What's new
By:
Filters

1986 isuzu trooper manual 4cyl 4wd

Snoop dogg

Saturday Night Special
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Member Number
2747
Messages
437
Loc
not in PDX
Looking at a woods wheelin rig. Haven't done much hardcore wheelin of my own in about 10 years, been ridin shotgun since 2010 lol. Well have an itch i need scratched and this isuzu came up.

The isuzu forum is prettttty pretty slow, so I bring it here. Backstory. Co worker has an 86 trooper, doesn't know much about it..rebuilt carb and it runs well. I have only seen some pictures, but perfect for a woods rig. I have searched and its kind of hard to find info on these. Can someone elaborate on the transmission/transfercase setup?? Ive read that they are a one piece unit. I have no idea what side the tcase drop is on either. Other than the 4cyl just low hp, seems like a good wheelin hauler for friends etc. Curious if the trans/tcase setup is good for 35" tires or if it will grenade quickly. Won't really have an option to do any motor/trans swap for some time, so crossing fingers the stock drivetrain is good up to 35s

I have been collecting axle parts when deals come up...potentially a SAS for this trooper. I haven't offered a price, just told him I don't want to spend much...but i know he got it from his dad at an auction, he has about 15 vehicles/trailers etc clogging up his driveway, and hes a good guy. It looks to be in my favor for a sub $1k woods rig. We are goin snow wheelin this weekend and he offered to let me trailer up the trooper and bring with us to see if i like it.
 
Not much info for ya but I had the exact rig you’re looking at. Got if for free and used it on the ranch. Now maybe I got a good one, but it was fucking indestructible. Lived on the redline everyday. Clutchless shifts. Wasn’t fast but was as reliable as an anvil. It got stolen. I’d love another.
 
I have heard those transmissions bolt right up to a Chevette Diesel engine. Nobody can for sure confirm it though. Just a bunch of “I saw a guy on the internet once or my cousins moms brothersister put one behind a Chevette engine and it bolted right up.

Mail the trans to me and I will tell you if it works.

I have an 81 P’up Diesel and it grenaded the front cv on 27s so I highly doubt 35s would work. Plus if its anything similar to the pup Your front tire would hit your floorpan with 35s. Id run 31s and be careful till you blow the front axle pieces everywhere. Then put a Toyota axle in like me or a dana 44 like everyone else does. The rear diffs are comparable in strength to a Toyota. But less aftermarket support.
 
KungFooMASTA said:
I have an 81 P’up Diesel and it grenaded the front cv on 27s so I highly doubt 35s would work. Plus if its anything similar to the pup Your front tire would hit your floorpan with 35s. Id run 31s and be careful till you blow the front axle pieces everywhere. Then put a Toyota axle in like me or a dana 44 like everyone else does. The rear diffs are comparable in strength to a Toyota. But less aftermarket support.
Click to expand...


More concerned about tcase and 35s. It will get a sas, I have a few front ends just collecting dust. I have some 33s for it currently but will end up with 35s and the dana 44 front end.

Id really like to get a couple wheelin seasons out of the motor/tranny/tcase but thats where i have no idea about how strong the tcase is and if it is a single unit with the transmission and if it is that just seems like a pita to source.

If it just grenades ill just have to sack up and swap in a standard LS combo but really looking to just wheel it as is with a sas and have some fun.

All in all ill get to check out the trooper this weekend so most of this will get sorted out then lol. Doesnt sound like a bad platform from the feedback.
 
I had that exact rig, and loved it. Bought it as a valley truck out in CO and it surprised me by making it all the way back to NJ. Above 60 it ate coolant, fuel and oil at an alarming rate. Gave it to my boss to use as a yard truck and it got stolen.
 
My buddy had an 89 isuzu amigo. I'd imagine it was similar except for the fuel injection. He drove the absolute shit out of it and hardly ever broke anything. It did have a bunch of electrical issues, but I'm not sure that was an isuzu issue per say.

He welded both diffs and put 32s on it. We drove it to Hollister hills ~6 hours on the freeway. Followed crawlers on 37-38s through all the nasty v ditch trails, jumped it super high and lawn darted it had enough to make the ac lines blow :laughing: drove it home at 80 mph.

He put 33s on it, drove to the Rubicon. Broke 1 cv a little after the slabs.

Broke 1 tre hauling ass in the snow.

He used to drive it like a race car everywhere. Speed shifting basically all the time. He put a cam, header, and cone filter on it. It actually had decent power.

He ended up putting a Toyota axle in the front and 35s wheelin it more. I also hooked him up with Lil uzi who was selling an almost identical rig, down to the color. But it had the 3:1 case, 5.xx's, Arb rear and lunchbox front. He swapped everything over with chromo axles and had a blast taking it on trails with built crawlers. It was a sweet rig, he was pretty bummed when it burned in the fire.

The rear axles are like a Toyota plus a little, everything is a little bigger. Plus disc brakes. His was 4.56 stock.

