This is the 14th 4x4 I have built for myself. Some may not know, I've written 16 4x4 guidebooks sold all over the world. So I have a lot of experience, but I am most interested in what others (those who have actually driven long distance expeditions, not just talked about it) have to say. I read almost all of the comments. I am pleased to say, most comments are valuable. Thank you!
Love your show !! But all that stuff ruins the aventure a bit....to much stuff to take care about... When I remember my youth ...we had no fancy equipement but a hell of a time !! But I love your Landy !! wish we could still buy them in europe ( without getting ripped off by third party dealer )
You are customising & tailoring the vehicle to suit your requirements & specific intended use. I know you are extremely talented & experienced in your field & no fool, I look forward to seeing the build as it progresses Mate. Safe Travels, Steve.
Great video Andrew! I just ordered a Steinbauer module for my 79 series V8. Very reliable module and it will "wake up" this V8. The thing that a lot of people might not realise also is that, with more torque and horsepower, you spend less time revving the engine to get up to your target speed so you spend less time squeezing the pedal down which equates to better fuel economy. With the stock tune you'll have the skinny pedal pinned all the way down up a slight hill as the speed slowly climbs and you're actually wasting more fuel.
Andrew I had a VW Crafter that I had chipped within the first two months, I drove the hell out of that van for half a million kilometers and had zero core engine failures. A tune done the right way has no real draw backs in my opinion!
I just organised my Hilux to have a UniChip installed, thank you for your comprehensive information. I now have piece of mind how my ute works. Cheers mate, keep up the great videos!
Hello Pieter de Weerdt if you read this. I've known Pieter for many years. I wholeheartedly endorse what Andrew is saying about the man and his product. Brilliant!
Thanks for the explanation Andrew....I put a Green Diesel Engineering tune on my Mercedes OM462 in my Grand Cherokee. It changed the entire character of the truck, better throttle response and reduced turbo lag, plus better MPG. I see a lot of Toyota guys here in the states modify their suspensions, but jump on anyone who's modifies the engine....
Superb stuff - getting great inspiration from this conversion project - canning stock route is legendary - will be a real test if a first-outing. Don't underestimate the dust!
I will be building a brand new 76 series overland vehicle and watching closely to your building journey. I have a lot of questions for your last video but this video explain everything. Thank you.
Your engine break-in recommendation matches very closely with the folks I know who rebuild Porsche engines, and muscle car engines. It was also the recommendation I got from my aircraft mechanic when I had to do a factory rebuild on a Piper 235.
Thanks for the informative video answering our questions. Great to have someone with some much experience share it with us. My view of running in engines was flawed! Hope all goes well in the USA.
Thank you for sharing your experience with sponsored products. I go back and forth on that with my channel. I know I can't give an unbiased review if someone gives me something. I've done it a few times and the videos just don't feel genuine to me. Anyways, enjoy the States and I'm envious of you with your build!
It is a challenge. And that is why i never accept a 'donation for production expenses' with a product I am given or loaned. If I did not take products for free, I would not be able to do a quarter of the reviews I do, because they cost far too much to buy. I always send a clear letter to those that donate product that I my content cannot be reviewed, before publication, and I can and will say what I like. The results are that there are many companies and auto makers who will never loan me product for a review again. I have been blacklisted many. many times. And its worth it. There is a trust level and that is why I will be honest. People assume that because I was given the product I have to be nice about it. WHY? I get offers all of the time. If I think the product is good, I will accept and review it. If I think the product is not good, and almost know up front that I won't like it, I will decline the offer. Because to accept it, is not fair to the manufacturers. But this is where I draw the line. Once the product is in my hands, its mine to keep, and say what I like. Its worked for me for a long time.
I did not know modifying your own vehicle causes so much controversy. Wow. Keep up your good work. I enjoy and learn a great many things from you. Thank you.
Hi Andrew, love watching your vlogs, they're so informative. Just one thing, the mods you make to your vehicles seem very expensive and some of us just can't afford them. I fully understand you get what you pay for but maybe in the future you can make a vlog where we can go a bit budget without compromising quality too much.
I think you're spot on here Andrew. Plus the fact that Toyota usually over-builds many of their engines massively, and then conservatively tune them for maximum reliability, or the potential for other upgrades. Many of these engines can easily get a bit extra power without any reliability problems.
The best point you made is that Toyota will map their engine for a great average of situations, found around the world. Including the ones you'll never, ever encounter on your trips through australia. So tuning the engine for that specific purpose simply makes sense for anyone serious about their vehicle. There's only one danger...you have setting 1, and it's very addictive to have. You'll have to discipline yourself not to enjoy it too much ;) Love the videos, keep 'em coming.
Andrew, if you are getting more miles per gallon of diesel fuel with this chip, then you have achieved your goal. This is, as you are mentioning, getting a better efficiency from your engine. Looking forward to your new videos. All the best.
loving these upgrades Andrew. I'm in the slow process of kitting out my 78 and will be putting in a unichip shortly. interesting take on the exhaust, but if I've got a v8 I want it to sound like one lol. my 2013 doesn't have the same emissions standards though. Great you got a troopy rather than the ute, I get a grin as soon as I climb into mine
I think this video might have saved my engine. I absolutely baby my Jeep. I idle it until it's warm, rarely rev it over 3k rpm. I do need to warm it up enough in Canada winter though.
Hopefully see you on the Canning Andrew. Corrugations are brutal but its magic out there. I drive G wagons there for a job, one of two convoys up and down all season. Love your channel and welcome to Australia.
