Engine swap, rebuild, or just new head?

michael33r

michael33r

New member
I had a spark plug blow out on my 97 4Runner with 275,000 miles on it. I found out that the previous owner had installed a heli coil on the spark plug so apparently they stripped out the threads. I tried cutting new threads with a tap but I was unsuccessful and part of the tool fell inside the head and is now lost. I have a question. Should I only replace the head, rebuild the engine, or just do a swap with a JDM. I'm thinking it's about the same price to JDM swap it as it is to rebuild it because the JDM engine is $1050 including the $200 shipping. The rebuild kit is $500 but I'm paying more for labor plus the machine shop if any of that needs done. What do you all think?
 
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i would go with a $1k used engine over rebuilt $4k engine any day.

But what do you consider "a rebuild"

I mean ive seen a rebuild mentioned at $3 to $4k not $1k.

Putting a used, resurfaced head on one side can be done for $1k and it sounds like that is all you need done.
 
At 275,000 miles, you might think about a new engine. I'm not sure of your plans for the 4Runner but if you are looking to put a lot more miles on it and use it often, that might be a good route. It seems like it was a little neglected by previous owners.

But a new head would most definitely be cheaper.
 
I had the same thing happen to my old rig and I just pulled the heads had them machined and reworked. The #1 spark plug hole redone. The machinist drilled the hole out made a insert with new threads that matched the factory plugs and done. Never had a problem with it sense cost me 475. Now not sure if u could do that with just any ole machine shop.
here is a visual of what I am talking about
Calvan_38900_Insert_Comparison.jpg
 
gamefreakgc said:
At 275,000 miles, you might think about a new engine. I'm not sure of your plans for the 4Runner but if you are looking to put a lot more miles on it and use it often, that might be a good route. It seems like it was a little neglected by previous owners.

But a new head would most definitely be cheaper.
Click to expand...
Yes I do think I'd like to keep it for several more years. I'm thinking I'm going to go ahead and swap the engine because right now at this moment everything is pretty much set up perfectly for me to be able to do that. I'm a college student and the 4Runner is my only vehicle, however, my parents just bought a 4Runner themselves so they're letting me borrow their other vehicle which they plan on selling. So if my engine were to go out within the next few years I'd be out of a car. Plus, I just got some insurance money so I've actually got the money to do it. Just wanted to see what everyone else thought. I always like to get second, third, fourth, or even fifth opinions. Lol
 
SilverRidgeRunner1 said:
I had the same thing happen to my old rig and I just pulled the heads had them machined and reworked. The #1 spark plug hole redone. The machinist drilled the hole out made a insert with new threads that matched the factory plugs and done. Never had a problem with it sense cost me 475. Now not sure if u could do that with just any ole machine shop.
here is a visual of what I am talking about
Calvan_38900_Insert_Comparison.jpg
Click to expand...
I am actually going to talk to the machine shop today to see what they can do. At that price though it doesn't seem worth it. Did you have to take the head off? Since the piece of the tool is down inside mine I'm thinking I'd have to pull off the head unless they can perform magic at the machine shop.
 
SilverRidgeRunner1 said:
I had the same thing happen to my old rig and I just pulled the heads had them machined and reworked. The #1 spark plug hole redone. The machinist drilled the hole out made a insert with new threads that matched the factory plugs and done. Never had a problem with it sense cost me 475. Now not sure if u could do that with just any ole machine shop.
here is a visual of what I am talking about
Calvan_38900_Insert_Comparison.jpg
Click to expand...
I called every machine shop in my city and they all said they couldn't do anything at all. Kind of surprising.
 
That might be a polite way of saying it's not worth the trouble to try and fix. Repairing an already repaired spark plug hole is a bit of a liability too since they would have to clean up someone else's botched job.
 
gamefreakgc said:
That might be a polite way of saying it's not worth the trouble to try and fix. Repairing an already repaired spark plug hole is a bit of a liability too since they would have to clean up someone else's botched job.
Click to expand...

Yeah they didn't have any information at all though. They didn't know it already had been drilled out before or the amount of miles it had. Some of them just said, "Oh we don't work on cars". lol Yeah I want you to be an auto mechanic. That's why I called a machine shop.
 
michael33r said:
I am actually going to talk to the machine shop today to see what they can do. At that price though it doesn't seem worth it. Did you have to take the head off? Since the piece of the tool is down inside mine I'm thinking I'd have to pull off the head unless they can perform magic at the machine shop.
Click to expand...

Yea I had to pull the heads off myself and take them into the guy I worked with did a lot work with race engines and he made his own insert from scratch. But the insert was put in from the inside of the head were the valves are and then machined flat and flush using a mill.
 
SilverRidgeRunner1 said:
Yea I had to pull the heads off myself and take them into the guy I worked with did a lot work with race engines and he made his own insert from scratch. But the insert was put in from the inside of the head were the valves are and then machined flat and flush using a mill.
Click to expand...

I do know a guy who could do it for me for free at a school after I take the head off. I'll probably just swap the engine and then put a new head on the old one, put some new gaskets in it and new bearings and call it good to sell lol
 
michael33r said:
I do know a guy who could do it for me for free at a school after I take the head off. I'll probably just swap the engine and then put a new head on the old one, put some new gaskets in it and new bearings and call it good to sell lol
Click to expand...

Remind me never to buy anything from you, lol.
 
Recommend the JDM purchase

michael33r said:
Should I only replace the head, rebuild the engine, or just do a swap with a JDM.
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of doing the top end of any engine without doing the bottom end. With 275K on yours both the top and bottom are "matched". Newly overhauled heads (including valves) will have a tendency to push everything out the bottom. Resurfaced and lightly machined heads would be OK. Some folks don't have problems with just replacing the heads. Must be replaced as a set. Personally, I would go for the JDM motor from Japan.

A word on the Japanese motors since I lived in Northern Japan for ten years. You can really pick up cars cheap over there because it's a very status oriented society. They trade in their cars every few years and don't drive old cars. I bought a five year old Mitsubishi Delica 4WD Van on the cheap back in the day. The motor you get will have mostly all highway miles on it and pretty well taken care of.
 
Rock_Rat said:
I'm not a fan of doing the top end of any engine without doing the bottom end. With 275K on yours both the top and bottom are "matched". Newly overhauled heads (including valves) will have a tendency to push everything out the bottom. Resurfaced and lightly machined heads would be OK. Some folks don't have problems with just replacing the heads. Must be replaced as a set. Personally, I would go for the JDM motor from Japan.

A word on the Japanese motors since I lived in Northern Japan for ten years. You can really pick up cars cheap over there because it's a very status oriented society. They trade in their cars every few years and don't drive old cars. I bought a five year old Mitsubishi Delica 4WD Van on the cheap back in the day. The motor you get will have mostly all highway miles on it and pretty well taken care of.
Click to expand...

Wow good to know! If I rebuild just part of the engine I would tell the person buying it. But I didn't realize it would have that effect on the bottom end. I'm not a mechanic but my brother is so he can help me figure out that stuff.
 
gamefreakgc said:
At 275,000 miles, you might think about a new engine. I'm not sure of your plans for the 4Runner but if you are looking to put a lot more miles on it and use it often, that might be a good route. It seems like it was a little neglected by previous owners.

But a new head would most definitely be cheaper.
Click to expand...

Just ordered the new engine. Should be in my 4Runner by the end of next week if everything goes well. Who wants to buy my old engine with a bad head and probably metal shavings inside the cylinders? Lol jk
 
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