Topic: '88 4runner 3RZ swap

[Morpheine]

Holy crap.

So, I just finished reading that amazing swap done by Bigmike. WOW
Now I'm convinced it will be done....by me. I think. I hope.  Now, I need a little advice. I'm looking at a 4runner my cousin has. He's gonna give it to me for nothing really. It's an '88 5-spd. Of course, IFS, though. I'm not too interested in a SAS, but since there's not really anything to find on maintaining the IFS and swapping in a 3RZ, I'm looking for any info anyone has, or might want to throw my way for it.

I saw on the swap thread that IFSsucks was doing one, but I really didn't get too much as for step-by-step info, so, yeah. Maybe there's something I overlooked, or didn't find in my looking about for info. If there is some site, etc, please let me know.

Other than the IFS, is there anything funny, or unique about an '88 runner (nothing obvious like body styling, etc.) that I'd need to know to account for the swap planning stage. All I've seen is early model info (pre-IFS) and also pickups, and no runner's so I know there must be something that'll stump me....just wondering what before I get there. I'm actually wondering about the shifter, and how that'll line up different or not? And also, there's no one who makes the modified mounts for this engine yet, is there?

Secondly, since I'll be in there anyways, apparently there's a problem with the trans. I don't have the truck, and I'm gonna have to go some 600 miles to pick it up and drive it home here. I'm told it'll be fine for the trip and i haven't been told much about what the noise/problem might sound like or be, ....but yeah...when I know I'll post it. I just know it takes a real good eye to see some of the things that could be wrong with that area of things, so i know I'll need a little guidance there.

Again, this is in the planning stages, and since this is going to be my daily-drive, aswell, ..I need the least amount of down-time as possible. So, I'm going to try to collect all and anything I need first...make sure the engine is nice and clean first, and then gut the 22re.

As for donar engines. I've heard the newer 3rz are more picky with the electrical/brainbox. Is this so? Is it best swapped with an earlier model 3rz, or can a newer one work ok. As far as I'm concerned OBD is good, so what's anyones take on that?

Again, I'm planning right now. It's maybe going to be the start of the new year that I get going on this, but I don't want to go jumping into anything without knowing where to start, and what I need. So yeah, I'm hoping to do a nice work-day by work-day thread with a bunch of pics to document. We'll see. Wanna do right by the Yota fans, and my new baby Toy as soon as I get it. Baby pics, all the way up to graduation, I hope.

Thanks guys.

-Morpheine

[Volcom]

Right on!  I'm headed down the same path.  I've got an 84 4Runner with a bad 22R.  http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=14334.0  I'm looking at a  couple of 3RZ's at some junkyards here in CO.  My main problem is getting the bellhousing from the Taco tranny.  These places don't want to seperate them.  I've found one place for $1200 everything but the bellhousing 60K miles, 2000 Tacoma. 

Please document everything if you can that way I can just copy you 

[Morpheine [OP]]

Well, I've got a great set-up here. I'm up in about's Vancouver, BC...and an hour away from me is a 'Pick-A-Part'.
They have a whole mess of wrecked vehicles, anything new to painfully old...but ANY powerplant  NO MATTER WHAT YEAR OR MAKE, they sell for $200 can. FLAT!     

Now, that may seem weird, but you gotta pull it, there's no delivery, and whatever parts are needed for it to function (brainbox/harness) are included. Also there's no telling it might work.

NOW, you might say that's how it works anywhere you are, and there's nothing special about this place....but indeed there is.

It's        HUGE!!!
and there's no telling what's in there, much like any other place. The best part is the area it's in is well known for being a farming area, and having massive dumps of snow (you canadian's get SNOW?!?!?!  ) and alot of money goes around that area. So, you've got alot of dumb kids (I'm one, I know) tossong there new truck into ditches and what have you. Well, since the local 'Pick-A-Part' is right there, they all end up in that yard. Plus, British Columbia at least makes it really hard for any wrecker business to have any yard anywhere near the main city (Vancouver) so this is the first real yard outside limits that they don't hit huge for land tax and "beautification clauses" or whatever else weird funky rule they can think up or make to get so-called 'Trash-yards' out of the city.

So, of course, 'Pick-A-Part' get's huge business. It may seem too good to be true, but it's right there. Actually, that's where the last two 22RE's that went into this truck came from. The nice thing about this truck is I know the complete history about it, so I'm not worried. (I remember when they first got it, they were amazed...it looked like somone fell asleep under there applying an undercoat)
The only engine (there's been 3) that didn't work well was a $2300 job from a shop with a warranty on it. It died cause of a crappy head. But anything they got from this wrecker worked great! Never a problem, just worked it lot's and then retired them.

The other nice thing about up here is, you scrap whatever vehicle you want. It doesn't matter what you want, ...you just take it. I don't know how soon I'll be getting out into that yard to look, but if I find a bellhousing, they wont say anything about it. They'll just gimme a price and that's it. That does pose a problem, though, cause usully somone's hit that vehicle before you do, so it's usually got any amount of weird small bit ripped from it, and you may not get a complete set. But, it's usually not too bad...people mostly just want a door or fuel pump or something. Nothing that'd screw me over in this, thankfully. Also, complete trans. they sell for a flat $100can. rate on ANYTHING. *sigh* it's heaven 

Sooooo....who knows. I'm gonna have a perfectly functional truck, and as soon as I can I'll have a 3RZ in my kitchen this winter making it all spiffy. Forgive me for waiting after the winter to start anything really major though. Remember, us Canucks have way longer snow seasons     
So, it might be later in the new year that I'll be starting than you might expect.

Lemme know if there's stuff you can think for me to look out for. Might be nice to get a little word in on this from Bigmike and other such veterans. Here's hoping.

-Morpheine