3.4L swap

[SilentYoda3]

Hey I'm new to the Toyota's but i love my 1994 4runner, i was thinking about doing the swap. Here's the problem, im in college and home is about 5-6 hours drive over a few passes. Now with that in mind im running 30x15x9.50's right now with a 3.0L and i usually cruise control a few miles over the speed limit(65-75 pending area) Right now i get about 16-19 mpg. (accounting for winds, snow, accidents, etc) Now i was looking at doing the 3.4L swap and maybe going to 31x15x10.50 MAYBE 32x15x10.50 but not sure. I was wondering if anyone had fuel mileage with similar conditions or can help predict these conditions. I do wheel my rig so it's not for ascetics it's for functionality. But it is a DD so it needs to perform to an expected standard, more so with the price of liquid gold going up and up.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[Bad_Vision]

if there is nothing really wrong with your 3.0 you should you look into re gearing you current set up with a lower gear ratio it will feel like you put a supercharger in youll get that lost power with the big tires back. and ring and pinions are like 200+install
last time i heard someone having it done cost them like 600$ for 5.29 installed.

 

[Thurlo76]

if there is nothing really wrong with your 3.0 you should you look into re gearing you current set up with a lower gear ratio it will feel like you put a supercharger in youll get that lost power with the big tires back. and ring and pinions are like 200+install
last time i heard someone having it done cost them like 600$ for 5.29 installed.

thats only a temporary fix though. eventually that 3.0 is gonna give out for one reason or another. might as well do it right the first time and get it outa the way. if i got a vehicle with a 3.0 in it, a 3.4 swap is the first thing i would do. sell the 3.0 and up grade and then when its running good later on down the road re-gear it and put bigger tires and such.

im not disrespecting anyone with a 3.0 but every experience that i have had and others in my family have had with them they are nothing but trouble. and i will admit re gearing does wonders but it wont matter what gears you have in there when the engine fails.

 

[Bad_Vision]

the 3.0 is so misunderstood.
its not gutless its just restricted once you go catless and do a sheet metal intake with headers its a beast, but like all other engines you need to keep maintenance, i hear so many people complain about the 3.0 then i ask them how many miles on it then they will say 200,000+ it should have problems at that point just spend some money and freshen it up with new bearings and seals

 

[SilentYoda3]

the 3.0 is so misunderstood.
its not gutless its just restricted once you go catless and do a sheet metal intake with headers its a beast, but like all other engines you need to keep maintenance, i hear so many people complain about the 3.0 then i ask them how many miles on it then they will say 200,000+ it should have problems at that point just spend some money and freshen it up with new bearings and seals

Mine has 200,xxx miles on it. I'm looking at doing the 3.4L swap, everyone i know that has done it loves it. I know regearing and stuff will do wonders and i've thought about doing that stuff. I haven't had mine that long and the previous owner took crap care of it and also used penzoil. Does the engine run? Yes. Does it work? Yes. Could it be better? Yes, thus the swap. There's more you can do to the 3.4l than the 3.0 performance and efficiency wise.

 

[combatmedic]

Mine has 200,xxx miles on it. I'm looking at doing the 3.4L swap, everyone i know that has done it loves it. I know regearing and stuff will do wonders and i've thought about doing that stuff. I haven't had mine that long and the previous owner took crap care of it and also used penzoil. Does the engine run? Yes. Does it work? Yes. Could it be better? Yes, thus the swap. There's more you can do to the 3.4l than the 3.0 performance and efficiency wise.

I have to agree w/ vision on this one... I'd drop 600 bucks and have her last another year, 2, hell even 5 for all you know, instead of tossing a good engine, and wasting 1500+ or whatever on a 3.4 swap... just sayin'


I also own a 3.4... they're not bulletproof either... they have their weaknesses..

 

[Bad_Vision]

sounds like hes made up his mind already so i wont say anything more but good luck!

 

[SilentYoda3]

regardless of what im looking at doing no one has answered my question yet either :/ It's more than just power and nothing is bulletproof, a new 2012 car has it's problems just like an older car has its. It's a machine it's going to fail, but still its about the effieciency that can be gained from the 3.4l over a 3.0. just saying, regearing is still in my mind as well as the swap though.

