UKrunner

I recently bought a 91 4Runner with a blown 3.0. The engine is already half out and I'm near a point where I need to decide what goes back in.
I thought about the cheap and easy route and swapping back in a running 3.0 - which I've found locally with low miles and a warranty.
I've thought about the 3.4 but this seems like a lot of trouble - swapping engine, transmision, ecu, and a custom exhaust. And 3.4's are not cheap around here.
I've thought about the Supra engine, but same problem as the 3.4, plus uber rare and expensive here.
So that brings me to the chevy 350 swap. I can get an engine, 700r4 and transfer case all with 78000 miles for $450.

So my questions:
What else do I need for the chevy swap? Any ball park on the cost? Is there a kit available to do this easily?

The 3.0. Has a bad rep, and has about as much power as 3 rubber bands on blow, yet still expensive to buy used with high miles.
I bought the 4Runner for $200 including an engine hoist, and I bought it for getting me down the drive in winter and getting the boat in the water at the beginning of summer. I forsee 1000 miles a year the most this car will ever do.

I am leaning towards the replacement 3.0 for ease of the job.

So, $900 for the 3.0 or $450 to start the Chevy swap?
Of course, if anyone has a 3.0 in good condition that they have confidence putting in say, their wifes vehicle, and you can sell it to me for really cheap, I'd just go straight for that option.

HAVOC

I'd say if your not going to be driving it that much just keep the 3.0L.
If your gonna take it off-road then do the 3.4 or 5.7 swap.
I'd say 3.4

76ANTHONY

1000 miles a year? to get down a driveway? to load and unload a boat?
might as well build the 3.0, its not expensive at all, i puulled mine last night and todat and im gonna build it a little special, not too much, but its my pool truck and it will last for at least another 5 years or 150000 miles

UKrunner

I thought about rebuilding it but I've never done an engine before and this one will also need machine shop time. It has knocking so I think a rod or shell has gone. The crank will need to be reground and oversized shells will need to be sourced.

1000 miles a year at the MOST. I might take the boat to a couple different lake, or for service. The runner will need refueling. There might be several days over winter I'll need it to get my wife to work Heck one week of that is 200 miles. 1000 miles isnt that much.

UKrunner

Which rebuild kit manufacturer do people recommend?

76ANTHONY

i use toyota, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARENT BAD, DO A SEARCH ON HERE. BUY A HAYNES MAUAL AND DOWNLOAD THE MANUAL OFF THIS SITE SOMEWHERE, opps caps sorry. im doing mine now and the machine shop will let you know if things are good or bad, just make sure you use a good machine shop. i'll pull the heads off mine tomorrow and see whats up with her, thinking bout startin a thread with a shiatload a pics so people can see what they need when building if they forget where something goes and stuff....

91Toyota

Sorry, I must be an idiot but why not a 22re? Its always an option. Cheap, easy, reliable, pretty good gas mileage and they are everywhere...lol

NicCantDecide

Haynes/Chilton manuals are complete garbage. Download the Factory Service Manual (there's a link on this sit somewhere) and it has everything you'll ever need. The people at the dealership use it.

EngnBldr has a rebuild kit, its fairly cheap. $298.00 + $24.00 shipping and handling.

If he's going to be towing a boat, the more torque the better. Stick with the 3.0L V6.

91Toyota

I tow cars with my 22re

NicCantDecide

yeah the 22RE is plenty strong, but the 3.0L has more torque and not to mention the engine's already in his truck. $300 and some elbow grease is cheaper than a 22RE and some elbow grease. It will also net better results.

Gas mileage is also a non-issue for the amount he's going to be driving it.

91Toyota

True...I still vote for it though

aviator

the chevy swap will need engine mounts [a few mfgs. make them] a custom wiring harness, ecu, rewire the instruments, just for starters.
the 3.0 will be drop in plug'n'play... I'd go with the 3.0 meself...probably cheapest in the long run...

76ANTHONY

i have never ran into an issue with the haynes, i also downloaded the manual from here, whats the issue with haynes so i dont screw something up?

76ANTHONY

dam, that is cheap, wayyyy cheaper than toyota, hmmmm saw them before but was a little leary, do they have good stuff????

RobD

If you're thinking about a 350, the 3.4 is a far, far easier swap. You're going to be doing custom exhaust with either, but the 3.4 is almost a bolt in swap, with little fab work needed.

Plus, you start going V8 and you start snapping other, weaker parts, if you're not careful.

UKrunner

I've thought about rebuilding, but space is a little cramped. I can work around that issue with moving stuff in the garage.
The rebuild kit starts the ball rolling, then you have machine time, timing components, head bolts etc etc. It'll end up at 1K before you know it.
What special tools are needed? Would it be better to dissassemble the engine down to the short block while in the bay and then remove the block?

aviator

If you were only doing a top end I'd say leave it in, if you're doing the whole thing then I'd pull it out as one piece since the lift attachment points are all on the top end. plus once you get it on a stand you can adjust it as needed to get the best work angles for each step.

The Haynes manual is ok but I find it is at best a general guide, you really need to be a mechanically minded or experienced person to use them. Kind of short on specifics, and most of the drawings and pics apply to pre-84 trucks.
Useful though just be prepared to do a lot of figuring out on your own.

The factory manual on the other hand spells out each step specifically and gives you all the spec. data right there on the page usually with lots of nice drawings/schematics much harder to make a boo-boo that way. It also includes detailed diagnostic info. Basically it is designed for a tech. who has never seen that vehicle before ever.

NicCantDecide

exactly what aviator said. Everything is explicit in the factory service manuals. The service manual for my integra is over 1500 pages and my 4Runner's is around 1000 if I remember correctly. Compare that to about 200 pages in a Haynes/Chilton. FSM's are also udpated every year for the minor alterations in the vehicles every year. Most Haynes/Chilton cover one or two generations.

To sum it up, the only way to mess up with a FSM is human error. With a Haynes/Chilton you will mess up because they omitted things for the sake of saving ink.