Topic: opinions on buying a 4runner 3.0

[camhays556]

Hey guys, I am going to sell my 84 yota and buy a 1st gen runner. I found one in my area for 3500 with a 3slow in it. A grandma owns it so thats why I am considering it. Add says 90k on the engine.. gotta ask em if its rebuilt. What are your thoughts  ? Should I wait an look for one with a 22re

Thanks

[Snowtoy]

Depends on what you plan to do with it.  If it is clean and you are looking for a DD/expedition rig it wouldn't be a bad idea if it has a 5-spd, the auto has horrible mpg's and is gutless.  If you are looking to build a crawler out of it, I would look for a 22re rig, it will be cheaper to build when it comes to adding dual cases.

With it being owned by a Grandma, the 90k may be original miles.  If so, it may be do for a t-belt, water pump, valve adjustment(valves are shim design), or it may have been done at 80k if it has been serviced at Toyota throughout its life.

[TimberlineBryce]

I love my 3.0!! I have a 94 4runner 5spd with 160k mi, I've put 25k on it in the last two years... SAS 4.7 tcase lockers etc... All I've done is replace the radiator and change the oil;)

[cen-cal crawler]

Hey guys, I am going to sell my 84 yota and buy a 1st gen runner. I found one in my area for 3500 with a 3slow in it. A grandma owns it so thats why I am considering it. Add says 90k on the engine.. gotta ask em if its rebuilt. What are your thoughts  ? Should I wait an look for one with a 22re

Thanks

imo the 3.0 just has too many issues for the power it puts out. The 22re has fewer if any problems and has the reliabilty that cant be beat. I would purchase a 3.0 only if I was going to do a 3.4 swap.

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk 2

[Nimyad]

I wouldn't really hesitate if it's in good condition. The 3.0 isn't all that bad, it mostly blows head gaskets because of its exhaust manifold design, throw some headers on it and I bet you won't have a problem. Also like said about you can swap in a 3.4 pretty easily.

On another note, don't go waiting for a 22re and expect not to have problems, I blew my headgasket driving around town in mine. Also my timing chain ate through the crappy plastic guides and almost completely through the aluminum. They have problems just like the 3.0.

[OOPS]

I wouldn't really hesitate if it's in good condition. The 3.0 isn't all that bad, it mostly blows head gaskets because of its exhaust manifold design, throw some headers on it and I bet you won't have a problem. Also like said about you can swap in a 3.4 pretty easily.

On another note, don't go waiting for a 22re and expect not to have problems, I blew my headgasket driving around town in mine. Also my timing chain ate through the crappy plastic guides and almost completely through the aluminum. They have problems just like the 3.0.

I have been wheeling a 3.0 hard since 97 with very few problems. They are not easy to work on.

Glad to see someone admit that 22r's have there share of problems, but easy to work on compared to a 3.0!!!

[Nation]

Heres my opinion...dont do it.

[OOPS]

Heres my opinion...dont do it.

Why is that, if you are going to post something like that, give the reasons!!!

[Nation]

Ok OOPS.  I feel this way because i used to have one..and by one i mean a 4runner eith the 3.0 it was a total dogg. Always had issues and was very slow for the fuel consumption. The coolest part about that runner was the front shocks wur blown and if u gas brake dipped thefront end would lift off the ground from bouncing. Thats the highlight of my 3.0 runner.....remember its just my opinion....i also had a 3.0 puckup extra cab SAS. That was better. Much better. And lighter. Still that motor always gave me issues..and by issues i mean...headgaskets timing issues..they seem to leak oil from every single tiny lil spot.....and the room to work in the engine bay is somewhat limited and there is a lot more to that motor.. . I can keep going on for a bit about it...hence the short opinion.

[OOPS]

That is wanted to hear, the reasons why you do not like them.

I agree they are not the most powerful engine and they do suck gas but they do have more power then a 22r except for a well-tuned 22RTE. That is why mine is trailered. Oil leaks, never had a single drop out of mine. HG's were done in 97 no problems since. Not the easiest motor to work on I will agree, but a piece of cake compared to the Boss Mustang and the big block Vette I used to work on.

I am lucky, I have a friend that is the foreman at a Toyota dealership and he gives me a lot of tips and shortcuts when I do have to work on it. Of course there is more to the engine; it is a V-6 not a 4 cylinder. I personally do not find them that hard to work on, but I have also been wrenching for sixty years on all types of vehicles, race cars, motorcycles.

[Nation]

of course theres more to it its a v6.....i dont think its worth the extra effort and energy you have to put into it...for what you get in the end.. if its a nice solid platform and you know that for a fact and its also a good deal handle it. ..why not. .....these are just my opinions... we all have em...

[camhays556 [OP]]

wow thanks for all the responses! I think I am gonna hold off an wait for a 22re to surface on craigslist.. I am a college student with a low budget so hafta sell my 84 first  . but after reading so many builds with people hating 3.0s I wanna stay away from that... I spun a rod on my 22r and wanna get rid of it before I dump more money into it.

[Rocksurfer]

You can get a good one and then there's the nightmare's it's a toss of the coin. The main reason they have headgasket issues is due to the fed's outlawing asbestos, the replacement gaskets are thinner and blow easily. That's why the 1st gen 3.0's don't have that issue they have the good gasket. You said it is a 1st gen 4Runner with the 3.0 which means it is a good one, go get it.