 

[Bad_Vision]

ok as for reliability and maintenance they are about even.
but with all v6 engines fuel economy is decided in the weight of the vehicle the arrow dynamics and the GEAR RATIO and TIRE SIZE.
you want to play with the big boys with big tires your going to pay the 3.4 will get about the same MPG as your old 3.0 if you dont re gear
doing the swap and a re gear may get you about 3-4 mpg better but thats about it.

so it is not advantageous to swap the 3.4 for the 3.0. in the thousands of dollars youll spend on engine swap and labor and gearing youll only save 100-150$ a year on fuel cost.

thats the raw reality of it. they are both fantastic engines and the both have ups and downs but they still wont net you good MPG with your big tires if you dont set up the entire vehicle for it! take your 3000$ for the swap and gearing and all that and buy a geo metro that gets 52 miles to the gallon, you have to decide if you want a offroad SUV or a freaking Prius you cant have both.

IF you really want gas mileage in your 4runner buy a GM LS7 crate engine for $10,000 and swap that in 403hp 397fpt 27MPG estimated in a wind drag like a 4runner.

again im not being mean im just saying what needs to be said.

 

[TN_GIJOE]

That's funny you mention a geo...I'm looking for something with mpg like that for when the gas goes crazy high this summer

 

[helo-mech]

18mpg on a 17.2 gallon tank = 309.6 miles
21mpg (~3mpg gained with a 3.4 swap) on a 17.2 gallon tank = 361 miles
difference = 51.6 miles
51.6 miles / 21 mpg = 2.45 gallons saved
2.45 gallons x $4 a gallon = $9.80
$3,000 (engine swap) / $9.8 (money saved per tank) = 306.122 fill-ups
306, 17 gallon fill-ups at $4 a gallon = $20,808 or 93,636 miles.
$9.80 (money saved per tank) x 306 fill-ups = $2,988.80 (I got tired of the decimals)

Man if that math is right, that is depressing. It's gonna take a while to see your money back.

I'm running the 3.Slow in an '89 5-Speed with stock gearing and 31x10.5X15 and I am only getting 14mpg. I too am looking at a 3.4 swap (or maybe something way out in left field with an LS.....not a 7 but an LS none the less) but........I know I wont be saving any money in the process. I sure wont ever make up the difference in fuel mileage. I will be doing it cause I love the 1Gen look and I know the 3.Slow, like any engine, will fail eventually.

That being said, I won't do anything with the 3.Slow until it does fail. If I can get 2 years out of it, it has 210k on it now, then I will have the money stashed away to do what I want. I drive 50 miles one way to work. That sucks at 14 miles to the gallon. But that is why I have a 2001 Kia Sephia that I picked up for 600 bucks. I did a little work to get the power steering and A/C going and now I get 38 mpg. That is how I would fight the price of "liquid gold" if I were in your shoes. Start making those drives home in a little car and save the wear and tear on the 3.0. Obliviously there will be times where weather would be rough in a little car so in that case you have the t4r.

Run that 3.Slow in the ground. When it fails, evaluate whether it is worth it to fix or swap. But swap for the fun and because it is time. Don't do it early to try and save some mpg. Make sure your insurance has Roadside towing and drive the heck out out of it.

Just my .02.

 

[Thurlo76]

didnt that iceland 4runner with the 44x18" tires go do a diesel swap and now hes getting like 35mpg? and then you could make your own diesel and put in it. that would save you money plus you would smell like french fries all the time! you would get lots of power (i remember him saying he could accelerate up hills in 5th gear) and way better mpg's.

i plan on swapping in a strait 6 diesel when my 22re fails... so i have a few years to think about it. anyways thats an idea for ya. and depending on what engine/tranny you would get that might make it so you dont have to regear your axles and still put big tires on.

 

[SilentYoda3]

the thing is, the 3.0 doesn't have enough power to make it up hills anymore with out running the dog piss out of it (thus lower mileage) I have other reasons for doing the swap that's not what my original question was, you've deviated a lot.

 

[helo-mech]

I think everyone would agree that you are looking at about a 3-4 mpg gain. But A LOT of that is going to depend on your gearing and tire size. Sorry for deviating, but I think the point everyone was trying to make was.......throw the mpg ? out of the equation in your decision to do the 3.4L swap. Cause no matter how you do it, it aint gonna be a factor when it is all said and done. If you wanna do it for relaibiity reasons and the aftermarket items that can be thrown on, then I would go for it. But there will be no $$$ benifit from it.

My other concern is you said you just recently got this one. Why not save up a little and pick up a later model 4Runner with the 3.4L already in it?