Thanks for the reply Andrew, next to 4x4 you-tubing it is the best job in the world :). The G wagons drive great, and there are only a few dunes that are a challenge for the ute and trailer. We have mil spec 6x6s, wagons and the new professional ute. OM642 in all of them, not my place to discuss mods, but our mechanics have them sorted. The hardest thing about the job is continually stopping yourself from having too much fun. You have to drive smooth for the clients. I own an ML270 which I am setting up for my own off season filmmaking (biodiversityshorts on youtube). Not as capable of course but cheap, a solid drivetrain and very comfortable on the dirt. Anyway, I'll be watching your build with interest and will keep an eye out for you on the track.
99.9% of people will never be crazy enough to put there 4x4 on a yearly basis , daily basis as Andrew has been doing for many many years if he says you can use or is using something on his ride for me it means it would last me a life time on my 4Runner cause I'm never going to extreme test it like he has and will again lol love these videos and answered my question from last video woooooo🤘🏻stay safe out there keep up great videos can't wait to see her transform into the final product !
I agree with you Andrew. A good tuner, you have no worries. I have seen so many Powerstrokes with shady tunes in them that end up with a rod thru the block. Most common failure I've seen from poor tuning is melted pistons. Here in the US a lot of people remove the DPF's, and DEF components just due to the failure rate of these components. We also have problems with people properly maintaining their vehicles. Diesel engine reliability has gone way down since EGR, DPF'S, AND DEF after treatments.
I absolutely agree with what you say about running in a new engine. Experience has shown me to give a new internal combustion engine lots of revs, load and heat cycles. I think it’s even more important with such a large and relatively ‘unstressed’ engine as this. Some folks on the landcruiser forum openly state they’ve never taken their LC200 past ~3000rpm because it has so much grunt. I think that’s asking for trouble.
Hi Andrew. Good explanation. looking forward to the build process. However, where did you get the rear door drop down table from now that is cool Cheers Steve
Hells bells...................some of the negative comments are really from people who just don't understand engineering concepts. You are right....a bit long winded sometimes BUT....right. Hey, by the way, I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a top of the line Porsche 4WD (520HP)....I have owned several Porsches..........In handing the car over to me, a four-hour episode, with a mechanic, I asked how long should I run the engine in for before "hosing" it. They both looked at me and the mechanic said: "As far as the showroom doors"............there you go. Cheers, David
A SP-W, you were backlit most of the video.....take it as constructive criticism (no malice intended). Next point: I just spent $1200AU on having my diesel de-carbonised and your comments are valid on that subject. Poor (dirty) diesel is one of the problems involved. Toyotas standard diesel exhaust muffler is also a trap for carbon particulate and clogged up. It was replaced with a free-flow uni muffler to help allow the turbo to breathe. Looking forward to the next instalment of the vehicle build :-)
I have been rehabbing a "Traumatic Brain Injury" in the Arizona desert for eleven years now. I sometimes go as far out in the desert as one can go without going somewhere else...mostly, by my self. If you could see my rehab rig you would not believe me. It is nothing special. Paying attention to ones surroundings is the name of the game. I told the health-care professionals to keep their Shower Furniture and their Hoveround's because overlanding is far better medicine. I, have of late, tired, and so has my ride, but after discovering Mr White I think I'm getting a second wind.
If I were you I would upgrade the snorkel to an aftermarket one, the factory Toyota ones aren't fully sealed leading to dust and water ingress. Furthermore, the factory snorkels are too small and will choke your engine, the more air that gets in, the more fuel and power you will get. It's like running a marathon while breathing through a straw.
I got myself a TRD supercharger . TRD is Toyota product tested and promoted by Toyota. it said in red fat print, that my original truck warranty and reliability will not be impacted by adding this product. Does the Unichip in compliance with Toyota or you are on your-own? Basically do you keep the warranty or you kiss it good-bye ? I need to know the fact not a debate. thank you.
Thanks Andrew for the excellent documentation of your current projects. Curious... based on your new camper development, and since you are traveling to the States soon, have you seen the Ursa Minor J-30 conversion for the Wrangler Unlimited? I'd like to get your opinion on how this lighter vehicle setup compares with your new Troopy conversion plans. Since you seemed to like the Rubicon Level Red you drove last year..It's a similar Jeep option, since Troopy's aren't sold here.
It's the reliability of the switchable 5 maps I'd have doubts about, personally I'd have just gone for 1 upgraded map for more torque within the original Ecu.
Some of these comments from people who write long winded posts make me cringe. Not only are they wrong, they are pedantic. I feel like the people who wrote them spend more time on internet forums than tuning motors and being out in the real world. Being around performance tuning industry for a decade I can tell you that many of the custom tunes out there are better than the factory tune because they're not trying to make emissions standards.
As a rule, I find that a commenter's level of criticism, as opposed to discussion, is indirectly proportional to their résumé. The more pedantic they are, the shallower the résumé.
Andrew, you really should ask PDP about the clutch, and the CV joints, etc. I'm sure the Toyota clutch and other driveline parts are undoubtably high-reliability parts, but they have a specific torque rating, and this upgrade to 600 Nm may be well beyond that. It's not just about engine performance, you have to get that torque through ALL of the parts in the driveline without over-rating any of the pieces. Otherwise you may find yourself with a broken spider half way up that long dune.
Andrew, I've heard that the new diesel particulate filters get really hot and can light dry grass under your vehicle if you sit in one spot for a while. Have you considered this in your decision regarding your exhaust? I'm totally a fan of maintaining emissions equipment, but it might be a concern for a vehicle used for your purposes.
