Thanks to anyone that takes the time to read and help

So hooking up my rebuilt 3vze after it's been down for 8 months and I'm to the point where I'm ready to prime the motor with oil that's already been installed in the truck. I read the best and most efficient way to prime this motor is to turn it over with the starter while the fuel and spark are completely disconnected. So what I've done is to install the starter by connecting a positive lead to it with the battery grounded to the body(temporarily). I'm also not completely sure its correct because its the only thing i didn't get pictures of, but i have a BROWN plug that seems to come from the ignition plugged in the female plug of the starter. My problem comes in where I have all these things hooked up and I get just one click when i turn the key. So that tells me its 1 or more of 4 options:

A) the brown plug i have plugged in the starter is not the right one
B) there's more that needs to be hooked up before the starter will engage and spin the fly wheel
C) I need more than just a temporary body ground
D) the remanned starter is bad

 

If you have the big positive lead connected to the starter and the big negative lead connected (solidly) to any part of the engine, you're good.

But if you have a starter relay (very early ones didn't; you didn't give a year, and I'm not sure of the exact division line), then you need power to the relay to close it with the switch. So if you haven't connected battery positive to the fuse block, you're not getting anywhere.

But if your goal is to just turn the engine over w/o spark or fuel, don't mess with the ignition switch. Crimp a 1/4" female spade connector onto the end of a meter (3') of wire. Connect it to the solenoid terminal on the motor, and when you touch the other end to battery positive, the starter will spin.

 

Hey scope, is the 3vz significantly different than the 22re? In the 22re we just pull the EFI fuse to disable fuel, ignition and ECU.

 

Thanks for the advice scope. I have 91 which I believe doesn't have a relay.

Just so I'm clear though when you say solenoid terminal on the motor are you referring to the starter motor right?

 

Yes the starter motor has a male spade connector, this is the activation/energize signal for the solenoid.

Don't forget you need the high current ground lead connected to the engine block or there won't be enough current flow.

 

Correct, when I said "motor" I should have said starter motor.

I'm almost certain the '91s had the starter relay (Rad4runner has posted good descriptions of why the LACK of that relay in older 4runners has caused problems). BUT ... the relay has moved around a lot. Mine is in the Junction Block under the hood. Others have it in the junction block inside in the left kick panel. It's well labeled, if you care.

 

Thanks @scope103 and @Co_94_PU Was able to get the starter going and priming the motor. However, the starter was bad (tested at Oreillys a couple times) but the ground advice was needed because what I had the battery grounded to wasn't gonna be enough. Preciate it guys- it was a relief to hear that starter motor turn with not having the vehicle make any productive noise since Dec 2018 lol.

 

Glad you got it!