so what are some common problems? 3vze
05-10-2007, 10:15 PM
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Um common hum Are you new to Toyota's i can't think of one with the truck i have almost no experience with that v6 but it's Toyota
Oil leaks thought of one
O and trying to replace the Pcv valve PITA not really a problem just a PITA imo
Oil leaks thought of one
O and trying to replace the Pcv valve PITA not really a problem just a PITA imo
05-10-2007, 10:26 PM
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Well, if you take good care of it, you shouldn't really have any trouble.
As far as problems, the first I'll talk about is the engine. A V6 cannot inherently rev the same way as an inline 4. The 3VZ-E was made for extreme low end torque and pulling power (I mean "extreme" in a relative way), as compared with the 22R/22R-E, an oversquare engine design, state-of-the-art for its introduction in Japan in 1979. It (the 22R) was used in trucks and the US market Celica. (Japanese Celicas used the T series; but anyway, back on topic). The 22R/22R-E loves and almost lives to rev high. The 3VZ-E does not. That's not to say that it can't be wound up and revved hard on occasion, but you must treat it right, or it will not like it very much. A common problem for the uninitiated with these engines is blown head gaskets. If the truck is driven right and the engine is well taken care of, it shouldn't be a problem at all. Keep in mind that the 3VZ-E has been known to go for over 1 million miles with all original components in certain cases. It's a rock solid engine that unfortunately has a bad reputation from and with those individuals who do not have the ability or care to properly maintain it through correct driving habits and mechanical procedures such as oil changes and periodic coolant flushing.
Other less common problems include thrown rods and damaged bearings, but that can happen to any engine.
As for the drivetrain, it is built very strong and can take almost anything. But don't abuse that either; you can have clutch and gearbox troubles if you do. The main gearbox problem is worn bushings or a damaged/bent shifter fork mechanism from overly aggressive shifting. That shouldn't be a problem if you know how to use the synchromesh and drive a manual transmission. If you've got auto, I can't really help, because I don't know anything about Toyota automatic transmissions (all my Toyotas have been manuals, and probably always will be).
As for any other problems, ask someone who actually has one of these, like CoedNaked. He could help you out alot, I'm sure. So could anyone else who owns one. (I currently do not, although I'd like to buy a 2nd gen. SR5 V6 4Runner).
Hope that helps...
As far as problems, the first I'll talk about is the engine. A V6 cannot inherently rev the same way as an inline 4. The 3VZ-E was made for extreme low end torque and pulling power (I mean "extreme" in a relative way), as compared with the 22R/22R-E, an oversquare engine design, state-of-the-art for its introduction in Japan in 1979. It (the 22R) was used in trucks and the US market Celica. (Japanese Celicas used the T series; but anyway, back on topic). The 22R/22R-E loves and almost lives to rev high. The 3VZ-E does not. That's not to say that it can't be wound up and revved hard on occasion, but you must treat it right, or it will not like it very much. A common problem for the uninitiated with these engines is blown head gaskets. If the truck is driven right and the engine is well taken care of, it shouldn't be a problem at all. Keep in mind that the 3VZ-E has been known to go for over 1 million miles with all original components in certain cases. It's a rock solid engine that unfortunately has a bad reputation from and with those individuals who do not have the ability or care to properly maintain it through correct driving habits and mechanical procedures such as oil changes and periodic coolant flushing.
Other less common problems include thrown rods and damaged bearings, but that can happen to any engine.
As for the drivetrain, it is built very strong and can take almost anything. But don't abuse that either; you can have clutch and gearbox troubles if you do. The main gearbox problem is worn bushings or a damaged/bent shifter fork mechanism from overly aggressive shifting. That shouldn't be a problem if you know how to use the synchromesh and drive a manual transmission. If you've got auto, I can't really help, because I don't know anything about Toyota automatic transmissions (all my Toyotas have been manuals, and probably always will be).
As for any other problems, ask someone who actually has one of these, like CoedNaked. He could help you out alot, I'm sure. So could anyone else who owns one. (I currently do not, although I'd like to buy a 2nd gen. SR5 V6 4Runner).
Hope that helps...
05-10-2007, 10:31 PM
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Just keep up with REGULAR matanence!!! It hurts to see an engine get neglected!
Change your fluids regulary, tune up's every now and then will keep her happy.
Change your fluids regulary, tune up's every now and then will keep her happy.
05-10-2007, 11:08 PM
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Well, if you take good care of it, you shouldn't really have any trouble.
