Fahrenheit 451

Well, it took almost eleven years and 120,000 miles, but the time has come; I'm fed up. A few years back I needed a timing chain, but at 163k and having a bit of cash and no kids I decided to play a different tune. I bought an LC Engineering EFI Pro Street Performer, EFI Pro distributer, all new balanced injectors, K&N filter charger kit, 30lb flywheel, heavy duty clutch and pressure plate, big bore throttle body, bigger radiator, headers, free flow
cat, chambered muffler and all new 2 1/4" pipe, had (eventually) the ECU reprogrammed to match the motor and I've pretty much hated it ever since with moments of gleeful throttle response.
None of the mechanics I took it to could get it set up right initially and the LC version of messing with the MAS sensor led to it running too rich until I finally just coughed up the cash and got the ECU reprogrammed. The pressure plate broke 2 rivets after only 20k and took the clutch with it and now, the head gasket (apparently) cut loose. I was getting oil in the antifreeze (odd
since usually it is the other way around) as well as leaking oil at both back corners and the front passengers side.
Ok, it's still a Toyota and head gaskets are just part of the program right? But, when the mechanic broke it down he said a few of the cylinder head studs were loose. I thought that was odd since I had the head torqued at every required interval. I took it to the machine shop and had a valve job done on it while it was off and they got it all cleaned up and surfaced. The mechanic said the block looked good and reinstalled the head. I get home tonight and took a peek at the engine to test the fates and sure enough, there is antifreeze on
the bottom of the engine and oil at all the same 3 corners. Crawling under the truck, it seems clear that it is all coming from between the block and the head. Taking into account that I spent well in excess of $5k on the motor and peripherals to begin with, already having to replace a clutch and now having a motor with 35k that p*sses oil everywhere, I feel royally screwed.
Frankly, this truck has become poison to me. Probably what it needs is to have the block surfaced, but after wasting $600 in parts and labor to get right back to where I was before, the prospect of dumping more cash into this truck is just beyond me. I had fully intended for this to be my last truck ever. I was starting to build it into a little desert banger with the slightly fancy
motor, Goodyear MTRs and what was going to be (and now never will be by me) a slightly fancier than I needed suspension from AOR with Alcan Springs (both are located in the town I live in). After all, EFI 85 4Runners are finally getting the recognition they deserve as a stout 4 wheeler. However, this truck and I
have come to logger heads and I'll be damned if I'll be beaten down by a hunk of steal. Frankly, I might just turn around and buy another one just to get rid of this one
Sorry for the p*ssing and moaning, but I've gotten to the breaking point...

And, yes, I would like some cheese with that whine

Duffdog

I assume your talking about the 22re motor right, if it was the 3vz, im so sorry-- those really are piles of s*it. When i had my 90 pickup and wanted more juice-- I went all TRD-- just got a stage 1 cam, knife edged the crank, titanium rods and high comp heads and left the rest of the engine stock!!! i pushed 175hp-- dont laugh, i know its weak compared to a supercharged motor, but thats 70 hp more than stock and my little truck moved down the road pretty good. then i sold the truck and its still runnin strong at 155000 miles now. By the way, i too tried an aftermarket 6 pad clutch and it completely screwed up everything-- it burned 4 holes in the flywheel and warped the bearings and eventually broke into pieces inside the bell housing. after that fiasco i went back to toyota stock clutches and will stay with them from now on.

i feel your pain

Tim

HaveBlue

How much would you sell it for?

jx94148

Have you contacted LCE about these problems?

paddlenbike

iTrader: (1)

Yikes. I have heard way too many bad experiences with LC Engineering. Keep in mind that you will probably pay $2500 in sales tax alone on a new vehicle and vehicle license fees and insurance will bring those numbers even higher. I would be talking to LC about your issues.

Duffdog--not sure how long you've been in the Toyota community, but the 3vz has proven to be at least as reliable as the 22Rs. I have owned both and the 3vz has had fewer problems not to mention the fact that it is much smoother and more refined.

dajabr

My sympathies, was just wrestling with mine in a similar way, but the continuing problems are at least under warranty.

The truck works for you, you don't work for the truck. If it's not pulling it's weight then sell it. You'll take a hit, but sounds like your stress level is going to cost more than a low sale price.

jruz

I think a road-trip to LCE is in order. Get them to figure out what is up...you've spent too much money with them for them to turn their back on you now...

