maxwell0700

Hey Guys, new here.

I had a question for you guys, i just bought a 93' pick up 3.0 v6 4x4 and the guy said that he had replaced the top end and that the bottom end will need to be replaced, he said that there's a weak cylinder and it will need a new rebuilt engine.

i really like this truck, and would like to try to fix it.

what does he mean?
how much will it cost?
i looked up rebuilt engines, do they just have a bottom end? instead of the whole thing?

Thanks for all the help guys.

RSR

Machine shop. Overbore, new piston rings.

Definitely have them inspect all cylinders however. Basically, if your bottom end needs rebuilt and machined, you have to tear the engine nearly all the way down. So the whole gasket kit. Have your machine shop check all the bearings on the bottom end too, and cylinders. And then put it all back together again... Prob $2-3k+ parts & labor. Probably $1-1.5k in parts if you do the labor, excluding machining, yourself.

*Before you do this, look at a 5vfe swap. If you have a manual, parts and labor are only ~$3500 at toyonlyswaps.com. A superb deal for more fuel efficiency and more power...

maxwell0700

Hmmm...1-1.5k if i do it myself? i have a friend whos dad can probably help me. where can i find bottom ends for my truck? And how do I go replacing the cylinder?

Ok so what exactly does that swap do?

Sorry so many questions. Thanks for the help.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

You really need to get a understanding of engines and how they work.

The bottom end is a term used by some to describe the rotating assembly of the crankshaft and pistons.

Which consists of the main and rod bearings pistons and rings

One builds a bottom end parts can be bought at your Toyota dealer or most auto parts suppliers .

You can`t buy the parts till you know what sizes you need after tear down and machine work.

the cylinder can be repaired by boring it out to bring it back to round or remove any damage if enough metal is left.

if it is to bad you need a new block.

This can get real expensive real quick .

You might want to talk to a local machine shop and get some worst case prices for the needed machine work to give you a idea of costs.

You need to understand the cost going in in your case it might be easier to buy a engine all ready rebuilt engine.

Do some reading on here trying to do this kind of thing at your level will just lead to all kinds of frustration

Does your friends father really have the time to help??

Does he know how to reinstall the timing belt??.

Does he have a place to build this engine and the needed tools.

If you never pulled a engine that can be exciting the first time

Learn the difference between the 3.0 and the 3.4 some people would not spend a dime on the 3.0 others love them.

No matter how it plays out Good Luck.

Gamefreakgc

Yeah... basically a failing bottom end of the engine means you need a new engine. I hope you got the truck real cheap since you are looking at several thousand dollars in repairs.

Sounds like you're just starting out with engine repairs so you shouldn't try this on your own. A full engine rebuild is not for the beginner since you'll find yourself having more issues and tearing it down again... and again... if your friends dad is willing to basically do the whole job then go for it but you better pay him since it's a ton of work.

I agree about a swap, a 3.4L from a Tacoma or 3nd Gen 4Runner would be better and almost the same price if used. I'm holding out on my 3-VZE as long as I can but eventually it's gonna fail and I want to put a 3.4L in it.

maxwell0700

Ok so lets say I get a new rebuilt engine, will that fix the cylinder problem?

maxwell0700

Ok so you're saying I instead I can get a 3.4l rebuilt or used engine and put it in? I got the truck for $3500. What's the least expensive route that I could possible take to fix this?

2010nctaco

Is this serious? Go look up internal combustion engine in Google or wiki. Read that. That will give you an idea about how an engine works. You tube has a good video that shows how an engine works.

The top end refers to the head, or top of the engine containing valves and cam. The bottom end refers to the block containing the pistons and crank shaft. They both make up the engine. So basically you just spent $3500 on a vehicle that needs a new engine

Gamefreakgc

Yes. On your truck you have a V6, or six cylinder engine. The pistons which drive the engine (the combustion of fuel drives them up and down) are enclosed in a metal tube, known as a cylinder. Those six cylinders are one solid piece, known as the "bottom end" of your engine. So when they say your bottom end is bad that means the majority of your engine is bad. I found a video that might help you with the basics of an engine.


