Rebuild or Engine Swap

Hey everyone! First time on here, just had a few questions as to what my next step should be with my 2008 taco l4 manual transmission.
Picked it up just 2 years ago at 165,000 and started burning through its mileage. Finally hit the big 200 last November and it started misfiring and is burning tons of oil.
So much so that I had to take it to a buddy of mine and pay a little extra to get it smogged (F*ck California)
My boy is tough and is still moving around, trans is amazing.
but I’m at a crossroad where I don’t know if I should rebuild the damn thing or swap it out with a crate or junkyard find. Any advice or opinions on the matter and what kind of service I should perform at this age in it’s life

 

Nowadays it's just cheaper to find a low mileage used engine. The days of cheaply rebuilding your old engine are gone unfortunately. Alot of salvage places will also give you a warranty with it. Also avoid "rebuilt" engines from Jasper or the like.

Now if you have something like stuck piston rings causing your oil consumption you could possibly do a piston soak to try and free them up.

 

I’m going to disagree with you on the jasper motors. They are fantastic and I’ve used hundreds of them and I have never had a single issue. And they have an excellent warranty. Stay away from motors from parts houses like advanced. Junkyard motors can be a good option if you are on a budget.

 

Where does your buddy work

 

You should have a diagnosis of exactly what's wrong before you decide.

It may need a repair(s) that are much less costly than an engine swap or rebuild.

 

I've seen colossal screw ups from local machine shops, one was the machine shop owner's personal truck. Maybe they don't all turn out that way, but it's only as good as the guy doing the work, and that's really hard to figure out without spending a lot of money.

I've worked at the parts houses, don't buy an engine there, that's a bad gamble.

I have noted that most local shops are sporting a Jasper Engines poster on the wall, so I'm guessing they are having good luck with them.

Personally I would go with a used low mileage engine that hasn't been messed with.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if it isn't something simple that can be fixed. Those engines have a reputation for going way beyond 200,000 miles. This guy drove his over 800,000 miles before it needed a head gasket. The engine was still fine, but he decided to replace, rather than repair with that many miles. He bought a 100,000 mile junkyard engine and has put an additional 300,000+ on that engine.

https://www.google.com/search?ei=RC.....0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i30.AmluUtVsMoQ

 

Find out what is wrong first.

 

Yes. It could be something simple like a bad PCV valve. Worth the time and money for a diagnostic for sure.

 

Roll it, collect the insurance funds and go put a down payment on a new truck.