My unfortunate experience with unichip Some years back i decided to see if my little townAce van could be improved. Yes, silly me! The first sales person explained all sorts and was positive of an outcome. When I turned up for the fitting the reception was somewhat lack luster almost snarly. I was told to Boff and they will call. OK paid the money (lots) and drove off. I was not given the print out of improvements (if any) but after telling same snarly that I was promised such I was asked why I wanted it?? eventually after a considerable wait I was offered one, no explanations attached. Improvement? I just assumed my imagination over ran reality. Some months latter the little plastic thingy that was hung over wires under the dash started to drop to the floor. Eventually It annoyed me, so I just pulled it off and into the glove box. Well what do you know, even the passenger noticed the little engine seemed freer and happier to run. I returned and they wanted more money to properly disconnect it. In summery the whole thing is a fraud and have since read that similar experiences have befallen other suckers. So to other simpletons out there, if you don't know your engine well and are well versed in this sector of the industry, pass by on the other side!!
Thought when running in, it just meant not keeping the revs at a constant for to long. I've only had one new car and that was a lease, so I wasn't that bothered about looking it up.
to add to your theory The Chip gives you more driving mode options. off-course each option will have its own pros & cons. This is similar to SUV offering different suspension mode.
Andrew, please, please, please, can you tell me what make the rear fold down table is please? I cant quite make out the company logo in the video and over an hour of googling has failed to turn up what you showed in the video. It looks awesome. Great video's by the way, I always enjoy watching them and I'm very excited to see this 78 of yours evolve. Regards Ben
I consider an over-sized exhaust an unnecessary waste of money because for the slight performance gain versus its cost, its just not worth it. And I would prefer to emit cleaner exhaust if I can and will leave the system in place.
what people need to understand about his car firstly it's his and he's responsible for what he does he's done the research there's literally 1000s of this exact setup there's nothing custom or unique about this it's almost a standard practice for the 70 series
This is the 14th 4x4 I have built for myself. Some may not know, I've written 16 4x4 guidebooks about overland travel. So I have a lot of experience, but I am most interested in what others (those who have actually driven long distance expeditions, not just talked about it) have to say. I read almost all of the comments. I am pleased to say, most comments are valuable. Thank you!
very, very interesting peace on new engines.... dammned!!! i have been to gentle with my Hilux, i thought this thing had to work like à farm tractor at low rpm.... she has 15K kms, i guess i'll have to give her some stick......
Hey, Just bought 285/75/16 BFG KO2 for my HZJ 78 here in Dubai. Love the look but keen to know what PSI you think I should run.....fully camping system in back so heavy!
Sorry, road surface. Running 38 PSI at the moment and fuel consumption got lots worse. Previous Geolanders I ran at 45 PSI but that was a light truck tyre.
hey andrew awesome videos! i especially enjoyed the electrics one i learnt a lot. ive got a dual cab triton had it tuned best thing i did. doesn't run as hot towing the boat definitely more power and because i have more power im not flooring it as often so im getting better fuel figures! quick question... when you say dont warm your car up in idle i always start the ute then lock the house etc for like 2 mins its just something I was taught. are you saying dont do that or do you mean dont idle for 20mins? I was taught listen for the slight high idle... when it stops drive.
Low idle means the engine is running normally. High idle normally means that the engine is running rich, which it does automatically at startup. My recommendation is start, idle for 30 seconds, or a minute at extremely low temps, (all one needs to do is make sure oil is sent everywhere it needs to go, which takes longer at very low temps) and then drive normally, normal throttle but beware of wide throttle openings at low rpm. This is the most important thing to avoid when the engine is cold.
I don't understand the controversy. By all means, remap the ECU to tune the engine to your needs. I don't think it will materially effect reliability. As you mentioned, government regulations are the most important perimeters of factory engine tuning. Your needs are an afterthought. I come from the motorcycling world, where these sorts of engine mods are common. Go for it.
Hi Andrew, great videos as usual, one thought regarding chips, to increase the power and torque they also boost fuel rail pressure to better atomise the diesel, which works the injectors harder and may shorten their lifespan. loving keeping up with the build! good job
Do you have a set budget that this would cost a regular joe to build including the truck cost ? ie 100,000 dollars USA ish at a guess with all upgrades completed ?
Bottom line is that when you chip an engine all you're doing is making it more efficient. Anything you actually bolt on will to an extent damage an engine but with software tuning you're just making it more efficient. The same amount of energy is there but more of that energy is being used to actually move the vehicle. There's always the possibility of going past certain safety boundaries but as long as your tuner is tailored for your specific vehicle that won't happen. When you're looking for a software tuning solution always use a tune thats tailored specifically for your very vehicle thats why most people would say stay away from tuning boxes, they assume your engine hasn't changed at all since it came out the factory. With Unichip they actually tune it for your specific vehicle, thats where the difference between "plug 'n play" boxes and proper tuning solutions.
