Engine Toyota 3L

The Japanese company produced the 2.8-liter Toyota 3L diesel engine from 1988 to 2015 and installed it on HiAce minibuses, Dyna delivery trucks, and Hilux SUV pickups. Copies of this power unit are still produced for various commercial vehicles.

The main advantages of the Toyota 3L are its simple and reliable design. The absence of pushers and shafts in the valve timing system makes it possible to fill even mineral motor oil without the risk of problems. The crankshaft with a set of anti-vibrators ensures stable and precise operation in the entire speed range, without jerks, vibrations and amplitude fluctuations.

It is almost impossible to overheat the 3L diesel engine. Even if the cooling pump is faulty, you can safely drive to the repair shop. The valve timing belt can withstand much more than the stated 100,000 km. If the component is purchased from a certified manufacturer, its service life will be at least 150,000 – 170,000 km.

This diesel engine does not have hydraulic compensators, so it is necessary to adjust the thermal clearances at least once every 30,000 km.

Specifications

The engine was installed on:

• Toyota 4Runner 2 (N120) in 1989 – 1995;
• Toyota HiAce 4 (H100) in 1989 – 2004;
• Toyota Hilux 5 (N80) in 1988 – 1997; Hilux 6 (N140) in 1997 – 2005;
• Toyota LC Prado J70 in 1990 – 1996; LC Prado 90 (J90) in 1996 – 2002.

Disadvantages of the Toyota 3L engine

• Diesel engines of this series are very reliable, but noisy and vibration-loaded;
• The engine does not have any weak points; on specialized forums, they only complain about leaks;
• On runs of 200 – 300 thousand km, fuel injectors may often require replacement;
• If the timing belt breaks, not only the valves will bend here, but the camshaft will also break;
• Hydraulic compensators are not provided and valve clearances have to be adjusted.