Hey Guys, I'm new to this forum so hope I'm doing all this right.
I bought an automatic 1995 Toyota 4runner 3.0L for $100. It's at almost 190,000 miles on it has a severe engine knock which is how I bought it so cheap. The engine knock is really bad, the car does not have full power, and it dies if you take your foot of the throttle for more than a few seconds.
My first question is do you have any ideas of what is really wrong inside that engine?? Broken connecting rod? bad bearing?
Second question is considering the car is in great condition other than the engine, would it be worth my time and effort to swap the engine? Just put in a used engine of the exact same make and model then see if I can fix or piece out the broken engine (Broken engine has brand new heads).
Thanks

If you can score a used motor for dirt cheap, then slapping it in there makes sense. If not, I'd pull the one you've got and tear it down and see what you're looking at before you make any decisions.

I'm assuming that you're doing this yourself, of course. If you're paying a mechanic, the equation changes drastically.

This is just me but if I was going to take the effort to replace the engine, I wouldn't put a used one in that I know nothing about. I'd at least open it up and do my best to make sure it is good working condition. It's much easier to replace stuff when it is not in your vehicle.

I've got a replacement engine for you for $300. Just got to come and get it!

Thanks for the offer but for me to make the drive and pick it up would probably cost more than getting one around here.

I'll be doing the work myself. Do you have any ideas or suggestions on what exactly may be wrong inside the engine? Why does it die when I let off the throttle?

Maybe one of these other guys is mechanic enough to say, but I think it could be almost anything - bent crank, bent rod, thrown rod, spun bearing, who knows.

That's why I say before you start looking for another motor, get yours out of the truck and tear it down and see what the trouble is. It'll give you a much better idea of what to do next.

If you're considering swapping another one in, you'd be pulling yours out anyway, so pulling it out sooner and tearing it apart wouldn't much more work.
And when it comes to buying a replacement, it's best if you can hear it run first.

So after more research I'm beginning to think it is a rod bearing that is bad. The sound matches descriptions of a bad rod bearing perfectly.
What still confuses me is that whenever you take your foot off the gas pedal for more than a few seconds the car dies, is this and the major loss in power a symptom of a bad rod bearing??