The reason why "Piggyback" ECU's exist are simply to fool the data from various sensors and control modules (EGR, DPF, MAFF HPP, injectors, Rail etc.) given to the OEM manufacturers engine controle module (DDE for diesel / DME for petrol). Whilst it is generally accepted that the engine manufacturers do "leave something on the table" performance wise for reliability and emissions and I just about understand what our dear Andrew Saint Pierre White is saying let me give you an other angle related to that new Toy engine! A chip on the old engine, why not. Its old, simple and robust with basic engine management. This new common rail puppy is extremely well developed and engineered and very very high tech. It (the DDE) relies on extremely accurate information given to it by these control modules because the high performance of these engines is down to very accurate tolerances of all the involved parts. Secondly, these engine management modules have extremely complex coding that have very high encryption to protect manufacturers investment (it 100's of millions of dollars to develop an engine) and they cannot be "cracked" - hence "piggyback ECUs". All you're doing there Andrew in all the warranted good faith in the Chip manufacturers is highly increasing the potential damage on your engine and reducing its reliability. Whether you use that performance gain or not and despite the solid nature of the components used for the engine and the engine itself, giving false data to the DDE will just reduce its capability to manage the engine and associated modules and components. The probability is that it will take it no probs but by default you are reducing the hour rating of various components. Lastly there is simply no way any piggyback chip, manufacturer no matter how good they are and the sum they invest can outdo the many years of research and the sheer unfathomable amounts of money the car manufacturers will invest with Bosh like BOSH to run these engines. I think your experience with Unichip and your other Troopy was entirely accurate. This is a very different cattle of fish. The only way you could improve performance and reliability is to improve hardware as you've done with the suspension. Still if Unichip is willing to pay for any repairs why not - thats serious product testing...
I changed the suspension on my old (1st gen) fortuner. put an iron man system. only reason i did that was because the original rear suspension was badly build and they tended to roll over
Not sure the aircraft engine comparison is quite kosher. Most piston aircraft engines - your Lycomings and Continentals - are air cooled, large capacity, direct drive 'boxers'....basically big VW Beetle engies. They are large capacity to drive the propeller within a certain band of rotation speed for efficiency. They experience have larger or looser tolerances than car engines for a number of reason. They do not have the temp stability of liquid cooled engines, they must take some shock cooling when idling in descent. They have quite different engineering parameters.
are you aware of the 1hdfte motors that come in the previous versions of landcruisers in australia. its a 4.2 straight 6 turbo diesel.. efi and direct injected way better than the v8
1hdfte can take big hp like its nothing. There is one getting around intercooled chip and a 30 psi gturbo with 200kw at the wheels and 900nm. Will outlast a v8 easily and are more sought after
All these people banging on about it being more reliable leaving it how Toyota intended, neglect the fact that these engines have persistent air filter problems stock, along with the sensitive fuel issue both of which need to be addressed. So many of these engines of which owners weren't privy to these issues haven't made it past warranty let alone long term. PDP like any good performance shop do their R and D and know what works and what doesn't. That's why they installed the secondary fuel filter.
I agree with you, but the conservative map produced by Toyota has been made to avoid useless use of the turbo, to build a progressive temperature increase for the motor... same thing for suspension upgrades, which leads to increased wear of driveshafts in the long term. You certainly will be fine as the motor is over engineered, but.. well. You dig into the margin calculated by engineers. Turbo will turn more often, and temperature will increase less progressively. Even if you drive it conservatively. The solution? Keeping unichip like keeping suspension modifications, BUT be reasonnable: like a conservative suspension modification at +2" max, you could keep a very slight map modification, to preserve the conservative work of Toyota engineers.
Am I mistaken? Is there only 2 seats? Have you crossed out the idea of bringing the wife and daughter on trips and settled on picking only one? And can I be that one? ;)
This is the 14th 4x4 I have built for myself. Some may not know, I've written 16 4x4 guidebooks sold all over the world. So I have a lot of experience, but I am most interested in what others (those who have actually driven long distance expeditions, not just talked about it) have to say. I read almost all of the comments. I am pleased to say, most comments are valuable. Thank you!
Proud to be a Patron Andrew.
Love your show !!
But all that stuff ruins the aventure a bit....to much stuff to take care about...
When I remember my youth ...we had no fancy equipement but a hell of a time !!
But I love your Landy !! wish we could still buy them in europe ( without getting ripped off by third party dealer )
You are customising & tailoring the vehicle to suit your requirements & specific intended use.
I know you are extremely talented & experienced in your field & no fool, I look forward to seeing the build as it progresses Mate.
Safe Travels, Steve.
Great video Andrew! I just ordered a Steinbauer module for my 79 series V8. Very reliable module and it will "wake up" this V8. The thing that a lot of people might not realise also is that, with more torque and horsepower, you spend less time revving the engine to get up to your target speed so you spend less time squeezing the pedal down which equates to better fuel economy. With the stock tune you'll have the skinny pedal pinned all the way down up a slight hill as the speed slowly climbs and you're actually wasting more fuel.
one man, all live traveler, who cares to explain in a second video, the coments above the last one, it's a real whort view.. Thanks Andrew!!
Thank you Andrew. i like your answer sessions, workshops and expedition advices. Much love from Tanzania
Ali Akrabi Kuna garage ama workshop yenye kufanya mods kama hizi Tanzania, especially installing the chip?
Brian Mariki no any in east africa. only in south africa, kuna jamaa wanaitwa dastek international
Andrew I had a VW Crafter that I had chipped within the first two months, I drove the hell out of that van for half a million kilometers and had zero core engine failures. A tune done the right way has no real draw backs in my opinion!
I just organised my Hilux to have a UniChip installed, thank you for your comprehensive information. I now have piece of mind how my ute works. Cheers mate, keep up the great videos!
Hello Pieter de Weerdt if you read this. I've known Pieter for many years. I wholeheartedly endorse what Andrew is saying about the man and his product. Brilliant!
I remember watching your videos on supersport and ignition.........I have been an addict.....
