Deciding if I want this 4Runner

[es330td]

My Mom's lovingly cared for '93 3.0 V6 SR5 had an engine failure when my cousin was driving it. (No, she wasn't abusing it. It quit on IH-10 going 70 mph.) It has north of 150K miles but was dealer maintained its whole life. The truck was towed to a mechanic. When a start is attempted it sounds like hammers banging together. The car was garaged most of its life; all interior is good and suspension is still tight (I drove it six months ago and it felt new.)

I can have the truck for free; I just have to fix it. The question is, what will it take? I have people who can help me who have automotive knowledge. My neighbors have restored a 67 Mustang and a 73 Mercedes and another fixes his own '96 Lexus LS400. What I don't know is A) what is wrong with the engine and B) if it has to be replaced, where do I get one and what do I get? Do I replace it with a 3VZ-E like it came with?

 

[A.Wilson013]

If it's free, sell it.

I wouldn't waste the money fixing a 2nd gen, let alone a 2nd gen with a 3.0 =(

 

[anotherrunner83]

I was able to pull the 3.0 out of my old 94 and replace the engine in a weeks time. Found an engine with 35,000 miles on it for $1,500 + $250 to ship it to me. This was back in 05 or 06. If you do the swap, make sure you change the head gasket on whatever you are putting back in. Much easier to do with it out of the truck and it's a known weak point for those engines. My started on the first turn of the key. I was pretty happy. Ran great up until I traded it in.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

Replace the engine with a 3.4L. Much better engine.