Need advice on the 3.4L swap

[Moustache]

For those who havent read my thread i've been having engine problems for the past few weeks. Its felt like chasing my tail trying to find the issue and i've about had it with the 3.0L 3VZE motor in this thing. After doing alot of reading it sounds like the 3.4L swap would be better than eventually rebuilding the 3.slo. not to mention the better gas milage, almost 100 more hp, better reliability, and a larger marget for aftermarket performance goodies :hungry:

After searching i came across a wrecked 98 which threw a rod a few weeks back. My question is, would it be worth it to rebuild this 3.4L? I can get the motor, trans, transfer case, wire harness, ecu for about $400.

The 3.0 in her right now should last me for a good while but having a back-up/project to work on and have for "just in case" would be nice.

I've been reading a few threads posted from other forums about the topic

Andy Zooks Home Page - Life, Toyota 4x4s and more - Toyota 3.4L Engine Swap - Replacing the 3.0L

4x4Wire's TrailTalk Forums: The Skinny on the 3.4L motor swap.....WARNING...this is very long.

5VZ-FE / 5VZE / 3.4L V6 Toyota Swap - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board

 

[A.Wilson013]

I don't know where you're getting your numbers, but unless you supercharge the 3.4, you're not going to get 100hp more than the 3.0.

That said, I have never owned a 3.0 (Thankfully) but I have HONESTLY been driving behind 2 of them in the past 6 months when their head gaskets blew.

If I had a 3.0 I would IMMEDIATELY purchase a 3.4 to swap in.

 

[Moustache]

Thanks for the correction about the numbers, i must have mixed them up with something else.

I dont plan on doing the swap until this one blows. But i am wondering if getting an engine, trans, xcase, harness and ecu for $400 is really worth it to rebuild or should i just buy a running motor etc. ?

 

[Double Thump]

Since I like to comment so much on your threads I will post this:

$400 for:
Motor (needs rebuild)
Transmission
Transfer case
ECU
wiring harness

Let's say you have to put another $800 into rebuilding the engine (if you do it yourself) that puts you at a total of $1200 for a new motor, good tranny, good transfer case plus the ECU and harness.

I would think that $400 is cheap for the tranny if it is in good shape and at the very least a really good price for the tranny and transfer case. So it seems to me that you would be getting the motor, ECU and harness for free.

The big question is if you can do the rebuild yourself or if you will need to have it done at a shop. If you can do the majority of the work yourself then I would say it is a good deal and go for it. If you need a shop to do all the work I would be careful because costs can add up quick.

just my 2 cents

 

[m3elmo]

sounds like a good deal to me. Locally here you can buy a rebuilt 3.4 for about 1400 and it comes with a 1 year warrenty (they do need your core). If everything else you have works, then I think that's a very good deal. You can buy conversion kits from northwest offroad, or ORS.

My head gasket blew, but I'm not willing to spend the extra 1-2K or so for the 3.4. So i'm going to just have the 3vz rebuilt. Total cost for me will be about 2500 with labor. i think a good 5vz swap for me would be about 3500-4000 with labor.

 

[Moustache]

Thanks for the replies guys, I just needed a little encouragement that this was in fact a good deal.

I plan on doing alot of the rebuild myself aside from any decking/leveling or any other machine work for that matter. This will be a learning experience since i have yet to build a motor but have always wanted to learn. Hence why im not waiting until the current engine dies.

Its going to be a challenge but i like diving head first into projects like this. For me it is the best way to learn something new, just do it!

My friends and family always tell me im crazy to taking on tasks like this without much previous knowledge. but TONS and TONS of reading, along with help from forums like this one have always gotten me back on the road in the past :hatsoff:

Thanks for the insight, i'll post up what i end up doing here

 

[fourwd1]

An engine swap is not a simple task.
Rebuilding an engine is not a simple task.
Trying to do both at once with little to no previous experience doing either, is a really really really bad idea. There is soo much that can go wrong with both.

When it doesn't work you will never know where to start troubleshooting, is it the engine rebuild? is it one of a ton of possibilities from the swap? etc, etc.

You can buy conversion kits from northwest offroad, or ORS.

ORS has been out of business for a couple of years.

 

[Moustache]

I wont be going at this COMPLETELY alone, There is one buddy of mine who is a very skilled mechanic who i plan on getting help from throughout the process. There is no rush to get this finished since i would like everything to be done correctly.

 

[sotigra]

3.4 swap wiring guy needed

i have completed the swap... now its just the wiring

if you know how the job pays 300

info
94 4 runner 5 speed was 3.0
donor truck
96 tacoma 5 speed

what donor gave me
complete engine and " every piece" of wire that was in the truck..literally
and the computer

location surrey newton area

this reply was on sept 9 2011 for date reference

 

[willis_bud2]

And now the fun begins!!

 

[Subyswamper]

I may do something similar to my 92 4runner. Living here in denver,co with the 3vze it lacks power seriously over mountain passes.

 

[TheOriginalPete]

yeah i feel you there man ive been considering the same thing with my runner that 3.0 is aweful going up i70

 

[skoti89]

when you say the motor threw a rod, I usually think of the crank actually throwing a road through the block, if thats the case, even the block is scrap. I think the most you'd want to bored these motors out is 60 over maybe