Life span of a 3.4L

I may have asked you this already but where did you go to get yours rebuilt? Or did you DIY?

 

Wow, there are some pretty high mileage rigs with the 3.4 Toyota engine on this thread. This is the last thing Toyota wants to read about. They don't want to hear about an engine they engineered that goes for 500,000 miles. This kind of engineering prevents us all from purchasing new Tacomas.

 

I bought a 1996 T100 3.4 V6 new . Had 3 miles on it . I drove it all over and back again. NEVER left me anywhere except once and that wasn't her fault . Filled up late one night , only place open and got a tank of water . I sold it a good while back to a kid (4500$) down the road with 368985 miles on it . I see it every day still hauling butt and he drives it a lot harder than I did .
Replaced it with a 1999 Taco 2.4 l , got it from original owner with 89000 on it . (5800$) . Sold it yesterday with 168486 on it .
Replaced it with a 1999 Taco Prerunner 2.7 l . Got it from original owner with 88000 on it . (8500$) . Gonna tweek it out a little . Hope to ride to the sun and back again , if the moon would get out of the way !

 

I've learned the hard way that some legendarily-reliable cars were more hype than reality, but the Toyota 3.4L has been the real deal for me. 273K and some change on the 3.4 in my '96 4runner when I sold it. The damn thing leaked a little out of the valve cover gaskets but didn't burn a drop, never left my stranded other then the one time the alternator died at the end of long trip but waited until I was about a hundred feet from my house to completely crap out , and it still had good power and still pulled around mpgs on the freeway, loaded up with camping gear and a canoe on the top. My Taco has 213K, I bought it with around 200K and had no qualms whatsoever. I plan on doubling it at the least. The 5VZ-FE is just one of the all-time reliability home runs.

 

I have a 01 runner with 230,000 and runs smooth

 

04 Tacoma PreRunner 2WD 234,000 miles on it and not a sputter 3.4L is the business

 

98 3.4 with 356k, regular maintenance, timing belt replacement and synthetic oil are key. It’s starting to lose some power but I’m not disappointed, been very very reliable. I bought new, have replaced the radiator that blew at about 300k, 1 Fuel injector went bad, a couple clutches, brakes. Built at the now defunct Fremont California plant, and kept mostly stock. Will rebuild for reliability as it’s going to be for overlanding.

 

242000 when I sold mine and didn't use a lick of oil.

 

Well... they build Teslas there now

 

258,000 miles on my 2002 3.4

Bought it with 86,000 miles on it. Had to replace an O2 sensor at about 150,000, changed the timing belt at about 200,000 and just changed the spark plugs (literally) like 2 weeks ago. (To resolve a misfire code/check engine light). Other than routine maint, like oil changes, that is all I have ever had to do to it.

 

This is good stuff. I guess that's why Toyota didn't have a problem including the supercharger in the factory warranty.

 

My 98 currently has 310,000 & still going strong it's also my daily driver & now days i drive avg of 2500 miles a month no leaks or warning lights I love my truck

 

Bought mine new . synthetic oil only.Blow head gasket at 144000.Both heads are cracked between valves.Answer your question

 

That sounds like maybe the engine was overheated at one time ???

 

Never was kept up maintenance from day one.New thermostat every 5 years. Owned them since 86.I have auxiliary gauges that are more accurate than factory.Cyl walls look like 39,000 miles instead of 144,000.Over 100000 is hyw miles.My luck . Friend works on a lot of different vehicles. Seen several with cracked heads same spot.Casting is really thin between valves.Putting new heads on it and see if I can get another 144000 out of it.Its a really nice truck . seats had covers on since day one

 

Wow, that’s strange,

I popped a head gasket at 489,000 and was boosted from day one and I run th e hell out of it.

 

I ran it for a while trying to figure out what was causing miss at start up once every few weeks.Then one day going to work starting running like plug wire off . parked it.Ran at idle blowing coolant out tail pipe . like I said. Never overheated and rarely pulled anything over 2500 lbs.Oh well

 

What do new heads run?
And labor?

 

Factory with valves only parts 2200 fir both. Doing myself cant say for labor. Aftermarket bare head 456 a piece

 

A flip of the coin with the six's. Personally,,all these first gen six's should have been a proven 300hp and the 4 bangers a true 250hp. More power equals MUCH better parts on the average. Toyota could have easily done that, with atmospheric pressure,, with all of the very old school TRD assets at there disposal. Instead,,we tentatively bought disposables. Buggers!!. I love my truck,,but so much more room for improvement,,even now.