Found a gem, now 6,000 miles later....we got problems.

Hey folks, Glad to be here with so many knowledgable people.

Our story goes, I bought my son a 1996 Gen 1 Toyota Tacoma with a 2.7 L inline 4, auto transmission 4x4. Vehicle was a 2nd owner, had been garage kept. Exterior was in good condition, had frame recall done. Odometer showed 87K miles and engine bay was pretty clean. We made a deal for 8K and left happy. Pictures of the truck the day we got it and also when we got it home.

My son drove the truck to high school for several months, graduated this past summer and got a pretty good paying job. He wanted his brakes to be more stout after a near miss with a deer late at night and using this site, we did the Tundra brake upgrade on his own dime & also replaced a bad wheel bearing. Pictures were uploaded of the brakes installed.

About a week later, as he was driving to work, he heard a not so good sound from the engine bay. He said it sounded like running your hand over a metal rake. AS he came to a stop light at a crossroads about 2 miles later, the engine chugged to a stop and steam began coming up from under the hood. Some folks helped him push it to the side of the road, where he called me for assistance. He admitted to not watching the gauges when he heard the noise.

We got the truck towed home, then got it to our local mechanic who is a certified Toyota specialist with his own private shop. He got the head off and the motor is cooked. It appears the harmonic balancer came separated from the crank, and quit turning the water pump which overheated the motor. Pictures of the inside of the cylinders are shown.

I have been looking for a remanufactured engine for about 2 months now. I've talked with multiple places across the country and apparently there are NONE sitting on the shelf ready. There are reports out there that it is a up to year long process to get one built and there is a lack of cores. I've read horror stories about guys in limbo with money spent on builds still waiting and being strung along for over a year now. I have experience with putting a JDM motor in my own WRX some years ago, and had a phenomenal experience, putting over 100K on the new motor, even after heavy modifications and running 27PSI on an aftermarket turbo.

WE do have a local speed shop, but they specialize in domestic muscle. I've been told that Jasper engines and similar shops will lie through their teeth, and aren't the ones actually building the motor themselves. I've already bought one motor displayed as available online with precision power products only to have them call me days later saying the motor was not actually there! They asked if I wanted a engine built, with a 16-20 week process to get it delivered, but no guarantees.

We have the money ready to go, just looking for the best solution to this problem. Would love to hear from the collective and some brainstorming from experienced individuals in this case. My kid loves his truck, wants it back operational...and I want my own truck (2007 Tundra XSP edition with 5.7L) back that he is borrowing!

We are located in North Central Florida.

 

I had the exact same issue. Can’t find one off the shelf anywhere. Yotashop quotes an 8 week wait and that was the best option. Ended up doing the top end myself instead of going the longblock route.

Good luck, you’re not alone

 

Sorry to hear about your engine loss, I have been reading and following this site for over 10 years (joined recently) and never heard of that happening....sucks. If you haven't tried yet, look up Yota 1 performance and locally (Tampa area) Toy House 813-664-1506 I have never used them (do my own maint) but have heard good things, they are strictly Toyota folks and have a well established grapevine in Fla they may be able to help source one for you. Good luck, save that truck, shes a beaut.
R/
Andy

 

Sounds like someone has been in the engine and sounds like the crankshaft pulley bolt was not torqued properly.
If the block is not cracked or warped.....

If you can gt a straight edge on the surface of the head and if there is nothing wrong with the short block you should be able to bore out the cylinders ten or 20 thousands of an inch.
With oversized pistons and rings that problem could be solved. I would also check the valve lash on the head while it is out of the engine.

 

if this was me… I would pop the piston out of the worst cylinder, check the bore taper and oil up a ball hone and hit that cylinder to see if it will clean up. What have you got to lose at this point? If the end of the crankshaft is buggered up because of the harmonic balancer, that is another issue. These trucks aren’t called “El Indestrucible” world wide for no reason.

 

i would swap a 3.4 in ther, no point in having a 3rz in anything but a reg cab imo. LCengeneering, and jdm something i forget, timmythetoolman referenced this engine place on utube while doing a 3.4swap.

 

Yota1 advertises a 6+ month wait for engines right jow

 

Are you against rebuilding it? You can get a full rebuild kit from LC Engineering. You can bore these engines out to .040" if need be, no problem.

You can literally get everything you need from LCE. Should basically be a one stop shop.

https://www.lceperformance.com/Master-Rebuild-Kit-p/1010012.htm

That kit plus machine work and a few other odds and ends while you're in there and you should be in it around 1500 when all said and done.



Or there's the salvage route...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/97-00-TOYO...RT-ENGINE-JDM-3RZ-3RZFE-2739343-/275061316893

And here's a reman'd option, but no idea what their turn around is...it says in stock???
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-3RZ...nner-T100-Engine-2-7L-1994-2004-/284525147594

 

Small correction: you CANNOT get a rebuild kit through LCE right now. Many parts are backordered and they aren’t shipping those kits.

 

Damn the luck. It does talk about a wait time on the site, but it doesn't seem that long in the grand scheme of things.

 

Sorry for your troubles, this site will be a wonderful tool as you venture forth, hope you find a solution soon.

 

There’s got to be a motor up here in the salt belt northeast. The frames rot out far before the motor ever goes, especially the 2.7. Try doing a search up this way for salvage yards and have it shipped

 

lot of work to convert from 4 cyl to 6 cyl. I wouldn't advise.

 

There are tons on engines on ebay, if you are in a hurry then its gonna be a little pricey but it will solve the problem.

Its going to be cheaper If you pull what you have now and take it to a machine shop. My 3rz just got dropped off, they are charging 250 to take it apart and check everything with a micrometer.

I want this engine back to oem quality so I'm letting a very well know shop handle everything beside removal and installation.

 

Would the transmission have to be replaced too, since it's geared to a 2.7L...?

 

Though wouldn't a 4-speed auto from a 4-banger be geared differently, so as to get the most torque out of that engine? This is what I hear about 5-speed manuals in 2.8L V6 Chevy S-10s versus the ones in 4.3L-equipped t trucks, and that they were more fun to drive as a result!

 

No - looks like they both use the a340f but you’d have to switch bell housings and not sure if the new wiring harness would work with the transfer case.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...sions-write-up-your-4-speed-automatic.325531/

It’s not a fast project:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/jacobrippeys-1995-v6-swapped-tacoma-single-cab-build.464821/