My 85 Rebuild/Build

[Snowy21]

So I had always wanted a first gen 4Runner for two reasons, one to wheel harder than my 02 and not feel bad about it getting beat up and two just because they are cool! So I purchased this little gem with 297k on the clock from a guy off of Mud with a really poorly running 22re for a price that I couldn't refuse.



It turned out that the intake elbow was just in really tough shape and full of holes so a new intake elbow and I was off and running..sort of. She still smoked at startup and idle and had 120 psi of compression on cyl 1 and 3. She still ran 75 down the interstate so I took the top off and enjoyed. But in the meantime I did some bodywork to try and head off some of the rust and make her look a little bit better before I totally repaint.



I was getting sick of the smoke and oil consumption and I had low oil pressure at idle so it was time for the engine to come out...



The subsequent teardown was quite telling..





Blown headgasket on #4



And a destroyed timing chain guide in the past that was causing the low oil pressure

I also discovered that I had cracked rings on #1 and #3 that was causing the low compression and a rod bearing that was just beginning to show signs of starting to spin. No play or real gouging but it was in tough shape. Definitely stopped driving and tore her down at the right time. Truly amazed that it ran as well as it did wish as many issues as it had. One tough little motor

I haven't taken really any pictures of the new parts going it but she's rebuilt now with the engnbldr kit top to bottom and is going back into its home tomorrow night.

Now the collection begins to run 63's and RUF with 35's out on the trails...

 

[KidVermicious]

Awesome! Looks like a good winter project.

 

[RiFF RaFF]

It is amazing that our 4Runner motors can take so much abuse, and still get us home.

Nice looking 4Runner. With your engine rebuild you should get at least another 300K out of her.

 

[Snowy21]

Awesome! Looks like a good winter project.

Hopefully..I'm getting ready to graduate college this spring so it'll be a little slow at times but I realllllyyy want to start wheeling this thing. Lot less glass on it than my 02 to break

It is amazing that our 4Runner motors can take so much abuse, and still get us home.

Nice looking 4Runner. With your engine rebuild you should get at least another 300K out of her.

Kind of ironic that my 02 is coming up on 300k right not and still runs like a top. :guitar3:

 

[dorton]

Cool project. Keep the pics coming.

 

[Snowy21]

So I've hit my first big snag on this project..

So I didn't have a wire long enough to reach the starter (switch wire, not pos from battery) so I just spliced in some wire to make what I thought was the correct connector reach. I turned the key before I did anything to make sure I could hear the relay clicking and it did. So I hooked in the wire and I had no crank and no clicking relay. I unhooked the wire and still no click from the relay. So now I'm flustered as to what is going on. I'm confused as to what color wire goes to the starter and what the short female spade connector goes to at the top of the harness before the firewall.

 

[Snowy21]

Got some of the wiring sorted out and she runs like a champ now. Idled right on and had solid oil pressure. Extremely pleased to hear it run after all this work and having zero experience inside an automotive engine. Just need to button up some details and I'm driving. I'll post up a video and pictures after work tonight

 

[KidVermicious]

Got some of the wiring sorted out and she runs like a champ now. Idled right on and had solid oil pressure. Extremely pleased to hear it run after all this work and having zero experience inside an automotive engine. Just need to button up some details and I'm driving. I'll post up a video and pictures after work tonight

Glad you got it figured out.

 

[Snowy21]

Glad you got it figured out.

Your wiring tread actually bailed me out, I was running around ass backwards about a starter relay that didn't exist :crazy:. I had used a wiring schematic from an 86-up so it threw me all kinds of off, shouldn't have been lazy and broken out my 85 fsm :ybrick: