Gevo

I'm pretty sure you need a new head gasket. white foamy oil? Sweet mell in exhaust... If you do the job yourself i think you can spend under $500 total, (with head rebuild, thats what I would do) but it's like $1200 to $1500 for a mechanic to do it... (LA prices mind you)

RAD4Runner

zanzabar0,
How about with engine cold and with known-good radiator cap? Does coolant still overflow? If it does, that means that cooling system has more pressure than what cap is rated for. that pressure mus come from somewhere, definitely not water pump- All water pump does is circulate coolant, not add pressure.

When coolant overflows while engine is cold, and coolant overflows, it means cooling system is pressurized NOT by expansion of coolant. Could anybody think of anything that would make coolant over flow while engine is cold - hence, coolant not boiling over?

zanzabar0

Thank you everyone for youre help and time. browsing craigslist I found a 3.4L with 56k for only $1,000 out of a 2001 auto 4runner from Florida. Should i swap it for almost the same price as a hg job?

Gevo

I don't know to much about it, but a word of caution that I've been reading around here about swapping is that there are 'hidden' costs associtaed with the work other than just the purchase of the engine. With that said, I hear such great things about the 3.4 that I think it just may be worth it if you're willing to do the work.

JohnnyCanuck

Read this before you go ahead, it has some great information https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f160...-101-a-239002/ . For $1000 bucks, I'd do it for sure, make sure you get the electrical harness with it.

zanzabar0

Well right now im really short on funds after thinking i was done fixing up the truck since september and now this happening. A shop quoted me $1680 for a complete headgasket job and that will pretty much mean a brand new engine afterwards in a little over a week with everything thats been replaced recently.
It is my daily driver and only vehicle during winter (motorcycle in the spring/summer) and would like it back on the road as soon as possible but with this impending swap now, I could deal with waiting if it means having the 3.4 by the end of winter, it all depends on if a mechanic friend is willing to help/lead it. If he says ok then ill go for it and put whatever else i need to buy on the charge card and work my a** off and ITS a** off later. I would eventually do this swap when i was ready and financially ready and not caught off guard and unprepared for it so suddenly

So bottom line-
$1680 + alittle over a week= truck on the road with just about rebuilt 3.0 knowing what its been through
or
$3000?ish + at least a month, month and a half if things go well = truck back with 3.4 with 56k on it

HighLux

After reading the post I suggest you have the shop do the headgaskets.
You will have experienced guys get you back on the road. No super stress headgasket job for you to do. No swap nightmare.

If you had time and another car...would be a diy thing.

Seems like you need your wheels now more than anything.

Good luck. Pick a good shop. Be super nice to the mechanics.
Bring them donuts when you drop it off . Little stuff like that will
make them think kindly of you while they work on the bastard son of toyota 3.0 you blessed them with working on.

zanzabar0

yes haha bastard son indeed. if i had another vehicle i would definetaly swap it or buy the engine to have it when im ready to. the shop is owned by a guy my mother and uncle both went to school with and knows them (surprise but no surprise), ive never met him but they say hes a stand up guy and was highly recommended by the shop who did my timing belt, also a long time friend of my mothers side. Never thought of the donut trick before, maybe ill throw in some pizza too. thanks again for all the help and thoughts everyone

RAD4Runner

I prefer the simple, clean lines of the 2nd gen over the "swooshes" on the side of the 3rd gens, but too bad about the 3.0.

Speaking of bastards, bring them a case of double-bastard - LOL!

In background is steam from where they're making more of it

zanzabar0

Hey now that looks like some good stuff!
Well the 3.4 isnt going to happen, so the hg repair for $1680 is still in the air, and just the other day i noticed a '93 3.0 pickup for sale $1200 obo at a big auto garage. the frame and brake lines are rotted but he says it runs and drives great, 133k on it water pump and timing belt done at 124k but its an automatic. So im thinking if there happens to be coolant in the bottom end of my engine.... buy the truck, swap motors, which i know will take way less time then repairing the headgasket, for probably less than the repair job and part out or scrap the rest of the truck to bring back some funds.

Could I use alll the wiring and ecu from my 3.0 5 spd on the '93 3.0 from the auto?
and
Would it be worth swapping my motor with 117k knowing what ive put into it and how its been treated, granted if the bottom end and heads are fine, for one with 16k more miles and not knowing how the much time the headgaskets and internals have left?

zanzabar0

Just for some closure on this thread i ended up finding another 3.0 with 108k on it for $700 and put that in