Okay, so here's the deal: Bought my '94 from grandma (who roasted the engine twice) and will begin swapping motors this winter. But, I am quite fond of the 3VZ-E that's already in the wee truck. Though lots of people keep telling me "Don't do the 3VZ-E", "It's weak and SOHC", "Put something from an IS300 or Supra in" and although those engines have lots of potential, there is just something I prefer out of the 3VZ-E. So my question is would swapping identical motors be worth my time, or should I just go ahead and figure out something else to throw in? I don't want power (I am a sucker for fuel mileage on longer drives) and not too crazy about the idea of making it turbo. All comments are greatly appreciated!

 

3.4 swap is by far the easiest swaps. There is an entire section here devoted to it. And its by far a more reliable engine. Much easier to work on.

 

For starters, a 3-VZE doesn't exists. The engine in the IS300 and supras are the 2JZ. Their cool engines and have potential for insane amounts of power. The issue with them is they're hard to come by, they're expensive, and they're difficult to swap into these trucks. I you want an easy swap don't bother with a 2JZ. By far the easiest and arguably the least expensive swap is the 3.4 or 5VZ-FE. They bolt in with minmal effort. Most of the stock hoses work. The stock transmission will bolt right up. The 3.0 clutch components can all be used. The A/C is cake to make work. The hardest part is making the electrical and the exhaust work. If that intimidates you then there are a few businesses who make all the parts needed to make it work.

If you don't care for anymore power than what it has and don't really want to do a swap, then don't do it. A well built and well taken care of 3.0 is a very reliable engine. Most made it over 200k and many are over 300k. It doesn't matter what anybody says. Its very reliable. The thing that discredited it the most is the head gasket recall. Plenty of other Toyota gave head gasket issues too they just all didn't get a recall.

 

^^ Exactly this.

 

I had a typo earlier on engines lol, so my appoligies on that. I would like to keep the engine the same with what came with it. Don't get me wrong, the other engines are great, but it's very rare to just find a dead Supra or IS300 where I'm located. Not to mention, a generic early 90s Supra engine goes for a lot of money out here. With keeping the original engine type parts will be easier to obtain (4Runners and XtraCab models) and when they break down, I'll know how to work on them over time.

I know it's easier to just pick another engine, but I would love to keep things as original as possible. But on a side question... Would an automatic transmission pair up to a 3.4-litre and wouldn't parts be more expensive if the new engine was sourced from a Supra or IS?

 

trust me, after finishing a 3.4 swap, it really is the easiest to do. if you are going to spend money on a replacement 3VZ, then spend just a few more and do a 5VZ.

as for auto, if your truck is already an auto, then use an auto 5VZ ECU. i believe the trans are the same or really close

 

You will need to run a T-100 ecu from an early 3.4 equiped truck. You will also need to run an extra relay to control the L4 on your truck as the 3.4 vehicles didn't have a married Tcase to the transmission.