Hi. I have a dead 94 4runner SR5 4wd 3.0 V6. I loved that truck, bought it new in 95 and drove it all over the west. Everywhere I could and some places I couldn't. For about 285,000 miles.

Last summer my college student borrowed it for a couple months, and well, forgot to check the oil thingy and the engine seized. I'm sad. Now I have to decide what to do.

Is it worth the expense of replacing the motor? I'm not capable of doing the work and a local garage quoted me about $6000 to buy and install a rebuilt engine. ($2800 or so for the motor and and another $3k for the labor). AC would run another $2k.

My question is whether or not you would go to the expense of repairing a favorite vehicle or would you move on.

Any suggestions here?
Thanks,
John

 

Hmm, you " forgot to check the oil thingy and the engine seized"? I hate to grill you; but I hope you have learnt your lesson, John. You should add your location to your profile so we know approximately where you are.

If the rest of the 4Runner is in good shape, its definitely worth it to get the engine replaced: the 4Runner is an excellent vehicle not to mention the fact that you seemed to like it. 6K seems a bit high, though.

Good luck.

 

walk away and get a newer 4runner

 

Yep. I know enough about vehicle maintnance to check the 'oil thingy'. But now my college student is very aware of vehicle maintenance as well.
Thanks

 

I can't imagine that yours is a 6K job. I'd make a few more phone calls and see if anyone could give you a cheaper price. I have to imagine that there are garages that are aching for work right now.

Any interest in putting in a used motor, or do you prefer newly rebuilt? That would lower the cost, obviously, but brings up a ton of potential negatives. It's pretty hard to justify putting even 3K into a vehicle with 285,000 miles. For that to be a possibility for me, I would need to know that all other major vehicle systems were in good working order.

Good luck with this one. It can't be easy...

 

3.4 swap drive forever.

:wabbit2:

 

Wow !! $6000 thats way to much .. then another $2000 for the a/c.. man these guys are really trying to rip you off.

around here (san Jose California ) a good rebuilt with warranty goes for $1500 then another $500 to $1000 to install it with the A/C ..

if you cant get it done for way cheaper than that then $6000 can get you a 3rd gen with the 3.4 and none of the headaches of swapping .

pass and start looking for the way better 3rd gen .. without the 285,000

good luck !!

 

I would be happy with a decent used motor. The age of the vehicle does not warrant a newly rebuilt motor. But in the event I do that, put in a good motor, am I running the risk of needing a new transmission subsequent to the new motor. I love getting away from everyone on a good 4wd trail and would hate to have a transmission failure in so remote location.

 

Go but a good set of tools and a used motor. Start a thread we will walk you thru the rest. How far is McKinney from College Station?

 

I'm just north of Dallas. I'd guess about 3 hours and 1 motor away. (my boy is an aggie!)

 

I found a used 3.4 with harness for about $1,000. What would be a reasonable cost expectation for installation?

 

Cost to install could vary alot. Is your runner auto or manual? Is the donor auto or manual? The harness and ECU are different, you should be sure to get the ECU and a few other things from the donor.

 

Mine is a 5 speed manual with 4wd. Do I need to ask more questions of the donor then? It's comign from a shop not too far from where I am, (just north of Dallas).

What all do I need to ask about? I was thnking a motor is a motor. Is there a difference between automatic and manual transmission when it come to the motor? Or is just the harness> What is the ECU you speak about?

I've never replaced a motor before. My theory has usually been along the lines of 'if the transmision goes out, it nothing a new owner won't solve'.

John

 

The motor is the same, only difference is in the wiring and ECU. Every modern fuel injected engine runs off of a computer, or Electronic Control Unit - ECU for short. The one in your 4runner is behind the passenger side kick panel. You need to know what year the 3.4 donor veichle is, and you need the ECU that goes with it along with the emissions stuff and air box. Being that your trans is a manual, that makes thing easy, but if the donor came from an auto trans the wiring will be alittle more complex to adapt with out a check engine light.

 

if u are keeping ur truck as a manual then u wont need the ecu thats only if u are going from auto to maunal or vs.. the harness in ur truck should be just fine and will work u just have to pull the top of the intake it get all the wires off before u pull the motor. make sure u take lots of pics of where vacuum lines go and if posible number them, as it is out get a new clutch and replace that, also look at the motor u are getting and see how old the timing belt looks and seals, something they might have an oil leak and they will just pressure wash it off and clean it up and u wont know tell u have it running. someone might have some other things but i cant think of anything else as of right now.


oops i didnt see that u are going to a 3.4 in that case u will need the wireing and ecu.

 

Okay, so I need the motor, the wiring harness, the ECU, maybe do the clutch, probably do the water pump. What am I missing?

Find a local shop to do the work? I can't lift the engine out and am pretty daft about auto repair. I can replace a few basic parts, but I think this might be beyond my skill set, and probably (likely) beyond my tool sets. I can do most things with home improvement with the tools I have, but am not strong in automotive tools.

Anybody have any recommendations in the DFW area? Shade tree mechanics??

Also, when the truck was working previously, I had one annoying problem.... sometimes, not often, usually on flat ground or uphill stops, not downhill stops, as I release the clutch, lighten the load on the gas, (I don't do power startups from stoplights or stopsigns unless necessary), the darn things pops out of gear with a very noticible thmp. It feels like something dropped out, probably because it is unexpected. If I hold the stick in gear, everything is fine.

Is there a bushing for the stick that could be wornout? It's been likek this for 10 years, so it's not new. I just thought if there was a solution this would be the time to address it.

Thanks for all the advice!!!
John

 

theres a shifter bushing on these trucks. at 285 miles its prolly woorn right out

 

Is that a complicated change out?

 

You need someone in your area who has done a 3.4 swap and not just any Joe blow mechanic. This is a specific swap with lots of idiosyncrasies, see 3.4 swap forum, that is not hard, but not for a non Toyota mechanic IMO.

Surely someone in DFW has done a 3.4 swap. Might try posting on TX TTORA forum and asking in our 3.4 forum.

Or road trip to Alabama.

:wabbit2:

 

I got a receipt for a 3.0 3vze liter v6 for around $1250 with around 50000 miles on it that was put in my truck before I bought it.