97 4runner 2.7L engine

[Thefishguy77]

Got a call from a buddy with news his wifes 4runner shit an engine. Coolant in the oil. He is looking for a source for a good replacement engine. Dont know anything personally but off the top of my head I mentioned Jasper as long as they have a jasper friendly shop do the purchase and install. As well as recommended they do the first several services.
Rig is a 97 4Runner 5sp 4cyl 4wd

Any other recommendations?
Should I go up and do a hydrocarbon test on it before he has a shop rip it out for something stupid? I know nothing about this generation of 4 cylinders.

 

[TRINDU]

Of hes paying a shop to replace a 4 banger in a 20+ vehicle. Just go ahead and buy something else.

Otherwise, a used engine will be $1500+ with unknown history. You can use a 2.4L(2wd) and I dont theyll notice a difference.

Otherwise, I'd call local machine shops and ask for long block rebuild price.

 

[AK_F250]

Did it actually kill the engine or just a bad head gasket? Good OE head cores for the 3rz are getting harder to come by because of their tendency to crack between the valves/plug hole and new non chicom heads are $$$. I'd be weary of buying a reman long block because chances are good it'll come with a shitty Chinese head, and a used engine might have a cracked head too.

 

[Yotota]

Rebuild the 3rz, or sell the damn truck. By the time a reman engine is swapped in they will be $5k deep into a $5k truck.

 

[arse_sidewards]

These people are clearly morons. I mean it's kind of to be expected given the vehicle in question but still worth reiterating.

If your 20yo vehicle pops a head or head gasket and you can't turn wrenches and you are considering anything other than "sell it", "junkyard head" or "junkyard head then sell it" you are a moron and deserve to get fleeced.

Therefore I vote reman engine installed by a dealer.

Rebuild the 3rz, or sell the damn truck. By the time a reman engine is swapped in they will be $5k deep into a $5k truck.

No, no no, you don't understand, after they fix this one thing it will magically go for 20yr with no maintenance.

 

[Clb]

Where do I get a fresh 3rz SWAPPED in for $5k????
Does buying a comparably priced used car work?
Out here a well done 2.4 is @2k longblock set in your bed...

 

[arse_sidewards]

Where do I get a fresh 3rz SWAPPED in for $5k????
Does buying a comparably priced used car work?
Out here a well done 2.4 is @2k longblock set in your bed...

Stupid

Tax

In

Action

 

[Thefishguy77]

Neither are morons. But neither are mechanical either. It does have maintenance records and the only reason I didn’t immediately say sell it is because its a manual. If it were an automatic that would have been my first words, dump it.
I am going to reach out to them today and recommend the sell the rig and get something new.

 

[Yotota]

Neither are morons. But neither are mechanical either. It does have maintenance records and the only reason I didn’t immediately say sell it is because its a manual. If it were an automatic that would have been my first words, dump it.
I am going to reach out to them today and recommend the sell the rig and get something new.

Keeping that in mind...

A 3rz 5sp 3rd Gen 4runner is a bit of a rare bird, and has a niche demand in the Yota 4x4 world. If the rig is overall lower mile and/or in great shape with no rust it will still pull $2-3k easily with a bad HG.

But really, unless someone who knows RZ engines has specifically said "this engine is dead" I would think it just needs a HG job and maybe a fresh head at the most.

 

[Yotota]

Where do I get a fresh 3rz SWAPPED in for $5k????
Does buying a comparably priced used car work?
Out here a well done 2.4 is @2k longblock set in your bed...

Perhaps my baseline is off, but $3k for a 3rz longblock is available at a few Yota shops around here. But the swap itself is probably more... I've never paid someone to swap an engine so I'm probably estimating low.

 

[Clb]

Yea, I won't pay someone for the pleasure of redoing their work either!
But at +$100 an hr , it seems these "mechanic types" in shops these days won't get it done
A 5 gear runner as stated above could be worth the repair cost tho...