marcnlori

Hey You Guys Said It All

This motor has only been around 7-8 years, Most of us dont even have 100k on them yet

mt_goat

TTORA has had several threads on how many miles people have on their Tacos. Here is one of them:
http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum...ght=many+miles

Of the posts in this thread that are IDed has being a V6 years 99-01 are listed below:
post #12... 75,000 miles
post #21... 144,000 miles
post #23... 136,000 miles
post #24... 130,000 miles
post #29... 315,000 miles
post #47... 145,000 miles
post #57... 130,000 miles
post #61... 97,000 miles
post #62... 105,000 miles
post #64... 47,000 miles
post #75... 74,000 miles
post #76... 97,000 miles

MTL_4runner

I'd be very interested to see that!

Here's an oil sludging reference if you want to compare it to a 1996 with 140k on it (few photos down):
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.ph...22768#msg22768

marcnlori

Hey Dale,

Im starting to thing maybe you are or should be a salesman for Toyota If you had read my earlier posts I have owned Toyota's that took me 200 k plus too.

As long at you at that web site take a look what happened to this guys Tacoma with the same motor

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum...a+blown+engine.

MTL_4runner

Marc, if you look at the thread you linked to, on post #27 you can even see where Gadget commented that it was quite rare for that to happen.

Tear down your motor and let's get to the bottom of what happened on yours, but don't forget to take lots of pics.

mt_goat

Nope, not a salesman nor do I work for Toyota in anyway. I was a mechanical engineer for Dana Corp at one time. I just don't feel there is enough evidence to jump to the drama grabbing title you posted and the way you state you're hoping Toyota will pay for your engine leads me to think you're on a mission to make it look like there is some big underlying engineering defect in the 3.4 within those years to get Toyota to pony up the $$$. I'm sorry your engine blew and I'd be very upset too, and I do hope Toyota will help you out somehow. But I don't think its fair to all the guys on here that now own a 99-01 5vz-fe to scare them into thinking their engine is doomed to a short life either.

I've been researching these trucks for a long time on a lot of different forums and this is not a topic that has shown up much and believe me when some forum member loses an engine it gets noticed. It seems like there is one or two 3zv-e that blow a headgasket every month.

I saw that Herradura blown engine thread in a search of TTORA yesterday, a search BTW the resulted in one blown 5zvfe.

Good luck on your engine.

paddlenbike

iTrader: (1)

My 3.4 experienced a rod bolt failure at 55,000 miles. I bought it used from a new car dealership and noticed (after purchasing it) that it made a tapping sound at higher RPMs. Luckily the repair was covered under the 30-day implied warranty that comes on used cars purchased from dealerships in California. They replaced the connecting rod and piston in the affected cylinder and had to replace a piston on the opposite bank because the broken bolt bounced up and broke a piston skirt in the opposite cylinder. Oddly enough the crank was not damaged even though the connecting rod was basically loose on the crank.

It's amazing that it never threw a rod because I was running it to redline (on ONE rod bolt!) trying to figure out what the noise was. I'm at 73k now and all is well.

Caffeine

My dad's used fram filters for 400,000km of driving on his '96 tacoma.... and never an issue. As much fun as it is to bash fram and plug seafoam on this board, I think they're both over-hyped.

blah, blah, blah, cardboard .... save it

thefallman

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/h...-3-4-a-126529/

Speedy

I had a FRAM fail on my 1997 Tacoma 4x4. Luckily it was while sitting in the driveway and I only had a mess to clean up and not an engine. That was when I was young and dumb and didn't know any better than to use those POS.

mkgarrison5

what i noticed between fram and other brands is on the inside. on purolators there is a metal covering over the filtration keep all filtration on the inside where as fram, didnt have a covering on the inside and you can see the paper filter on the inside so if one flakes off or whatever, off she goes into your motor..

icerunner

Please keep in mind I have no vested interest in this and I mean no disrespect yet parents (especially dads) do goofy things sometimes JUST because their father did the same thing.....In my opinion, people who use FRAM, truely do not realize the error of their ways....

AND these are reasons are why "FRAM" oil filters are SO BAD:

and are you Serious? "Blah blah blah "CARDBOARD"........?