Just my 2-cents.
Jim

1Runner

Lemme get on the same page "wit-choo" You owned the SAME 4X4 for 11 yrs... in that amount of time you put 120k (thats ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THOUSAND MILES) on the truck. Now, after 11 yrs., the engine is giving you trouble. (which, by the sounds of it, you built the bejesus out of)
You my friend, need to buy a ford or chevy 4x4. Sort of help you get things back in perspective.
DONT sell your highly sought after 1st gen ,solid axle EFI 4Runner. Nope, park it some place, put it on blocks, and keep it dry. I promise you.... in 3 yrs tops, you'll go out, buy a new 4 cyl. for your 4Runner, drop it in and BEG for forgiveness. She will MOST LIKELY take you back.
I will apologise now, as I know I sound "The A**hole" for saying these things, but you forgot something along the way.... YOU WONT GET THAT KIND OF SERVICE FROM ANOTHER 4X4!!

martin

I really think you should sell it to me.

Martin

trd90toyota

Like that was said earlier, put it on blocks and save it! Just give it some time, I had a problem with an old toy I had. It was a 1990 pick-up DX, I went throught starts like kids buying pogs in the mid 90's. Well, after I replaced it just that one more time, i totaled her. I miss her so much. Anyway, just give her some time. Take a brake form her.

airrikk17

i totally agree with everyone about this one , first contact lc and find out why its doing what its doing , but dont put any more cash into it , you have spent a ton a cash wit hthem already , they should in the least give it a look see, if not , i hear "ban them" coming from a lot of the yota community. and if its paid for and you have the space hold on to it , give it some time , if need be buy a used 22r motor and build it slowly and do some more research and build it again , throw it in and have a blast , then take the lc motor and throw it threw there window LOL, i plan on keeping my t-100 after its built and ive gone the way of the ghost and leave it to my kids ( if any appear )LOL. i love toyotas and have owned 3 , an 84 pickup ( lowered and previously built , which got repoed) an 87 4 runner ( which was slowly getting built ( until it got stolen and never recovered) and now my t-100.
toyotas may have a few gliches , but having friends that have owned other brands and seen some of the garbage out there , i still stand by toyotas. just my 2 or 3 cents .

erik b of oregon

oldsub86

I have said it before and I will say it again here and now. If you are going to run older vehicles, you have to learn to do the work yourself. It is the only way to ensure the work is done correctly. If it is your vehicle you can take the time and the trouble to make sure that all the little things are done when repairs are in order. Shops cannot afford the time for the niceties. They throw them together and hope for the best because they are in it for the money and that requires they do it fast and dirty for the most part. If you are interested and dedicated you can learn what ever is needed to ensure that your vehicles will run well even if they have been modified. If you don't want to take the time and the trouble to learn or don't want to get dirty or just don't have the time due to other committments, then just lease a new one and stop trying to run classic stuff.

Obnoxio

As a fellow 85 4Runner owner, I feel your pain. On one hand you want to dump the thing. On the other, its getting to be a relatively rare truck, and they are a pretty capapble vehicle right out of the box. I have a LC engineering header and was condiering a motor. But, for daily driver use I think they have gone overboard for the 22RE. As a weekend mudder motor maybe. My suggestion to you would be this: Pull out the LC 22RE and sell it to someone. Be honest about the engine, but dump it. Find youself a 1985-87 Cressida for cheap and yank out the 5M-GE. Get a Supra bellhousing, attach it to your transmission. Stick that motor in your truck. See the ORN site written by a guy named Aaron which will guide you thru the wiring. When you are done, you will have a truck with a smooth as silk inline six with nice bottom end torque. I am in the process of doing this very thing to my 85. The engine fits, you just need pusher type electric fans. The turbo from a 7M-Gte will bolt right up to a 5M-Ge with little modification, so thats another possibility. The best thing is, it will run all day on pump gas and get 19 mpg.
-Todd
85 4Runner

dajabr

True, if you feel the engine is the problem, but you're torn between the work and keeping it; you may find it a cathartic experience to swap in another motor.
Dunno about swapping in the other stuff though, you may not enjoy the inevitable snags that happen with putting a square peg in a round hole. It would drive me crazier. If you can and want to that 5m-ge would be a cool motor, but consider the .2.7 DOHC , TONS more power and about the same size, I believe it mates to the existing tranny too and shouldn't require much wiring changes. Not to mention, to truly add this increasing "rare and antique" value, you would have to put a stock 22re engine back in, which would also return your long lost reliability by the way. (KNock on wood :rolleyes: ). And you can get one with a warranty (saved my ass)

