is it time for a new motor/trans?

[troyboy162]

heres where I'm at:

-I will be keeping the truck for the next ten years. I'm too far in to jump ship now and it just plain works
-The engine/trans/transfer case are at 230k
-The engine has a problem in the head where one of the cam journals is destroyed. Its a outer one and not that important but this will not be the engine that goes 400k miles without issue.
-I'm pretty sure engine power is down from 6 years ago. Could be as easy as a o2 or it could be as crazy as valve clearances.
-I priced a complete install of engine and trans at 3k awhile ago part and labor. Thats not bad depending on how refreshed the engine is.
-also no interest in swap to manual at this time so that works in my favor

I have a chance at work where dropping the truck off for a few weeks wont be to hard so I've been contemplating getting this taken care of. I have been driving the truck for two years knowing the head is not perfect. I assume the engine will give notice before its going to have a real problem, but the cam issue is kinda a wild card since I have never heard of that before.

I have a couple questions for the group:
-Whos got the best rep for engine changes in socal? California mini-truck quoted 3k, but if yotamasters does a better job for 3.5k...then I'd be very interested in that. A big job like this is likely to have issues and I would not be interested in tracking down small gremlins for months to follow.
- should I be sourcing my engine on my own? I assume a installer would go the same avenues as me, but if they simply dont have the same time as me to find the "perfect" motor...then Ive got plenty of time to source my own. Granted I have zero knowledge on what to look for other then low mileage. With the 3.4l I would figure raw low mileage is not the first factor to look at.
-And out of left field...Anyone heard of shops putting in alternative engines? I've found places that will sway diesel engines but 15k later you have a under powered engine with uncommon parts. I'd love a nice bulletproof v8 like JD, but I cant do the time myself for a install. Also with the 3.4l being so plentiful and cheap, even with the addition of a supercharger I'd still likely be cheaper then a custom v8 install...so theres not much room for a shop to make money on the swap.

[Kryptoroxx]

I am sure Yotamasters would do an engine swap for you and I would pay the extra 500 for them. I have seen their name positively mentioned on t4r.org, yotatech, and marlin I believe.

There was a recent 1uz swap done over on t4r.org and that would allow use of your current tranny. I saw a 1uz for sale on Craigslist here in socal for something like 700 bucks complete. That would be an amazing deal. I know the 1uz is not as popular but it's a good engine. I'm sure Yotamasters could do that....but it wouldn't be cheap.

With the diesel engine diesel toys does toyota diesels for something like 20k but you get the surf engine 1kz-te or you can spend a little more and get the bigger (and more efficient) d4d for a cool 25k.

Personally I am sourcing my own toyota diesel (provided I can stay Marine) while I am overseas. I might end up using diesel toys though if I can't source it. Toyota turbo diesels are kinda sloth like but very torqy. I like them.

[Seanz0rz]

Go with a good 60k mile import motor. Only thing I'd look at is the vavle train for sludge.

Other than that, I think getting a quote from yotamasters and socalmini, as well as some others would go a long way in deciding for you. Never the cheapest, or most expensive, but probably the most complete quote.

You are lucky with being a 96, since in California the new engine will need to be your model year or newer.

[Kryptoroxx]

Here's that 1uz ad
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/pts/4771276772.html

[troyboy162]

1uz would be fine but I dont think its an option in California since it wasnt ever offered in a 4runner. That one brings up a good example too. For 6k I can have a 3.4 and a supercharger. I think any custom swap would be far more for the same output. The diesels just dont make any financial sense unless you can do it yourself although Id prefer it.

I researched some and at least at once time yotamasters was doing motors for 750 labor and thats the same as cali mini-truck. minitruck was getting motors from there own yard I believe so yotamasters might mean less hassle to source a lower mileage engine. I'll look into it this week and see whats what. just a gut feeling, but Id expect yotamasters would be less creeped out by me asking about beefed up engine/tranny mounts too.

[Kryptoroxx]

1uz would be fine but I dont think its an option in California since it wasnt ever offered in a 4runner. That one brings up a good example too. For 6k I can have a 3.4 and a supercharger. I think any custom swap would be far more for the same output. The diesels just dont make any financial sense unless you can do it yourself although Id prefer it.

