I've been thinking about this a lot lately. My rig has around 225K on the odometer with the original 3.4L engine and automatic transmission. I've put so much work, money, and care into this thing, I can't imagine letting it go because it needs an engine rebuild.

Things I've done in maintenance since the purchase:

- Not done by me, but I know that the timing belt, water pump, and radiator were replaced just before I bought it at 190k.
- Replaced the leaky valve cover gaskets
- Replaced the steering rack and links
- Replaced the front and rear brakes
- Replaced lower ball joints with OEM
- Transmission flush
- Greased the drive shaft
- Added a K&N filter
- Replaced one CV axle
- Replaced spark plugs and wires
- Had the front and rear seats reupholstered
- Repainted the faded fender flares
- Paint correction detail
- Professionally undercoated
- Resilient rust prevention vis Boeshield T-9 and Fluid film

Upgrades I've done since the purchase:

- 30% front window tint
- 3" Toytec Ultimate lift
- Adjustable Sonoran Steel pan hard bar
- SCS wheels
- 265/75 r16 BFG KO2 tires
- Satoshi grill mod
- Double din touch screen head unit with Apple Car Play
- CB Radio, antenna and CBI rear mount
- SRQ Fabrications Mini DS2 HID retrofit headlights
- LED tail lights, 3rd brake light a corner markers
- Amazon LED floods with CBI ditch light brackets
- IPF spotlights mounted to the bumper
- Rola Rack with DIY low profile mounts
- Gobi Ladder
- Addicted Off-road hybrid front bumper
- Amazon snorkel
- ARB awning with Fourtrek bullet mounts
- Newly purchased Superwinch TS9500
- Newly purchased Savage sliders with kickout

After all of that and my wish list keeps growing, if the engine or transmission blows, I'll more than likely rebuild. How bad does it need to be before you throw in the towel and part it out or purchase something new?

I've seen a lot of 4runners for sale or being parted out online because of a blown engine or transmission. A couple thousand dollars, you could have a perfectly running machine.

Completely agree. We buy these trucks because the drivetrains are "bulletproof" and build them up assuming (usually correctly) that they won't die until we're done having fun with them. But once you're that deep in and the drivetrain does take a bullet... yeah, rebuild it!

This is where I am at right now. Just bought a Toyota Reman Trans cause I have too much work and money in mine to give up over a transmission.

I had my manual transmission rebuilt a year ago by a shop. I don't have the experience or time to do it myself so I bit the bullet, but it was worth it! The truck drives like brand new and no longer feels like it's 18 years old! The shifting is smooth and fun. If you can do it, I say go for it!

If you follow the forum enough, you will see that 3rd gens don't die (generally) from blown transmissions or motors. It is accidents and rust. Avoid those two things, and the rest is worth fixing many times over.

The guys that have owned them since new have even stronger feelings about that... (or, like me, it has been in the family since new)

-Charlie

When time comes for mine...just gonna swap a diesel drivetrain into it lol!

I'm into my 3RZ for so much cash I'll never get rid of it. I already had the engine rebuilt plus a ton of mods. Now I'm working on rust proofing the undercarriage. I bought a rust free Limited so that my 3RZ doesn't see winter salt ever again. If I ever total the 3RZ I'll move all of the mods over to the Limited or buy another manual 3rd gen & move the parts over to that.

I have a spare 3.4 with a bad head gasket I've been thinking about going over. And the trans may have been rebuilt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My 97's tranny shit the bed from a pink milk shake (lasted 12k miles before it failed). I bought a totaled 99 from a guy on here (can't remember his name) and swapped in the good tranny. I got it for a very, very good deal.

Now I have a spare good engine and ton of other parts.

As long as the frame isn't rusted out and it doesn't have a ton of other major problems, I'd agree these trucks are worth saving.

Personally, I'd rather swap in a used engine/tranny than trying to rebuild one. Both the engine and transmission are pretty damn bullet proof. I was able to drive the totaled 99 around and the engine ran great and the transmission worked perfect. Both my 97 and the 99 had about 200K miles.

I wonder if LCE or others will end up selling more rebuilt tranny/engines as our 3rd gens age more and more, like you see them doing for the 80s and early 90s trucks right now.

Let's say it is time to rebuild the transmission or engine. Where do we go for those parts? Dealers?

If possible I plan to keep my truck way past the rebuild time, but I'm not familiar with that depth car maintenance.

This ^^^ Like any other hobby or anything you are enthusiastic about, it’s more a labor of love. I’ve seen a lot of Runners on here that I would hate to even ask how much was spent on them..most of them know they will never get the money back that the have shelled out, but if you enjoy it at the end of the day, that’s all that matters... and never tell your wife how much things really cost..



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m sure most of us t4r owners love our vehicle so much as to get rid of it in a breeze or without regrets

They already do. Not much info on their website but you can call them & order difference performance upgrades to the 3rz & 5vz. I almost want my 3rz engine to go so I can order a 800hp 3rz! LOL not really that's probably a 20K engine. I'd go for a stage 1 with stronger internals for my S/C & have well over 300hp, probably around 7k. Perfect for the street & wheelin'. Stage 2 & up are really for racing.

#FromMASStoo. A well cared for motor is good for well over 300k no problem, 400-500K is doable. My current 3rd gen, I bought with 1 quart of oil in it from a jackass (low oil switch wire was broken off), and it was running a long time with suuuuuper low oil with 139K on the clock. I filled it up and drove it 30K more. It was ok at 1st to my amazement, then it started to use like a quart a day. I dropped motor from a rust bucket scrapper with 112K, bought it for $1,200 had a guy install it for $500 (which is way super low, its 20 hr book time), I'm at 235K on that motor now, runs good.
I do about 1K highway miles a week. I have good luck with wreck motor swaps, Tacoma also. Only needed to swap cause of idiot abuse factors, like radiator completely empty. I tried a used 3rd gen auto trans swap on my last rig, it only lasted me about 3 months, I won't do that again, just rebuild. I scrapped that rig at 330K, original good running motor with blown auto trans.
Motors are worth the swap. I think there are enough good motors around in the rust belt that it makes sense looking for a good low mileage swap. (I like to see it in the car running with verified mileage with digital odometer, or paperwork to verify analog clock before I commit) Its cheaper than a motor rebuild, and quicker unless you rebuild another donor motor while you're still driving your rig. The 3rd gen motors are legendary.
My current 3rd gen has a 5 speed and the 1st/2nd syncro is getting crunchy with 280K, So I'm swapping it out with a scrapper I just bought that I drove 90 miles to test. I'll keep the old 5 speed transmission for a rebuild.