzsmokey]

Thanks for the responses guys... Yes, is the same as the one in the picture - in a fetching yellow as well!

We mostly use it on the road, with some soft off-roading. Primary reason for thinking about the engine upgrade is we do tow a fair bit with it, and also it spends a bit of time at highway speeds, where the standard motor seems to rev pretty high at 110.

If we rebuild it, we will have to strip it right down and start at the bottom as there is a slight knock in the bottom end (as well as a main seal oil leak). Top end has been OK, and hasn't 'used' much oil. recently however it suddenly started making an awful, metallic almost hollow sounding rattle up top. Mate reckons could be lost tooth in cam chain or something, but I don't know much about them.

Wouldn't turboing it be as much hassle as a new engine almost? Would need an aftermarket computer and stuff wouldn't we?

Thanks for the input again!
smokey

[rzsmokey]

Also was wondering if the engine from the 5-door version might be interchangeable. That was a 3.2L I think.

Would be handy to know if any of these options from Isuzu / Holden ran the same gearbox as the one in mine!

Smokey

[geeves]

From memory we only have one other Frontera sport in the group. A possible souce of info might be the frontera owners group in Britan. Turboing your current engine should only involve a chip change. Who knows you might be able to find a performance chip for your engine that gives good results.
Ive seen a lot of good engine swaps but Ive also seen some very common swaps turn to disaster. If you go this way remember that there is no garentee things will go to plan