ZIL-4331 - the most promising truck of the late USSR era

ZIL cars are still found on Russian roads. Every year, unfortunately, they become less and less. Nothing can be done - the cars are outdated, mostly gasoline, which implies high fuel consumption. And it’s difficult to get the details, because the Likhachev Plant has long gone bankrupt.


Today we will talk about ZIL-4331 - one of the most modern models of the Moscow enterprise. Debuting in 1987, it sold over 1,6 million copies in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia and the CIS countries.

Of course, this car did not become such a legend as the ZIL-130. It is square, there is no elegance of lines in this car.


ZIL-4331 was conceived as a diesel truck, because in the second half of the 80s it already became clear that the time for gasoline models had passed. Unfortunately, most of the trucks produced were left without a diesel engine.

History

ZIL-130 was the most massive model of the Likhachev plant. In total, more than 3,5 million cars were produced. But already in the mid-70s it became clear that the car was catastrophically outdated, because it was developed back in the second half of the 50s.

The truck had the following disadvantages:

✅ High fuel consumption
✅ Lack of diesel versions
✅ Low load capacity

Taken as a whole, Soviet economists have long agreed that the production of gasoline medium-duty vehicles should be stopped. Diesels were more economical, and cars with such engines had a higher carrying capacity.


Given that the ZIL-130 suits consumers in almost everything, it was decided to create a new model on its chassis. The truck was supposed to be the ancestor of a whole diesel line.

But immediately, the designers of the Likhachev Plant faced a number of problems. First of all, it is the absence of its own heavy-fuel engine. Secondly, engineers already at that time saw the future behind cabover models and worked on them. By the way, all the documentation was eventually transferred to KamAZ and KAZ.

The first prototypes of ZIL appeared in 1977. But the work dragged on for 10 years. Only in 1987, the model was finally launched into mass production. By the way, even then the ZIL management was clear that this truck would remain the most modern for them for many years.

The fate of the new truck was not very successful. A child of "perestroika", it initially did not differ in build quality. By the way, until 1994, the ZIL-4331 was produced in parallel with the previous model.


The most modern of the mass-produced cars of the Likhachev Plant finished its life path in 2003. Then the last truck rolled off the assembly line.

The low production culture of ZIL-4331 is evidenced by the fact that now there are more cars of the previous generation on sale. And they, we recall, have not been produced since 1994.

Features

Now ZIL-4331 seems ugly and angular. But in the second half of the 70s, when the model was developed, it was a model of modern automotive fashion. At that time, streamlining was considered obsolete, especially since the ZIL-130 has it from the 50s.

It is interesting that at first the truck of the Likhachev Plant was equipped with a hood of a new layout - when it was raised, the wings also folded. It was heavy, but it gave full access to the engine. For Soviet drivers, who are often forced to repair their cars on their own, this is an important nuance.


That's just such a hood turned out to be problematic. If the ZIL-4331 had not been overloaded, then there would have been no questions. But since this is in the order of things for our drivers, the frame was distorted. Closing the hood in such cases was normally difficult.

Cabin

Inside the ZIL-4331 is much more spacious than the previous generation model. But you should not expect a high level of comfort from this truck. But the glazing area has increased significantly - this has a positive effect on the level of visibility.

The driver's seat is separate, for passengers there is a double sofa. It has become more comfortable to travel on the ZIL-4331 on low-quality roads - the cab has two pairs of shock absorbers.


The interior heater has been redesigned - it copes with its task even during harsh winters. But the soundproofing of the truck is no different from the ZIL-130 - in principle, it does not exist.

Engines

It was originally planned that the machines of the Likhachev Plant would be converted to diesel. Therefore, the new model was immediately conceived as a family on "heavy" fuel. Unfortunately, the main engines for the ZIL-4331 were gasoline power units.

The very first engine that was equipped with early trucks was the ZIL-508.10. This is an eight-cylinder V-shaped with a displacement of 6 liters. Power - 150 liters. with., power system - carburetor.

Fuel consumption even in the Soviet Union did not like - 36 liters on average, according to manufacturers. In fact, it easily turned into 50 liters if the car was fully loaded.


But the motor is simple structurally and maintainable. For this, he is still valued in private households. The only caveat is that the truck is beneficial mainly for occasional trips. It is difficult to work on this - too much fuel consumption.

The second gasoline engine is the ZIL-508300. Structurally the same motor as the previous one, but with a number of changes. They were made only to fit the power unit into Euro-3 standards. It has less power - only 134 hp. With.



The most promising engine in the range was the ZIL-645. This diesel engine was not launched by the start of mass production of the truck, but it was introduced later. The engine has a volume of 8,75 liters and develops 185 hp. With.

At first glance, the diesel engine was head and shoulders above its gasoline "brothers" produced at the Likhachev Plant. In fact, it turned out to be frankly unfinished. The manufacturer was never able to make it massive due to lack of funding. Moreover, its introduction into the series fell on the 90s.


As for the drivers operating the ZIL-4331 with a "native" diesel engine, they spoke of it not very flatteringly. The familiar and simple 508 series carbureted engine, despite the fuel consumption, was considered to be more preferable.

As a result, the production of ZIL-645 engines was abandoned. By the way, this is another tragedy of the Likhachev Plant. The motor was almost completed, but the financial affairs of the enterprise did not allow it to continue to be produced.

Other performance characteristics

ZIL-4331 received a new gearbox. This is a nine, and not a five-speed unit, which was installed on the previous generation model. Although, there were trucks that were equipped with an old gearbox. They also produced cars with an 8-speed manual transmission from YaMZ.

The gearbox turned out - the drivers operating the ZIL-4331 still remember it with warmth. A loaded car easily overtook KamAZ trucks. Although the cars are in different weight categories, but still, this is an indicator.


The carrying capacity of the ZIL-4331 ranged from 6 to 8 tons, depending on the modification. A ground clearance of 330 mm made it possible to feel confident on bad roads, even in muddy conditions.

Drivers who managed to work on the ZIL-4331 say that this is the same reliable car as its predecessor. At the same time, it has a high carrying capacity.

You can now buy ZIL-4331 from 200 thousand rubles. The truck is still capable of becoming an assistant in the personal household for occasional work.