Thanks for the explanation Andrew....I put a Green Diesel Engineering tune on my Mercedes OM462 in my Grand Cherokee. It changed the entire character of the truck, better throttle response and reduced turbo lag, plus better MPG. I see a lot of Toyota guys here in the states modify their suspensions, but jump on anyone who's modifies the engine....
Superb stuff - getting great inspiration from this conversion project - canning stock route is legendary - will be a real test if a first-outing. Don't underestimate the dust!
I will be building a brand new 76 series overland vehicle and watching closely to your building journey. I have a lot of questions for your last video but this video explain everything. Thank you.
Yes! More efficient by definition mean wasting less energy. More energy is available to turn the drive train, thus more power.
Your engine break-in recommendation matches very closely with the folks I know who rebuild Porsche engines, and muscle car engines. It was also the recommendation I got from my aircraft mechanic when I had to do a factory rebuild on a Piper 235.
Thanks for the informative video answering our questions. Great to have someone with some much experience share it with us. My view of running in engines was flawed! Hope all goes well in the USA.
You are such a card (funny guy) and the information you provide is real. I do hope your family are enjoying Australia. Thank you
spot on with your running in description!!! love your stuff.
Thank you for sharing your experience with sponsored products. I go back and forth on that with my channel. I know I can't give an unbiased review if someone gives me something. I've done it a few times and the videos just don't feel genuine to me. Anyways, enjoy the States and I'm envious of you with your build!
It is a challenge. And that is why i never accept a 'donation for production expenses' with a product I am given or loaned. If I did not take products for free, I would not be able to do a quarter of the reviews I do, because they cost far too much to buy. I always send a clear letter to those that donate product that I my content cannot be reviewed, before publication, and I can and will say what I like. The results are that there are many companies and auto makers who will never loan me product for a review again. I have been blacklisted many. many times. And its worth it. There is a trust level and that is why I will be honest. People assume that because I was given the product I have to be nice about it. WHY? I get offers all of the time. If I think the product is good, I will accept and review it. If I think the product is not good, and almost know up front that I won't like it, I will decline the offer. Because to accept it, is not fair to the manufacturers. But this is where I draw the line. Once the product is in my hands, its mine to keep, and say what I like. Its worked for me for a long time.
That's a very candid response and professional approach Andrew. Thank you for the advice!
good video. you make sense. stoked to see more of the troopy build!
wish my teachers at school could have explained things the way you do Andrew.thank you
I did not know modifying your own vehicle causes so much controversy. Wow.
Keep up your good work. I enjoy and learn a great many things from you. Thank you.
I know. Its like talking religion.
Hi Andrew, love watching your vlogs, they're so informative. Just one thing, the mods you make to your vehicles seem very expensive and some of us just can't afford them. I fully understand you get what you pay for but maybe in the future you can make a vlog where we can go a bit budget without compromising quality too much.
I think you're spot on here Andrew. Plus the fact that Toyota usually over-builds many of their engines massively, and then conservatively tune them for maximum reliability, or the potential for other upgrades. Many of these engines can easily get a bit extra power without any reliability problems.
I enjoyed the Q&A part of this video. Thank you.
The best point you made is that Toyota will map their engine for a great average of situations, found around the world. Including the ones you'll never, ever encounter on your trips through australia. So tuning the engine for that specific purpose simply makes sense for anyone serious about their vehicle.
There's only one danger...you have setting 1, and it's very addictive to have. You'll have to discipline yourself not to enjoy it too much ;)
Love the videos, keep 'em coming.
I just discovered this channel and this series is great, it's very interesting to hear about this form of vehicle setup
Andrew, if you are getting more miles per gallon of diesel fuel with this chip, then you have achieved your goal. This is, as you are mentioning, getting a better efficiency from your engine. Looking forward to your new videos. All the best.
Your passion and excitement is far greater with the Troopy than the Land Cruiser.
loving these upgrades Andrew. I'm in the slow process of kitting out my 78 and will be putting in a unichip shortly. interesting take on the exhaust, but if I've got a v8 I want it to sound like one lol. my 2013 doesn't have the same emissions standards though. Great you got a troopy rather than the ute, I get a grin as soon as I climb into mine
I think this video might have saved my engine. I absolutely baby my Jeep. I idle it until it's warm, rarely rev it over 3k rpm. I do need to warm it up enough in Canada winter though.
I see that you chose to produce this video in a quieter location - thank you..
Wisdom from my engineer/mechanic Dad. "Bill, reliability is in maintenance and your right foot."
Does that go for ZD30's?
Can't wait to see more. Living vicariously and enjoying it.
Hopefully see you on the Canning Andrew. Corrugations are brutal but its magic out there. I drive G wagons there for a job, one of two convoys up and down all season. Love your channel and welcome to Australia.
That sounds a nice job. Loved the two G's that I owned. Would give anything to have another.
Thanks for the reply Andrew, next to 4x4 you-tubing it is the best job in the world :). The G wagons drive great, and there are only a few dunes that are a challenge for the ute and trailer. We have mil spec 6x6s, wagons and the new professional ute. OM642 in all of them, not my place to discuss mods, but our mechanics have them sorted. The hardest thing about the job is continually stopping yourself from having too much fun. You have to drive smooth for the clients.
I own an ML270 which I am setting up for my own off season filmmaking (biodiversityshorts on youtube). Not as capable of course but cheap, a solid drivetrain and very comfortable on the dirt.
Anyway, I'll be watching your build with interest and will keep an eye out for you on the track.
99.9% of people will never be crazy enough to put there 4x4 on a yearly basis , daily basis as Andrew has been doing for many many years if he says you can use or is using something on his ride for me it means it would last me a life time on my 4Runner cause I'm never going to extreme test it like he has and will again lol love these videos and answered my question from last video woooooo🤘🏻stay safe out there keep up great videos can't wait to see her transform into the final product !
