well, i finally got the time to fix this.
(not so much the money yet, but i need advice)

- what other toyota's have the 3.0 engine ?
- what years (for my 88 4x4)


the issue i have is after i bought it, i noticed lots of coolant/stop additives in my coolant.

i replaced the radiator, heater core (pita), therm, etc, and cleaned all that coolant stop out.

then, one day, (while driving down hill) i got the white smoke.
drove to work, and drove home. on the way home, it overheated, i shutdown, and kept doing that till i got home.

its been parked since, (i have another 86 4x4 22r) that i use as a d.d.

so, i am planning on a engine swap.
unless there are other things i can do ?
- should i add more coolant stop, and possibly ruin my new radiator/heater core?>
- should i try and fix this eng, and tear it apart?>
- should i find a wrecked toyota and do the swap?>
- should i save up for a crate motor ?

i guess its the head gasket, and i really want a crate motor, but if i find a crashed toyota, what other cars should i look for?
or
is the 3.0 only in the 4x4s

sorry, i dont search well, when i do, i get too many posts, and get sidetracked, i did search, but if anyone has a link or title, that help would be appreciated (*as with all the other help i get).

 

You've got a blown headgasket(s). Sounds like it was a known and they were hiding it with stopleak. If it's been happening as long as it sounds the motor needs a complete rebuild and take it from someone who's been down this path, it's not worth it.


skip the 3.0 and go with the 3.4 from Tacos, Runners and even the first Tundras


search 3.4 swap

 

x2 blownhead gasket

 

see if its under the headgasket recall, if thats still available nowadays. but yea, definitley the head gasket.

 

No toyota's other than 88-95 trucks and 4runners and 93-95 T100s had the 3VZ-E. They came in 2WD versions of these trucks also, but they're a lot harder to find. I do know that 92-97 camrys had the 3VZ-FE, but the only things that are the same with both engines are the main bearings. And also, the 3VZ-FE is used on a FWD platform, so I don't think that it would swap in place of the 3VZ-E