picked up a free 4runner.. but theres a catch, its been sitting for 5 years.

[smithTR4]

ok guys, I need some help. a new friend of mine gave me his fathers 97 4runner. It only has 120k miles on it and is in decent conidtion for its age. But the man who owned it before had a stroke while in the middle of doing some engine work and its been sitting for 5 or 6 years now without moving. He was doing the valve cover gaskets before becoming disabled. The intake manifold was left off but tape was covering the bottom intake, coolant hoses have been disconnected..

So what are the procedures i need to take to get this baby up and running. I have a timing belt kit, a fuel filter, intake manifold gaskets and will probably getting some new valve cover gaskets, spark plugs and wires, coolant and vacuum hoses, and of a course a new battery haha

what else do i need to do? i believe the fuel tank was pretty much empty, will i need to drain it? im going to chain all fluids, not sure how to go about doing the transmission fluid...

so any tips? or should i sell it/ part it out?


thanks guys

 

[Joelzy]

Could be wrong, but i think you’re gonna want to rebuild or swap. I would pull the heads off or scope at very least and Get a look at the cylinder walls. Thats a long time for air to be getting to the raw metal on the insidey parts

Mine was sitting for about that long and neither motor was in good enough shape for me to want to run without work.


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[BOOSTEDDDMT4R]

if the hood was on dont listen to this guy ^ ..
in my opinion keep it simple. it sounds like you may be in over your head asking us for what we think you should do. with some common sense and a small amount of mechanic ability you can have it running for less then 100 bucks.

do the K.I.S.S. method. keep it simple stupid.

put the valve cover gaskets on assuming no rust on the cams, hell if there is only light rust on cams throw some oil on them. pull tape off lower mani and clean it up do fresh intake gaskets. put it back together with least amount of money possible. fresh gas and oil change with "cheap" oil. fire it up if it runs good and your comfortable tearing that far into a engine change timing belt with all other maintenance you have planned and enjoy for many, many, many years.

never assume the worst without trying a easy cheap method first and giving the engine benifit of the doubt. a 4runner 5vzfe engine with 120,000 miles has minimum 100,000 miles left in it. most likely 200,000 miles left in it.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I agree, just put it back together, put some good gas in it (might have to siphon the old stuff out) and give it a go! Worse case scenario it doesn't run and you part it out. Best case scenario it runs fine and you drive it home.

Don't give up before even trying.

 

[Joelzy]

Not saying assume the worst but i’d scope it if it were me.

I also decided to rebuild instead of attempting to clean sludged heads by running the motor with oil detergent though, so call me Worst Case Carl


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[calimobber]

x3 on keep it simple. You can scope it if you have one, but id just finish the valve gaskets and re assemble.

follow normal dry starting procedures. spray some oil into the spark plug holes and change the oil with something cheap. If the gas is low then just pour a ton of fresh gas into it. Plan on changing the fuel filter soonish.

also check all the other fluids.

Fire it up and see how she runs. take it easy on it for a little and then change all the fluid out and do whatever maintenance is needed.

You can seafoam the oil as well to help with sludge but plan on putting some good oil and new filter on after.

 

[Blue109]

Nothing cleans up lightly rusted internal engine components better than running that beast. Few min of idling will either have it shining like new or chucking rods.

 

[ToyotaBrah]

Pull the EFI relay under the hood and give it a few cranks to build up oil pressure before you actually attempt to start it.

How's the frame condition?

 

[3bears]

agree with lots of above, I would go with what you got. give it a try, you got nothing to loose.

 

[jbtvt]

You should definitely sell it...to me...for $500 :tongue:

No, you shouldn't part it out! And odds of having to rebuild are slim to none. Drain the fuel per this thread - Draining the gas tank.

If it runs rough after putting back together you would most likely need the injectors cleaned of ethanol gum, you can try yourself with carb cleaner or send them off to Witchunter, etc.

The timing belt kit would be a good idea if you don't know it was done already, might be a sticker on the motor if it was. Hope you got an OEM Aisin kit, most aftermarket bearings aren't worth the scrap price of the steel in them.

 

[jgue467]

Sludge? who said Anything about sludge???

OP - I would simply go to Tim's utube vids on how to do this job, watch it and pick up where PO left off.

Rebuild?? please, silly, silly, silly..... Enjoy the Runner.

That thing is gonna fire right up! :cowboy:

 

[S1996R]

Lots of good responses in here. Finish the valve cover job remove the old gas and see how it sounds. Good luck to you.

 

[dogtail]

Marvel Mystery oil sprayed in intake and some mixed with the oil will do wonders for the initial start up. Long sitting motors can have valve tick and other issues from gum up, oxidation and whatever and Marvel Mystery Oil is an old time tested trick.