Engine/Head replacement options in 2020?

Been getting a P0303 code at startup on my truck (03, v6), and new injectors all around didn't fix the issue. A bit of roughness for a few seconds on cold startup.

Still have to do a block test but based on other info I'm seeing, sounds pretty likely that I'm dealing with a bad head gasket and very likely a cracked head. At ~300k miles, not really shocking.

Was wondering if anyone could weigh in on the options I'm considering. (Still gonna do some tests to make sure that the HG is the issue, but I'd like to game plan a little bit for the worst-case scenario, while the truck is still driveable).

a) Get some remanned heads and reinstall them. Probably the cheapest option, depending on the brand. (aside from pulling the heads and crossing my fingers that there are no cracks). However, I'm a little worried that putting new heads on a block with 300,000 miles is "lipstick on a pig" territory.

b) Source a lower-mileage used engine. More expensive, but probably the fastest. I live in LA, so I feel like I should be able to find a workable engine somewhere among all the junkyards and dismantlers around here. The JDM stuff sketches me out, would probably be looking for something from a wrecked, low-mileage (<150k) car.

I realize option c) is to pull the heads and see what I'm dealing with, but I really want to avoid too much downtime ordering parts and sending stuff to a machine shop. Would rather have new parts ready to go and just bust it out in a weekend, I use this truck a lot and when the lockdown ends I plan on spending some time on the road.

Any thoughts? Not sure what the state of remanufactured heads is in this day and age. Seems like the cheap ones are a total crap shoot and a pair of nice ones would cost more than just getting a used engine.

 

I guess option d) is to get a totally remanufactured engine from some supplier, but at current prices I think I'd rather try to scare up a used engine in decent shape while there are still some to be had. Was considering this company (https://spprecision.com/products/toyota-5vz-fe-34-long-block-crate-engine-sale.html) but sounds like the motor's got to be shipped to them first right now, which sounds like I'll have an immobile truck for a month or two.

 

Are you measuring low compression in cyl #3 to confirm it's in fact a mechanical issue? (As opposed to flaky injector pulse, spark plug, coil...)

Rock Auto has rebuilt engines for $3200, pricey but comes with 3-yr warranty: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=901882&cc=1418453&jsn=8

 

Nah, haven't done that yet, gonna grab a compression tester in the next couple days and make sure. I know that it's not the injector as I just replaced them all with a new set.

Plugs were replaced not super-long ago, so I'm skeptical that it's them, but maybe I should swap the coils and test. Just seemed like my symptoms were identical to other cracked head sufferers so I figured it's the most likely scenario. (Plus it's nighttime so not much I can do right now but hit the forum).

 

Don't love the price of the remanufactured engine, but I suppose it might be worth looking into. I have this truck pretty dialed for the stuff I do with it, so I'm willing to do what I need to keep it on the road.

 

I had my mechanic install a low mileage (130K) 3.4L used engine on my truck about 2 years ago. I had a head gasket issue and didn’t want to deal with rebuilding the block or the head. The engine costed me $1,200, but the labor costed me $4,800 for installation/tune up/oil change/replace water pump/hoses/radiator.

 

Labor's not a concern -- I've got plenty of tools and experience, had the engine out a year ago to fix a broken engine perch, so I've got a hoist and a stand and even a decent recollection of how it all went together.

I just mainly want to avoid having the truck sitting marooned for a long time. If I do need to end up replacing engine stuff, I'd like to have everything ready to go so I can just block out a couple days and do it all.

 

You may want a second opinion to help you assess your engine issues. Is it a head gasket or a damaged head? Maybe hire an experienced mechanic to work alongside with you to repair your engine?

 

I'm going to be testing for a head gasket tomorrow. But if it's a bad gasket, it seems extremely likely that the head is also cracked, especially since this seems to be happening at the 3 cylinder, which sounds like the most common one to go first. Been doing a bunch of research into this and this seems like a super-common issue with high-mileage 5vz-fe engines.

 

I've replaced heads and head gaskets on engines way weirder than this one, so I think I should be fine no matter what I end up doing.

 

Usually with the bad head gasket, you’d be having neighboring cylinders misfiring, and/or a random misfire P0300. Also check for low coolant levels.

only one cylinder acting up makes me think it’s not a HG. Could be a crack on the head though as you mentioned.

I had a P0300, 303, and 301 when my HG was bad. It was also around the 280-290k mark. I bought remanned heads, a pair of them, off of eBay for around $600 shipped. They’ve been fantastic and I’ve got 320k on the odo now. The bottom end could definitely use some love, not gonna lie, but that $600 has gotten me a long way so it was money well spent IMO. And the truck was really only down for a day.

sourcing a used engine is my preferred way to go, but I never like to pay more than $600-$750 for them because I know I’m going to re-gasket and do the TB and all that. When I was searching I just couldn’t find one in the price I wanted so I went with heads only.

 

Well, you just have a #3 cylinder misfire. With a 17-year old vehicle, wiring can get brittle.

Confirm the #3 injector is getting power by checking with a cheap noid light plugged into the injector harness.

Confirm the #3 coil is good and is getting power by checking with a cheap spark tester. Did you replace the plug wires when you replaced the plugs?

Haven't worked on the 5VZ. Looks like #3 cylinder is on the passenger side, so comparatively easier to access without pulling the intake manifold?

 

If I was in your situation (also have mechanical knowledge, engine hoist etc.) I'd pull it and find a low mileage used one. Car-part.com is a good locator of toyota things I have used. Only take a weekend probably to swap out depending on what other things would come up.

 

Way off topic, but I just wanted to say that your Tacoma looks freakin awesome. Very Nice!

 

not sure how option b) comes in as more expensive.

I bought an engine with 135k miles out of a rolled 02 for $500 from a scrapper. I was able to hear/see the engine run before they did all the work of removing it and dropping it into my truck bed.

 

Because he lives in ”Elle Aye”

location is a big factor in pricing.

 

Yeah, not 100% sure it's a head gasket and certainly keeping my fingers crossed that it's not, just figured I'd start considering my various options so I know what course of action to take if it is.

 

Actually I just did a copart search and nothing came up in S. California, I think all the dismantlers are still on lockdown here. Was basing my prices on what I saw at yards in Arizona, seemed like they were wanting a bit north of $1k for an engine with less than 150k miles.

Got to assume that at some point, the supply of low-mileage junker engines is going to dry up, given that the trucks themselves are pretty hard to find with anything less than 150k. So it would not surprise me at all if prices were starting to creep up, especially with a lot of us hitting spaceship mileages and finally reaching the end of the 5vzfe's service life.

I see a few places advertising JDM engines for under 1000 bucks, but would rather not dick around with swapping parts and I'm pretty skeptical about the low mileage claims on those engines being as there's basically no way to know if they are true. Would rather pay extra to actually see the odometer of the truck it's coming from than roll the dice.

Wouldn't care as much if my truck was just a beater or around-town rig, (in that case a cheapo JDM engine might be the ticket) but I do a lot of big road trips in it, and every weekend it's on jack stands is a weekend I'm not getting to go camping or other fun stuff.

 

Try looking in Rancho Cordova in northern California. Lots of junkyards with Toyota trucks.

 

Looks like they're on sale for $2,200, not bad IMO for a re-manufactured engine!