Hey all! First time poster, be kind to me!

Looking to pick up a 92 SR5 4x4 automatic with 3VZ-E engine. Truck has 156k on the clock. It was originally a California car, was shipped over to Japan at some point and was recently brought back to the US. Truck has a few minor mods as well as 37 inch tires / 22 inch rims that were mounted along with like a 6 inch body lift.

I checked it out the other day but I'm wondering about a few things. The truck ran well and seemed to shift ok but didn't have much pickup. I hear these engines can be dogs, and with the 37s on there, maybe that's adding to the sluggish nature? It doesn't run rough or stutter or anything, just lacks acceleration. I was wondering if maybe the gearing was changed at some point or if it's just the large wheels / tires bringing down the power.

Also, the engine sounded smooth, but a little chattery underneath, couldn't tell where the noises was coming from. Should they be pretty quiet if they are healthy? Body and frame are super solid. A/C doesn't work either, button light comes on but no compressor action. What could I look for regarding that?

Any tips for me if I decide to check it out again in person before making a decision? Maybe have him throw on some normal wheels/tires to see what that feels like? Any signs to look for regarding a unhealthy engine / transmission? It's about 1hr 15 min from me so I'd like to be more thorough the next time I go.

Thanks!

 

Maybe slow because the differential gears were NOT changed to accommodate the 37's
Those tires would want 4.88 0r even lower ratio.gears to make a 3vz drivable. (higher numbers)

This truck is more than 30 years old and any decision you make should be a balance between purchase price and your commitment to repair and replace stuff long term.
Have you got the resources and skills to do substantial work yourself???

 

I'd think a 1992 with 37" tires would have horrible acceleration.
Not much you can do about the AC. You'll just have to assume it's flat from no freon in the system and it shut itself down. Most likely it'll need to be recharged, then inspected to see where it leaked out.
The engine was much smoother and quieter at idle than the 22R#. It didn't "chatter".

Maybe go by the local Toyota dealership and see if they have a Master Tech that's been there 20+ years(more common than you think) and see if they could do a buyer's inspection. Buyer's inspections aren't intended to diagnose a litany of problems. They simply point out items that need to be addressed or concerns you need to be made aware of. So, they should point out the AC isn't working, but they're not going to diagnose the cause unless you authorize an additional charge. But asking the tech if certain things you've noticed are normal for that engine(which is why you want the senior tech) should be fine.

37" tires and a 6" lift IN Japan. That's hysterical.

 

If you're looking for a project- that's one thing, if you're looking for a DD...I'd try looking newer. My only recommendation is figure out a plan for baseline maintenance ie: filters, brakes, oil, grounds, etc as then you will have a baseline of where the truck is. Also try to find a truck that all the mods needed already done- way cheaper, for example changing gears. NOT a fan of those autos.

 

Have you bought it?

 

Yes, along with friends to help me, I should be fine.

I know, usually everything in Japan is lowered. I brought my mechanic friend with me to have a 2nd look at it and he wasn't too worried abut the light chatter at the front of the engine, I plan on doing timing belt / water pump sooner than later for piece of mind anyway so we'll see what my local mechanic says about it then.

I'm not looking for either, it'll be a mix of utilitarian and as a 2nd vehicle. It's hard to find these trucks in good shape (body and frame wise) so almost no matter what mechanical issues arise, I'll deal with them. I'm in New England so vehicles around here get pretty rusty, and this thing has none.

I did, just haven't taken delivery of it yet.

 

If it were me, I'd have a compression test done on it. Of the three 3zve 4runners I've had, two went to the boneyard with failed headgaskets, and the third was killed by rust. The two with failed headgaskets were also too rusty to make the repair worthwhile.

 

You could consider a 5vz and r150 swap if you got the money and know how but I would still recommend changing the gears or going back down to almost stock tire size