Am I capable?
 

First off I have a 95 4runner. Im 17 almost 18 and want to do a supercharged 3.4 swap w/ a manuel tranny swap. Im a fast learner and have alot of common sense. Ive read about 5-10 3.4l swap writeups between here and other off road websites. however I do not know alot about engines and swapping ect. What should a person like me do for this kind of swap?

save for college?

Make sure you have about $10,000.

And if you have that sort of money lying around at your age.....spend it on a house, not a truck.

Not capable for a novice, I mean with some help from an expieranced mechanic maybe but cost is another issue.

I would save your cash for later on.

if you've never rebuilt a motor or atleast pulled one out or installed one then I'd say you're asking for failure. But... if you're like me you do this crap anyways and learn the hard way =)

honestly I wouldnt do it. You got lots of time to do this down the road. =)

What are you looking to gain from the swap?

Experience, challenge, investment? If it's the last, stop thinking about getting any return at all.

If it's more speed you want, I don't think the 4Runner would be the best platform to start with.

You would probably be better off finding a 3rd Gen 4Runner with a 3.4 from the factory equipped with a manual tranny. Then you could add the supercharger if you still had some coin.

Just go buy a rig that is already set up.

If you have to ask if you are capable, chances are, you're not ready for something like this yet. Just sit back, and enjoy your 3.slow...

Big swaps are definately possible for a person with the facilities, tools, time, and finances available.

There's a lot of heavy pieces there, and some custom fabrication and wiring involved. If things are done improperly, the safety of the vehicle (which means your personal safety, and that of others) may be compromised. This doesn't include the speed potential of the rig that could get you into trouble.

IMO if you want a 3.4, the easiest (and cheapest!) way to get it is to get a gen3.

What should a person like you do? The others here have given a great deal of good advice.

However, having been 18, i know that the advice you've been given isn't likely what you were looking for.

So, if you go ahead and do it, here is my advice.

Purchase a swap kit from ORS. This will make wiring a snap and lessen the considerable headache you've got coming.

Find a motor with LOW MILES. If you haven't done a rebuild before, a low mileage motor that hasn't been out of service for very long is what you want. Check totaled rear end 03-04 tacos.

Make sure you have a cherry picker, an engine stand, and a full compliment of sockets, wrenches, screw drivers, etc.

Read more swap threads, check out different forums, and buy the FSM to any 3.4L equipped truck, so you can reference the engine guides.

Make sure you have another vehicle. I can only guarantee you one thing: At least one thing, more than likely many things, will go very wrong. A parts getting vehicle is a MUST.

This will likely take you 1-2 weeks if you work on it every evening after school/work. Months if you work on it sporadically. Make sure you clear this with the owner of the garage you use (parents likely). Otherwise you'll really piss people off.

Good luck.

Depends on what you have done before. I would consider myself a novice mechanic. My dad always worked on his own cars and I learned some stuff from him. I think I learned more about perseverance from him and never really actually applied until I got a little older (turn 27 in Jan). I have several friends that play with cars and that is just what they do. One put a fuel injected TurboCoupe motor into his '71 Pinto and now can whoop up on some VERY fast and respectable cars. I have done most of my wrenching with him and have learned quite a bit from him.

To be more on topic about this, I am going to do a motor swap of my own here in the near future. I am putting a EFI Ford 5.0 HO motor in my '93 4Runner and to be honest it is scaring the hell out of me. I want it to have AC, cruise control, work with my existing factory gauges, and be able to pass an emissions check. Am I ready to do a swap liek this? Probably not but I'm gonna try. All it will take is research and patience. Money too.

I don't know your situation with time/money at home but do it if you want. I like my 93 and want to make it better. I will put the effort into this project.

My question to you:
What kind of stuff have you done with cars mechanically???

You need 3 things in my opinion:

1. Lots of Tylenol
2. Lots of Tools
3. Lots of Money

If you have those things, go for it, but please don't spend your life savings on it either.... but if the funds are available I say let her rip....

Kat

The 3.4 swap is doable as long as you are willing to learn. The manual tranny swap is more time, money and headaches then it is worth.

Buy a rig already setup with a manual tranny if that is what you want... but the a/t to m/t tranny swap is one thing that not many people will tackle and for good reasoning.

If money and/or time is not a concern AT ALL, I'd say go for it. Pessimism is the downfall of any creative endeavour. But, seriously get someone who has plenty of mechanical experience to help. You'll be a while doing this as you're learning, but much, much, much longer without someone to help.
Since so many have done this before, many of the issues you'd run into have already been figured out by other folks. So, you can take their lead and go with it. Just be sure you have a good donor vehicle.
BTW, do you actually have donor already....with a m/t?