dannie

Haven't been to this forum in about 18 months, because I sold my T100, but I do still have a 2001 4runner Limited with the 3.4. My reason for posting today was to see if anyone out there has even come close to what happened to me last week.
This 4runner only has 126k miles and has always had Mobil 1 oil in it since new. I did purchase it 3.5 years ago from the original owner when it had 74k miles, and all he had ever used was Mobil 1. One the way home last Thursday from a 300 mile trip to the Florida panhandle my engine came apart on the highway. I had just changed the oil a couple of weeks before the trip, like I always do before a long trip, checked all the fluids etc. This did have the timing belt changed @ 100k and all other maintenance was up to date. This is my wife's car so I keep everything up so I do not worry about her. With just 20 miles to go before we got home I stepped on the gas to merge onto the highway when "BANG!" a loud noise and smoke poring out the rear. I put the car in neutral and coasted to the side of the highway and called the wrecker. While waiting on the wrecker I began trying to figure out what happened. There was oil all over the drivers side of the engine bay near the oil filter. I thought maybe the filter split or something. I use Fram extra guard filters, but it was intact. Upon further review I noticed a 1" hole in the oil pan and what looked liked a rod cap sticking out (didn't think to take a picture). After spending all day Friday trying to decide which way to go on an engine replacement, and talking to every Toyota service writer, mechanic, even Toyota corporate (lotta help they were), I decided to go with a JDM replacement engine from an engine specialist here in the Atlanta area. I worried about some of the things I had read about JDM, but this guy has been dealing with the same people in Japan for 15 years, plus he gave a 12 month 12k mile warranty. I have racked my brain trying to figure out why this happened, because I thought these were pretty much bullet proof?
It did come to me yesterday morning while sitting on my favorite meditating spot in the bathroom that the only thing I have done different on the car in the 3.5 years I've owned it, was when I changed the oil this time I added a half can of Sea Foam. I had read some good things about it and I work with someone who likes it, so I thought I would try it. I put half a can in the crankcase when I changed the oil and the other half in the gas tank. Has anyone else ever heard of this? I do have the engine specialist looking over the engine to see if he can determine what happened, and I may ask for the engine back since it is basically a boat anchor now to go through it myself. I also fired off an email yesterday to Sea Foam to see what they may say. I don't think I was running the engine to hard, the temp never came above the 1/3rd mark all the way home, but I did average 70 -75 mph all the way home. We did stop a couple of times for lunch and gas. Sorry this is so long, just wanted to get all the information out there. Anyone ever here of anything like this happening?

CJM

You do realize your supposed to flush the oil out of the crankcase after like 20 miles when using seafoam-right? It is entirely possible the seafoam dislodged something and that was that.

Also fram=RUN AWAY ABSOLUTE JUNK!

I have over 200k on on my T100 3.4, she barely burns some oil and I have a small valve cover leak and rear main leak. Always used mobil clean 5000 but switched to rotella 15w-40 b/c I had an extra jug laying around, since then it has burned less oil (before was about a qt every 5k).

DeathCougar

iTrader: (23)

Only two problems I see are right here; Fram sucks, but I am not sure it would have caused engine failure unless the element inside broke up.

Seafoam, same thing. Doubt it specifically caused engine failure, but it may have contributed.

Very odd indeed, I would take the filter apart and see if anything is out of place, as well as taking the engine apart and check the passages to check for blockage.

I assume the oil light never came on?

2010nctaco

I agree with cjm. I've always heard to only go a short distance with sea foam to clean the engine out. The sea foam makes your oil thinner and that's probably what happened, oil thinned and friction killed the motor.

dannie

If not Fram then who? On Seafoam's website they say you can use the seafoam as an oil treatment after change like I did, but you need to change it after 3k miles.

combatcarl

It's titled as a 22R filter shootout, but the info will apply to you. I'd say the seafoam knocked stuff loose, plugged the fram, opened the bypass or destroyed the filter media, plugged an oil passage/galley, and trashed a main/con rod. Just a guess.
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...ot-out-248054/

Sent from my NSA screened iPhone using YotaTech

Kiroshu

Yea I mean the 3.4(5VZE) is a super solid engine an easy 300-400k miles with no issues on these engines.

If then engine had received regular oil changes through out its life span especially if it was always synthetic... then the use of sea foam was probably not needed.

I never add any after market items to engines. I have multiple trucks with hundreds of thousands of miles on them... all the engine crank case needs is oil and filter changes regularly.

It could be a rare case of coincidental engine failure but I suspect foul play... VIA the sea foam as others are saying my have moved some extra debris around or possibly made its way between one of the rod bearings and vaporized causing a split moment of bearing weld... damaging the engine.

RattleAKAK

iTrader: (1)

I think half a can of Seafoam is possibly enough to lower the viscosity of the oil enough to starve a bearing on a sustained trip. Seafoam is added right before an oil change, not to add and forget about after an oil change IMHO. I know is can be added post service, but I think this is a huge risk as seen by your results

Terrys87

iTrader: (1)

Your basic tune up kit is priced reasonable at your local dealer, or atleast my local dealer anyways. I get my filters from the dealer. They may cost at the most a dollar more then the parts store. I get my plugs also at the dealer.