Firefyter-Emt

I have been away for a while, kinda sick of the Runner and busy with the new house in CT and all, but I wandered back in and it seems like every other post is a motor problem with the 3.0.. I dunno, just seems like a lot or is it just me?

For all you old timers.. How the heck are ya!!

AgRunner06

I don't know if you'd consider me an old timer but I've been here a while. You really should come around more often.

It does seem like there have been a lot of problems with the 3.slow lately. I hate this motor. I wish I had a 22re with a 5-speed but that's just the way it goes. I think I may just have too much invested in the 4runner to let her go now. If the HG goes, I may have to learn how to fix it. It's worth a shot. If I can't get it back together than I will have it towed somewhere.

What ever happened with the 4runner? You should be a master tech on the 3.slow after all the trouble you've had with it.

Suprisingly my 3.slow has been running pretty good lately. (knocks on wood for a long, hard time)

Welcome Back

Firefyter-Emt

She is sitting outside in the driveway, I drive it about 4 or 5 times a month just to keep it "fresh". I have another RT head being built right now and should be done this week. Then I have to yank it all apart and replace the RT head. The LT head seems to be holding it's own all this time, so I will leave it be. I also havs a leak up front which I think is the power steering pump and my rear end is also leaking.. I am seriously thinking of selling the 4Runner and the Wrangler and buying a 97ish Wrangler "Sahara" package with the Dana 44 in the back and run it with a 4" lift and some 33's for a daily driver / lesser wheeling rig. Having 2 is killing me on insurance ( for 5 days a week) and I drive about 100-150 miles a day, and at $1.80 a gallon with the 4Runner getting 13 right now... I still want a 4x4 and the Jeep is soooo fun to drive (and to be honest, as reliable as the 4Runner.) I dunno yet, but I think I am done with it.. 4 kids no longer fit the family in it, too big for just me as a DD, and you can not beat the summer in the Heep when the top and doors come off..

VolcomTacoma

My 93 3.0 has always ran great. It may not be too fast, but it gets the job done. The engine had about 100k on it without the HG recall ever being done on it, but decided to have the work done then despite it being fine.

oly884

Hey Lee, my new motor has been running quite good (thanks for the help again). As for the engine problems your having, have you checked out DOA racing's head studs? Apparently they work pretty good.

Cebby

Hey Lee! My 3.yo is still kicking. I hope it lasts a long while (at 125K so far/auto tranny). Really no reason to believe it won't. I think the vast majority of 3.0 owners find it to be trouble free (not just YT, but overall).

I hope I do NOT have to eat my words on this one...

Firefyter-Emt

David.. Funny thing, I have never had a HG blow! I am very glad to hear your's is running good too.. No problems with the studs here, just weak valves. I have solved this by replacing all of them in this new head. Don't get me wrong, it has 150k on it and I have always had good luck with it all in all.. The valve problem is more of one that if I had put new valves in it the first time or got a set of DOA heads I would of been done with it then.. But the truck no longer suites my needs as well. I have owner many kinds of cars / trucks and you can tell the quiality in the Toyotas.. I would love a FJ-40 but don't have the time and $$ for one now (and I need something for a DD) I also love the short wheelbase of the Jeep.. It makes it very nimble around the city I work out of (remember I am an Insurance Apraiser and drive place to place)

elripster

276,000 miles and my 3.0 runs like a top and doesn't use oil. I can't complain one bit. I have a 1st gen 4runner with the 5 speed and it moves out pretty good. I mean if I can set the cruise with the AC on and bomb hills at 80 I consider that adequate. It's no rocket but it's fine to drive around.

I'd never consider a 22RE. I test drove them and decided I didn't care if this motor gave me problems, the power was worth it. People drive fast in SoCal.

If you go to 4X4wire, it's the other way around. I attribute this to the demographics of the boards. The 4wheeling section of 4X4wire has a more hardcore crowd. Those people tend to wheel harder, break more stuff, and therefore use older vehicles less desireable for massive street use. Here, there are more newer and nicer trucks as this is not a hardcore board. The 3.0 is simply a more driveable package day in and day out, you are less likely to thrash the truck when it's still "nice". As a result, you see more 3.0's here, there are more 22's there.

Overall, when pulling big tires, lifts, etc... the 3.0's outlast the 22's as they being larger just don't have to work as hard thus wearing more slowly.

Frank.

Robinhood150

Well, really the only thing I have to complain about is the HG problem and the lack of power. My HG went twice, once covered under warrantee and once not. If they were both covered under warrantee I wouldn't be complaining. The power problem isn't really the fault of the engine, it's the fault of the engineers who decided it's powerful enough for the american market. The only other things have been the normal stuff that wears over time.

I've got 185k miles and I can't detect any signs of impending catastrophic failure, but at the same time realistically I question how much farther it will go. Everything in the bottom end is original.

I don't know, is off roading really harder on engines than normal stop and go traffic? Whenever I'm on the trail I'm usually going 5mph in 4low. The only thing that seems really abusive is dune running. High RPMs necessary to keep up momentum and sand in the air.

apc

No problems with my 3.0 either. Still running strong at 158k miles. I have been running Mobil 1 since 1997.

elripster

I work my motor hard. It just takes it like a champ. 3.0's have HG issues but rarely bottom end issues unless not maintained. I think I have heard of an oil pump clogging once. I wouldn't worry about it. If it feels too slow go drive a 4 banger for a bit.

Frank

KING

My '94 P/U is running good as we speak but now that the summer is coming, problems will start arising.

Bought it with 92K, currently with 110K and no major engine problems.

I did forget to mention that I do burn/eat/loose oil roughly every 2K. So I have to check that constantly. It is usually about half to three-quarters of a quart that I need to add.

AgRunner06

I've been told the 4cylinder with a 5 speed is similar to the 3.0 with the auto.

Highland Runner

No, the 22RE is dog and can't compare to the 3.0 at all. I've had a 22re manual and a 2.7 manual. The 22re gets the worst mileage of the four engines (22re, 3.0, 2.7, 3.4). I'm definetly happier with my 3.0 than the 22re maunal and 2.7 maunal I had. No problems, leaks on my 3.0. 2077xx miles and counting.

CMD93

Mine runs like a scalded dog. I just put on a OEM fuel filter and it just turned 85k.

anthony1

iTrader: (1)

My 4runner got about 114K. with 5spd on 35's and 5.29, it's got plenty of power. If I turn on the AC then it slows down some.
Overall, no problems yet.

joez

Highland Runner, if your 22re was that bad there is something wrong. My 22r is turning 36's with factory 4.10's and still manages 17 mpg arround town. Its uber-slow, but that will change when i get time to put the second case in. Highway is worse, but thats because 5th gear is unusable, so i just run it in 4th arround 3200rpm.

Highland Runner

My brother, sister in law, and brother in law have all had Toyota trucks with the 22re. All their mileages were very close to what I saw and one drives all highway miles. Mine was slightly worse because it was always floored to get up the mountains near my house. I had an LC Enginering header which made 5th gear usable on the highway. Didn't the 20r and 22r have the better head design compared to the 22re? Maybe thats why the mileage difference.

anthony1

iTrader: (1)

How does 2nd case change your milege?
I think regearing your diff would do it.

weezy

Mine runs great if you are sitting suspended in the air and can't feel the shake ... otherwise the deep exhaust hides everything else :/
No really .... the shake can be fixed and after all the work I had done it has tons more power, better gas mileage, etc. I'm sure the motor would be kicking better if it had been taken care of in the past. Even being a little handicapped, it gets the job done. Shame on the 4runner abusers!

-Lisa