Ruby Thunder-the 89 red 4runner v6

yeah when i get back i will have 2 or 3 weeks of R and R so i will order all the parts i need while over in the desert, help me with this list if you know of stuff i need.
do you think it will be easier to just pull the motor and do all the work on an engine stand?
i dont have a stand or cherry picker so i would have to buy one. i really want to mill the heads to accept a MLS gasket to make it bullet proof except i would have to then flush all the coolant and replace with some high dollar non-acidic type and replace and flush every 2 years max.

timing chains
port and polish
mill heads to accept MLS gaskets if possible (do you mill both the block and the head? or just the heads) to get them flat. the tolerances are half of the gasket that comes on the 3.0l
cams
possibly rings(but i think the lower half is fine)
hoses ill just by when i get back.
headers from LCE (seem to be the best for heat xfer)
what should i do about the sensors? replace them?

also mandy will let me buy a 22re or 22r for a rebuild motor to play with while i wheel with the v6. then ill switch them and fix the v6 up something fierce.

otherwise i would give it to you and just let you have it til it was done. just pay for the parts and your beer and wait. but the wife will let me buy more tools if i do it myself but it will take longer. so its a trade off

 

sand castles hopefully if not ill be there

 

Def. replace the timng belt.
port & polish is not required, carbon removal is.
Good idea to have the heads milled, hopefully you cann leave the block alone
Cams should not need to be replaced unless you are just looking for more performance
Anything that is rubber, like belts, hoses & seals I would recomend replacing
The LCE headers are the best performance mod you can do to a 3.0
If the sensors are working them leave them alone

 

cool all the sensors are working right now.the engine light is on for the ecu not recieving a signal during cranking but that was not a hinderance.

rob will you check the u pull it yards down there for a 22re with ecu and harness. i want one to build up and no one around us has one. or even a yunkyard. the ones i have called said i would need to come down and look. i think that was crap they know if they have them because they are worth big dollars.

 

Make sure if you re-do the v6 take it to a good machine shop. The heads have valve pucks on them that the cam rides over. Not just any hack can do that engine/heads. I had to take the guy the cams and all so he could adjust the valves. Then there were burnt exhaust valves he had to replace. The 3.0 isn't a cheap engine to work on.

 

seeing all yall get these old 4runners really makes me want one! maybe in a year or so when My truck is paid off

 

I'd like to have one too just because the kids are getting older and growing

 

mine has an exhaust valve sticking i believe. so i need to work on it but it will come out of the truck and be done on a stand. i have already worked on the plugs and it took me 3 hours to just get the plugs out because of #5 f the passenger side. so for the timing and heads ill just take my time. this is my first build so it will benifit me more to do so.

gotcha on the heads.

the junkyards around here only have , get this, clunker engines out of a toy pickup-seized the f up

 

Those plugs can be a pain. I had to have an aluminum insert put in for my spark plug #4 because the threads came out one time during a tune up. Not to be a buzz kill on the heads, but I've heard guys with 20 years have problems with those heads. Too bad you werent closer I'd send you to my buddy who did mine. I think if you replace a valve you have to shave down the valve and make sure the puck is the right size too for the valve clearance. Those pucks just come right out too so don't flip over the head. I did that the first time I ever did my motor during the tear down. Thank goodness it wasnt before the head job!

 

i understand the headgasket problem, you can not use a MLS (multi. layered steel) gasket and that causes the problems because the metals heat up at different rates.
i may be getting a 22re with ecu and harness and fuse box from a guy in GA... if i can get the price down. yay

then i could pull the 3.0 out and do a good overhaul on it. hone, boar polish bearings,pistons,etc

 

Thats cool. Keep the 22re in there if you can. It probably will last you a lot longer. I looked for a MLS gasket for mine (3.0) and everyone said they dont make them. Good luck on the motor swap though!

 

do you know a good price for all that? he wants 500 but somone else is selling them for 250-300 and the motor has sat (outside im sure) for at least a year.

 

If you can get a motor that hasnt sat outside that would be best. Couldnt really tell you a price though. Look around online

 

testin my signature

 

It didn't work