Any reservations to building up a 4 cylinder 4WD?

[Mark_BC]

My mom currently has a '97 Limited with auto transmission. I am fixing that up but have reservations about equipping it for off-road beyond just restoring what is broken. I am not a fan of the auto transmission.

This 4 cylinder 4WD has come up which looks like what I want. He is checking to see if it has rear diff lock, which I doubt, and if it has clutch cancel.

I don't feel the need for huge power since I want to be good on gas on long trips, plus then you can take less gas with you when you go out into the boonies. For rock crawling I could put on a crawl box and then power doesn't matter. Not that I'm really into that but you never know.

Are there any issues with this engine? This vehicle looks nice and I think it is better than anything I'm going to get in Canada. If the rust is minimal then it will be pretty rare up here. $4500 is a bit steep which is $6000 Canadian plus import fees and hassles. Bellingham is just a hop across the border, an hour and a half away.

1997 Toyota 4Runner

 

[Bijan]

I've seen a 5spd w/ clutch cancel + rear diff lock. It's possible but not likely.

No matter what it's gonna be slow unless you turbo it.

 

[Sean K.]

It's not going to be a powerhouse on the road by any stretch of the imagination, but offroad, with proper gearing....it will be a workhorse. One good thing people often overlook about underpowered engines is that they don't break nearly as many parts. Toyota for the longest time had anemic 116 and 150 hp engines and the rear ends rarely broke ring and pinions. Now, with 278 ponies coming out of the Tacoma....you see a lot more broken 7.8" rear axles (8.4" is a misnomer...they have extra girding but are still 7.8" diameter).

If you can live with the lack of power on the highway, then I wouldn't hesitate to build a 4 banger....but it all depends on what YOU can live with.

 

[White Stripe]

I would get a v6. Way more power, cost the same to buy, just as reliable, and you only loose like 2mpg over the 4 banger.

 

[Mark_BC]

I would get a v6. Way more power, cost the same to buy, just as reliable, and you only loose like 2mpg over the 4 banger.

Good point. EPA gives 15 mpg city for both options, I guess you have to gun it more with the 4 banger to get up to speed after a light so it works out the same. Highway is 20 vs. 17 so not a huge difference.

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/1997_Toyota_4Runner.shtml

 

[gamefreakgc]

I've owned the 150 HP 3VZ-E (same power as the 4 cylinder 3RZ-FE) and the 183 HP 5VZ-FE. I find both pretty lacking in power so I went with a supercharged 5VZ-FE at around 240 HP. I would not be able to merge onto the highway safely with the 3VZ-E, even with it being a manual. Add 4WD and an E-locker and you've got a pretty sluggish 4Runner, that's a lot of weight, especially bad if you live in a mountainous area.

That's my opinion. Not to say 4-cylinders are useless by any means, just a lot more limited in what you can do with them. 4-cylinder 4WD's are kinda hard to find though.

 

[Scramble]

The 3RZ is just as reliable as the 5VZ & easier to work on. They love boost & with the right mods you can get a lot more HP out of them. With that said I wouldn't waste the money on an auto trans. If you plan on a 5 speed MT swap & a regear then go for it. With an auto they cant get out of their own way.
There's no clutch cancel in an auto trans & finding a 3RZ, manual with a locker is almost impossible. It would also have factory 4.56 gears so you're looking for a unicorn. You'll have better luck finding the M/T & locker from a Taco & 4.30 gears from a T4R Limited.
LCE has plenty of upgrades for the 3RZ. Toyota Performance Parts | LCEPerformance.com

1st & 2nd Gen 4Runner owners are starting to realize how great these engines are & swapping out their 22re's & 3.slows.

 

[Kanoe]

I too have a 3rz with 5speed 4x4. I have to say, I love it. I work on it myself so I really like the I4 engine layout for that.

I have never felt a need for more power but mine is a base model so is as light as you can get. I feel the key is to keep the rig as light weight as possible. Don't burden it down too much with added weight.

I wouldn't trade mine for a v6.

Just my thoughts.

 

[JayRolla]

All I have to say is......

TURBO TURBO TURBO!

 

[volkinator]

I just love how the CL ad has a brake controller for towing with the 3RZ 4Runner... wonder how much it's been 'babied' with towing and needing a controller...

 

[BrandonF]

My mom currently has a '97 Limited with auto transmission. I am fixing that up but have reservations about equipping it for off-road beyond just restoring what is broken. I am not a fan of the auto transmission.

This 4 cylinder 4WD has come up which looks like what I want. He is checking to see if it has rear diff lock, which I doubt, and if it has clutch cancel.

