What to do with my Tacoma, bad exhaust valve

I have a 2003 Tacoma 4 cyl. 2.7L with a little over 200k miles on it. It won't pass safety because there is an engine light on for cylinder misfire. I took it to the dealer and they said an exhaust valve has burnt and that it would require an engine replacement, $6k. I've talked to local auto mechanics and got a quote for $2k to replace the valve without any guarantee that it will work (he said it might blow out another valve since there was no compression for a while). To add to that there is a pretty large dent in the drivers side door. Just not my day!

Do I replace the engine, replace the valve, or just sell the truck? I'm a DIY type, should I look into fixing it myself, or is it impossible without special tools? Thanks!

 

I have the same dilema

 

Allied Motor Parts. $750 for a complete new head. Not even worth trying to rebuild the old one and hope for the best.

No need to spend $6 K on a complete engine if all you need is the head.

The hardest part would be getting the exhaust and intake bolts off.

 

Welcome to TW... How about a used engine from a salvage yard.

 

Welcome to TW!

 

2U swap obviously. xD

Nah, get the reman head and swap heads, honestly probably cheaper labor than replacing a valve in your existing head.

It's not that hard of a job, though certainly not a great newbies first job either.

Most important thing is getting your mating surfaces clean and knowing they're flat before installing the new headgasket.