I researched some and at least at once time yotamasters was doing motors for 750 labor and thats the same as cali mini-truck. minitruck was getting motors from there own yard I believe so yotamasters might mean less hassle to source a lower mileage engine. I'll look into it this week and see whats what. just a gut feeling, but Id expect yotamasters would be less creeped out by me asking about beefed up engine/tranny mounts too.

Dude they're gonna be stoked seeing you come in lol.

I wish I could say what's allowed in cali but yeah about that....I do think you could manage it if the engine is newer than the runner (which it should be). If they allow 350 swaps for old yota trucks and 3.4 swaps for the old pickups I bet you could manage but I don't know enough to help.

As far as diesel goes I agree with you. I am looking to do my own d4d swap and the only way it will really work is if I grab a yota overseas wrecked with one in it....and ship it back as part of my home and goods shipment. Otherwise I can't see myself ever being able to pull it off.

[YotaFun]

Can I add a few cents to this?
I'm not in SoCal so I can't give any input as to the shops doing the work.

I like the idea of a lower mileage engine but honestly if you don't know the full history of the engine, any engine you get can be a roll of the dice, i mean there are plenty of engine out there that have been serviced regularly and thrown rods at 100k.

IF you could swing it, a thought in my mind is to get and engine and have it overhauled.
This way you know the condition of the internals and have an idea of whats going on instead of rolling the dice and possibly being screwed out of $3k in 6mo to 1yr...

Source out a motor of your desired mileage, lower would be better but with a rebuild you options are wider (I will be overhauling a motor with 260K to put in my runner with a super charger eventually maybe even have the engine itself at least rebuilt by this time next year), have it looked over and rebuilt and then have a little better piece of mind.

Same goes with the transmission, which normally is neglected by many owners because lets face it, the 4Runner was more of a soccer mom vehicle then any, "oh I'll just get my oil changed when I can" mentality which overlooks the other maintenance of the vehicle, and what happens if you source a trans that had previously exposed to the pink milkshake, who knows the mileage left on that one. When the planetary overdrive gear in my stepdads 02' (a year to avoid getting a trans from by the way) he had Cottman Trans rebuild it with a year warranty, this was back in 05' and almost 200k ago (roughly 175k) and his trans still feels like it just came off the line (minus the major tune up I need to do to his truck right now). Again piece of mind knowing whats going into your transmission and what you are getting out of it. Also if you plan on supercharging, you can source out an updated valve body and torque converter from ipt transmission to go in and give you a firmer shift and a stronger trans to handle the extra power.

If you do source out an engine without rebuild, with yours being a 96, do your best to try to source another 96-98 engine, this being the wiring harness changed in 99+ and a different ecu style and also went from o2 to a/f sensor. With the attached wiring harness (usually included with the engine) it would be plug and play and save some labor time from having to transfer wiring harness.

Supercharger would be badass, and def a cost effective option imho over the v8 or diesel option, with being in Cali, just sounds like a huge pain.

just a different thought process I thought I would add to the mix.

[troyboy162]

What are your thoughts on rebuilt motors from a average shop? I wouldnt be able to rebuild one on my own due to lack of time and skill. There are plenty rebuilt ones around for a little more money. For the 3.4 these didnt interest me because I figured factory they were good for 300k and a rebuild was more of a roll of the dice.

[Kryptoroxx]

What are your thoughts on rebuilt motors from a average shop? I wouldnt be able to rebuild one on my own due to lack of time and skill. There are plenty rebuilt ones around for a little more money. For the 3.4 these didnt interest me because I figured factory they were good for 300k and a rebuild was more of a roll of the dice.

You will be better off with a jdm than a rebuilt imo.

[YotaFun]

You will be better off with a jdm than a rebuilt imo.

What would make the JDM better then a rebuilt motor?

I would trust more a shop that specializes in engines alone.
I just feel with a junkyard motor I would at least want to tear it down partially and see what I am dealing with and at least get new seals all the way around (as well as timing belt, water pump, idlers, ect.)