Thanks CrazyMedic!
love your videos
well said Andrew, many pertinent points. You certainly got some responses on the previous video LOL.
I agree with you Andrew. A good tuner, you have no worries. I have seen so many Powerstrokes with shady tunes in them that end up with a rod thru the block. Most common failure I've seen from poor tuning is melted pistons. Here in the US a lot of people remove the DPF's, and DEF components just due to the failure rate of these components. We also have problems with people properly maintaining their vehicles. Diesel engine reliability has gone way down since EGR, DPF'S, AND DEF after treatments.
I absolutely agree with what you say about running in a new engine. Experience has shown me to give a new internal combustion engine lots of revs, load and heat cycles. I think it’s even more important with such a large and relatively ‘unstressed’ engine as this.
Some folks on the landcruiser forum openly state they’ve never taken their LC200 past ~3000rpm because it has so much grunt. I think that’s asking for trouble.
The quandary to chip or not to chip has been answered .
Thanks it all makes sense
im commenting before ive even watched it, really look forward to t your videos, this is really enjoyable viewing, cheers
Coming together nicely Andrew 👍 She could do with a light tint on the windows 👌🇿🇦
Looking good Andrew. Really looking forward to your power pack system, if you're still going that route.
Legend, put the fold down table in already! Cracking on I see. Looking forward to it.
Hi Andrew. Good explanation. looking forward to the build process. However, where did you get the rear door drop down table from now that is cool
Cheers
Steve
Hells bells...................some of the negative comments are really from people who just don't understand engineering concepts. You are right....a bit long winded sometimes BUT....right. Hey, by the way, I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a top of the line Porsche 4WD (520HP)....I have owned several Porsches..........In handing the car over to me, a four-hour episode, with a mechanic, I asked how long should I run the engine in for before "hosing" it. They both looked at me and the mechanic said: "As far as the showroom doors"............there you go. Cheers, David
A SP-W, you were backlit most of the video.....take it as constructive criticism (no malice intended). Next point: I just spent $1200AU on having my diesel de-carbonised and your comments are valid on that subject. Poor (dirty) diesel is one of the problems involved. Toyotas standard diesel exhaust muffler is also a trap for carbon particulate and clogged up. It was replaced with a free-flow uni muffler to help allow the turbo to breathe.
Looking forward to the next instalment of the vehicle build :-)
I have been rehabbing a "Traumatic Brain Injury" in the Arizona desert for eleven years now. I sometimes go as far out in the desert as one can go without going somewhere else...mostly, by my self. If you could see my rehab rig you would not believe me. It is nothing special. Paying attention to ones surroundings is the name of the game. I told the health-care professionals to keep their Shower Furniture and their Hoveround's because overlanding is far better medicine. I, have of late, tired, and so has my ride, but after discovering Mr White I think I'm getting a second wind.
Nice video Andrew!
Is having an engine tune legal, how do insurance companies view this?
The King Edward chip gets my vote crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside.
by coming to America, is it safe to assume you mean Overland Expo? In which case, see you there!
If I were you I would upgrade the snorkel to an aftermarket one, the factory Toyota ones aren't fully sealed leading to dust and water ingress. Furthermore, the factory snorkels are too small and will choke your engine, the more air that gets in, the more fuel and power you will get. It's like running a marathon while breathing through a straw.
I got myself a TRD supercharger . TRD is Toyota product tested and promoted by Toyota. it said in red fat print, that my original truck warranty and reliability will not be impacted by adding this product. Does the Unichip in compliance with Toyota or you are on your-own?
Basically do you keep the warranty or you kiss it good-bye ? I need to know the fact not a debate. thank you.
Thanks Andrew for the excellent documentation of your current projects.
Curious... based on your new camper development, and since you are traveling to the States soon, have you seen the Ursa Minor J-30 conversion for the Wrangler Unlimited? I'd like to get your opinion on how this lighter vehicle setup compares with your new Troopy conversion plans. Since you seemed to like the Rubicon Level Red you drove last year..It's a similar Jeep option, since Troopy's aren't sold here.
good man. let the engine breathe.
THANKS VIDEO ON YR DETAIL OF FURTHER WITH YR 4X4 CRUISER
Hello Andrew :-) What is your thought about car design? The reason i ask is what you think about the car design vs offroad capability...
It's the reliability of the switchable 5 maps I'd have doubts about, personally I'd have just gone for 1 upgraded map for more torque within the original Ecu.
Thanks Andrew. Keep 'em coming. Will you consider Koni Raid 90's for your new rig . Big money but supposedly the best in the business.
Raids are exceptional. I know. But I have gone for a package of matching springs and shocks so I can do a proper review on it.
wohoo. nice explanation and cant wait for more videoz. gre8 work
Some of these comments from people who write long winded posts make me cringe. Not only are they wrong, they are pedantic. I feel like the people who wrote them spend more time on internet forums than tuning motors and being out in the real world. Being around performance tuning industry for a decade I can tell you that many of the custom tunes out there are better than the factory tune because they're not trying to make emissions standards.
As a rule, I find that a commenter's level of criticism, as opposed to discussion, is indirectly proportional to their résumé. The more pedantic they are, the shallower the résumé.
