Bought my 1st 4runner 2 weeks ago, 1994 3.0 auto, 106K miles.
Thought I got a good deal at $3400 bucks. There is no rust, and it was meticulusly maintained.

Having some overheating problems:Heat blows hot, then gets cold while engine temp soars to overheat, will do this for a bit, then engine temp drops and heat comes back...Coolant level full
thermostat good...I know I do have a coolant leak somewhere near water pump.

I found these guys in my radiator and hope they are not part of the head gasket...they are about 2" long x 1" wide.
They look alot like the openings in each head, and also the opening
in what the chiltons manual calls the water outlet (connects to upper rad hose?) I am not real familiar with these engines, so having trouble identifing them right now...oh yea, HG replacement was done by dealer at 60,000 miles....thanks for any help!!!

 

It looks like to me that it is gasket compound!!
I could be wrong but thats what it looks like to me. You said that the dealer did the HG I cant see them using that crap there. But if that was the case than some more of that gasket maker could be lodged in your cooling system or blocking you water pump!
thats my best guess!

 

That is from where the upper hose hooks up to the engine on that 90* fitting. Where that fitting bolts up you have to use spooge and that is the excess from the inside of it.

 

Jasond
your right now i remember!! good call
but why does he have 2 of them ?????
when i did my engine i only remember one being there ??? or are they 2 pix of the same thing?

 

(2) pieces, that is a pic of both of them...
Yes, it looks like the upper radiator hose connection...
Also looks alot like a hole in the head gasket, which is about the same size.

Did they goop some extra sealant on when doing the HG?

 

I found one just like that on the top of my radiator. Jasond is right!! It came from upper water outlet above timing belt cover. It was excess silicone when they did the timing belt.

 

You can believe its the headgasket if you want.

Anytime that you need to take off that top cover of the t-belt, it has to be resealed. It is possible for that 90* to come off more than once in 106,000 miles

 

...trying not to believe its the headgasket...good point about the 90* cover
having to come off a few times in a 100K

Now running with no thermostat and the truck after a 1 mile drive goes to max on temp gage and I lose my heat...didnt continue to drive it this time, but other times, the temp gage would go back down and the heater would return....also hearing a clunking noise from "potentially" the water pump area....engine runs fine, revs fine, no stumble or loss of power......maybe water pump failing?...I am replacing the pump very soon.