2.7l year to year changes

[KidVermicious]

I have a 3RZ going into my '85 4Runner, and a couple points are eluding me:

Were all '97 motors equipped with coil packs, or was that a mid-year change? I'm trying to determine if my ECU, which is labeled "97.1" with a sharpie (serial number is gone) is compatible with my motor, which has a distributor.

I'm missing a starter, and will need to troll the junk yards. There's two starters available, with different kW ratings. Any reason I shouldn't just grab the beefier one?

Ditto the airbox - there's apparently two different styles. I'm not sure I'm going to use a factory airbox anyway, but if I do, what's the difference?

My search-fu has failed me, halp!

 

[Gerdo]

Kid
We love seeing and hearing from you but I'm guessing that posting in the 1st gen section might yield more answers. We are just a bunch of snobby 3rd gen owners (not a snobby as 4th and 5th gen owners I assure you).

Good luck with your swap.

 

[awthorn]

[MENTION=52371]Gerdo[/MENTION] I think he is posting in the correct section of the site. the 3RZ was not made in the first gen. The 3rz was in the third gen 4runners and 1st gen tacos.

My 97, 3rz 4x4 5spd has a mfg date of 2/97 has coil packs. I am not sure what my ecu is labeled with though. I would check out some of the Taco forums because the 3rz was used in them until I think 95; or maybe [MENTION=25058]ChildrenOfBodom[/MENTION] or [MENTION=90352]UnderFire[/MENTION] can help shed some light. They both have done a lot with the 3rz in their 4rs.

 

[Gerdo]

[MENTION=52371]Gerdo[/MENTION] I think he is posting in the correct section of the site. the 3RZ was not made in the first gen. The 3rz was in the third gen 4runners and 1st gen tacos.

My 97, 3rz 4x4 5spd has a mfg date of 2/97 has coil packs. I am not sure what my ecu is labeled with though. I would check out some of the Taco forums because the 3rz was used in them until I think 95; or maybe [MENTION=25058]ChildrenOfBodom[/MENTION] or [MENTION=90352]UnderFire[/MENTION] can help shed some light. They both have done a lot with the 3rz in their 4rs.

Oh yeah, you are right.
My bad.

 

[gshadow325]

Kid
We love seeing and hearing from you but I'm guessing that posting in the 1st gen section might yield more answers. We are just a bunch of snobby 3rd gen owners (not a snobby as 4th and 5th gen owners I assure you).

Good luck with your swap.

V8 swap, i dont think ima snob LoL

 

[awthorn]

It is okay, you 6cly guys tend to forget all about us 4cly guys until you talk about gas mileage lol. :guitar2:

 

[gshadow325]

it is okay, you 6cly guys tend to forget all about us 4cly guys until you talk about gas mileage lol. :guitar2:

v8>v6

 

[UnderFire]

I do believe they all went to 2 coil packs at the beginning of 97, some of the older style motors may have gotten mixed into the really early 97's though, just like any other minor change. I think that lasted till 01.

As far as airboxes go, I've never been under the hood of an 01+, but I've seen from 95.5 to 99 and they all were exactly the same as my set-up, tacos and 4runners included.

 

[Gerdo]

It is okay, you 6cly guys tend to forget all about us 4cly guys until you talk about gas mileage lol. :guitar2:

I warned him that we are snobs!

I actually thought his thread said 87 engine. I knew that he has a 1st gen but didn't realize that he had a 97 engine in it. Great engine.

 

[KidVermicious]

I knew that he has a 1st gen but didn't realize that he had a 97 engine in it.

I don't. Not yet, anyway. When I get it installed, can I be a snob like you?

Thanks for the input, guys. I picked up this motor and assorted parts as part of somebody else's conversion they never finished, so I don't have a donor truck and can't speak to this ECU actually belonging to this motor. I think I might save myself a headache and just get an ECU that I know for sure is from the right truck.

Any insight on the difference between the two starters? I need to pick one up here in the next couple days.

 

[KidVermicious]

Had a sit down with the old man that works at the NAPA. Looks like Toyota sold these trucks with two different starters, depending on your climate - areas with bad winters got the burlier starter, to make up for fewer cranking amps I guess. They should be interchangeable.

Still unclear on the distributor/coil packs question. The guy at the dealership counter helped me decode the part number on the ECU, and it's definitely for a '97 production year truck. They couldn't use the serial number on the block to tell me what year it is, though. I'm trolling deep on the interwebs, and I keep running into inferences that '97 is a split year with some trucks getting distributors, but no solid info, no part numbers to crosscheck.

This is why you buy a donor truck, people.

 

[Gerdo]

Get the burly starter then. This way you can crank yourself out of a river.