CRD Engine Revival - Toyota Hilux

Toyota’s famed utility has been a staple on Aussie soil, both on and off the road, for over five decades. Having more than earned its “Unbreakable” reputation over the years, it’s easy to see why the Hilux has become such a go-to for tradies and off-road enthusiasts alike. However, you’ll find that most examples rack up their mileage fairly quickly with all of that hard work and adventuring. With that, a lot of Hiluxes out there will be due for a bit of an engine revival.

Recently, we gave a KUN Toyota Hilux with over 230,000km on the clock a refresh with a Ryco Filtration Upgrade Kit, a Ryco 4WD Service Kit, and an intake manifold clean.  If you’ve got a Common Rail Diesel engine, it’s inevitable that sooner or later you’ll have to deal with the issue of black gunk clogging up your intake. After over 230,000km, this Hilux’s intake manifold was in dire need of a good clean. If left unattended for too long, this can cause all kinds of problems for the longevity and performance of your engine, and not to mention, an expensive trip to the mechanic.

This build-up inside the intake manifold is caused by two emissions control systems inside your engine - the positive crankcase ventilation valve and exhaust gas recirculation system. These gasses contain soot, hydrocarbons, water vapour and other impurities that often build up inside the intake. The oil vapour from the PCV valve and the soot from the EGR system don’t cause any harm on their own, but when they mix, the result is a thick black paste that clogs up your engine and leads to power loss along with a multitude of other issues.

To clean the manifold out, a good quality intake cleaner and a parts cleaning brush are used to scrub out the intake runners and clear out all of the gunk. Once it’s all cleared out, the intake manifold is refitted with all new seals.

To keep the issue from resurfacing, a Ryco Catch Can is fitted as part of the Ryco Filtration Upgrade Kit. The Filtration Upgrade Kit part number for the KUN Hilux is X100R.

A catch-can is a filter that’s installed in-line between the crankcase ventilation tube and the intake manifold recirculation inlet. It works by removing the oil from the air that’s released via the PCV valve.

The impurities are trapped in the coalescing filter and drip down to the high-capacity reservoir where it can later be drained. This means that the air going back into the engine is cleaner, so when it mixes with the raw exhaust gases and particulates from the EGR system it won’t create any of that thick gunk, meaning a smooth running engine for years to come.

The Ryco Filtration Upgrade Kit also comes complete with a Ryco Fuel Water Separator. The Fuel Water Separator’s job is to remove water and other contaminants from the fuel before it reaches the engine. This becomes especially important when you start off-roading or touring out to rural areas as water and sediment in your fuel becomes a far more likely occurrence. Water and sediment can wreak havoc on a diesel engine’s fuel system, so it’s important to do what you can to keep these things at bay.

The Ryco Filtration Upgrade Kit comes complete with a vehicle-specific mounting bracket and all of the moulded hoses, clamps, and fittings required to install the kit neatly and easily into your engine bay.

To finish the refresh, a full service is performed using this Ryco RSK2C 4WD Filter Service Kit. This kit features all of the filters required for a full service, including an A1541 Air Filter, an RCA164P Cabin Air Filter, an R2619P Fuel Filter, and a Z418 Oil Filter.