Andrew, you really should ask PDP about the clutch, and the CV joints, etc. I'm sure the Toyota clutch and other driveline parts are undoubtably high-reliability parts, but they have a specific torque rating, and this upgrade to 600 Nm may be well beyond that. It's not just about engine performance, you have to get that torque through ALL of the parts in the driveline without over-rating any of the pieces. Otherwise you may find yourself with a broken spider half way up that long dune.
Andrew, I've heard that the new diesel particulate filters get really hot and can light dry grass under your vehicle if you sit in one spot for a while. Have you considered this in your decision regarding your exhaust?
I'm totally a fan of maintaining emissions equipment, but it might be a concern for a vehicle used for your purposes.
You always sweat the details, good for you .
@4xOverland have you ever considered Overlanding in Iran? People are hospitable and there are plenty of places to check out :)
My unfortunate experience with unichip
Some years back i decided to see if my little townAce van could be improved. Yes, silly me! The first sales person explained all sorts and was positive of an outcome. When I turned up for the fitting the reception was somewhat lack luster almost snarly. I was told to Boff and they will call. OK paid the money (lots) and drove off. I was not given the print out of improvements (if any) but after telling same snarly that I was promised such I was asked why I wanted it?? eventually after a considerable wait I was offered one, no explanations attached. Improvement? I just assumed my imagination over ran reality.
Some months latter the little plastic thingy that was hung over wires under the dash started to drop to the floor. Eventually It annoyed me, so I just pulled it off and into the glove box. Well what do you know, even the passenger noticed the little engine seemed freer and happier to run. I returned and they wanted more money to properly disconnect it.
In summery the whole thing is a fraud and have since read that similar experiences have befallen other suckers.
So to other simpletons out there, if you don't know your engine well and are well versed in this sector of the industry, pass by on the other side!!
ty for the vids I look forward to more . Regards John
Thought when running in, it just meant not keeping the revs at a constant for to long. I've only had one new car and that was a lease, so I wasn't that bothered about looking it up.
Looking forward to it!
to add to your theory The Chip gives you more driving mode options. off-course each option will have its own pros & cons.
This is similar to SUV offering different suspension mode.
are you going to overland expo in the states I'd love to see you there
Yes. Video announcement and details in a few days.
Andrew, please, please, please, can you tell me what make the rear fold down table is please? I cant quite make out the company logo in the video and over an hour of googling has failed to turn up what you showed in the video. It looks awesome. Great video's by the way, I always enjoy watching them and I'm very excited to see this 78 of yours evolve. Regards Ben
I bought it in Germany at Pikra. See this video for more about it: ruclips.net/video/NwQ1g1HfPOU/видео.html
Awesome!! Thanks Andrew, much appreciated.
Have you considered upgrading your exhaust to a system like Ronny Dahl's? That truck sounds very good
I consider an over-sized exhaust an unnecessary waste of money because for the slight performance gain versus its cost, its just not worth it. And I would prefer to emit cleaner exhaust if I can and will leave the system in place.
Andrew, what height lift are you looking to end up with once fully loaded and trail ready?
what people need to understand about his car
firstly it's his and he's responsible for what he does
he's done the research
there's literally 1000s of this exact setup
there's nothing custom or unique about this
it's almost a standard practice for the 70 series
This is the 14th 4x4 I have built for myself. Some may not know, I've written 16 4x4 guidebooks about overland travel. So I have a lot of experience, but I am most interested in what others (those who have actually driven long distance expeditions, not just talked about it) have to say. I read almost all of the comments. I am pleased to say, most comments are valuable. Thank you!
👍👍👍👍 ☺
very, very interesting peace on new engines.... dammned!!! i have been to gentle with my Hilux, i thought this thing had to work like à farm tractor at low rpm....
she has 15K kms, i guess i'll have to give her some stick......
Hey, Just bought 285/75/16 BFG KO2 for my HZJ 78 here in Dubai. Love the look but keen to know what PSI you think I should run.....fully camping system in back so heavy!
Depends on the terrain, load, air temperature, density of the sand, heat of the road surface. No easy answer.
Sorry, road surface. Running 38 PSI at the moment and fuel consumption got lots worse. Previous Geolanders I ran at 45 PSI but that was a light truck tyre.
Hi Andrew, where did you get your wheel arch flares from? And why didn't you get them in white?
hey andrew awesome videos! i especially enjoyed the electrics one i learnt a lot. ive got a dual cab triton had it tuned best thing i did. doesn't run as hot towing the boat definitely more power and because i have more power im not flooring it as often so im getting better fuel figures! quick question... when you say dont warm your car up in idle i always start the ute then lock the house etc for like 2 mins its just something I was taught. are you saying dont do that or do you mean dont idle for 20mins? I was taught listen for the slight high idle... when it stops drive.
Low idle means the engine is running normally. High idle normally means that the engine is running rich, which it does automatically at startup. My recommendation is start, idle for 30 seconds, or a minute at extremely low temps, (all one needs to do is make sure oil is sent everywhere it needs to go, which takes longer at very low temps) and then drive normally, normal throttle but beware of wide throttle openings at low rpm. This is the most important thing to avoid when the engine is cold.
I live in Cairns in far north queensland we don't do cold haha. thanks for the advice mate! look forward to the next video
I don't understand the controversy. By all means, remap the ECU to tune the engine to your needs. I don't think it will materially effect reliability. As you mentioned, government regulations are the most important perimeters of factory engine tuning. Your needs are an afterthought.
I come from the motorcycling world, where these sorts of engine mods are common. Go for it.
