Darn 3.0l
 

Well the 3.0l strikes again after changing the head gaskets and all the fun stuff after about 4,000 miles a head crackes I found a 4 runner for 500 very nice body and interior but tranny went out for 500 Obo figured I could part it out after swapping engines but noticed a few things diffrent distributor and more wiring but if in but my distributor and all other parts on the 95 of my 88 will it work fine ?

I had a 91 with good heads I swapped over to my 93 there are few changes. timing belt and all that has spring tensioner. The upper plenum intake in the back has a few different changes etc and couple hoses they deleted for my 93. As the years wen on for the 3.0 there are some changes done. Yes you could use your distributer because my 93 has different connections then the 91 had. Swap over the parts you need for your engine harness should work.

The 88 is very much different than the later years. You really need to know what works with what...and what doesn't. I happen to have all the answers. But your questions will have to be specific.

Ask away!

In short...if you use the 88 wiring harness, ECU, TPS, throttle body, distributor, fuel injectors, ECT sensor, CST switch, knock sensor, and left exhaust manifold on the 95 it'll work. If not, you're going to have to do some modding.

At length...you'll want to use the 95 motor mount brackets too. Because if you try using the 88 motor mount brackets you'll run into problems with one of the oil cooler hoses. Which isn't something you'd want to do even if you could. Because the 88 motor mount brackets are significantly weaker. You could delete the oil cooler(using the "fire hydrant plug"/bypass from the 88, the hex plug for the block coolant port, and the other/88 style water pump), but there's no good reason to(unless the oil cooler's not working properly). You'd be better off modifying the 88 left motor mount bracket to accomodate the hose, or modifying the hose to accomodate the 88 motor mount bracket(if you had to).

You don't want to run the 88 camshafts or oil pump either. Both of those are also inferior to 89+ performance wise(but are technically still "compatible" with 89+). Just don't forget to ignore the valve clearance specs for 88, if you use the 95 camshafts, since they were revised for 89+(-.002" Intake & Exhaust).

The timing belt and tensioner are different, but neither design is any better than the other IMO(they both kinda suck, but are still perfectly adequate, for their own unique reasons). So take your pick(both will work with 95 heads). Just make sure you use the correct timing belt for the hydraulic tensioner if you use that style. The hydraulic tensioner pulley/idler uses a stronger(and replaceable) bearing, and a slightly stronger timing belt(higher strength material), since the tension is slightly higher(the drawback is it's slightly harder to work with than the spring tensioner...IMO). You can use the slightly stronger hydraulic tensioner timing belt with the spring tensioner(there's no reason to, but no reason not to either), but you probably shouldn't use the slightly weaker spring tensioner timing belt with the hydraulic tensioner.

The head bolts are different, 14mm 12 point head for 88 vs. 12mm 12 point head for 89+. Both types are M11 x 1.25. And should be equal in strength. Whether they are or not I don't know.

The water inlet/thermostat cover is aluminum or plastic depending...on what I'm not sure. But I think the plastic ones came after 88. My 90 has plastic, my 88 has aluminum. Neither works better than the other. The cast aluminum unit is arguably stronger(not that it needs to be).

Almost forgot...

I'm still waiting for somebody to SHOW me a cracked 3VZ-E head. Supposedly it happens "all the time". But nobody seems to be able to provide a simple pic clearly showing said damage.

Not that I don't believe you...well...maybe I don't...I don't believe anybody(don't feel bad). But I'm also genuinely curious to see what that looks like.