volcomdork182

hey i have a chance to buy a supercharged 4runner with 179,000 miles on it with headers and a couple of other upgrades for 6500. I'm thinking that this is a great deal it runs and drives perfectly and really has power. But then again i don't want but this and then have to rebuild yet another engine (just rebuilt 22re) so i was wondering what is a good compression rating for the cylinders? Also any things i should look for? Thanks.

volcomdork182

oh and i forgot its a 97 and how much maintenance is involved

rimpainter.com

Does it have fuel/timing mods to deal with the HG/LR (high gear / low rpm) lean problem? Or the Walbro 190 fuel pump to deal with the sustained WOT lean out issue? I'm guessing not. Start by asking, then verifying (simply remove the glove box and look for a piggyback). Also, look for injectors. Huge red flag right there if those mods are missing. You may know this already, but the 5VZFE with a sc'r just bolted on runs extremely lean - dangerously lean. The only reason we don't see more explode is because the engine is so stout. But who wants an engine with extra wear? Not me. So, not to discourage you or anything, but you might be buying a time bomb. Because if it doesn't have fuel/timing mods, you're going to want them. Which means I hope you have an extra $1K lying around. Also, how long has it been sc'd? The sc'r needs an oil change every 30K miles or so, and a rebuild somewhere in the 80K to 100K range.

Also, is it a 5speed or auto? An auto trans with a sc'r will require the VB upgrade or it will fry the 1-2 clutch pack at some point. That will run you $500 - $1000 depending on where you get it and who does the work.

Some sites to read up on if you haven't been there already:

www.gadgetonline.com
www.urdusa.com

As for your compression question, consult the FSM. Remember, it's not so much the value of the pressure as it is the uniformity across cylinders. I mean, there is a min and max, but cylinder to cylinder differences is pretty important too.

A sc'd 5VZFE is a blast - but it really needs to be done right.

akaphilly

i must be the only one in the world with 150,000 miles on a s/c and no fuel mods and no problems.

cant help with the compression tho

rimpainter.com

It's the damage to the engine that you can't hear that matters too. Ping is just an audible warning. Hook up an EGT probe and see what happens. Scary.

Also, sustained WOT runs can reduce fuel pressure at the rails so much that the engine will cut out. Not good while passing.

volcomdork182

well it drove really good. On the highway it passed cars like nothing going 70 to 80. and it was listed for almost ten. It was on a eastern oregon ranch and owned by a rich guy that babied it. It has alot of mods and i read that superchargers only maintenance is changing the oil every 100,000. And they said they think it was factory supercharger.

volcomdork182

oh and it was checked out by a nissan store and it comes with a 3 month unlimited mile warantee

rimpainter.com

Well it seems like you have your mind made up. Did you see my comment about the auto trans? Does it have one? I'm telling you, the 1-2 clutch pack will be fried in no time (if it isn't already).

And I'm not sure where you saw the sc'r only requires an oil change at 100K. Please let us know because that's news to me.

volcomdork182

not that i have my mind made up its just that ranchers don't have anything to do out here except build up their toys. They don't work they pay others to do it and play all day. I just dont see someone putting in 5g's under the trunk but not adding in that part.

Rimpainter- is there a way to tell if the vb has been rebuilt or modded from the outside. Thank you again for the help.

rimpainter.com

No, not really. The VB (Valve Body) is internal to the tranny and is removed by dropping the pan (and following a removal procedure). I believe there are two companies that do the mod (Level 10 and someone else). Essentially what's done is that pressure is increased so the 1-2 shift isn't "slippy" like the engineers at Toyota wanted (which, when the added power of the sc'r is present, creates a tremendous amount of heat/wear on that clutch pack, eventually to failure). Granted you may have come across a babied 4Runner, but how do you know for sure? If you're pretty set on buying it, you may want to punch it from the start and really pay attention to that 1-2 shift, just to see.

Again, not trying to discourage you here, just trying to point out some things based on experience in order to save you some heartache down the road.

cadman

The 3.4 sc is/was not an OEM Toyota product. The shop I just quit at, Camtech Corp, made the first 2-3 year runs and the intake tract was developed and designed by one of the owners, Dave Magnuson. Dave's dad owns Magnuson Products.


IPT is the other company. I think most of the guys on the west coast with the sc use IPT.

mt_goat

I've heard the SC should be rebuilt around 100,000 miles.

mt_goat

SC maintenance: http://www.gadgetonline.com/SuperNose.htm