I don't feel the need for huge power since I want to be good on gas on long trips, plus then you can take less gas with you when you go out into the boonies. For rock crawling I could put on a crawl box and then power doesn't matter. Not that I'm really into that but you never know.

Are there any issues with this engine? This vehicle looks nice and I think it is better than anything I'm going to get in Canada. If the rust is minimal then it will be pretty rare up here. $4500 is a bit steep which is $6000 Canadian plus import fees and hassles. Bellingham is just a hop across the border, an hour and a half away.

1997 Toyota 4Runner

Im also from the lower mainland. Looking at that ad, I just don't think its a worthwhile purchase for you. Unless hes willing to knock at least $1000 off the asking price, you're looking at $6000 CAD plus import fees plus whatever clutch work needs to be done. Not to mention on a vehicle of this age, there may be other small issues that must be fixed to pass the vehicle inspection for importing.

Also consider that the vehicle has 370,000 km and its the base model which is quite a downgrade in terms of general comfort and "niceness" compared to the SR5 and Limited.

All said and done, you could easily be looking at $8000+ CAD for a base model 4runner with 370,000 km. When you look at it this way, local options start to become a lot more appealing, even considering how rare the manuals are. Have you looked on vancouver island classified's much? There tends to be quite a few mint toyota's on the island that have been babied and driven by seniors. The ferry ride over is a lot less of a hassle than dealing with the importation process and I know multiple people that have scooped up some pretty unbelievable deals with a bit of luck.

I came very close to purchasing a bellingham 4runner about 4 years ago that was also a 4 cyl 5spd 4wd. However, it was lower km, the asking price was $3500, and the exchange rate was near par at that time. If it wasn't for a small error in the vehicle title that the owner didn't want to fix, I probably would have bought it.

 

[Clayton74]

My mom currently has a '97 Limited with auto transmission. I am fixing that up but have reservations about equipping it for off-road beyond just restoring what is broken. I am not a fan of the auto transmission.

I'd have no hesitation offroading the auto. It's not like they are underbuilt. While possibly not as fun as a stick, it holds whatever gears you want it and you don't have to manage a shifter with a beverage in one hand.

 

[Sean K.]

I'd have no hesitation offroading the auto. It's not like they are underbuilt. While possibly not as fun as a stick, it holds whatever gears you want it and you don't have to manage a shifter with a beverage in one hand.

Agreed.

I'm a DIE HARD manual guy....only own one auto on 6 vehicles. That said, my next buggy will have an auto. Why? B/c you can't upshift fast enough on a big waterfall, not to mention the torque converter acts as a cushion for the driveline and a doubler. For crawling......an auto wins hands down.

Now on my T4R....I'm glad it's a stick b/c it's not my primary wheeling rig. It's more of a DD and frankly, the auto seems underpowered, even with the V6 in terms of acceleration.

It's all personal preference. Toyota's auto is a pretty good trans....but it has all the normal auto drawbacks....weight/heat/power loss....and the inability to roll start it or find one gear that works to get you off a trail.

2 cents (and worth every bit you paid for it).

 

[3rzrunner]

My truck is a Factory 3RZ 4cyl, 5speed Manual, and Elocker, also factory A/C and power, SR5 seats.. etc.. My truck was basically an SR5 -Leather, Wood, and Sunroof. they do exist but are very rare. So if you are die hard for the 4cyl, i would wait and keep looking for a better equipped one.

The 3rz is a great engine, mine has over 330k Km's and dosent burn a single drop of oil, much easier to work on thanks to the extra engine space and dosent require timing belt's as it runs on a chain.

My personal choice in a older toyota would only be the 4cyl engine and manual Transmission.

 

[UnderFire]

As long as a sunroof isn't something you need, finding the right truck is easy. Because every single part you want is interchageable. If you can't find the one you want, build it.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

 

[Mark_BC]

As long as a sunroof isn't something you need, finding the right truck is easy. Because every single part you want is interchageable. If you can't find the one you want, build it.

That's what I'm thinking. This one has come up which seems to be just what I am looking for, a 98 so I can swap a lot of parts with my current 97. I want that colour. The only thing is it doesn't have an e-locker. So the question: can I swap out the axle with my current Limited automatic that has an e-locker, and run some wires to a new switch in the cabin? Or is the gearing between a manual and automatic different for the third member so I'd need new gearing?

It's a bit pricey at $6000. I can see it the sweekend.

1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5

Edit: so I did a bit of searching and I can swap axles but I just have to be aware of ratios. Lots of threads out there on this.