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 Post subject: New member, new to LUV's
PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2017 11:41 am 
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Posts: 6
New to the forum. Just give you the run down. I saved an 81 LUV diesel 2wd 5-spees from rotting in a field. After rebuilding most of the front end it is my daily driver. When I bought the LUV, I also got an 85 Pup diesel 5-speed in the deal. Horrible body on the pup but the LUV is "ok". Has rust (or as I like to call it "active weight reduction") on the bed of the LUV pretty bad and the cab corners. The LUV still has all its original glass too. All the glass has Isuzu stamps on it

My questions are

How long can one of these motors last? My odometer stopped working at 310,532.4 miles. It runs great as is but fuel mileage is only around 36 mpgs. I've heard these motors get 40+. Any suggestions?

Window cranks are broken, any acceptable replacements? Holding the windows up with screwdrivers right now

Can I add power steering?



Thanks for any help. Looking forward to learning tons of info from this foruns


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File comment: How it looks now. I took the bench out and put two captains leather chairs from a 91 Isuzu truck at salvage yard
IMG_1183.JPG
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File comment: Interior after I bought it
IMG_1182.JPG
IMG_1182.JPG [ 153.84 KiB | Viewed 6191 times ]
File comment: How I bought it
IMG_1181.JPG
IMG_1181.JPG [ 269.09 KiB | Viewed 6191 times ]
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PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2017 5:14 pm 
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Location: Whittier, (So). Cal.
Welcome. I would like to tinker with a diesel LUV some day. 8)

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer? 8)


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PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2017 6:45 pm 
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Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
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Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Welcome aboard. You're actually new to "LUVs" (not "LUV's"). It's like the plural of "motor" -- just add an "s" and you're done. ;)

You have what's often called the "second generation" LUV on this site. There are some LUV purists who never came around to embrace the second gen, but it shares quite a bit mechanically with the first generation (which wasn't really the first generation worldwide, just first generation in the US). And it's hard not to LUV the diesel.

The diesel was not offered in the US before 1981. Even though GM dropped the LUV when they introduced the S10, the same truck was sold here from 1981-1987 as the Isuzu P'up.
Seneca8808 wrote:
How long can one of these motors last? My odometer stopped working at 310,532.4 miles.
Typically, they have to be well maintained to go that long. Sadly, many of them weren't well maintained. The transmission on that one has probably been rebuilt and/or replaced two or three times. Those early ones were fortunate to make it to 100k. The '86 and later transmissions should last as long as the engines.
Seneca8808 wrote:
It runs great as is but fuel mileage is only around 36 mpgs. I've heard these motors get 40+. Any suggestions?
That's probably on the high side of "average". "40+ MPG" is what we hear from people who "calculate" mileage via the fuel gauge rather than using basic math. That, and lying Craigslist sellers. Typical fuel economy is probably around 32-36 MPG, with very little difference between suburban vs. highway driving. I've hit 40 mpg one time in 34 years, and that was holding it at 55 for 600 miles straight. Mine is generally around 34 mpg.

If your speedometer is working, your odometer just needs a good cleaning. The parts are stuck.

Power steering - It can be done, but it's not as easy/cheap as you might expect, and you'd have to use salvaged parts.

Window cranks - contact sqdeb@yahoo.com.

Things to watch out for:
  • Timing belt. If it breaks, you'll also break rocker arms and bend the pushrods. They're getting hard to find.
  • Transmission. Make sure it has motor oil like the engine uses. Gear lube will lead to even earlier failure. Don't lug 5th gear, and don't even use it below 40 mph (some say 45). Lugging stresses the countershaft and input shaft bearings, which are usually the first thing to fail.
  • Glow system connections. I'd estimate 90% of the glow-related starting problems are from weak wire connections.
  • Fuel line condition. I'm pretty sure many diesels have been scrapped because they were misdiagnosed as having bad injection pumps, when it was really nothing but an air leak somewhere in the fuel system.
  • Starting fluid. Just DON'T use it. It can do serious damage to the engine.

Jack

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'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
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PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2017 9:51 pm 
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So of all the dang luck I have. I was involved in a wreck tonight with the LUV. Gonna need a few parts before she will be back on the road again


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PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2017 9:57 pm 
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Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Seneca8808 wrote:
So of all the dang luck I have. I was involved in a wreck tonight with the LUV. Gonna need a few parts before she will be back on the road again

Bummer. What part of the country are you in?

Jack

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'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
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PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2017 8:47 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 11:26 am
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Northeast Louisiana


Will the body panels from an 85 Pup fit my body on the 81 LUV?


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PostPosted: Fri May 05, 2017 9:14 pm 
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Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Seneca8808 wrote:
Northeast Louisiana


Will the body panels from an 85 Pup fit my body on the 81 LUV?

Perfectly.

Jack

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'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


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PostPosted: Sat May 06, 2017 7:06 am 
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Really? That's awesome!!!


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PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 10:33 am 
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Another question . . .

Will the window cranks from my '85 pup fit my LUV?


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PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2017 10:57 am 
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Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:54 am
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Location: Germantown, TN (right next to ElvisTown)
Seneca8808 wrote:
Another question . . .

Will the window cranks from my '85 pup fit my LUV?

Yes. You can even use cranks from the Isuzu Pickup through 1995, and the Trooper through 1991.

Jack

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'83 Isuzu P'up Diesel LS - Original Owner
JoeIsuzu@IsuzuPup.com
IsuzuPup.com


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