As the title states, I have been having some thoughts about building a spare motor for my 4runner. I have a '93 with the 22RE/5sp combo. No frills aside from the Subaru seats and the Scion stereo. I've had it about a year and a half. 290,xxx miles, unsure of maintenance history. I've done some various tuneup stuff to it: fluids, filters, BJ, front brakes, etc..., but some of the things I haven't done could easily turn into larger/out-of-control jobs. I haven't tested compression yet, but it doesn't ever seem to burn oil, and my mileage has consistently been in the low to mid 20's. What I do know, however...

- slight rod knock, not sure of which cylinder
- a few aftermarket rockers with adjusters that don't stay put too well
- TC guides, from what I can see, are plastic. Not worn through, but I worry about them nonetheless.
- oil pressure isn't that great, not sure how old the pump is
- not sure how old the water pump is

Given my level of comfort, and the fact that I now have a garage to work in, dealing with any of these particular tasks seems within my reach. What does, concern me a bit is chomping off a bit more than I can chew and having my truck down for a longer period of time that I can afford. I could shell out a handful of $$$ to get a motor from a reputable builder, as I have done in the past, but I actually want to learn something this time.

My idea is this...

Pick up a decent condition (not perfect, obviously) used motor, and rebuild it myself. This way, I can go at my own pace (financially and labor-wise), and keep my truck operational for picking up parts, dropping things off at machine shops, etc. Things I need to consider are overall cost of such an endeavor, tools/bits I would need, what to swap over and everything else...

What I would want in a "new" engine...
- RV cam - 268 or similar -
- metal backed TC guide
- new oil pump (I need to research and see if there are any heavy-duty options)
- new water pump
- new/rebuilt injectors

What I know I need...
- engine stand (buy or build or rent?)
- find a reputable machine shop (assuming I'll need something machined)
- read as many threads as I can stand about rebuilding a motor
- learn how to use Plasti-gage
- parts pile (some things will transfer over, many would be replaced with new)

I guess, one question I will start out with, is this...

Assuming you were building a motor, and had the time to do it a bit slower (like I am thinking - with my truck still running well), how would you take advantage of the lack of pressure? I mean, with no dire need to get the motor back in the truck, would you spend extra time/money to do anything in particular to the "new" motor to make it what you want? Many motors that people purchase as rebuilt/reman'd come all set and ready to go, but is there anything missing from them?

I kind of feel like this is a silly question to ask, but you never know...

Thanks!

- Chris "babyfood1217"

 

Likely HD studs as well, and a new clutch when the motor is ready to swap in...

I should perhaps mention, also, that at some point in the next few years, I have a vehicle transformation project slated to start that will add a significant amount of weight to the vehicle (camper conversion), so if there is anything else I should consider, motor wise, I would consider this the prime time to address it (right?)

 

While this idea sounds good in theory i can only hope you have better luck then me.

I had started the same project build a spare 22Rec Engine Before I even had all the new parts the engine in question died.(head gasket)

I bought another 4Runner the block and new parts are around someplace .

I have since moved on to the 3.4 no need to even think about finishing the 22rec engine even though I have 4 or 5 vehicles that have running 22rec`s I think

So many things tend to come first if you don`t really need to do something at least in my case.

Building a engine is just being able to take good measurements having the cylinders made round again .

I think the hardest part is figuring out where the brackets and things go

To answer your question I would get everything needed to do a 3.4 swap.

Have all the harness done then pick a long weekend get some help and drop it in.

 

Well. I hadn't even been thinking of a different motor... crap.

EDIT: On second thought, I think I may rule this option out, as it would mean significantly more down time for my truck. It's our only vehicle, and while having it out of commission for a weekend-ish to pull/drop in a motor is doable, having it down for a full transplant would mean a lot more time, a lot more money, and a whole slew of items I don't really know much about (changing transmission, new bellhousing, different crossmembers, and sorting through a ton of wiring.) I would actually pursue this, I guess, if I had a two car lifestyle, but not right now. Thanks though!

-C

 

What I did was get a "good running" junkyard motor, and tore it down and replaced everything with an engnbldr kit. My project didnt quite turn out the way I wanted it to, but at least I had a decent starting point that wasnt missing any pieces.

If you're wanting to keep the 22re, maybe bore and stroke it to get as much out of it as possible?

Harbor freight 1000lb engine stand worked well for my build, cheap with the 20% off coupon, for good measure throw away the bolts that come w it and buy decent quality bolts from the hardware store.