Trans and tcase are funky but supposed to be bulletproof.

Again, this is an 89 amigo, so not sure what all is the same.
 
9FC1400D-CAB5-4B63-8052-5F7BD56D213A.jpeg
Been out of Isuzu world for a long while now (had a 97 Rodeo with Waggy D44 SAS swap, Tera Low tcase gears and a bunch more).
Perhaps jump on Planet Isuzoo, plenty of info there.
If I am not wrong all of the Isuzu’s were passenger drop for the front diff.
You might luck out and have 4.77 r&p in that Trooper, those used to be sought after by fellas running 35’s or larger in the day.
Rear axle will likely be Isuzu 12 bolt, while the front is also Isuzu 10 bolt (should be ok up to about 33’s and sensible right foot). There used to be upgraded tie rods / tie rod reinforcement plates by Darlington Off Road and Independent 4x (Joe Darlington has sadly passed on).

When you get it post up some pics, now and then I still check out the classifieds for Isuzus - parts availability gives me a pause.
 
:flipoff2:My dad had a 89 with the automatic and 4 banger. Motor was great as long as you used a good cap rotor and wires for tuneups, from
Isuzu back then but things may have changed. Now he could pick lines off road but he drove that rig stock on 30’s around tons of stuck rigs on 33’s snd 35’s all the time. The trans started to have electrical issues and then if got donated after he passed away. But just fucking went where he pointed it off roads and never complained. I would gave one for a Stock wood wheeler in a heartbeat.
 
MUA5 Unit Tranny T-case. The Isuzu Corporate 4 four is not underpowered or weak. More HP and torque than comparable Toy, Nissmo, or even a Mitsubishi. Not bulletproof. Fabric or nylon timing BELT. Interference engine. Got the picture ? High mileage engines within certain VIN suffer from cracked heads and blown head gaskets. Manually adjusted valves that tighten over time. If it was mine, I would leave the relatively strong IFS and stock 31's.
 
Right on. Appreciate the info. Looks like some nice wheelers yall put together.

Will see if he can give it up, he does enjoy having plenty of vehicles around at the same time mentioning he has too much junk.

​​​​​
 
They have a passenger side drop on the t-case. Mid 70s Jeep Cherokees have a Dana 44 passenger drop that I’ve used many times for Isuzu SAS. They used to make a 4.1 low gears for the transfer case and yes it is all one piece. Pain in the ass to do the gear swap but well worth it. Loved mine when I had it. They are very capable and tough rigs. Would snap up another one should I come across a good one.
 
I still think those older Troopers had more in common with my 81 Pup than the newer trooper/rodeo/amigo/pup.

Not sure if it has a mua5. I know those are in the newer stuff.

Mine does have the trans with built in tcase. It is not very low geared 1.87 but it is gear drive at least.

When you get it put it up in the Isuzu section. We need some action over there before the space gets taken out and used for a mud truck section. :flipoff2:
 
I had a 4cyl Pup (1.9?) w/4 speed & local junkyard had a 5 speed... It wasn't doable due to starter placement on other side. It was abused badly by the first 2 owners but it did enuff for me (and possible 4x4 swap :laughing:) til problems cropped up once-
 
I told him im good for 1k on that thing, he kinda joked and said 2k but i know he got it for nothing AND he says he wants to thin the heard.

We didnt take it out this weekend. Friday was a late start bc i was headed to work, and he called saying lets hit the snow. So i took grabbed the trailer and headed up to his place. When we got there we knew we were down for wheelin 2 days. So the quickest way to meet up with his son and friends was for my buddy to take his xj and i drive my chevy.

Saturday will just head out and trailer the trooper. That was the plan......lol
Had a blast out there, on the way back my buddy got a little loose and ended up in the trees. He was lucky no doubt, i dragged his jeep back into town. We came back the next day with his big diesel and i pulled his jeep onto the trailer. I told him that 1k sounds nice right now eh??

Hes got some cool toys i should have taken more pics. He has a 6 door "f350" he made from a boom truck. Thats at work, so ill snap a pic next week. Hes not much of a forum guy but does solid work.

Heres his cool little 2wd scout
KIMG1020.JPG
 
If you don't buy it, I will. And I'm not a big Isuzu fan.

Its the 91 Camry of 4x4's. Stay up on timing belt freshness. If the head cracks, dump a can of fine cut Copenhagen and one egg in the radiator and go drive it for an hour. Run no ethanol in it if possible.

Long after you've passed away in the nursing home somewhere, your grandkids will be fighting over who gets it.
 
45acp said:
If you don't buy it, I will. And I'm not a big Isuzu fan.

Its the 91 Camry of 4x4's. Stay up on timing belt freshness. If the head cracks, dump a can of fine cut Copenhagen and one egg in the radiator and go drive it for an hour. Run no ethanol in it if possible.

Long after you've passed away in the nursing home somewhere, your grandkids will be fighting over who gets it.
Click to expand...

I think its got long cut in there:eek:

​​​​​​
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh