Introduction and FG performance question

[SolarCarl]

About 14 years ago I was on one of my many month long surf trips to Baja and ran across a guy that had converted an old step van to four wheel drive and added a second story on it. The thing was huge but I was intrigued by the idea of a self-contained 4x4 and he mentioned other options, large delivery vehicles offered in 4x4. When I got home I combed the internet looking for something and quickly determined that in the US market it came down to the Fuso FG. It took me a year to locate one. In the mean time my housemate was all excited about diesels and doing straight veggie oil conversions and he got me into diesels and I ended up getting a a diesel VW Jetta and a Iveco 2wd box truck for work. When I finally got my 98 FG it came with a 12 ft Supreme van body on it which was a bit tall but rather than tear that off and build something else I ended up doing a full but spartan rv buildout inside that and also kept it open enough to be a work vehicle. Back then looking for anything FG related on the web produced little. I fitted those duellies with some bfg T/A radials , did open up the intake and exhaust and that was about it.

I install solar electric systems in remote homes and a typical week for me has me in four wheel drive headed up some dirt road to deliver batteries. Besides work the rig as spent a lot of time camping. A few months ago I was creeping up some grade in first gear and found myself hating the lack of power that four banger produced and after 13 years of that I had enough so I bought a Dodge Ram flatbed diesel and built that into an awesome work truck and at first during that project I was leaning towards using the Dodge as my new overland vehicle but I quickly came to my senses and now the FG without all the tools in it is getting turned into a full time overlanding vehicle. I'm going to do single wheels on it, finally, and improve the suspension and I am so glad to discover this forum and all the great tips. I'm still at a lose as to how to get a bit more power out of the 135 hp motor though. The injector pump is a tic pump and I hear those are hard to tweek and a nightmare to work on. Does anyone know of a good injection shop in California I could try? Also I just ran across a store on Ebay that offers chips for Fgs between 96-02. I didnt know you could chip one of these things. Has anyone here ever chipped their Fuso? The site is Volo Performance, http://voloperformance.com/vp12-performance-ch12.html The chip is only $89 and for $15 more they sell a OBD2 plug so the four wires it needs can be set up "plug and play"

The only problems I've ever had with the truck are once the plastic water separator bowl got a hairline crack where the drain threads into it and it was sucking air and killing the engine. That was a nightmare day and instead of it stranding me in the backcountry it waited till I got on the Fwy in rush hour traffic to stall. The other problem was the throttle cable decided to break strand by strand on the way back from a road trip to Canada. I cant tell you how fun that was driving along hanging by two strands, not able to push the pedal beyond halfway for 12 hours. When I finally pulled into my driveway I stopped and then pushed it down all the way and it snapped, damn that was close. Still though thirteen years of beating the heck out of this rig and thats the worst its done me. Carl Reuter

 

[kerry]

I was not aware these engines could be chipped. I'll be interested to learn more. My 99 doesn't have a throttle cable. It's drive by wire. Somewhere on here I posted a link by someone who installed this Fuso engine in a Land Cruiser. My vague recollection is that he did some things to increase power. I've simply adopted the attitude of resignation. It's simpler and cheaper.

 

[jhrodd]

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished…

Lao Tsu

 

[DzlToy]

I would be QUITE skeptical of an Ebay "chip" for $89, when Steinbauer, Bully Dog, H&S and other majour tuners sells chips and programmers for thousands of dollars.

You likely have the 4D34 engine and there are several threads on the ih8mud forum explaining tuning options for these engines. They are being swapped into 80 series Landcruisers and are relatively simple to bolt to the Toyota spec'd Aisin transmissions, thereby retaining the Toyota transfer case and AWD.

 

[lehel1]

hello

to the best of my knowledge, there are no available performance chips, remapping or simulators available on the market currently that will work on the fuso, any year. much older fusos can be mechanically modified but not thru the electronics.

cheers

 

[SkiFreak]

to the best of my knowledge, there are no available performance chips, remapping or simulators available on the market currently that will work on the fuso, any year.

I can only speak for the FG84/FG140, not older models, but you can definitely get a performance chip for them. I have one!
I have given information on it here...

 

[lehel1]

chips

I can only speak for the FG84/FG140, not older models, but you can definitely get a performance chip for them. I have one!
I have given information on it here...

hey all

on a us fuso fg140, absolutely any changes to any variables that the ecu sees outside of a fixed set of parameters wil first cause a check engine light, if this is not corrected within a certain amount of milage, it may be alittle different between specific vehicals but generally 150 miles or less the truck will go into a derate mode without warning. at this point your screwed as only with a fuso specific diagnostic tool can you get out of derate. its that simple, truck manuafactures are required to put efforts into making the engine management system tamper prove.
example, if you change an fuel injector with a new one, the process includes the ecu being programmed at the dealer after the new injector is installed with the exact new specs of the new injector compared to the old one.

the fuso program code is going to be a tough one to crack, and to date no has.

at best these systems are a compromize even left stock, as most fire departments and forest service departments are finding out with all there new trucks. many of these trucks dont get used with longer range driving to help with emissions, or end up in colder climates and end up having to go into the dealer to clear codes and clean out there dpfs. our local fire dept has had its new truck in 6 times this year already with under 5000 miles on it.



the emissions systems and the misunderstanding of them are the culprit. theres been little time for the truck manufactures to keep up and develop reliable systems.

cheers lehel

 

[SkiFreak]

I know that westyss has the same Steinbauer chip on his 2010 FG140 (in Canada) as I have on my FG84 and that it does not generate any error codes when he drives it. I am pretty sure that his Canadian Fuso is a US spec truck.
He has had the chip fitted for over 12 months now and, as far as I know, he has not had any issues with it. I definitely do not have any error codes caused by the Steinbauer chip on my truck.

Although not ideal, the Steinbauer works post ECU, so I don't know how the ECU would even know it's there. It works by intercepting the signal fed to the injectors, then extends the primary injection pulse, allowing more fuel to go into the engine. Unlike many other performance chips, the Steinbauer does not increase rail pressure, it simply modifies the injector pulse duration.

I am not trying to downplay the issues that I know you have experienced Lehel, but I am still not convinced that you cannot modify any US spec Fuso without having major issues.

 

[westyss]

I know that westyss has the same Steinbauer chip on his 2010 FG140 (in Canada) as I have on my FG84 and that it does not generate any error codes when he drives it. I am pretty sure that his Canadian Fuso is a US spec truck.
He has had the chip fitted for over 12 months now and, as far as I know, he has not had any issues with it. I definitely do not have any error codes caused by the Steinbauer chip on my truck.

Although not ideal, the Steinbauer works post ECU, so I don't know how the ECU would even know it's there. It works by intercepting the signal fed to the injectors, then extends the primary injection pulse, allowing more fuel to go into the engine. Unlike many other performance chips, the Steinbauer does not increase rail pressure, it simply modifies the injector pulse duration.

I am not trying to downplay the issues that I know you have experienced Lehel, but I am still not convinced that you cannot modify any US spec Fuso without having major issues.

Yup I have had it for at least a year and a 13,000km trip and it has performed well. By the way my truck is a 2007. On my trip I had the unit on the whole time for extra torque but as a result lost a few mpg's which might have been a combination of being pretty heavy also therefore needing the extra power.
Once I got home I turned it off and drove around more sanely and fuel consumption went back up obviously. I live and travel in pretty mountainous areas here in BC and tow a fish boat often so the extra power is nice to have.

Driving habits change with the chip on, pulling away in low rpm's gives a broader range of usable torque which reduces the amount of shifting in general and as a result reduces fatigue. No apparent codes.