As far as problems, the first I'll talk about is the engine. A V6 cannot inherently rev the same way as an inline 4. The 3VZ-E was made for extreme low end torque and pulling power (I mean "extreme" in a relative way), as compared with the 22R/22R-E, an oversquare engine design, state-of-the-art for its introduction in Japan in 1979. It (the 22R) was used in trucks and the US market Celica. (Japanese Celicas used the T series; but anyway, back on topic). The 22R/22R-E loves and almost lives to rev high. The 3VZ-E does not. That's not to say that it can't be wound up and revved hard on occasion, but you must treat it right, or it will not like it very much. A common problem for the uninitiated with these engines is blown head gaskets. If the truck is driven right and the engine is well taken care of, it shouldn't be a problem at all. Keep in mind that the 3VZ-E has been known to go for over 1 million miles with all original components in certain cases. It's a rock solid engine that unfortunately has a bad reputation from and with those individuals who do not have the ability or care to properly maintain it through correct driving habits and mechanical procedures such as oil changes and periodic coolant flushing.
Other less common problems include thrown rods and damaged bearings, but that can happen to any engine.
As for the drivetrain, it is built very strong and can take almost anything. But don't abuse that either; you can have clutch and gearbox troubles if you do. The main gearbox problem is worn bushings or a damaged/bent shifter fork mechanism from overly aggressive shifting. That shouldn't be a problem if you know how to use the synchromesh and drive a manual transmission. If you've got auto, I can't really help, because I don't know anything about Toyota automatic transmissions (all my Toyotas have been manuals, and probably always will be).
As for any other problems, ask someone who actually has one of these, like CoedNaked. He could help you out alot, I'm sure. So could anyone else who owns one. (I currently do not, although I'd like to buy a 2nd gen. SR5 V6 4Runner).
Hope that helps...
As far as problems, the first I'll talk about is the engine. A V6 cannot inherently rev the same way as an inline 4. The 3VZ-E was made for extreme low end torque and pulling power (I mean "extreme" in a relative way), as compared with the 22R/22R-E, an oversquare engine design, state-of-the-art for its introduction in Japan in 1979. It (the 22R) was used in trucks and the US market Celica. (Japanese Celicas used the T series; but anyway, back on topic). The 22R/22R-E loves and almost lives to rev high. The 3VZ-E does not. That's not to say that it can't be wound up and revved hard on occasion, but you must treat it right, or it will not like it very much. A common problem for the uninitiated with these engines is blown head gaskets. If the truck is driven right and the engine is well taken care of, it shouldn't be a problem at all. Keep in mind that the 3VZ-E has been known to go for over 1 million miles with all original components in certain cases. It's a rock solid engine that unfortunately has a bad reputation from and with those individuals who do not have the ability or care to properly maintain it through correct driving habits and mechanical procedures such as oil changes and periodic coolant flushing.
Other less common problems include thrown rods and damaged bearings, but that can happen to any engine.
As for the drivetrain, it is built very strong and can take almost anything. But don't abuse that either; you can have clutch and gearbox troubles if you do. The main gearbox problem is worn bushings or a damaged/bent shifter fork mechanism from overly aggressive shifting. That shouldn't be a problem if you know how to use the synchromesh and drive a manual transmission. If you've got auto, I can't really help, because I don't know anything about Toyota automatic transmissions (all my Toyotas have been manuals, and probably always will be).
As for any other problems, ask someone who actually has one of these, like CoedNaked. He could help you out alot, I'm sure. So could anyone else who owns one. (I currently do not, although I'd like to buy a 2nd gen. SR5 V6 4Runner).
Hope that helps...
3VZ's are IMO an underrated engine with a bad reputation (like pitbulls). They are extremely reliable and even though they are prone to head gasket problems it is something that I don't really think you should be concerned with, especially if you do the work yourself. Invest in a set of headers to keep the temperature down on the #6 cyl. The crossover pipe was a dumb idea. Another common problem is the coolant temp sensor. I wouldn't really be concerned with thart either. I work on cars for a living and 3VZFE's dont break as much as one would have you believe. They are reliable. When I spent 2 years in the Toyota T-TEN program, one of the assignments was to tear apart and completely rebuild a 3VZ and I'll admit that I was a little intimidated at first. I was a non believer in the 3.0 and honestly I hated the engine, but the truth is that it is not a bad engine at all. This thread will most likely turn into a pissing contest and a 22R/RE vs. 3VZ thread. Get the 3VZ and learn to work on it. I do however, perfer the 22RE to a 3VZ. The 3VZ is a good engine though.
