FG649 or Fg84

[Barrabindi]

Hi .
I have searched the forum looking for answers..
Im looking for some opinions on upgrading my canter.. The 2003 fg649 has proven to be excellent for work ute, farm truck, family wagon and fishing trips around CapeYork.
Is the fg84 as good or better in the bush. As sturdy. Does it rely heavily on electronic technoligy that can leave me stranded a long way from home?? Were the changes only cosmetic and engine size?? The suspension appears the same, on paper. I havent seen an 84 in the flesh(Cairns area)
Amez00's 84 looks ideal. (tho I would have to stick with 35x16s)
Thanks for any opinions
Andrew

 

[Amesz00]

ohh im flattered!.. haha

having owned both a 2nd hand 649, and now my 84, i think as far as "bushability" the 649 is pretty hard to beat. that little 4d34t is a wonderful little tractor motor, being basically a ripoff of a 4bt cummins. dont get me wrong, i love my current 84.. but it does use more fuel than the 649 did.. due in no small part to the ridiculous turbo on the 4.9L.. it seems to me, that they took a great DOHC commonrail 4.9L which should effortlessly make 200hp + 650nm, then fitted a turbo to it thats struggling to flow 120hp worth of air, then forced it to make 150hp... if you get my drift.. the 649 by comparison has a turbo that is probly on the large size, but this does make it run real nice on the hwy. on mine i disconnected the wastegate, did a 3" exhaust and DPchip. it ran at 16psi (stock was 10) and loved it. i couldnt get 10psi until 1800rpm, even with the chip.
not that the 84 are unreliable by any stretch of the imagination. there are thousands running around being thrashed by tour drivers or miners. i havent heard of any reccuring dramas yet. i went for the 84 because the entire concept for my build was centred around running 12.5R20 41" tyres, and the 4.9L and 6-stud hubs make a good base to modify off (ie i plan on changing turbos to make it run properly @ say 25psi.)
i prefer the dash of the 649, and the gearshift location, but the dash shifter does work well on the 84. there is considerably more legroom in the 84.
as far as differences, the axles are much the same (except for 6stud hubs on the 84), the chassis is the same but longer to accomodate 80mm longer WB (3460 instead of 3380), springs are identical, obviously the cab is different (also longer, hence longer WB), the engine also, clutch if bigger, the gearbox is similar but different model number and slightly different ratios. tcase is diff model but same ratios. diffs are 5.285 instead of 5.714.

 

[steve4wdaus]

Well put Andrew. A great summary. We love our Amesz FG649, and it's pleasing to hear your positive comments re the strengths of the FG649. Upgrading to 19.5" Toyos, changing to RoboShocks all round and upgrading to Stratos seats has made the world of difference. It is a great base to work from.

 

[Barrabindi]

How would you guys compare the Isuzu NPS 300 crew????? 17.5" rims harder to find single sizes??
Thanks,
Andrew

 

[SkiFreak]

Back to the original question for a moment...
I have never owned a 649 but I have to say that whoever designed the 4M50 engine (used in the FG84) should be slapped by the side of the head.
To adjust the tappets you have to do major surgery before you can get to them. All of the injectors have to come out and numerous pipes and hoses need to be disconnected before you can even take off the rocker cover. I found this out when I took my truck in for a service the other day. Not a happy camper.
I know that the 4M50 is a proven, reliable engine, but from what I have seen so far, it is definitely not "mechanic friendly".

 

[Barrabindi]

Oops. Thanks for the feedback. Had decided to stick with a late model, low km fg649. BUT stumbled on a low km fg84 at a price I could not resist . Picked it up yesterday and drove 1800km home. Fairly impressed so far. Except bloody rough on standard suspension and tyres. And Bruce Hwy is as rough as Peninsula development road (Cape York)

 

[Barrabindi]

Amesz00, you say springs are the same on the two models. Are springs and shocks inter-changeable ??
Thanks