A friend of a neighbor has what seems to be a very clean '86 Trooper w/ the 2.2 diesel engine. I'm not terribly knowledgeable about Troopers but have always admired the older models in terms of their simple lines.

This particular unit has 110K on it and apparently runs well. Question for the group which I know has probably been asked countless times, but are these good engines, are they reliable? I've read about rod and/or rod bearing issues. When does this become an issue --is it a wear/mileage thing or more from overstressing the powerplant?

Thanks for your time,

Pat

it is a good engine the only problems i have heard of with rods and bearings are when people add a turbo onto a generation 1 motor. the generation 3 motor does however have the heavy duty rods and those rods will fit in the generation one motor. hope it helps

they are nice little diesels, have good fuel economy and are reasonably reliable. i would say go for it, if the price is right. however, finding parts for them, aside from filters and belts, can be harder than average. two items to pay strict attention to, as with any diesel, keep the oil clean and filled, and the cooling system in good order. you should have years left with it if these two items are attended to regularly. good luck!