Will it survive? New T4R owner needs help!

[PolevaultT4R]

I am a college student from AZ and have always been a fan of 4Runners. I finally went and bought one this summer and I love it. I am the proud owner of a 95 with the 3.0 and 183k miles on it.

I will be moving to Sioux Falls, SD to finish up school and I am a little nervous on how the truck will do. I will be driving about 1200 miles to get to the school and the last thing I want is to break down in the middle of nowhere. I have driven to Vegas and back and the truck did great. I drive like a grandpa was able to get up to 75 going up the hills with no real issues. The only thing that worries me is that she likes to burn through oil. I have to put a quart in every month or so. My oil pressure gauge also reads very high. It is not pegged but it does seem to "stick" in different spots and just generally act weird. I dont have money to really repair anything at the moment but have gone through and done all the maintenance I can (oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, new drive belts, etc.)

Sooooo long story short, think she will make the trip?

 

[Footofgod]

Try using 20w-50 oil. Doesn't burn as fast. Causes some slow starts in the cold, but works great in warmer climates. Mine used to burn through oil till I switched. Now she runs fine.

 

[PolevaultT4R]

I thought about using thicker oil but I am nervous how it will affect my oil pressure? If my pressure is already high wouldn't the thicker viscosity make it even higher? I guess what I would really need to do is get a manual gauge and test the pressure for myself to see if it really is high...

here is a pic, this is where the gauge likes to hang out after it has warmed up and i'm driving around.

 

[Footofgod]

Is it that high if you are sitting at idle?

 

[2ndGen4runner4x4]

Even if your oil pressure gauge is accurate (and it isn't) it's not too high. Mine acts weird too... it's just the gauge. Put an aftermarket unit if it really bugs you.
The gauge that you NEED to pay attention to is the temperature gauge.
If you can drive a hundred miles at highway speeds including hills and not have any problems then you can make the 1200 mile trip.

 

[PolevaultT4R]

Thanks for the replies. It will drop down to the line around the middle when I idle for a while. But it usually stays around that mark in the pic. I'll go ahead and trust that the gauge is off an try some of that thick stuff. FoG I do have to say that your build thread has been my favorite to read so far

 

[Footofgod]

FoG I do have to say that your build thread has been my favorite to read so far

Thanks, it is a labor of love. Let us know how this follows up. You know, it is not too far to Moab from AZ. You should come up in October.

 

[PolevaultT4R]

Oh man I would love to. I will be up in South Dakota by then. One of these days I'll get around to it.

 

[Lastplace]

Think about replacing the PCV valve. If becomes blocked pressure builds in the engine forcing oil out.

 

[cdthiker]

think of it from this prospective..... you most likely put that many miles on your truck every month... take it slow and treat it right it should make it no problem.... just like your truck should make it round town for another month no problem....
there are always things that could happen but if you live in the land of what if all the time you will drive your self crazy just go for it, unless you plan on buying another can its not like there is another option....
truck should be fine.... there is a dude on here selling his second gen 3.slo with 250+ k miles on it.... even this motor will run if you take care of it.

 

[PolevaultT4R]

well here is the update! She made it to South Dakota with no problems whatsoever. Heck, I'd even go so far as to say she is running better than ever. Thanks for the replies, you guys helped give me some peace of mind for the trip.