1)FRAM USES "CARDBOARD" END CAPS. AND you are right, carboard is great!......great for FREAKIN shoe boxes!!!
BUT "cardborard has no freaking buisiness being used in oil filters and is NOT "that great" as a LAST LINE OF DEFENSE for your $6,000.00 engine. Talk TO ANYONE WHO HAS LOST AND ENGINE because of a FRAM oil filter.... Google it ....i rest my case...
FYI: every once in a while a guy who likes to "race" is tricked into buying fram, and he then loses an engine due to "filter collapse" (expensive lesson)

2) CHEAP FILTER ELEMENT: the element has poor filtration and the filter element is GLUED TO THE CARDBOARD END CAPS)
3) HORRIBLY WEAK FILTER ELEMENT "SUPPORT" (like i said before, the filter element can collapse under high pressure and starve your engine for oil) What do i mean by HIGH PRESSURE, well passing someone on the highway, a very cold winter start, racing the engine, /high oil pressure.....ect ect....

Please ask ANYONE WHO HAS MADE THIS "ORANGE" MISTAKE. The filter is crap...... and is responsiple for murdering countless engines....don't believe the fram marketing HYPE!!
4) FRAM filters are crap.....and made a cheaply as possible, but hey if you want to risk your engine ...then its yours to risk!
5) For the rest of your life AVOID ALL "ORANGE COLORED OIL FILTERS" BECAUSE OF THIS !!YOU ASK: why avoid any filter that is colored orange......?
MY ANSWER: Why risk the possibility of ending up with a FRAM!





p.s did I mention the "anti drain back valve" for fram is cheaply made/designed and it leaks....can you say "dry start"?
I really believe that fram spends more money on the goofy orange paint and the "sure grip" gimmick ..... then they actually spend on their filter's internal components (filter element, element suppport, anti drain back ect) Its my opinion that they make cheap filters....

Speedy

Haha

+10,000

Greg_Canada

my 99' has over 155,000 miles and it drives GREAT.....

20014runner

I threw a rod that put two holes on each side of the lower end of my motor. I was in total shock. It's a one of a kind sound, something I hope never to hear again. I know the 3.4l engine is overbuilt, but there have been a few occassions of a rod being thrown in motors with low, mid and high mileage. I believe though that the connecting rod and the rod bolts that hold them together can be suspect/the weak link to this motor. Many of these 3.4l have not seen 150k yet, so only history will tell about it's final legacy.
I am so gun shy, my 2001 4runner will never see past 3000rpm's. I will drive very lightly for about 20 minutes thru the winter months especially. Castrol oil every 3,000 miles.
To some, please don't accuse or point fingers that the people with blown motors didn't take care of them, many are diehard gearheads that love taken care of them and goosing the pedal once in while should not constitute a death sentence...heck its a Toyota, not a Chrysler!

desertyodaboy

This is my second 3.4...my 99 taco had 150,000 and not a single problem...my 4runner now has 120000 and still rides like new

Man4God

I don't think these engines are prone to failure prematurely. I do think that they are quirky engines though. My 4Runner's 3.4 sounds like it has a light knock but I have heard many other 3.4 vehicles and to me, it sounds like a "Toyota." One day, when I am feeling up to it, I will pull the oil pan off and count my cap bolts (hehe) and just clean out all the sludge that *might* be there. The previous owner did use Pennsoil much to my chagrin.

BigBallsMcFalls

BLASPHEMY

the 3.4 5VZ engine is one of the greatest V6 engine designs ever made

it is way over engineered for the taco and 3rd gen 4runner applications

you can take these things and strap blowers and turbos to them and run them
wild and they still last forever.

you just got a bad unit. the engine and design are models of automotive excellence

wizzells

Rest assured that Pennzoil is one of the best OTC oils you can buy, regular or synthetic. Youre wasting your time and money if youre concerned that the Pennzoil caused or will cause problems in your engine. That is a myth that just wont die!

mkgarrison5

these 3.4's are NOT sludge machines. sludge comes from two main things. poor engine design and lack of engine maintenance. which this guy apparently changed his oil too often. so ill bet it wasnt sludge, besides there are many many sludged motors with 200kmiles on them now and still run fine.

mine is a 2002 taco, i hope my motor wasnt left over from 2001 LOL.. i do have the taco tick going on though but its been doing that since i bought it at 52k miles