I got there a half hour before they were supposed to close and the person I spoke with on the phone wasn't there and the person I spoke with said they were closing. He thought about helping me for a split second and then said "nah we're closing come back friday" Will a engine out of a 4runner work? That's all that I know about it right now.

 

I just got back from looking at it. There were two 4runners. 165k and 100k miles. The engine in the 100k one was real rusty. To get the oil cap off I had to pound on it with a piece of molding I found. It looked clean through the cap though. The 165k looked crusty inside. Good price, bad engines. I know they are 20 years old but mine doesn't look that bad.

 

Rust on the outside isn't all that bad. Rust on the inside is a different story. If the engine is completely sealed (plenum still in place, etc.) then it should still be okay. You can swap any superficial stuff (valve covers, etc.) from your engine onto the new one. A engine in a yard is going to look crusty on the outside after sitting for so many years, unless the yard actually pulled it and stored it inside. I'd still highly recommend at least changing the head gasket and putting a new timing belt on any used one.

The engine I got was sitting in a shed. One side of it was exposed to the elements a little more than the other, and had rust on that side. But, it's running right now.

This was kinda what I was warning you about. Unless you can get lucky enough to find an engine in a truck that can still be started, you're going to be taking some kind of risk. The first engine I found was at a yard where they start it up for you. They attempted to start it, and it sounded like it was going to kick over. I had them pull it, and when they loaded it on the truck, I noticed a huge hole in the block. I obviously didn't take that one, and I wasted an entire day.

Just remember, although pulling and installing an engine isn't really that hard, it's going to be more work if you're pulling the one you just put in back out again.

 

I should've taken pics. They were in 4runners that just came in to the yard. At this point I'm thinking if a 5vzfe would be a better route to follow. I’m trying to find all the specific info on swapping it into my truck. So far I know the 3.4l fits and bolts up, the hood might need a hood scoop, the oil pan and oil pickup from the 3vze needs to be swapped over to clear the subframe, the battery needs to be relocated or a short intake can be used. I'm trying to figure out what needs to be done with the wiring. I would like to use my existing auto tranny so does anything need to be done to make that possible? I thought I read people had some kind of electrical problems? My focus would be just to get it in and have the truck working again. Any links would help. This forum is great. Many knowledgeable and helpful people.

 

Is this a good deal: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f37/...ngines-134446/

 

Should I start a new thread about this? I am going to have a lot of questions about swaping in the 3.4l so I need some help. Should I start a new topic here or the 3.4l swap forum?

 

What should I do to "park" my truck for this long time before it is running again? I figured I should put sta-bil in the fuel tank. Is there anything else I should do?

 

if your for sure going to do the 3.4 swap and its going to sit a bit, just crawl under it and drian the fuel out of the tank, i think.. if im correct its just 6 or 8 bolts to drop the tank skidplate and then there is a drain plug (similar to the drain plug on your engine) it was a while ago that i did this on my old 91 extendcab project truck. if its going to be out side park it so watter cant pool up in the bed and/or put a tarp over it. put a windshield shade up to protect that dash, and then open the doors up once in a while and let the interior air out so you dont end up with a funky stench... other then that not to much..really depends on the lenght of time you park it

 

if the gas tank is already mostly empty, don't worry about it - I've had the same gas sitting in my 4runner for 1.5 years when it was in storage (in SoCal heat) and it started and ran just fine (though better after the old stuff was run out) - just before you start the new engine, put a fuel can or 2 into the tank. Or, if it's mostly full, try to siphon most of it out and use in your other car.

 

Just a couple of thoughts. Cyberman makes some extreamly valuable points! You mentioned not having tools or space. Have you any mechanical experiance. If you at are all handy with tools of any type you should be able to pull this off. Whichever way you choose to go. Just be prepared to be frustrated once in a while. The planning will be crucial, figure out a time period and at least increase it by 25% for your learning curve. Do try and cultivate some knowledgeable help. Lot of crusty old guys around willing to share with young people eager to learn. Maybe a local garage that your family has dealt with over thye years. Buy a manual at the local parts store. I recomend a couple of them from differant publishers. Seems that one will have info the other might not. Something else to research, what are your townships laws about having a non running vehicle parked on the property. Have read some stories here about folks getting half way through such a project and then the peace officer shows up with the move it or face a huge fine letter. I wouldn't drain the tank thats a great way to have it corrode and get crapped up. It can't rust if its full. Better to drain it later if need be. Mine sat for over a year after I bought it with a crapped up motor. Fixing the house took all my play money, darn it. Ran just fine on that tank of gas. I did put in some fuel stabilizer first thing when I got it home. My best advice right now would be to study this forum and hunt down all the threads you can find on this. A lot of people in your posistion have had huge results doing things like this with no experiance. And the day you get to start it up for the first time will make you smile for the rest of your life!!!
Just my $.005 inflation adjusted 2 cents
Jim

And heres a great tool. Most everything here pertains to your truck

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...fsm/index.html

 

I can't thank this forum and its members enough. foot0069 you are right about the town laws. I had a maxima in my driveway and I turned in the plates and my father decided to put a tarp on it. As soon as he did that I got a letter in the mail telling me that every car visible on my property had to be registered/insured. What a load of crap. I will talk to my friend who knows someone with a shop to see if I can arrange anything. I am going back to school in 3 weeks and it's out of state so I only come home to visit on fridays which is still pretty lucky. I will figure this out though. I doubt I can leave it at that guys shop but I'll ask. Maybe I can get away with it by doing it in my driveway and hiding all my stuff in the garage. If it looks parked with plates I doubt it will attract attention but you never know. I am reading up about the 3.4 swap because I want to know about all the things I would need to cover. I am writing things down that will pertain to my setup. I want to cover everything perfectly well because I know each little thing has a few ways of doing it. Like the crossover, there are two version, etc. The more I read and search, the more little specific important “secrets” I find. I don't want a body lift. I want to cut out some hood bracing. Instead of doing things the hard way I’d like to adapt as much as possible. I just want the 3.4 engine. I will keep my existing auto trans and transfer case. Later in the future when I graduate and have a income I can afford to do splurge and add more to the truck like a e-locker, supra lsd in the front, a couple of inches of lift, 33" m/t's. bumpers, sliders, winch, lights, etc. Use it for fishing, camping, hunting, get a quad for fun, etc. I have about a half tank of gas so I'll buy some sta-bil and put that in I guess. This forum is great and I am trying to learn as much as possible. I feel I can do this, at least I feel the desire to do so. I know it will take a while but I think it is worth it. On a side note, I’m currently looking for a vehicle to drive. Something comfy for those long trips to L.I., NY. There are three cars I'm looking at: 03 jetta 1.8T 80k miles wolfsburg edition black on black it's nice but the auto tranny seems to be a problem and it scares me to buy it, 99 maxima gle 60k miles auto, bose, sunroof, leather nice comfy car but has scuffs all around, and a 99 volvo s70 awd, 2.4 turbo 5 cyl, with 110k miles. I went there for the max which fits my comfy car requirements plus some and then I saw the others. I always wanted a 1.8T but a gti not an automatic jetta. I think I'll grab the s70. It's luxurious as hell. Like in the sense that if you saw me driving it you would think I'm rich as hell and I'm driving mommy or daddy’s car. It's awd for when it snows or whatever. They seem to have a good rep about being reliable safe cars. It doesn’t get as good gas mileage as the others but it makes up with all the other things. They are all $5-$6k.