[Nation]

Thats interesting. Never heard that one.

[Rocksurfer]

It's a fact, they were already producing the 3.0 and the feds changed the rules on asbestos, this caused them to have to redo the gaskets and is the main reason 3.0's have issues. Now if you know someone in another country that does not have that ban then you can get those good gaskets there.

[Nation]

Nice

[Snowtoy]

The re-occurring HG issue has more to do with being cheap on the rebuild, i.e. not having a machine shop check the heads, re-using the TTY head bolts, not replacing the Knock sensor wire, etc.

[Snowtoy]

wow thanks for all the responses! I think I am gonna hold off an wait for a 22re to surface on craigslist.. I am a college student with a low budget so hafta sell my 84 first  . but after reading so many builds with people hating 3.0s I wanna stay away from that...

When filtering the information on the web for the 3.0's, you have to filter out those who are just regurgitating what they have heard/read, from those who have actually owned one.  With those that owned one you have to filter those for who took care of it, expected it to be like a 22r series of motor, owned from new or used, as well as those who expect its performance to be comparable to the V6's that followed it(perhaps the biggest complainers of).

I spun a rod on my 22r and wanna get rid of it before I dump more money into it.

If you have the funds to buy a $3500 rig, you should just pick up a used engine for the '84(should be able to find one for around $500 private sale), you could have it swapped in a day or two(taking your time), and have plenty of money left over.

[tgmaul88]

i say no on the 3.0

[Nation]

Tg oops says u must explain!! Ok?!

[camhays556 [OP]]

I wouldn't pay 3500 for it but I get what ya mean on fixin the 84/ I want something with more room so thats why I am gonna sell it.

[TimberlineBryce]

I've heard it's because of heat buildup in the engine compartment??

[89 runner]

http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3790554559.html

http://redding.craigslist.org/cto/3841608261.html

[camhays556 [OP]]

man those are some sweet deals. To bad Im all the way down here in Monterey

[Dave Traichel]

I was a 3.0 hater untill i owned one. They are slow get crappy mpg and the head gasket is hit or miss but.... I beat the total crap outa mine v6 auto 176,000 miles hg was done 2nd tranny and had a easy life before my ownership. I'm surprised i didn't wear out the rev limiter for the 3,000 miles that i drove it. I wheeled the piss outa it all stock on 31's smashed every body panel and broke 2 windows a tie rod sleeve and ripped a hard line off the front brakes. I sold it to a local 18 year old farmer about a year ago who is STILL trying to kill it!
If i was going to buy another......

Find one as clean as possible and cheap use the hg recall to your advanatge

get a 5speed

convert to manual hubs asap

get rid of the cross over pipe and fab up a y pipe or run headers in to a 2.5 exhaust

convert to a gear drive t case

The 3.0 sucks but the overall platform makes up for it its still a boxed frame with a steering box and its way cheaper in the long run if you plan on really buliding one compared to a 3rd gen or a taco ect.

I have faith in a 3.0 that was fixed correctly.

[Dingman.]

I bought my 4runner with a 3.0l.  Caught fire from the fuel pulsation dampner (believe it is what it is called?) leaking fuel out of it.  It is the thing that bolts on the back of the fuel rail on the passenger side under the intake plenum.  There is a screw in the center of it, which backed out allowing fuel out of it.  (22res have this also though).   Anywho fixed that at 240,000 miles (original head gaskets). Then i believe it had valve problems at 258,000 miles, i was barely able to drive it home that day.   Parked it and put a 3.4l in it at that point.  I personally do not feel i would ever buy another 3.0l. But then again 22re's have problems too.

[Wainiha]

You can get a good one and then there's the nightmare's it's a toss of the coin. The main reason they have headgasket issues is due to the fed's outlawing asbestos, the replacement gaskets are thinner and blow easily. That's why the 1st gen 3.0's don't have that issue they have the good gasket. You said it is a 1st gen 4Runner with the 3.0 which means it is a good one, go get it.

That is interesting.  I have no direct experience but always heard they blew the HG.  Nice to hear an actual reason.

[NorCalToy]

I bought a 3.0 truck for cheap because it needed a new engine put in it. I put in an engine and for the last 10k have beat the piss out of it. It sees rev limiter frequently and clutch drops from rev limiter in the snow. When it runs weird, it sees rev limiter. Basically I like rev limiter. Mine leaks oil and runs really weird, although i think running badly is more caused by a sensor/wiring issue i haven't been able to track down.

Im swapping a 3.4 into mine now but only because while searching craigslist for a 3.0 I found a complete 3.4 with all wiring, exhaust and all dash wiring for $600.

Long story short I would not hesitate to buy another truck/runner with a 3.0 because at the end of the day it will still outrun a 22RE and even when it needs Hg's or other parts a new engine is still ridiculously easy to find, and as stated the 22r's arent %100 problem free either, theyre just easier to fix when they do have problems

[camhays556 [OP]]

So I sold the yota and now am looking at a 22re swapped 83. It needs a new topend and the guy says the wiring harness needs to be redone.. what are yall's opinions? Is it doable? It has chebbies 529s lockers and an exo