3.4 to 3.0 1997 tacoma

Hey guys long time truck enthusiasts here but new to engine swaps. My daily driver 1997 tacoma recently crossed 170000 miles so i’m am on the search for a new engine before this puppy blows. A friend of was selling his 3.0 190xxx miles from his 1995 4runner so i picked it up this afternoon for only a couple grand. i’ll be starting the swap tomorrow morning and was wondering if anyone had any tips. I couldn’t seem to find anything of the interwebs about it so i thought i’d come to the professionals. Thanks again

 

Don't do it

ima say troll actually cause wut

 

not a troll and a little confused on why you think it’s a bad idea. my buddy that i bought the engine from has been a toyota specialist mechanic for 15+ years and says it’s a pretty common swap for a pretty solid engine

 

Hey tacomaster! Just competed a 3.4 to 3.0 swap last month! The swap is pretty straight forward if you have the proper instructions. The only thing I noticed is that the power delivery feels slightly off compared to the 3.4 and would recommend changing/tuning your gears (if manual, I heard from a buddy that the automatics handle fine) as to better accommodate The slightly lowere power delivery. Hope all goes smooth!

 

It's not Friday... It's not April fools...

Two new posters... Yeah no.

Why would you swap to a 3.0 with are known for being prone to head gasket failures? Most people go the other way, swap in a 3.4 to avoid the head gasket failure problem.

 

Yeah I was being satirical but I actually think the other guy is serious

 

if you really think it’s a bad idea then i can contact my friend and try to get my engine and money back. it was only about 2 grand on my part but at least i can maybe get the engine back. as for the new member part i stumbled about this page while looking for swap information and decided to create an account. on the other hand ball bearings sack brings up a good point about reduced power as that should give me better gas mileage.

 

I feel like you
got bent over paying 2k for the 3blow

 

Unless you are dead set on having a 3.0 for some reason (like you find it very cool), you should 100% return the 3.0 if you can. Especially with those miles on it. A 3.4 shouldn't be hard to find, and you won't have to deal with ecu swaps.

 

Nah bro ditch the 3.0, get your money back, and get another 3.4. Gas mileage wise you might save an extra cent per mile but the cost of a new head gasket surely would make that savings not logical

 

170k miles on a 3.4 is nothing; why even buy a motor to swap with?

And like others have stated, the swap is extremely popular...but that's when they're getting rid of a 3.0 in favor of a 3.4

 

There's probably not much out there for walkthroughs because not many, if any, would want to go from a 3.4 to a 3.0.

 

I’m agree with the others.
You’d be better off with the 2.7 than the 3.0

 

NO NO NO, first of all anyone who could sell a 3 point slow for $2000. has my respect.....and shame at the same time, as above has mentioned HEAD GASKETS! every 5 oil changes, the 3.4 is a much better engine worn out than the 3.0 new, yes speaking from angry experience. A well maintained 3.4 should go well past the mileage listed, spending $2000 on it making it more reliable is a much better investment.
R/
Andy

 

are you having problems with your 3.4L engine. These are pretty much bomb proof engines and very reliable. Many have gone to 1/2 million miles if properly taken care of. If the current engine is blown, I'd replace it with another "JDM" or junk yard 3.4.

 

Please return that engine. This is not an upgrade.

170k on a 3.4 is nothing. You need to worry about nothing for another 200k.

 

shoot guys i didn’t check my laptop for the last couple hours and just got the engine all fited in. My friend did a couple of compression tests and he said it ran really well. also he assured me he did an oil change every 10,000 miles. i only took it for a spin around the block and it did struggle a bit uphill. towards the end of the trip i noticed some white smoke protruding from the engine bay but my mechanic friend reassured me that happens the first few miles after a swap. thanks again for your time everyone.

 

Yea I'm still gonna say troll

 

Laptop?!? 2009 called and wants their post back.

Now I’m wondering how many people access TW on a laptop these days.

 

For sure.