Rebuild or buy a new one?

1987*4runner

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i have a 1987 4runner with a 22re. The head gasket blew like 3-4 years ago, and its just been sitting there just the way it was. My brother took off the head and now its very rusty. i drained the oil and radiator recently. it has quite a bit of miles on it.
 
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Buy a new one. I'd swap to a 3.4, or get a juiced up long block.

I've been waiting for somebody to buy a stage 2.5 from 22reperformance.com, I wanna know if those puppies are legit. You could also look at a superstock engine from Oregon Engine Rebuilders. Another option is Putnams, I think somebody here bought a block from them a little bit ago.

Lots of options. Really cheap options. I wouldn't rebuild unless you actually wanted to - some weirdos like that sort thing. :D
 
This is only my opinion, based on my experience with "building" engines of various V-8 configurations (building meaning performance built), working my early "pay my dues" years in different speed shops / machine shops, and my quest to gather information about my own options when the 3.no go lets go in my own truck.
Many moons ago I had an '83 22R in a pickup...and in seeing how "rebuils" are done at a cookie cutter shop (assembly line rebuilds), I decided that it would take a couple extra bucks, and some extra time, to do one myself. Seek out a reputable machine shop that does hot rod work, has a dyno (will explain in a sec), and offers performance parts from good companies that are not domestic/import specific (Manley, and so on), and have your base block done the way you want, for your intended use... rather than by a generic set of standards. Concentrate on the basics which a lot of people overlook, and most of the time think "it won't matter that much". I'm talking about balancing...cc'ing, and all the measurements that won't be done to a stock motor.
Pick the camshaft (or have one ground) to suit your needs...specific. Take the time to make the head breathe in the RPM range you want...not what Toyota has done for the masses.
"If Huffy rebuilt engines...would you buy one? Or would you call Specialized?"
Long story short...you will be farther ahead doing it yourself, plaus the added benifit of knowing every nut, bolt, and quirk the engine has, and chances are when you reach the inevidible point of really dropping the hammer on it...you'll know exactly what it will and more importantly won't do.
 
I'm sorry for such a long winded explanation, but as my wife just pointed out, sometimes I get a little anal with a project, be it for me or a customer BUT...I can say, unlike a lot of misguided purchasers and "builders" alike, when I charge you a dollar...you generally get a buck fifty's worth of performance.
The "small things" can take days or even weeks before the block even hits the machine shop...small things like grinding "orangepeel" from the casting on the INSIDE of the block webbing, removing casting flash which eventually becomes a stress point and eventual failure point, smoothing the inside of the block allows oil to run faster to the pan (oil cant get shoved back to the top end if it's on the side of the block), altering temprature ranges and locations within the motor (cool block and lower end, versus a head (or heads) that run warmer than the rest of the motor by blocking certain water passages...stuff like that.
I ran a Malibu in the early days of the NMCA, when the rules dictated lower budget cars and competitiveness (guys like me that didn't have billion dollar budgets could accually have fun weekends on a family wallet), and I got used to squeezing every last HP or tenth of a second out of a buck...habit.
I'm teaching a group of disabled vet's now in a program where we are faced with this same question (buy or build) and when we're done, under two grand will net us over 700 hp from a small block. I guess all I can say before someone tells me to shut the fu** up, is... the old days of the basics are way overlooked when faced with modern marketing hype...do it yourself, be proud of it, and have it the way YOU want versus setteling on a generic combination designed for the masses.
Again.. sorry for being so long winded, but this is one area I feel pretty strongly about. Call me old school
 

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