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This is going to be a long drawn out build as there will be a lot of different things I intend to do and share. Time, Money, Work Obligations, Children, Wife Needs and Recreational Ventures will all play factors in the delays of said build! BUT, with that being said I will try to stay committed to including any and all projects, hard ships, and accomplishments with my Runner with no Guarantee on how deep/detailed some areas will be to others. So to start this off... I have no Vehicle Mechanics background outside of common sense and general routine maintenance and will not claim to be a professional, I have experience turning wrenches and I like welding/fabrication.
My project I have had since 2016 is a 1992 Toyota 4runner 3.0 (SLOW) V6. Manual Tran with an odometer that hasn't worked from day 1 stuck on 198,500 miles. Up to this point with my vehicle I have done nothing to it myself but dump money in her to keep her running and it has all come to an end she is dead enough I am sick of kicking it down the road. Since purchase I have had the IFS rebuilt, 1 CV axle replaced, the fuel pump replaced, slave cylinder replaced, replaced fuel filter, new plugs/wires, new warn hubs, new rear end seals, replaced front gears to match rear 4.30 gears, and scored some 33x12.50 Maxxis bighorns from a wreck that were brand new for 200 bucks.
As of last week 3/18/19 I have been trying to tinker with my rig here and there and half the time wrenching one handed with a baby in the other arm
shout out to the fellow pops
. I decided I will start piling cash into a savings for a TOYONLYSWAP 3.4 plug and play and do the engine swap myself. This is something I have been wanting to do since I purchased the rig as well as something I want to prove to myself I can do. So after a total of probably an hour of wrench time since last week I have yanked out the radiator, fan, battery, and intake. I will be poking at it here and there until the engine bay is completely empty and then I intend on giving it a good scrub down and touch up whilst it waits for the engine to come in sometime this year. I will post a link to a YouTube video of my runner "pre purchase" the previous owner had up of it in the paint booth, then I will post some pics from a couple years ago in the drive way, and finally I will get some current pictures of tear down and we will continue on together from there. Hope you all enjoy the read, and we can all see if I learn something from here until whenever this thread dies, hell it could die right after I post this, right? HAH
Let my youngest son play around today took off belts, plug wires (just so he can be involved and do something). And unhooked alternator.. Today was just letting him be in it and he loved it! I think I got me a up and coming toyota enthusiast haha.
Keep him involved - you never know how far it will go.
My son and I built his first 4Runner (1992) when he was only 14, he turned just as many wrenches as I did and learned ALOT along the way. We did our first 3.4 swap on that old 4Runner almost 10 years ago and he drove it for apprx. 4 yrs and more than probably 75,000 miles. What a great project and great truck that was - he still misses it today (he totaled it in a bad rain storm a few years back.
My son still loves Toyota's and we are currently building another 4Runner (1990) with another 3.4 swap at this time.
Like I said, keep your kids involved if at all possible - your never regret it.
Bringing this post back from the dead!! So, as expected life has gotten in the way of my engine swap and it got put on the back burner...for several years . BUT things are happening now, I scored a full 3.4 swap out of a 2000 4Runner with 100k for 1500 bucks. I also have linked up with a buddy who has done this swap roughly 20 times as a side gig who is going to do the swap for me in relatively quick turnaround time. I dropped the 4Runner off 6/12/23 and will be picking it up 6/30/23. While the engine was out just for the sake of preventative maintenance he replaced the Water Pump, Timing Belt, Valve Cover Gaskets, Front/Rear Main Seals, Oil Pan gaskets, Scrubbed the Engine Bay and Engine with Purple Power. 4Runner will have fully functional Cruise, AC, and OBD II. I am more of a Fabricator and I have welded most of my life, so when I get the 4Runner back I will soon be building some extras. Looking to build a custom front and rear bumper, as well as some Rock Sliders. Will also eventually be Eliminating the IFS but that will be down the road. This 4Runner is my forever vehicle and with the Cost of these especially with the mods and how clean mine is, I will never sell it. So stoked to get this rig back and start my build process even more. Pictures of the swap coming soon!
So I got the 4Runner back last Friday, that was a hell of a drive to say the least. the engine is awesome and such an upgrade over the 3.0. I needed to get the front brakes replaced asap, every time I needed to brake the 4Runner would yank to the right real bad. So as of Monday all new front brakes, calipers, rotors, and wheel bearings all packed with fresh grease. I am having some kind of electrical issue that is from before I ever had the swap done. Almost every time I go to turn the ignition the rig clicks and is dead in the water, I end up needing to pop the hood, and have someone jiggle the Positive battery cable, and you can hear the relays clicking when the cable gets moved around, then I have to start it, sometimes it takes multiple attempts moving the cable just right to get it to turn over. I NEED HELP, is there anyone who has had this issue, or has any recommendations? ALSO the RPM guage is hit and miss it sometimes will function fine, then other times it is just not on.