05-11-2007, 03:00 AM
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If you have the manual transmission, the very first thing you should do is replace the shifter bushing under the gearshift lever. If you have the automatic, I feel for you on your fuel mileage! The auto makes this engine a DOG. If I had replaced my bushing when I bought my truck with 92,000 miles on it, I could have avoided a $1200 transmission bill (eventually destroyed first gear by popping out of gear on takeoffs).
The second thing I would recommend is replacing your O2 sensor. They usually don't kick off the check engine light unless completely dead and they're the source of bad fuel mileage when they get a lot of miles on them. www.sparkplugs.com is a good source for quality NGK plugs & O2 sensors. DO NOT buy Bosch products for these engines.
The third thing I'd recommend is replacing all your oils including engine, differentials, transmission, & transfer case (4x4, right?) & replacing with a quality synthetic (redline, mobil one, amsoil, etc.). I'm in the process of a complete engine rebuild & using synthetic oil IMHO is responsible for my engine having 218,000 miles on it and NO discernable wear on the cylinder walls--see this link for details: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116/crap-head-gasket-giving-up-ghost-108156/
I'd also recommend you print a copy of the FSM (Factory Service Manual), even if you do no work yourself, it helps to have it handy for mechanics if you drop your truck off somewhere for service. You can find one posted online for a 1993 located here: http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...fsm/index.html
Like Yota82 said; this thread will probably turn into a pissing contest by 3.0 haters, but gather what you will from it and make your own decisions. This forum & www.toyotanation.com are great resources for information. Before you do ANYTHING with your truck, always search here first because I guarantee you somebody here has experienced your problem & can most likely save you some time, money and/or heartache in advance.
Good Luck & welcome!
The second thing I would recommend is replacing your O2 sensor. They usually don't kick off the check engine light unless completely dead and they're the source of bad fuel mileage when they get a lot of miles on them. www.sparkplugs.com is a good source for quality NGK plugs & O2 sensors. DO NOT buy Bosch products for these engines.
The third thing I'd recommend is replacing all your oils including engine, differentials, transmission, & transfer case (4x4, right?) & replacing with a quality synthetic (redline, mobil one, amsoil, etc.). I'm in the process of a complete engine rebuild & using synthetic oil IMHO is responsible for my engine having 218,000 miles on it and NO discernable wear on the cylinder walls--see this link for details: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116/crap-head-gasket-giving-up-ghost-108156/
I'd also recommend you print a copy of the FSM (Factory Service Manual), even if you do no work yourself, it helps to have it handy for mechanics if you drop your truck off somewhere for service. You can find one posted online for a 1993 located here: http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...fsm/index.html
Like Yota82 said; this thread will probably turn into a pissing contest by 3.0 haters, but gather what you will from it and make your own decisions. This forum & www.toyotanation.com are great resources for information. Before you do ANYTHING with your truck, always search here first because I guarantee you somebody here has experienced your problem & can most likely save you some time, money and/or heartache in advance.
Good Luck & welcome!
Last edited by TNRabbit; 05-11-2007 at 05:47 PM.
05-11-2007, 12:52 PM
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Thanks for the info guys, I have had my 94 for about a 18 months now and have chnaged all the fluids and all tha stuff religiously. I wanted to get some info and I did thanks. I do have the AT and wish it wasn't but ohh well. The engine runs good with the exception of this miss I just pickes up the other day after I cleaned my plugs. It has to eb something I did because it was fine and then poof it gets a miss. I want to get a set of headers and do a new exhaust back but how much is that gonna run me? I don't want to put too much into the truck as it is ungly right now from rust, both front fenders ate rusting and so is the bed along the wheel wells. Know any good places for a reasonable bed and fenders?
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05-11-2007, 12:59 PM
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Thanks for the info guys, I have had my 94 for about a 18 months now and have chnaged all the fluids and all tha stuff religiously. I wanted to get some info and I did thanks. I do have the AT and wish it wasn't but ohh well. The engine runs good with the exception of this miss I just pickes up the other day after I cleaned my plugs. It has to eb something I did because it was fine and then poof it gets a miss. I want to get a set of headers and do a new exhaust back but how much is that gonna run me? I don't want to put too much into the truck as it is ungly right now from rust, both front fenders ate rusting and so is the bed along the wheel wells. Know any good places for a reasonable bed and fenders?
05-11-2007, 02:09 PM
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The airbox mod does squat beside make your intake louder & air filter dirtier. These engines don't pull enough air to justify changing the airbox. Have you seen the size of the throat on the VAFM? It's tiny. Until that is made bigger (gigantic project), no other change is going to make it breathe any better. I'll probably get flamed for saying that, but that's my opinion.
