Here is what I got. 95 runner with a 3.0 auto..
The 3.0 is rebuilt but the install is kicking my butt , the more I read about the 3.0 the less I want one.

Here is my thoughts. now I know everyone is going to say swap the 3.4 in but I can't afford that. I only have a budget of $600

1. 3.0 to 22re (I have a doner truck)
2. find an old chubby 3.0--350 plus axles for a latter swap
3. sell it to the mexicans for less then what I'm into it....

I can weld and fab. stuff so that's not an issue.

Lets discuss....

 

you can find a 4.3 chevy v6 on craigslists for 400

 

swap to a 22re if you have all (or most) of the parts. (Read: parts truck) I drove a 3.0 recently and my tired and almost (as the case would have it) dead engine feels stronger and better. For reference, it is dead now but always felt stronger than the 3.0, even with the 22re being auto and the 3.0 being manual.

 

well, you can olny do what your budget calls for. i would rebuilt the 3.0 and if you decide then that you dont like it, sell it and get a 96 runner. but thats cause im in cali and we have smog issues. im gonna do a mt goat to mine and save up and drive my 3.slow for now and get a superchagered 3.4

 

Good luck with any swaps or builds for $600 if you can do it ide like to see it!

If you want it done right and last its gonna cost you $$$

 

X2 I have $3000 into mine and thats just the motor super charger and URD kit 7th injector 2.5 pully and piggyback system all included from a full donor truck e-locked nothing missing from it but still need to get parts to start the swap.

 

The 3.0 isn't a bad motor aside from the headgasket failures. It's slow, but it's still puts out more than the 22re, and it's not uncommon to see people on this forum with 200,000+ miles on their 3.0s.

But to agree with everyone else, that $600 budget is going to kill you on anything but the 22re swap. Yeah, you can guy a 4.3l Chevy V6 for a couple hundred bucks, but that's just the engine. There's a whole heck of a lot more to consider, and even a cheap Chevy V6/8 swap is going to cost north of $1000 in my estimation.

 

The 3.0 does put out more power however the power to weight ratio puts the 22re ontop over the 3.0

What a waiste of a motor the 3.0 is. It makes a great paper weight

Exactly! Cant see any swap under 1k unless your given everything which in that case send some parts my way