toyo4runner

Hey guys i don't know if you guys remember me but yea i did a post about my brakes and rotors not long ago, but yesterday my dad took my car to the store and then all of a sudden he said he heard a big blast like a metal on metal and then follow by a couple more the car stop. When you crank the motor it only cranks once, its from the starter only i think. I thought it was the timing belt i check it already and nope its on there good, i also check the fuse and i also check the starter and got it tested, and its still a nope. So i decided to crank the motor manually when a socket and the engine will not turn over so i think that this motor frozze on me. Very mad rite now because this motor just barely hit 70,XXX miles never saw redline nothing. I don't know how this happen but i just wanted some answer? hope there is some explaination too all of this. Theres a couple of questions i wanted to get help on. First of all which service manual do you guys think will have what i need to be able to lift this motor out and show me step by step to do a complete overhaul on the motor? also i am planning to rebuild this motor and has anyone done it before and how time comsuming is it? MONEY IS NOT A PROBLEM RITE NOW but i just rather build it then buying a remanufature one. (i have rebuild honda motors before but never have i done a toyota hopefully the steps are the same) If something gets stuck in the flywheel do you think it won't turn over too? I have already push start it and all it does is just chirps like your trying to launch. I hear people say that these 4runner you don't need to lift the tranny out with the motor like honda's so that means that you can just take the screws out and like the motor correct? Last if i don't rebuild the motor which site do you guys recommend getting a new short block from engine 5vz-fe 2000 toyota 4runner 4wd

sorry for the long writing any input is fine rite now thanks

BajaRunner

I've never heard of a Toyota 3.4L go at that low of a mileage...never. That is just weird.

No, I'm pretty sure you wont have to pull the tranny either.

Theres a lot of knowledge on this board on this issue though. Check out the 3.4L swaps section on Yotatech as it has some good information in there about this too.

thefallman

first off drain your oil and see whats in it. then drop your oil ppan and see whats in it. that will give you a good idea where to start from. pluss once thats done you will beable to see everything from the bottom of the engine.

Nate08

A member on hear heard a loud bang and had a hude hole in his oil pan. His motor was shot. Maybe the same thing happened to you, minus the hole. He took it to the dealer and if I recall correctly, they didn't know what happened.

97ltd4x4

It's pretty rare on a toyota motor.I have seen a few.Usually what happens is the connecting rod cap nuts back off and the cap falls off and/or bends the rod stud,then the cap swings/wedges around the block at the cylinder bore.

Crank and rod get trashed,possibly block,usually not though.

I would advise against rebuilding it yourself if you have not built a toyota enging before,But If you want to.You will need a factory manual in order to match the bearings(toyota do not use standard bearings,they are matched individually on both the rods and the journals) and a really good machine shop that has dealth with toyotas...Or pull the motor strip it down,let the machine shop build the block,and build the heads(or just replace the headgaskets,clean the heads if they are in good shape)

Or..junkyard swap and be up and running in a couple of days.



Question is do you have more time than money or more money than time?

icerunner

Hey Bro,
its very much winter time where I'm at, and I HAVE TO ASK.... Did your dad "Get on the pedal" when your engine was cold....?
Conventional Oil?

70K engine failure is HIGHLY unusual for the 3.4L and you are only 10K over toyota's power train warrenty...IF You truely have a engine failure Toyota MAY cover you fully or partially for good customer service.

Why the HELL would I say that?

Well I spoke to a Master tech at toyota who told me one time a guy had a front wheel fall off on the highway from his 4runner he had his car towed to the dealer and toyota corporate covered everything...He had either 110K or 140K on the vehicle (i can't remember)...Toyota may back you on a unusual situation JUST like this...
I don't know for sure.

Have your truck towed to toyota for an evualation IF YOUR engine failed at 70K, that my friend is a defective engine IF you did your part with the maintenance of coarse...

#1 Bring proof of your oil change reciepts with you....
#2 Before you "dive in" you may wish to tow it to a toyota dealer to "document" your issue with toyota ... Tell them you want the engine failure reported to toyota headquarters as you are pissed about this HIGHly unusual Event
(think about that first)

QUESTIONS:
-Honestly now, Have you ever changed your spark plugs? FYI those are 30k MAX plugs and 70K is about the time when those original plugs will try and kill your engine... (possible back fire ping damage)
-INVESTIGATE for possible OIL Sludgeing...?
-Check oil for metal chunks shavings...?
- Carefully cut open your oil filter to check for sludge or metal...?

toyo4runner

yea guys i don't know man if you guys think that the rebuild is gonna be hard yea i just try to take out the motor and buy a new short block put that in and bolt everything else on it, or probably tire to see if toyota will back me up or anything. I know that this car is 8 years old but i'll still give it a tire doesn't hurt. Yea there was just a recent tuned on the car my the dealer about 1 year ago. cost about $1200 they change the differential oils, spark plugs, check engine light for the mass air flow, cleaned out the throttle body and check the 4wd (vaccuum problem). and as of an oil change i just did it 2 weeks ago but man i never keep those god damn papers. Hopefully toyota will just try to do something about it. This is why i tend to stick with toyota just so stuff like this don't happen but it still does. OHH yea brings me back to my oil change, while i was changing it, it look like i had sand in my engine. just by looking at the top through the oil cap it looks like there's rust on the internal of the head too you can scrap it off. When the oil was coming out it looks like sand but too me i think that its the shaving of the main bearings or rod bearings..(now that the car gave up) Don't know just something i was wondering about. But i did check the oil filter and there was nothing in there so that why i didn't bother to check the oil carefully

bigt

that post is a little hard to read...you might want to edit??

i think it would be worth it to get an engine with a warrenty from a known company ..