Today I took the battery out, cleaned the battery terminals, cleaned the inside of the fuze box and put everything back together nice and tight. The 4Runner has fired up every time I have gotten in and tried so crossing my fingers I got this starting issue figured out. Slowly working through all of the kinks with this rig, she sure is fun to drive. Some of my plans in the future: Contemplating a foldable sleep platform/slide box for cargo area, ARB Compressor under the hood, ARB Air Locker in the rear, Roof Rack, Coastal Offroad Plate front and rear bumpers, Not sure if I want to SAS as the IFS is all brand new, or just do a new fresh Suspension Lift, tint windows, new sounds system, possibly a CB radio, might do the bottom rock panel and Rock Sliders in Raptor Liner and raptor line the bumpers to match. All fun stuff from here on out hopefully!!
So I had a guy do my swap portion for me, he had mentioned taking the cluster out during the process to get my Tach working. Wasn't until after that it started becoming intermittent. So like last night on my way to work, RPM was fine, hit a slight bump and the tach fell back to 0 and stayed there. I am thinking it is a loose connection or something grounding out??
So today my engine finally came to life! Since I got the 4runner back from having the swap done, it has run very rough and has had POOR fuel economy and throwing a handful of codes. I cleaned the MAF thoroughly, bought and installed the Upstream 02 sensor (that is the only one I have), and I covered up any possible Air Leaks. Reset the computer and BAM. Throttle Response is excellent throughout all the gears, and she is actually fun to drive now! after driving it around all day I am still getting a MAF Code, both 02 Sensor Codes, and 2 Codes for Manufacturer Control. Not sure if this is just something I have to live with, with this being a 3.4 Swapped 4Runner or what, but clearly my check engine light is not functioning as it has not once came on.
Update!! The Swap is quickly approaching its first oil change! In the morning I will be getting new shoes on her! General Grabber ATX 33x12.50R15. Been averaging 17mph mix town and hwy. The runner has been running solid and only getting better!
Although I've perused this forum for years (05 LC, '15 LX570, and now a 91 4Runner to toy with), I've finally created an account - and spurred for one reason: to commend you Backcountry8908 ! Kudos. I love the pictures of your boy in there wrenching with you, and I second Ride4fun's sentiment and story ('You'll never regret enjoying this time keeping the kids involved'). It goes so fast - I can tell you., and projects like these THEY'LL remember and appreciate later even more than you, if that seems possible. (and yes, I full-well understand the lack of time that goes along with these young family years; if of course you're doing it right...and sounds like you are given the elapsed time in your project .)
Hang in there, and I look forward to coming back and seeing your progress. (I might need to do the same 3.4 engine swap w/my 91 if I decide to keep it as a forever car; but I might find the vehicle is a little too small for us. (I recently got it; completely rust free-CA car looks mostly like a time capsule).)
Thanks for sharing your adventure (and I'm jealous of your welding skill; ...on my bucket list).
Keep slugging away Brother. The days are long but the years are short.
Although my family knows I am obsessed with my 4Runner, I am very pleased to say all my kids love it as well ha-ha. My family is too big for it as well I have 4 kids from 6-14, unfortunately it gets used not near as much for family excursions. I intend to teach all of my kids to drive in it though, I love having them involved with the projects. I appreciate you following along and the kind words of encouragement from you as well as Ride4fun. As for your 4Runner, I do not regret the swap at all, in fact I have owned 2 other Toyotas (87' Standard Cab with a 22R & 89' Extra Cab with the 3VZE) in my teen years and wished I would have kept them all as well, by now I would have a fleet of them for most of my kids!
Mar 27, 2019 | 04:08 AM
BackCountry's 92 Runner build
. BUT things are happening now, I scored a full 3.4 swap out of a 2000 4Runner with 100k for 1500 bucks. I also have linked up with a buddy who has done this swap roughly 20 times as a side gig who is going to do the swap for me in relatively quick turnaround time. I dropped the 4Runner off 6/12/23 and will be picking it up 6/30/23. While the engine was out just for the sake of preventative maintenance he replaced the Water Pump, Timing Belt, Valve Cover Gaskets, Front/Rear Main Seals, Oil Pan gaskets, Scrubbed the Engine Bay and Engine with Purple Power. 4Runner will have fully functional Cruise, AC, and OBD II. I am more of a Fabricator and I have welded most of my life, so when I get the 4Runner back I will soon be building some extras. Looking to build a custom front and rear bumper, as well as some Rock Sliders. Will also eventually be Eliminating the IFS but that will be down the road. This 4Runner is my forever vehicle and with the Cost of these especially with the mods and how clean mine is, I will never sell it. So stoked to get this rig back and start my build process even more. Pictures of the swap coming soon!
Since I got the 4runner back from having the swap done, it has run very rough and has had POOR fuel economy and throwing a handful of codes. I cleaned the MAF thoroughly, bought and installed the Upstream 02 sensor (that is the only one I have), and I covered up any possible Air Leaks. Reset the computer and BAM. Throttle Response is excellent throughout all the gears, and she is actually fun to drive now! after driving it around all day I am still getting a MAF Code, both 02 Sensor Codes, and 2 Codes for Manufacturer Control. Not sure if this is just something I have to live with, with this being a 3.4 Swapped 4Runner or what, but clearly my check engine light is not functioning as it has not once came on. 
.)
