Yotashop 2.7 engines worth the money?

I got a JDM engine with under 50K miles according to the seller. It had perfect compression across. Free shipping to my business as I have a forklift and it was 1500 bucks on ebay. Runs perfect 20K miles on it now no issues. Granted, when I put it in I replaced all the gaskets, timing components, and injectors. I had to transfer all of my old stuff like Intake, TB, exhaust mani, EGR (later deleted as it came without one), and wire harness and it was perfect. I mean the head and block are identical so i don't see it being an issue if you transfer all of your stuff onto it. I am doing a full overhaul and turbo build on my original motor.

When arrived. It was fully wrapped in plastic.



Before install.

 

When they first started building Tacomas at the former NUMMI plant in Fremont CA, at first, they were only building the single-cab trucks there. Since I had wanted an xtra cab anyway, I was happy because I thought I would be getting a truck built in Japan. But, beginning with the 1996 models, they started building xtra cabs in Fremont CA too. So mine was built in Fremont, and I bought it from the closest dealer to the factory, which is on AutoMall Parkway, called Fremont Toyota. But even though it was built in America, the engine and transmission were built in Japan, so I felt that it might be a good truck even though it was assembled in the US. So far, here we are 22 years later, and it is the best vehicle I have ever owned. It has over 168,000 miles and is running well. I did just replace the transmission about 3000 miles ago, but it is as good as new.

 

So here is an update. So after searching for a used USDM engine from a salvage yard I realized there is no way in hell you can trust anything those guys say and I found a lot of engines were not what they had claimed and decided that buying one from a yard was too much risk since I'm desperately seeking the reliability Toyota engines are supposed to have. And I just don't have the money to buy a decent 4x4 v6 So I'm back to square one and looking for a good remanufactured engine. I found a place in Medesto CA called yota1 machine and engine shop and they can build me for the same price as a baseline long block from yotashop ($3k) a valvecover to oil pan/front main seal to rear main seal engine with a stage 1 cam, balance shaft delete and all Japanese parts with OEM Toyota gaskets and timing components with a better less stringent warranty.

So anyone ever worked with yota1 engine shop before? They seem pretty cool and knowledgeable from my emails

It's almost a no brainer now to go with yota1 and get a engine with a few more horse ponys than a baseline longblock with a rediculusly stringent warranty from yotashop

 

How has this motor been treating you? What was wrong with your original engine?

 

Whatever you do dont buy Chinese made engines/ one with Chinese internals! We bought a brand new Chinese made quad years ago and when we took it out to the sand dunes the engine literally fell apart and bolts were coming off and the tire fell off too. We had to go digging in the sand for the parts that fell out the engine. When we returned it to the Chinese dealer, some other guy was there returning his too for the same exact thing, his engine fell apart. We sold that POS.

 

Oh deffinitly not, it's never been an option. Any of the "brand new" engines for $19,000-$2,100 engines are coming from china. Toyota has stopped producing 2.7L engines and even if you find one there 6k from the dealer as a long block. Even the cheap $1,900- 2,100 "rebuilt" or "remanufactured" engines have Chinese internals like pistons, rings, bearings, seals/gaskets.

Hell to the nah nah lol

 

Wow to be honest I had no idea there was even a knock off Chinese version of the 2.7 liter engine thats crazy. Toyota still makes the 2.7 for the 3rd gen tho? They just did small updates I know one of them is dual vvti

 

Oh sorry the 3RZ 2.7 for the 1st gen isn't being made anymore. The Chinese engines are super sketchy because the people selling them try to pass them off a genuin Toyota engines and they look exactly like a genuin Toyota engine with a serial number. It's the metals used that is the big issue, china is known for poor metalergy. You'll end up with piston rings crumbling, cracked heads and failing bearings. than there's the complete absence of quality control in the manufacturing process.

 

I just had my 3RZ shipped from Yota1 last Friday. Going to be working on it this weekend but so far the process has been flawless. I don't see what the fuss is about. People pay double/triple for 22RE's from LCE so I think $2700 is a fair deal. At least I don't have to guess on mileage and treatment from PO on a JDM 3RZ.

 

Just like stock. No issues at all. Only reason I swapped is because at 300K miles I just decided to rebuild my original motor for a turbo build. Literally no reason for me to take it out. my 300K motor was still ok

 

That's awesome, I really wish I had been able to get 300k out of my engine. I had 130k when the exhaust valves burnt up and now 165k with a blown head gasket or cracked head, not totally sure yet.

 

Nice so what did you get for 2700? Is that with tax and shipping? You should do a write up on your swap so I can follow!! Just curious will you have to remove your trans to do the engine swap or just unbolt the bell housing and leave it? Iv been told that I might have to pull my trans also with the engine because the trans will not support itself without the engine.

 

No way, mine is from the Fremont Dealership too. I'm pretty sure they drove it straight off the assembly line directly into their lot, it's a whole 3 miles away from NUMMI.

You're saying 1995 was built in Japan?

 

Nah they were built here, 95 pickup maybe but my 95 Tacoma was literally built in the first production month of the Tacoma line and had NUMMI stickers all over VIN plates an such. Even found extra NUMMI VIN stickers under my carpet one time.

 

Yeah I thought so. There's NUMMI stickers everywhere, on the frame too.

 

So what are NUMMI stickers?

Se7enine how are you planing on dealing with the transmission when you pull the engine? Iv had a fee people say it's easier to pull the trans out with the engine than to leave it since it needs to be supported somehow. I don't have a transmission jack do you?

 

NUMMI stands for New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated which was the factory where the Tacoma was built. It was a joint venture between Toyota and GM in Fremont, California. They went defunct in 2010 after GM decided to pull out of the West Coast market and Toyota followed suit. They make them at TMMTX in San Antonio and I forget what the factory in Tijuana is called.

The old NUMMI building is now occupied by Tesla. The stickers will have a NUMMI watermark and will have your VIN on it. Look on your frame in the wheel wells you'll see it.

 

I'll probably just buy a trans jack for the swap. I need one anyways.

 

Man I really don't want to buy one. I just don't have space to store it after. I could get one from harbor freight than return it. I'm kind of surprised there isn't any write ups or even YouTube videos covering an engine removal and install. Or maybe I'm not surprised because these engines are supposed to run for ever

 

If you're going to remove the transmission trust me you NEED a transmission jack. You will never line that back up with the dowel pins on the engine without the full adjustability of the tranny jack. Don't get the scissor lift one, you need the one that can be fully adjusted up/down and left/right.