Put it aside for while, and check with LC. If they don't work out check a few engine options. If thast doesn't work then feel no guilt whatsoever in selling. Top priority is you being happy with your vehicle, whatever it may be.

stevo

I know how you feel my NAPA clutch is a piece of junk not even the right throw out bearing 92 4-runner 3vze 4x4 the rest of the rice is to. I towed my rice with my old 88 dakota with 400,000 on the clock bone stock YES that meens the clutch to for about 12 miles new hampshire hills included with no problems did not even hurt my already rotted out frame. piece of junk dodge i think NOT i bought the toy on the premise that they were good that's BS another over priced piece of rice. No wonder they lost the war.

Bighead

stevo: Do you realize this thread is over 2 years old?

Bumpin' Yota

No it's not BS at all. How do you conclude that toys are crap when only your clutch is giving you issues?? A clutch from freakin NAPA!!

Dodge not a POS? HAHAHAHAHAHA So that's why the total POS 1986 dodge ramcharger and its 318 pos likes to run pig ass rich, diesel, ping like a mofo, stall, diesel, have NO power at all, is rusting like hell, steers like a boat (turn the wheel 1/4 turn before I does anything). With only 125k on the clock.

So that's why the fuel tank sensor when out on our 1998 3500 dodge cummins? So that's why the rear end is already leaking gear fluid? So that's why the oil pressure sensor is a POS and completely fluctuates all over the place.

Chevy and ford are NOT much better. Our 2005 Superduty F250 with the 6.0l powerjoke just had to go back for a bad vacuum pump on the havc controls after only 7500 on the clock! Our 1994 Chevy K3500 has been through 2 vacuum pumps, 4 injection pumps leaving us stranded twice, and now the air conditioning compressor has siezed....

Domestics are total and complete garbage after 75,000 miles.

My 4runner with 259,000 miles is still running better with far less issues than any of our other vehicles - and I got the 'ĊĊĊĊty' engine from toyota with the 3vze....

And all of our vehicles have seen the same levels of maintainance.

DMG

What?

1. 3.0 is a good motor. Mine won't die and has outlasted the 22re I had before.

2, 175 hp??????

You can think crazy things but don't try to convince others of them.

wimpywade94

I dunno, i have a quarter million miles on my truck, EVERYTHING is stock on it, never a headgasket, never a clutch, but there is one exception, i did a timing chain on it when i bought the truck, so in my mind, toyota 4x4's are tough as nails.

honestly i would be mad to if i put that kind of money into a engine to have it performe like that, but i would go as far as to say ive had it with the truck, i would go as far as to say, i built this engine, its far from stock, and now its breaking down, sorry dude, thats what happens, if you could build a toyota to 300 hp, and not worry about how long its going to last, then everyone would be driving one, but you cant, you cant build any motor to much and expect it to be reliable,

now with the gaskets leaking again, have you contacted your mechanic whom did the work for you, cause there should be some sort of guarntee, especially when he didnt notice the block would need milled, i think on his part he needs to help fix, but then again, he may realize that toyota is just a pos. and that your fed up. i say keep it, get a closer to stock replacement engine and go from there, its not worth the price of paying on a newer car every month.

oh, and to you stevo, not sure if you even frequent these boards anymore, or what your deal is, but at the time, you have 5 posts, and your in a toyota online community, but your shooting off your mouth about how bad toyota's are,

do me a favor, go away if you cant say something nice.

"rant mode off"

have a nice day!

wade

After further waking up, and realizing that this thread is older then sin, I take back whatever dosent make sense to you guys, but i still hold the opionions very true,

wade

93ToyKid

Bighead-Holy cow!!! I didn't realize this thread was two years old until you said something!
Stevo-take a look at this, and tell me yotas are crap:
Yotas R Tough Vid