GrimmT88

So i'm new to YotaTech and already think its an awesome forum.

I found a 1988 4Runner DLX 4X4 5-speed for sale locally. The 22re has about 292k on it, this is definitely high mileage but the guy is the original owner and has literally kept every receipt and documented everything that has been done to it.

He is only selling because he recently retired and has no use for it. He had the front brakes completely redone, the clutch as less then 100 miles, the interior has been redone, and he had it repainted last year. He's asking $2100.

The main thing i'm worried about is the timing chain, it is the original one but he hasn't had any issues with the engine at all since he bought it.

Any opinion, thoughts, questions I can ask him would be great.

highonpottery

iTrader: (1)

looks like a clean rig, price isn't bad either IMO. any time you can buy from the original owner is great especially if taken care of like this one seems to have been. price looks pretty good too IMO. many 22re rigs don't have engine problems when well cared for and not driven hard. it's not uncommon for people to get up into the 300k range before touching the internals. my dad's truck went over 300k before it threw a rod after he brought home a new truck - only regular maintenance!

if the tchain guides are gone and starting to let chain slap, then it's time to replace or it'll wear a hole in the cover. the repair isn't that costly for parts if doing it yourself, it's the labor in having to get to inside the engine. good time to do head gasket too if doing the correct way. if the tchain guides are fine, then I wouldn't worry about it now - just make time to rebuild in the future when/if it does fail.

just remember that old toyotas don't get retired like all the other makes of vehicles, they get rebuilt!

GrimmT88

It does have a few cancer spots but that's inconsequential compared to the rest of the truck IMO. I had an 86 Pickup Xtra Cab that was owned by a Toyota mechanic and he replaced the timing chain around 190k. But the engine sounds normal, there isn't any metallic clinging sounds.

The first thing I would have to fix is the main spring in the front left manual hub has rusted so it wont lock it. I've heard that isn't too difficult to replace?

Its extremely difficult to find these trucks around here that are in anything but garbage condition, so even though its a 3 hour drive to pick it up i'm thinking i'm going to bite the bullet.