MojaveMadMan

Hello all. Think this is my first post here?! I am active on a lot of other Toyota sites but haven't made it here yet. But that changes today!

I have a 97 4Runner and I am looking for some advice on what to do. Currently my 4Runner just seems to be slowly dying. I had an overheat about a month ago. Afterward I replaced the radiator and thermostat. I also checked oil for coolant and did a compression test. I'll post those results below. Along with that stuff I have noticed my valve covers have started leaking and now I get to enjoy the sweet smell of burning oil. I drove a friends 4Runner the other day which is basically a clone of mine and it seemed easily 20% better on all accounts. Faster, ran smoother, better acceleration... I am very included with Toyotas having owned them for the last 18 years. I am a fabricator and I know a ton about suspension and I'm not afraid to take on big projects. But I am just not am engine guy. I can do a swap, follow a torque pattern, turn wrenches but I don't have the hands on knowledge of trouble shooting or rebuilding.

So I was talking about this another place and I have a couple ideas. I thinking I may need to have the heads rebuilt, do a timing belt, and that may be the issue. The other is that I should just rebuild the whole engine and be done with it... What do you guys think?

Also what kind of thoughts do you have on this?

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/pts/4995749088.html

The guy is an engine builder from a high end Porshe shop http://pmciinc.com in Albuquerque. He said for $1200 he would build it into a long block short of timing belt/water pump/oil pan. But from talking to him he seems to be a smart guy who replaced everything that needs to be and churched it up a little bit. Going to the shop to see it Saturday, anything I can do to make sure it's legit?

Thanks in advance for all the help!!!!

Compression:
5 = 145 6 = 150
3 = 140 4 = 135
1 = 153 2 = 148

vasinvictor

iTrader: (3)

First of all this is really the wrong sub to have posted this. You need to post it in the 95.5-2004 section to get more help. Second- I doubt there's much wrong with your current motor. They're damn near bullet proof. What maintenance items have you give it? Give is some new dual electrode copper plugs, Denso or NGK wires, clean the TB and MAF wire, unplug the negative terminal for 5 mins and then go for a drive. Valve cover gaskets aren't too bad to replace once you pull the plenum. Was the throttle wide open when you did compression test. Those are a little low but uniform and should run fine. Sorry my thoughts are scattered and in no particular order.