96 4 runner may need oil pump, will I damage if I drive it?
 

Well, no one has really looked at my vehicle. From symptoms friends tell me they think it sounds like an oil pump. I live in a rural area and I say tow it and not do damage. My husband thinks it will be fine since it only acts up some of the time. Will this be costly for us? to get fixed if it is the oil pump? 96 4runner, 140 k, 3.4 L, 6cylinder. Thanks

lets see no oil in the engine means its gonna get expensive in a hurry i would replace it asap be alot cheaper than a new motor

What are the symptoms?

If it is the oil pump then you don't want to be driving it, an engine with a bad oil pump is like a body with a bad blood pump, neither will go very far. Replacing the oil pump is a fair bit of labour, I would guess in the $500 range. And as you have to remove the timing belt you may as well replace that, and probably the water pump too, if it's original.
What symptoms lead your friends to think it's the oil pump? has anyone actually put a pressure gauge on it and checked.

X2...why does it "only act up some of the time"? If it's a fluctuating oil pressure gauge, it could be low pressure, a bad sending unit or wiring. If it's an idiot light that comes on now and then, it could be a bad pump or wiring, as well.

Guessing at it is like throwing darts at a diagnosis.

yea.. no oil circulating.. means engine will die... kinda like heart failure in a human.

It started making a knocking noise when it started. I drove it about 25 miles, fine. When I got out of the store and took the kids to the drive threw the knocking became loud. I can not remember if I had the car in drive and it was idling or if it was in park. I immediately parked it and shut it off. I noticed that the oil seamed low. I added oil and drove home.(We have never had a drop of oil on the driveway and husband is really good at checking oil) The car ran fine with only a few knocks when I was at a light or going slow. I had my husband drive it and basically it turns over rough and when you are at a low idle. If you get it up to speed, it does not knock. After the test drive, it's been sitting in my drive way for 2 months. I now have about 500 dollars set aside trying to figure out what to do. We live in a new state and don't know a soul! We really need to get her back on the road!
Thanks for reading..hoping someone can help!

Btw-
We changed the timing belt and water pump just about 1 year ago/10k miles.