Swim

So here's the deal...

I picked up a 1994 4runner from a lady that got pretty worked over by a "mechanic" in town. He talked her into a "rebuild" because her car had 200K on the engine. She left it out there to get rebuilt, and all he did was tear it apart, let it sit for 14 weeks, and nothing else. She got mad, got the car back, bought a new car, and wanted this one to dissapear... I bought it for $400. This thing is CLEAN inside and out. No rust, no dents, flawless.

The Specs.... 1994 4runner, 3vze, 245,000 on the clock, 4x4, Auto.

Now the questions.

This is my 8th toyota that I've worked on so I'm pretty familiar with them, but the question is... What should I do here?

I was told nothing major was wrong with the engine by the owner. She has all the paperwork from every service she ever did on it (original owner,) it shows that lately there's been a decent size coolant leak and oil leak, but no trace on where it's coming from. There is fluid leaking out the rear diff fill cap, the front pinion seal, and somewhere around the auto trans. It also shows that when she got a smog test, her HC's were in the 4000 range... all of mine are in the 700's.

Option A - The most expensive option - Buy a new short block, reman the heads, re-install. That would ensure the engine is good to go another 100K. But I have never seen this thing run, so I don't know how the tranny/transfer/diffs are.

Option B - The least expensive option - Find the parts the ****ole mechanic she dealt with didn't include when she got the car back... valve covers, intake manifold, buy a new water pump, idler bearing, tensioner, etc, and see how the engine runs. Not just the engine, but also see how it drives, shifts, etc. If it "drives" fine, and I can trace down the leaks, I'll feel better about spending a boatload of money on rebuilding the engine.

Now, before anyone here mentions a 3.4L... Yes, I know I want one. I know it's about the same price. I live in Alaska, they are harder to come by than you would imagine, and eventually I'll find one... until then, I'd like something I can trust to get me around town. I can always use the 3.slow in another $100 4runner that has a knocking engine....(see previous posts of mine around here) So the 3.4L is out of the question.

What would you do in my situation?

JDS1992

Option B sounds like the better option..because if it also drives nice then you'll still have some money in order to find any leaks. and replace gaskets and seals

Nogarage

Option B. less money, more fun, and you get to know better what you got.

bryan89

idk man. it depends on what is missing to me. if you can come up with an exact list of everything that is missing, with prices, before you turn a single wrench and its still cheaper i might go that route.

i dont know about you, but i have had several projects where the "cheap" solution ends up nickel-and-dimeing you to death and it comes out to be about the same as just buying new.

plus with the short block, you get a warranty. you said this thing has had a serious water leak. well if she was running it around hot, she may have warped the head, and it will never stay cool then. or you could throw in having the head magna-fluxed into your "cheap" cost rebuild. but then, if its bad, you might have to get a new one anyways...so i don't know.

or, what if you get the whole thing back together, fix the leak, drive it for a week and then throw a rod? you are right back here in this situation again. you just have no idea what the motor was like before hand.

you said this is your eighth toyota...so you should have some pretty good experience with them. ultimately you will be the one to make the best call, cause the pile of parts is in front of you. but, if it were mine, i would be looking into another motor. at least that way you know what you have for SURE. and it will last you another 100k definitely.

.....rant off

Swim

Brian, I'm right there with you.
Missing parts are actually turning out to be not as bad as expected. The stripped out passenger side #4 cam bolt hole is one that's stumping me a bit. But other than that, I'm not all that concerned.

I'm going to slap it all back together and see what I'm dealing with. It's not my daily driver, so I don't mind having it down for a bit. However, while I'm driving it, I'll be building a new engine for it. No, not a 3.4.

Swim

Well.... then there was bad news.

I took option B. Got her all buttoned up.... compression was below 50 on all cylinders... DOH!

Ordering new 3vze.... It will be here in a week. Expect a fun build thread. I'm done dealing with an engine I have no history on. The thing is leaking like crazy from the rear main, front main, oil pan, etc. I'm doin it right.

What else should I look for when I have the engine out? Is there anything I should be doing with the tranny? I'm not normally an automatic guy, so I'm clueless in this area. What else is hard to get to while the engine is in that I should do while it's out?

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

3.4 swap would have been a better option.

:wabbit2:

Swim

I knew you were going to say that


However, you have no idea how hard it is to get one here.

MudHippy

I wouldn't have given up on it so easily. But I'm about a stubborn as an old billy goat, and about as willing to admit defeat as a Japanese soldier on Iwo Jima. I mean how much have you spent on parts so far to get it put back together? Sounds like it just needs a handful more to run properly. I'd guess pistons, rings, and a valve job would pretty much cover it(but you'd be smart to throw some new rod/main bearings on for less than $100 too, while you're in there). Only so many ways to lose compression, and warped heads are the last on the list that I'd suspect to be the cause of it. Could be that, but I highly doubt it. And oil leaks aren't any real reason to scrap an otherwise sound or serviceable motor. So how much would it be to replace the seals, pistons, rings, lower end bearings, and redo the valves plus the cost of the parts you've already invested in? Compared to how much that new engine is costing you plus the cost of the non-refundable parts you've already purchased.

I can't see how you're coming out ahead there. It's still gotta be cheaper to just finish repairing it vs. the price of an entire brand new engine and losing all the money on the parts you've already bought. Sure, it's half a dozen less headaches. But, no pain = no gain.


bryan89, I bet I know what that pic you're using for your avatar is. And I'll wager I'm one of the very few on this site who does. That's a counter shaft front bearing for an R150F transmission. No? That's right, it isn't(exactly). It's actually the counter shaft front bearing for an R154 transmission. But I'll assume since this isn't a Supra website that it's been installed in an R150F or an R151F. It's a perfect fit for all three, and would be an upgrade for the two 4WD versions. I've got one in my R150F too, and it's likely from the same source as that one also(RockAuto?). Oh...and BTW, you don't have your priorities in order when it comes to which of your vehicles should be driven daily and on the trail. The Pissan has NO aftermarket support, and therefor is SEVERELY limited for trail usage. The 4Runner would not only be more capable offroad stock, but could be 1000x more than the Pissan EVER could. But suit yourself, just letting you know ahead of time. Pissan offroad = laughing stock. Wondering why you never see them there? There's the reason!

waynesworld

Swim

Mud Hippy - No disagreement there. I will get around to rebuilding this block, I just have the available funds to replace it in the vehicle. The engine out of this one will be rebuilt and moved to a buddies 4runner that currently has no engine. There's a great shop in town that's giving me a heck of a deal on the engine with a quick turnaround time. The snow is here, just pulled the plane out of the water today, this thing needs to be running, otherwise..... no access to the cabin all winter