I test drove a 93 with 110k the other day and all seemed well other than a bit of what I thought might be valve tap and the trannie seemed to shift rough, not real bad but noticable. It also didn't have much gusto off the line accelerationm unlike my buddies 99runner that shifted like a caddie. Is that normal or should I be wary about buying it for problems down the road? The drive just made me a bit sceptical on purchasing it....what do ya think. I also noticed a small drop of oil on the oil pan plug after the test drive, is that bad? I like this rig, but am a little wary.

 

Dont get to carried away comparing a 93 with a 99 .they are as differant as a model A & a GT40 ,try taking some other early 90's models for a spin,i took one with 70k kms for a drive the other day to compare it with mine,it was quieter & had a smoother shift but perfomance was about the same.it just conviced me of what i already knew,that i need my tranny flushed & serviced.
Happy hunting
But if i could have done things over again i would have either got a 3.0 diesel or a 3.4 model.now im stuck with what i got .

 

A 110K on a '93 makes it a baby. Barely broken in. My '94 also has the slightest valve tick. To be honest, if these is no valve noise from a solid lifter engine, the valves are probably too tight. So, if it's not excessive noise, it's probably normal.

The tranny shifting rough. The tranny's do shift 'firmly' not hard and for sure not like an American car. They are firmer than the 3rd generation also. This is hard one to to guess at without driving it. If you can drive a few others, you'll be able to better tell if it seems normal. Just be sure that you drive other 2nd generation trucks. But with only 110K on it, I can't believe the tranny would be bad. Probably needs a flushing, filter and new fluid though.

The drop of oil on the drain plug could be a couple things. One, it could be a bad gasket on the plug. Many times this doesn't get changed with the oil and filter (another good reason for using Toyota filters, they come with a new plug gasket). Or it could be a slight leak at rear main seal. A common problem with the 3.0.

And the lack of gusto off the line? Well, that is normal. As alot of people here refer to this engine as the 3.slow. It's well deserved. This is not a quick vehicle by anyones standard. A good tune-up and fuel filter change can sometimes improve the power a little, but it will never compare to the newer 4Runners. I don't even notice anymore. Though you get used to people behind you at lights suddenly swerving over to pass you 'cause you're so slow. Or is it just me? They are indicating my status as "number 1" as they pass, right?

 

Slow? My 4Runner? Try walkin'.
Personally, I prefer the '95's. Toyota managed to get the headgasket problem solved sometime that year...Can't say exactly when. If you can find a manual tranny, the slowness is more tolerable. But it's great out on the trails...

 

If you told us the price it would make it much easier to give you advice.

 

If 110k miles is only a baby then mine with 140k kms (75K miles) Hasnt been born yet.seafoam has helped to make things quieter,but the tranny is begging for a service.