05-11-2007, 05:24 PM
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While out wheelin with a few other 3vz today, I was informed of a quick little, non permanent airbox mod. You can reemove the main intake point, right behind the light. It'll give you a wide open port and a "less restrictive" flow. The guys that had done said it wasn't a kick in the pants, but there was a little difference. They were all SAS'd 2nd and 3rd gen runners with 35+ tires. I've got a stock 92 Xcab. Don't know if I'll do that mod yet.
Oh, and so far my 3.0 has been great. I can crawl at basically idle, in 4hi, and still pull out of it with not too much work.
Oh, and so far my 3.0 has been great. I can crawl at basically idle, in 4hi, and still pull out of it with not too much work.
Last edited by KevinInSac; 05-11-2007 at 05:25 PM.
05-11-2007, 05:41 PM
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nice, I like my truck and the engine so far has been great with the exception of my recent problem. If the extra air is worth it I might give it a try. I just don't wat to do any harm to anything.
05-11-2007, 05:49 PM
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You may have knocked loose a vacuum hose when you did your spark plugs. Use an UNLIT propane/MAPP gas torch and go around the vacuum lines with the engine running; if it idles up, you have a leak there.
05-11-2007, 06:06 PM
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Well the mod I mentioned won't harm anything at all, is free and only takes about 1hr time. If you don't like it, put the thing back the way it was. No harm, no foul.
05-27-2007, 08:16 PM
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On headers, I bought a pair from downey offroad for $450, had a friend install them for $100, and paid $600 to have an exhaust shop install dual exhaust from the headers with flowmaster 40 series mufflers and cats. If you wish I'll put up pics of what the completed job looks like. $1200 is about what I spent to get a really sweet setup. Much less restriction making for better gas mileage, power increase, and longer engine life is the result.
09-11-2007, 09:15 PM
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Sorry to dig up an old thread, but........ Shifter bushing? Headers?
Like the title says, sorry, but I'd rather ask this question here instead of starting another thread, and in case anyone in wondering: yes I did a search, here and every other Toyota forum I can find
TNRabbit, you suggested replacing the shifter bushing under the shifter, was this very hard to do (I know that is kind of a relative question, sorry) I've looked through the FSM and can't seem to find anything on it, I know that LCE makes a short-throw shifter kit for the 3.0 5spd (R150F), but the instructions on the site are kinda vauge. Do you think that a short-throw shifter would help or hurt? just looking for an opinion. I've had the transmission pop out of first on launches maybe twice in the last year, and I think that it probably wasn't fully in gear before I let the cluch out.
Headers? Headers? Headers?
I've heard (read) plenty of people saying they will help open the engine up, and possibly help with the faulty engineering of the stock system that causes HG problems.
Who do you guys recommend brand-wise? Do you think that yotatech would ban someone who started a poll about headers on a truck that hasn't been manufactured in 13 years?
Tips and tricks for the header or shifter bushing or to just keep the 3.0 alive and well? (other than "do a 3.4 swap" or "sell your truck" Right now it makes more sense to get headers and other stuff to keep my engine running, and running well, it's only got 130k miles)
Thanks for any info anyone feels like mentioning
TNRabbit, you suggested replacing the shifter bushing under the shifter, was this very hard to do (I know that is kind of a relative question, sorry) I've looked through the FSM and can't seem to find anything on it, I know that LCE makes a short-throw shifter kit for the 3.0 5spd (R150F), but the instructions on the site are kinda vauge. Do you think that a short-throw shifter would help or hurt? just looking for an opinion. I've had the transmission pop out of first on launches maybe twice in the last year, and I think that it probably wasn't fully in gear before I let the cluch out.
Headers? Headers? Headers?
I've heard (read) plenty of people saying they will help open the engine up, and possibly help with the faulty engineering of the stock system that causes HG problems.
Who do you guys recommend brand-wise? Do you think that yotatech would ban someone who started a poll about headers on a truck that hasn't been manufactured in 13 years?
Tips and tricks for the header or shifter bushing or to just keep the 3.0 alive and well? (other than "do a 3.4 swap" or "sell your truck" Right now it makes more sense to get headers and other stuff to keep my engine running, and running well, it's only got 130k miles)
Thanks for any info anyone feels like mentioning
Last edited by b.miller123; 09-11-2007 at 09:21 PM.
09-11-2007, 11:41 PM
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The shifter bushing is VERY easy to do; the toughest part is getting the carpet stretched out enough to get at the screws that hold the boot on! Do a search on here for "shifter bushing" and you should find MORE than enough posts which detail this very easy and cheap install. I recommend www.marlincrawler.com for a much better than OEM replacement bushing.
