A lot of guys who swap for the 5VZFE find that they can hardly give away their old 3VZE. I've heard that the same thing happens to people who try to part out their dead rusted out truck. I have seen people writing about this problem before, but can't find any right now. I'm taking a survey and want to do interviews of people with the predicament. If any of you know of somebody like this who I could talk to please let me know. -- Matt

 

I sold my 3.0 with a spun main for $100 with all the accessories taken off it. Then I threw a 3.4 in

 

I went and bought stock toyota wheels from a guy with good 31x10.5 on em. While I was there I asked if he had any other parts he said he had an auto tranny for sale I wasn't interested then he said I got that 3.0 its locked up, if you take it you can have it. He had a cherry picker so I was like sure. I kept the intake, exhaust, and throttle body cause it was already off should of pulled heads but didnt I just scrapped it. got 60 bucks had to go by the scrap yard anyways to get home so that was nice.

 

Yup, there seem to be more dead 3VZE motors than there are people who want to rebuild them. And I'm afraid that people really do throw them away sometimes. I scored a 22RE long block from a scrap metal guy for $15 a few days ago. I just bumped into him and glanced in the back of his truck and noticed it. I couldn't pass it up. Who knows when you might need one of those. ;-) -- Matt

 

I happen to have one sitting in a parts 89 parts 4runner sitting out front.

Repo

 

I am sure if there was any aftermarket support and build parts, people would keep them. Better heads, better intakes and better ecu's are needed and can't really be had reasonably, that's why people go 3.4 and 4.3.

 

I guess there are a lot of '89 4runners parts vehicles. I have one, but it's got a 22RE. Man I got a lot out of that rig. I've kept it for about 5 years. I just pull parts off it as needed. Converted my '84 to EFI with parts from it.

 

my 22re PU sold in 2 days; I don't know what you're talking about

 

Well of course. The 22R/E is an icon. It's the model "T" Ford of our day. I'm currently thinking about a project to make a 22r powered porable welder on a trailer.

 

Take pics of it.

 

Thanks for the encouragement. Don't hold your breath waiting for me to do it though; too much on my plate right now. I've got two 3vze's to rebuild. -- Matt

 

One of my friends up here has a 20R that he uses to power a planer.

 

That must be one heck of a planer! Try to get a picture or a video of it to post up here for us all to see. I am also looking at building a bandsaw lumber mill to turn logs into boards. A planer fits right into that scenario, except that most guys cut the logs into boards out in the field and bring the boards back to the shop for planing with conventional equipment. A good sized bandsaw lumber mill only needs about 25hp to operate well. Workable mills can be made that work with even less. It's too bad that the old air cooled VW Beetle engines are so scarce these days; 36hp - 50hp is just about right for a lot of projects, and they are dead simple. -- Matt

 

well jeesh, if someone wants to give away a 3vze motor, I'll take it...

 

anyone want mine? it's got 160k on it, orginal HG as far as I know runs good. plan on doing a swap this year. The more I work on this engine the closer I get to a 5vz... my 3.4 in my taco is a breeze to work on then I go to my runner and cringe when I crack the hood. took me 4 hours to change the pcv valve, had to unbolt the whole intake plenum to dig it out, the rubber grommet was welded in place over time; I hate this engine more every day...

there's a guy here in seattle/tacoma area that does 3.4 swaps for $2800, he also, coincidentally, sells and installs reconditioned 3vz engines for $1200, hmmmm.....

 

lol...I changed mine in about 5 min... I got a pair of long, 90* angled needle nose pliers, didnt have to mess with the plenum at all.... If you were a lil closer...I'd def take that motor off ya hands, but it would prolly cost more to ship it, than I could get another around here for....

 

I COULDANT find one. Took me 2 months to find a descent one.

 

The west coast, and Oregon and Washington in particular, are Toyota country. They had the first Toyota dealers and customers. That, plus Toyota bodies last a lot longer out there. I expect that I'll find a free 3vze any day now because the vehicles they came in are getting to be 20 years old, which around here means that the bodies and frames are rusted beyond repair. At which point people junk them because who want's to buy a twenty year old engine to put into a rusted heap. I'm thinking about starting a business salvaging drivetrains from rusted toyota 4x4's.

 

I had been trying to convince a local salvage yard to sell me a tired 3vze engine they had in a '94 4runner for $150- $200. They wouldn't do it. Instead they sent the 4runner to the crusher. Probably the difs and the tranny junked too. I guess it's hard to find good help to pull that stuff out. Easier to crush it. -- Matt

 

im in shreveport, will be when i get back from the desert, ill take a 3vze motor. they get a bad rap, but they CAN be a good motor. im looking for a motor to put together slowly. I have never built an engine and when i would get done with it i would put it in my runner and run with it.

My uncle has a 90 runner that has 300K on it and the head gasket was replaced right before the TSP was revoked. not because it had to but because it was free . over a 100K on the new HG and no problems. (but he doesnt beat it up either)

it is not a 22re and def. not my 4.0L v6 in my 09 taco but it is good for a daily driver/trail rig.

4runners are cheap to pick up with a "engine problem", "engine knock", "not running".
just have to know how to fix them or have the time/want to fix them.