Recent content by BucknutBob

Lucky dog Sorry to disagree with you, but it's an absolute proven fact that the design of the exhaust system is what causes the head gasket issues with those models. It doesn't have one single thing to do with maintenance or fluids. You've just been lucky, my friend.

They don't make 'em like this anymore Unfortunately for the 3.0 V6, a blown head gasket is quite common. The problem is the factory crossover pipe being right behind the heads, cooking them until they blow. The other details you mentioned aren't difficult fixes. Put some headers on it to...

Nice -n- clean '95 That's a good looking rig! It's gonna be really sweet with the "new" engine.

The Next Beast in the Garage After a long layoff, I'm finally back in the game with another 2nd Gen rock crawler. It's a '93 with a 4" Trail Gear SAS, and corresponding leaf suspension in back. Unfortunately it is using the 3.slow V6, but dual cases give it some extra gearing to help out...

My original point exactly! History is an excellent teacher of cold, hard facts...for those willing to listen, that is.

On my first 2nd Gen I used the full OME lift combined with P265 metric tires that were right around 32" diameter, and they looked and worked well together.:thumb3:

I would go to a site like Trail-Gear and check out their installation manual (free online) for their 3-link suspension--that should give you all the mounting locations and what to chop off for yours. Personally, I would go with a pre-engineered system like theirs rather than doing the...

Since you are going with OME torsion bars, you might want to consider their shocks as well, as they make high quality stuff all around, and unlike many others they match theirs to the weight of the application. Wouldn't go very big on the tires since your funds are limited and the relatively...

Truck looks very nice, and the lockers are a big plus, but an immediate gearing change is a major consideration for potential buyers. Even most hard-core DIY owners don't have the capability or specialized tools to set up new gears, which means a big labor expense right out of the gate. Five...

First guess is the engine's dead with blown head gaskets, and probably a good bit of rust underneath. These hold their value too well to be priced that low in running condition.

You have a very nice looking truck, and while I can appreciate that you have invested a lot of money in it, the cruel reality is that the vast majority of modification money ends up lost when it comes time to sell. Given that most of what you've added is "accessory" oriented, and not hard parts...

They probably would've been remembered much more fondly if Toyota hadn't used them for their new 3.0 V6 guinea pigs. That's the butt of the jokes in a nutshell--their engine is woefully underpowered for the size of the truck, and the awful exhaust system design coupled with a...

Welcome to the red-headed stepchild fan club!

Very nice! I'd like more details on your rig--do you have a build thread on here? I've already had one nice SAS rig, foolishly sold it a while back, and want to build an even better one down the road, so was curious to see what you have under yours. Keep on exploring (I loooove doing that)!

The 2nd Gen's 3.0 "demons" are basically two things: head gasket failure from the factory exhaust crossover pipe, which can be fixed with headers or possibly a serious heat wrap, and it's rather underpowered for the weight of the 4Runner. I drove mine all the time, with no worries, both on road...