None really. You can run the engine until it dies though, if you don't have $1500 to $3500 left over then that might just be your best route.

big bear

http://www.yotashop.com/3-0l-toyota-3vze-short-block/

maxwell0700

yes its serious, and yes i spent $3500. the guy said that he rebuilt the top already, its just the bottom end that needs fixing and it has a weak cylinder. Im just a broke college kid that dont know anything about cars but i really like this one thats why im trying to find out how i could make it work.

maxwell0700

thanks a lot man, ti watched the whole vid, interesting stuff, always good to know those things.

if i were to just get a new bottom end, would that fix everything?

maxwell0700

so i can just get this and install it in and itll be fine?

at $1200 ive seen some whole rebuilds for $1350, would that be a better choice?

RSR

Full rebuilds for that price seems super cheap (like quality issues cheap). Though DOA has their problems, this is a good benchmark for what you should expect to pay for a rebuilt engine: http://doaracingengines.com/6-cylind...ne/v6-engines/
Please note that to get the performance of the 3.4l 5vzfe out of the 3.0, you'll need $7k plus...

If your lower, short block is bad, you have to fully disassemble the engine to fix. So it's a tremendous expense. Up to $5k if you don't do it yourself...

Do yourself a favor and take your truck to a mechanic and ask them to do a compression test on each cylinder. With those numbers you should be able to get an idea of waht you're dealing with... Yes, you can swap a new 3.0 in for labor plus cost of engine -- anywhere from $500 to $5000 for engine and probably $1k in labor as there's some basic maintenance that should happen when installing an engine of unknown quality and maintenance.

At this point, the cost between a 3.4 swap and a 3.0 rebuild is a wash. That's why I was recommedning. The 3.4 is a far better engine. Search the boards to educate yourself.

Oh, and with a shortblock, you still have essentially a headgasket and timing belt job on top of the shortblock, so that's another $2k at least...

IMO, the 3.4 swap is the best route forward. And you should be able to ship your truck to one of the Toyota swap specialist shops (search the boards for recommended) for ~$500. You're still coming out ahead IMO.

big bear

D.O.A. wants $500 for a timing set. Cha-ching.

3.0 Full Timing Kit

All components in this kit are the best your hard earned dollars can buy! This kit is compiled to match the components, according to the production date of your vehicle, and you need only supply this date, which can be located on the drivers side door jamb.

• 1988-1992 – $375.00
• 1993-1995 – $500.00

Kits contain the following components:

• Timing belt tensioner
• Crank seal
• T-stat gaskets
• Center idler (between cam gears)
• Water pump (specify 90* fitting for cooler)
• Cam seals

Rock sells a Gates kit for $115
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...,parttype,5759

maxwell0700

Well thanks for all the help guys, I'll put some thought into it.

If I fix it up and put in a new rebuild maybe around 3k and it'll last me another 100k then I think it's definitely worth it.

RSR

When a 3.4 rebuild and a 3.0 rebuild cost the same and you opt for the latter is beyond me..

Gamefreakgc

I second the compression check. Shouldn't cost more that $40 and it'll give you an idea of how bad things are. Post back when you've had it done so we can help guide from there.

No guarantees. You have a old truck and old vehicles need a lot of TLC. Granted you don't have a payment each month like a new car but you're going to pay extra for maintenance. These pickups/4Runners are pretty awesome if you treat them right though, especially off-roading.

It was not too long ago I was in your shoes, had a truck passed down to me that needed a lot of work when I was in college. After some TLC, a lot of reading and learning I'm fairly confident doing any job on it now. If you really put your mind to it, you can become quite the mechanic. However, an engine rebuilt is not the place to start, it's much too difficult.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Just curious can you even drive the truck?? Does it run??

Did you drive it before you bought it??

Might be it was just a break down in communication between you and the seller

he might have said i did the top end and it wouldn`t hurt to do the bottom end.

One cylinder is low on compression?/

Really no way to know.

Lots of money for a truck that you can`t drive!!

maxwell0700

I'm really actually considering that as an option.