If you get a good 3.4L, you will appreciate the power. I had a 3.4L in 3 different yotas and I loved it. BTW if you decide to take your running 3.Slow out, hit me up. I might need some parts.

 

[SilentYoda3]

I think everyone would agree that you are looking at about a 3-4 mpg gain. But A LOT of that is going to depend on your gearing and tire size. Sorry for deviating, but I think the point everyone was trying to make was.......throw the mpg ? out of the equation in your decision to do the 3.4L swap. Cause no matter how you do it, it aint gonna be a factor when it is all said and done. If you wanna do it for relaibiity reasons and the aftermarket items that can be thrown on, then I would go for it. But there will be no $$$ benifit from it.

My other concern is you said you just recently got this one. Why not save up a little and pick up a later model 4Runner with the 3.4L already in it?

If you get a good 3.4L, you will appreciate the power. I had a 3.4L in 3 different yotas and I loved it. BTW if you decide to take your running 3.Slow out, hit me up. I might need some parts.

Fair enough, im doing it for other reasons, i want more power and tossing around performance parts ideas. i have a buddy who has done it and i can get one with 30-50,xxx on it for around $600, buy the harness from ORS $750 that puts me around $1400 (figure in misc stuff) for motor and wiring, do the work myself and it's easy plug and play. i like the sound of the power increase, for the MPG im getting my motorcycle endorsement and my dad has a 750 honda that gets 50mpg, so im good on that part, i was strictly just looking for numbers, i'd be happy with 20mpg. But the power in crease in hp and torque is what i like and the possibility for a nice platform to build off of as time goes on. Im not really sure what my gear ratio is and i dont understand it a whole lot, mind explaining some? I'm guessing it widens the gaps of each gear but will that result in power loss because of the gapping? i dont understand that stuff haha

EDIT: I like the 2nd gen body style better than the 3rd. Plus i found my 1994 4runner with a great body and interior (stuff i cant do) Anything mechanically wrong and i can fix it. I like the tailgate, it's like my 83 bronco, just a little more economical haha

 

[Bad_Vision]

didnt that iceland 4runner with the 44x18" tires go do a diesel swap and now hes getting like 35mpg? and then you could make your own diesel and put in it. that would save you money plus you would smell like french fries all the time! you would get lots of power (i remember him saying he could accelerate up hills in 5th gear) and way better mpg's.

i plan on swapping in a strait 6 diesel when my 22re fails... so i have a few years to think about it. anyways thats an idea for ya. and depending on what engine/tranny you would get that might make it so you dont have to regear your axles and still put big tires on.

yes he is getting 40mpg on alcohol impregnated vegetable oil in a environment were the air density is severe and a the burn ratio of any fuel is better. put that puppy in Nevada and he would be getting 20mpg, the Mercedes diesel gets good mileage but again how much money will he spend in adapters and re fitting fuel and the engine it all becomes pointless when 5 years of fuel savings pays for the swap.

good point but the dynamics of his rig are far different then anything operating in above 32 degree weather.

 

[Thurlo76]

i still think a diesel swap would be way cooler than a 3.4 swap haha but thats just me. i saw a picture of a 2nd gen 4runner with a SA that was burning out and blowing black smoke out the back and since then ive wanted to put a diesel in my 4runner. that and i would get paid to take vegie oil and turn it into fuel. i thought that was pretty bad ass to.... no disrespect here at all just my preference

 

[Bad_Vision]

pirate4x4 has a cummins diesel 4runner now that's $20,000 of awesome

 

[Thurlo76]

pirate4x4 has a cummins diesel 4runner now that's $20,000 of awesome

i know...... if only.... :naughty:

 

[SCTracker]

Has anybody here actually done a 3.4 swap?. Same motor mounts, same bellhousing bolt up, takes two seconds to swap the fuel lines around, splice about 19 wires together (and that was with making my auto harness and computer work with the manual) swap the battery to the intake side and have a decent shop do some exhaust work. Its really no that hard.

If you go with a supercharger and all the aftermarket upgrades and other goodies there is some other work involved but its not that bad. Mine is pushing 300+ HP and I still get 26 MPG on the freeway if I don't get too excited about the supercharger (Its really hard not too!) That and the collective knowledge of most toyota drivers really points out to the 3.0 being less reliable. Also I have stock gearing and 30 inch tires.