Hi Andrew, great videos as usual, one thought regarding chips, to increase the power and torque they also boost fuel rail pressure to better atomise the diesel, which works the injectors harder and may shorten their lifespan.
loving keeping up with the build! good job
Canning Stock route in July? Ronny Dahls doing that this year is that possibly with him? :D
"I dont need more horsepower"
You're a great guy and I enjoy your videos but we are very different!
haha
Andrew how's the clutch holding up after the tune?
Do you have a set budget that this would cost a regular joe to build including the truck cost ? ie 100,000 dollars USA ish at a guess with all upgrades completed ?
Now you can do donuts in the desert. You don't need to explain yourself Andrew, we all have an inner hoon.
Bottom line is that when you chip an engine all you're doing is making it more efficient. Anything you actually bolt on will to an extent damage an engine but with software tuning you're just making it more efficient. The same amount of energy is there but more of that energy is being used to actually move the vehicle. There's always the possibility of going past certain safety boundaries but as long as your tuner is tailored for your specific vehicle that won't happen. When you're looking for a software tuning solution always use a tune thats tailored specifically for your very vehicle thats why most people would say stay away from tuning boxes, they assume your engine hasn't changed at all since it came out the factory. With Unichip they actually tune it for your specific vehicle, thats where the difference between "plug 'n play" boxes and proper tuning solutions.
Does the general principles for modifying your LC troopy for overlanding/4X4 apply to LC200 series?
Andrew, please do a short vid on breaking in a new diesel engine please.. Since you are into it now.
I just did :-) I don't really have anything more to say about it.
4xOverland :-) thanks.. cant wait for the next Vid. Love your work..your big fan from Saudi Arabia!
hi andrew really enjoying the build, hey what brand are those flares on the troopy?
ARB
The reason why "Piggyback" ECU's exist are simply to fool the data from various sensors and control modules (EGR, DPF, MAFF HPP, injectors, Rail etc.) given to the OEM manufacturers engine controle module (DDE for diesel / DME for petrol). Whilst it is generally accepted that the engine manufacturers do "leave something on the table" performance wise for reliability and emissions and I just about understand what our dear Andrew Saint Pierre White is saying let me give you an other angle related to that new Toy engine! A chip on the old engine, why not. Its old, simple and robust with basic engine management. This new common rail puppy is extremely well developed and engineered and very very high tech. It (the DDE) relies on extremely accurate information given to it by these control modules because the high performance of these engines is down to very accurate tolerances of all the involved parts. Secondly, these engine management modules have extremely complex coding that have very high encryption to protect manufacturers investment (it 100's of millions of dollars to develop an engine) and they cannot be "cracked" - hence "piggyback ECUs". All you're doing there Andrew in all the warranted good faith in the Chip manufacturers is highly increasing the potential damage on your engine and reducing its reliability. Whether you use that performance gain or not and despite the solid nature of the components used for the engine and the engine itself, giving false data to the DDE will just reduce its capability to manage the engine and associated modules and components. The probability is that it will take it no probs but by default you are reducing the hour rating of various components. Lastly there is simply no way any piggyback chip, manufacturer no matter how good they are and the sum they invest can outdo the many years of research and the sheer unfathomable amounts of money the car manufacturers will invest with Bosh like BOSH to run these engines. I think your experience with Unichip and your other Troopy was entirely accurate. This is a very different cattle of fish. The only way you could improve performance and reliability is to improve hardware as you've done with the suspension. Still if Unichip is willing to pay for any repairs why not - thats serious product testing...
I changed the suspension on my old (1st gen) fortuner. put an iron man system. only reason i did that was because the original rear suspension was badly build and they tended to roll over
nice color in yr video
Not sure the aircraft engine comparison is quite kosher. Most piston aircraft engines - your Lycomings and Continentals - are air cooled, large capacity, direct drive 'boxers'....basically big VW Beetle engies. They are large capacity to drive the propeller within a certain band of rotation speed for efficiency. They experience have larger or looser tolerances than car engines for a number of reason. They do not have the temp stability of liquid cooled engines, they must take some shock cooling when idling in descent. They have quite different engineering parameters.
are you aware of the 1hdfte motors that come in the previous versions of landcruisers in australia. its a 4.2 straight 6 turbo diesel.. efi and direct injected way better than the v8
1hdfte can take big hp like its nothing. There is one getting around intercooled chip and a 30 psi gturbo with 200kw at the wheels and 900nm. Will outlast a v8 easily and are more sought after
You should put a oil catch can and secondary fuel filter as well for reliability too mate.
Ibby Avci he put a second filter on in his last video. Or at least a better more appropriate filter.
All these people banging on about it being more reliable leaving it how Toyota intended, neglect the fact that these engines have persistent air filter problems stock, along with the sensitive fuel issue both of which need to be addressed.
So many of these engines of which owners weren't privy to these issues haven't made it past warranty let alone long term. PDP like any good performance shop do their R and D and know what works and what doesn't. That's why they installed the secondary fuel filter.
I agree with you, but the conservative map produced by Toyota has been made to avoid useless use of the turbo, to build a progressive temperature increase for the motor... same thing for suspension upgrades, which leads to increased wear of driveshafts in the long term.
You certainly will be fine as the motor is over engineered, but.. well. You dig into the margin calculated by engineers. Turbo will turn more often, and temperature will increase less progressively. Even if you drive it conservatively.
The solution? Keeping unichip like keeping suspension modifications, BUT be reasonnable: like a conservative suspension modification at +2" max, you could keep a very slight map modification, to preserve the conservative work of Toyota engineers.
Am I mistaken? Is there only 2 seats? Have you crossed out the idea of bringing the wife and daughter on trips and settled on picking only one?
And can I be that one? ;)