Lack of Power?

Yesterday I bought a 1993 Toyota SR5 4x4 3.0L V6 and 5-speed manual. Before I bought it I drove it around in the parking where the guy had it for sale and it ran good. After I payed him I was driving home and it seamed like it had a lack of power going up the hills. I had to put it in 2nd gear to make it up some of the steepest parts of the road. Doing about 60mph in 4th gear going up hills I have to drop down into 3rd and i go down to about 45mph. I realize its not the biggest V6 but it should have more power then my moms 4cylinder Honda Element. And also, it does have 284,000 miles on it.

 

its a 3.slow man don't expect much
If it were me personally i'd get another truck without a 3.0 but if you really wanna put the time and effort into that turd try a full tune up first and go from there

So you only drove it in a parking lot before you bought it?

 

the 3.0 is a slug in the 95 4runner we used to own. My cousin has a 96 with the 2.7 and that seemed to move quicker than the 3.0. Toyota had a recall on the 3.0 for the head gasket which was done at 26K miles. At about 156K miles, the head gasket problem surfaced. Fixed it and sold it.

 

Its also like it doesn't want to rev up when I give it gas just cruising at about 60 on flat roads in 4th gear. The check engine light is on and the guy told me it was because of the engine temperature sensor but that it does work. It gonna take it to my auto class at school to run the codes. If there is something wrong with the motor would it be worth it to find a new motor or a new truck?

 

If the body is in good shape heck ya. Throw a 22re in there and be done with it

 

it sound like you got scammed into buying a lemon. Good luck.

 

When i was younger my mom had a 4runner with the 3.0 in it. don't remember it being fast. lol

 

Dump that motor if something is wrong with it ASAP! Do a 3.4 swap if you want to keep the truck. Or you can sell it for however much you can get for it and then get a 22re or a tacoma. The 22re is slow also but it has more aftermarket help than the 3vzfe does.. Oh and its way more reliable and way easier to work on

 

I don't think there is such a thing as a lemon with 284k miles on it lol

 

They call them the 3.slow, but I actually love my 3.0. What you are describing doesn't sound normal. If the motor is shot but the rest of the truck is in good shape, a new 3.0 is pretty cheap. Here is a link to a informative post on a different forum: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/8...o-post-everyone-must-read-before-posting.html

 

How hard would it be to put a 22re in it?

 

It would not be worth it. If you want to swap motors you might as well pick something else.

 

In my old 3.0 i had to put in a quart of oil every time i filled her up with gas. Hated that engine, loved that 4runner.

 

Read up on the 3.0 and do some searching. You will find that a lot of people don't really prefer that engine. Ours was babied and still blew a head gasket. A swap would be more costly. I suggest you sell it and get yourself another with the 2.7 or the 3.4 in it.

 

^x2 you wont regret getting a tacoma. Power is plentiful with both the 2.7 and 3.4

 

cept you have to deal with a crap frame and a steering rack.

I would just put a v8 in it and call it a day. BUt thats just me.

 

I agree with this! It's a fairly common swap. What is your budget? What kind of shape is the truck in?

 

What type of V8? I kind of have a low budget right now. The truck is in great shape I'll post a picture of it later.

 

I get my Alaska Dividend next month which is $900 dollars next month so i'll have some money then.

 

The most popular v8 swap in the pickups would be a chevy 350