Dead in the water

[poleclimber63]

REALLY disappointed!! A couple of months ago I started to hear some unusual engine noise at higher RPM's. I was unable to pin-point the cause and I was not producing any codes or seeing any effect on mileage or performance. Before Christmas, I was headed back home, uphill, with the trailer, and I was hearing the tick, when it became louder. By the time I got home the noise was now apparent-- even at Idle. I've tried a few tests and have come to the conclusion the problem is rod knock. I found a couple of videos on Youtube of other 3.4L with this failure and it is exactly the same as mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whZWpHGV7Mw

I see only one economical solution: JDM engine replacement... I have been pricing things out and I'm looking at $1200-1400, probably $2k by the time I'm done. Unfortunately, I had to make a tough choice late last month: invest in my truck or pay my sons' Semester 2 College tuition.... As a result, the truck is now parked and hopefully I'll be able to scrap the money together this Spring to fix it. Otherwise, we won't be heading off-road or doing any boating this Summer! :crybaby: Any suggestions would be welcome... I thought briefly, maybe I could drop the pan, replace the rod and piston (remove the head!?!?) but abandoned that thought, as the reading I've done suggests that once the "knock" is bad enough to hear clearly at idle, the crank is done. A re-build is $4k.

Again, any suggestions or comments would be appreciated!!

 

[snivilous]

Swap a used engine in from a crashed one or one someone is selling?

 

[BrianSD_42]

how many miles are on your engine?

 

[shootmymime]

Just go balls to the wall. Drive it till the rod breaks and punches a whole in the block. Hope you have AAA. Haha. You will need a tow.


No that's the redneck way of doing things. I would swap in a wrecked motor. That would be cheeper.

 

[541joseph]

1. buy AAA if you dont already have it
2. drive it until theres a nice big hole in the side of the block
3. tow home
4. (hopefully step 2 happens after money in together) buy a used engine
5. transplant
6. off road!!

 

[541joseph]

Just go balls to the wall. Drive it till the rod breaks and punches a whole in the block. Hope you have AAA. Haha. You will need a tow.


No that's the redneck way of doing things. I would swap in a wrecked motor. That would be cheeper.

haha got to it right before i did

 

[IBallEngineer]

... A re-build is $4k.

Again, any suggestions or comments would be appreciated!!

My suggestion is buy another truck, no waiting! Fix yours later.

toyota 4runner 96 v4, 5 speed, runs good

Just an example. Its not 4wd either, but I'm sure you could come up with something!

:couch2:

 

[IBallEngineer]

Oh and I forgot to mention that one has the elusive V4!

 

[T4R2014]

I would park it and save up. A JDM swap would be a good choice since they usually have low miles. Don't drive it around sounding like a fool with a knocking engine.

 

[poleclimber63]

Swap a used engine in from a crashed one or one someone is selling?

Absolutely. The problem is, the best local engine I've found is $900 but it has 300K km (180K mi)! My experience is a classic example of what happens to an engine when its not serviced regularly. I've had mine for 2 yrs and have serviced it meticulously but obviously the previous owner didn't! It's a roll of the dice when you buy a 16yr old truck.

The JDM option will cost me $500-600 more but these engines have <65K mi.

 

[poleclimber63]

Thanks for your time guys!

how many miles are on your engine?

225K km = 140K mi.... The problem is, if the previous owner/owners neglected it, re-building probably isn't a great option unless its done right.
My engine failure is a classic example of what happens to an engine when its not serviced regularly. I've had mine for 2 yrs and have serviced it meticulously but I took the gamble, as I had no info on previous servicing(except the warranty servicing in the first 5yrs and intermittent dealer work ie tranny flush etc). It's a roll of the dice when you buy a 16yr old truck.

Just go balls to the wall. Drive it till the rod breaks and punches a whole in the block. Hope you have AAA. Haha. You will need a tow.

No that's the redneck way of doing things. I would swap in a wrecked motor. That would be cheeper.

I thought of doing that but the knocking noise is so loud now it drowns out the stereo!! Absolutely. As above^^^^^

1. buy AAA if you dont already have it
2. drive it until theres a nice big hole in the side of the block
3. tow home
4. (hopefully step 2 happens after money in together) buy a used engine
5. transplant
6. off road!!

Sounds like a plan!! AAA 20yrs and running, check! I'm hoping for some OT at work so I can get this going Apr-May... The idea of not going off road/to the lake, is unimaginable!!

My suggestion is buy another truck, no waiting! Fix yours later.

toyota 4runner 96 v4, 5 speed, runs good

Just an example. Its not 4wd either, but I'm sure you could come up with something!

:couch2:

It may come to that... I can probably pick up a Chevy (beater) for $500 in the meantime... then sell it for $500, when I finally fix my baby!
Holy crap, that ad is cheap! I wish they were that cheap up here! Up here in Canada, 4Runners sell for high prices and 5spds are almost impossible to find. A similar truck here will set me back $5-7K!

Thanks!!

I would park it and save up. A JDM swap would be a good choice since they usually have low miles. Don't drive it around sounding like a fool with a knocking engine.

That's my plan! My wife has a jar on the windowsill labelled "saving for travel", maybe I should have one for "saving for 4Runner repair"!!!

 

[BigFishAllDay]

Bummer, my friend! That's a tough pill to swallow. I'm glad to hear that you're in it for the long haul, though, and willing to put a new engine in your 4Runner. When I read your first post and watched the video, I thought to myself (based on the video) that it MIGHT be something in the valve train, but after reading this....

I thought of doing that but the knocking noise is so loud now it drowns out the stereo!!

It sounds like you've got a problem in the bottom end. I had a 22R develop rod knock on me a long time ago, and it was very loud. It spun a bearing during a moment of high RPM's and it happened right away, but when you hear it you know.

 

[nissanh]

just disconnect each plug wire at a time. If you notice the sound disappears then it is a rod knock, else it is in the upper part of the engine. Just my thought.

BY the way... BIGFISHALLDAY... where were you all this time?

 

[poleclimber63]

Bummer, my friend! That's a tough pill to swallow. I'm glad to hear that you're in it for the long haul, though, and willing to put a new engine in your 4Runner. When I read your first post and watched the video, I thought to myself (based on the video) that it MIGHT be something in the valve train, but after reading this....



It sounds like you've got a problem in the bottom end. I had a 22R develop rod knock on me a long time ago, and it was very loud. It spun a bearing during a moment of high RPM's and it happened right away, but when you hear it you know.

Yes, its REALLY loud! The plan, when I can afford it, is to purchase a JDM engine. They ship anywhere in the States for free, so I'll have it shipped to the broker in Oroville, Wa. at the border. My broker will do the paperwork, and deliver it to my door for an extra $150. I've rebuilt engines and done an engine swap. I've never done this on a V6 vehicle. I've done some reading on the 4runner... sounds like its going to be a pain in the @ss! Not looking forward to it, but I really want to go offroading and boating this Summer! We shall see! The idea of modding in the near future, has been seriously set backwards! At this rate, I'll be retired before I have the time and money to modify my ride--- by then it will be a museum piece!!!:frusty: