El Burro - 1989 4Runner Build
- Thread starter TheCascadeKid
- Start date
Nikkshepherd
Observer
Looking great man. Excited to see the final product. Maybe I can talk you in to helping me with a 5vz swap in the future.
Looking pretty damn good for your supposed 20/20 job 
.
I have a very similar booth set up in my garage to paint the frames of some metal/barn wood tables I'm making. Didn't think about putting some scrap wood on the bottom to keep the sheet from moving around too much, great idea and i'm stealing it.
. I have a very similar booth set up in my garage to paint the frames of some metal/barn wood tables I'm making. Didn't think about putting some scrap wood on the bottom to keep the sheet from moving around too much, great idea and i'm stealing it.
TheCascadeKid
Observer
Thanks guys! Looks better in the photos than in person.
Sorry Loubaru, but my super fancy paint booth is proprietary
Love to help with a 3.4 swap in anyway I can! My first piece of advice would be to find a complete donor vehicle so you aren't constantly hunting down missing parts. I got mine for $1200, but I watched CL religiously for 6 months waiting for a totaled, manual 3.4. In the end I came out on top between selling my 3.0 and parting out the donor.
Sorry Loubaru, but my super fancy paint booth is proprietary
Love to help with a 3.4 swap in anyway I can! My first piece of advice would be to find a complete donor vehicle so you aren't constantly hunting down missing parts. I got mine for $1200, but I watched CL religiously for 6 months waiting for a totaled, manual 3.4. In the end I came out on top between selling my 3.0 and parting out the donor.
Crenshaw
Adventurer
Thanks guys! Looks better in the photos than in person.
Sorry Loubaru, but my super fancy paint booth is proprietary
Love to help with a 3.4 swap in anyway I can! My first piece of advice would be to find a complete donor vehicle so you aren't constantly hunting down missing parts. I got mine for $1200, but I watched CL religiously for 6 months waiting for a totaled, manual 3.4. In the end I came out on top between selling my 3.0 and parting out the donor.
That's exactly how my swap went. I think I was in it for 100-200 bucks after parting out everything I could off the junk 4runner I bought.
I also have tons of notes, wiring diagrams, etc...from my swap- a lot of it is only applicable for my specific motor and chassis combo, but it could skip a lot of steps for someone with the right combo.
I wonder if a 3.4 swap specific thread would be helpful on here. I know there are a few running around and I (and I assume a few other people) don't like spending too much time on yotatech.
Nikkshepherd
Observer
Thanks guys! Looks better in the photos than in person.
Sorry Loubaru, but my super fancy paint booth is proprietary
Love to help with a 3.4 swap in anyway I can! My first piece of advice would be to find a complete donor vehicle so you aren't constantly hunting down missing parts. I got mine for $1200, but I watched CL religiously for 6 months waiting for a totaled, manual 3.4. In the end I came out on top between selling my 3.0 and parting out the donor.
Good call. If I can't get the thing running right I'll be looking for a donor. It will be good to have someone around who knows what they are doing.
TheCascadeKid
Observer
@Crenshaw, I'm all for a 3.4 swap thread! I would have loved a spot here to ask questions when I got stuck. It would be a great spot to passing along wiring diagrams and links to 3.4 threads that were most helpful to all of us.
Nikkshepherd
Observer
I am curious how realitive the term "easy" is when it comes to the 3.4 swap. I read through the threads of people talking about doing it and seems like it would be a plug and play application. Then you read the actual swap threads or pages like this ( http://www.offroadsolutions.com/tech-info/3-4l-5vz-fe-conversion/ ) and it seems to be anything but easy. Id like to do the swap as i just cant seem to get my 3.0 to act right but im hesatant to start someting so "easy".
battleaxe
Captain Obvious
Haha, I guess "easy" really is a pretty subjective term when it comes to engine swaps.
If you have a 3.0 already, the 3.4 is easy in the sense that the 3.4 is direct bolt-in. That's sometimes the biggest hurdle (22R equipped trucks don't have this luxury), especially if you're looking into doing a newer 4cyl or v8 swap. Then it's ALL custom stuff.
I'd say the biggest obstacle to this swap is the wiring, and even then it's not that bad. (From what I've read/heard...)
If you have a 3.0 already, the 3.4 is easy in the sense that the 3.4 is direct bolt-in. That's sometimes the biggest hurdle (22R equipped trucks don't have this luxury), especially if you're looking into doing a newer 4cyl or v8 swap. Then it's ALL custom stuff.
I'd say the biggest obstacle to this swap is the wiring, and even then it's not that bad. (From what I've read/heard...)
Nikkshepherd
Observer
Ive got a 94 pickup so the motor should be bolt in. My main concern is if i get an entire donor car with an auto trans, will the motor, trans, and transfer case bold right in? and will the wiring be plug and play? I have a feeling that it wont without some modification or movment of other components such as the exhaust.
battleaxe
Captain Obvious
You'll probably have to burn the exhaust in.
The engine wiring should be relatively simple, but you have to graft it into the dash harness. I've never done the wiring on this swap specifically, but with some diagrams and simple tools, it's usually not that bad.
I have seen swaps on Pirate where guys were able to use the cluster off their donor vehicles, which is a nice plus. I'd imagine it simplifies with the wiring a little.
The engine wiring should be relatively simple, but you have to graft it into the dash harness. I've never done the wiring on this swap specifically, but with some diagrams and simple tools, it's usually not that bad.
I have seen swaps on Pirate where guys were able to use the cluster off their donor vehicles, which is a nice plus. I'd imagine it simplifies with the wiring a little.
TheCascadeKid
Observer
As Battleaxe notes, starting with a 3.0 makes this a very doable swap. You have to do a bit of swapping parts from one truck to the other. A full donor vehicle and having a few folks to ask questions would really speed up the process. I'm sure Crenshaw, myself, and other 3.4 swappers on here would be happy to help. As for wiring I only had to splice about 15-20 wires. It just takes some time to dig through the wiring diagrams. Wiring diagrams can be obtained online for a $10 subscription that gives you an "all you can download" for 24 hours or so.
I started linking a couple threads, but decided to just go ahead and start the 3.4 swap thread Crenshaw was talking about...more info to come shortly
I started linking a couple threads, but decided to just go ahead and start the 3.4 swap thread Crenshaw was talking about...more info to come shortly
TheCascadeKid
Observer
I finished painting my hood and flipped my thermostat to run a couple degrees cooler. I was getting up to 201-203 driving for 30 minutes in relatively cool weather. After starting the truck a few times while burping the coolant I was ready to pull the 4Runner out onto the street to drive it for the week.
Turn the key...click...********. Looks like cleaning all my grounds didn't fix my intermittent starting issue I have run into twice now. Back to the internet I was pretty sure it was time to replace the contacts in my starter.
Pull the starter. Replace contacts. Install starter. Turn key. Click. ********.
Check voltage and find I'm only pushing 11.5 volts. Charge battery overnight. 12.5 volts. Turn key. Click.
Bug GF to come turn the key so I can take some voltage readings to the solenoid etc. "just press this button and turn the" VROOOM!, engine fires. Repeats twice. Then won't start again.
Additional reading thanks to the toyota Guru 4crawler and I start wondering if the very poor choice of wire routing from my ECU to the starter solenoid is causing a voltage drop and I'm not quite getting the juice I need. So tonight I cut out the wire from my harness that runs from the ECU to the starter solenoid. For once I had tucked a wiring harness away and taped it up nicely. I cut it out and removed about 8' of unnecessary wire, cleaned all my contacts, turned the key, and she turns over but won't catch. sigh. A couple more tries and back to just hearing the starter solenoid click. Check voltage. 12.1 volts. Connect portable jumper and get it to turn over twice more before going dead again. Crawl back into the passenger kick panel and notice my carpet is wet. Upon further inspection it appears I took on a good bit of water while my hood was off, and a large portion of it was directed right down my wiring harness into the ECU. woops.
So I finished the night by pulling the back off my ecu and bringing it inside. I'll let it dry out for a couple days and try it Sunday before having to bailing town for work next week. One of these days I'm going to put some miles on this donkey.
Still feel like doing a 3.4 swap @Nikkshepherd? I still recommend it. Just don't take your ECU swimming. Assuming that was my issue...
Turn the key...click...********. Looks like cleaning all my grounds didn't fix my intermittent starting issue I have run into twice now. Back to the internet I was pretty sure it was time to replace the contacts in my starter.
Pull the starter. Replace contacts. Install starter. Turn key. Click. ********.
Check voltage and find I'm only pushing 11.5 volts. Charge battery overnight. 12.5 volts. Turn key. Click.
Bug GF to come turn the key so I can take some voltage readings to the solenoid etc. "just press this button and turn the" VROOOM!, engine fires. Repeats twice. Then won't start again.
Additional reading thanks to the toyota Guru 4crawler and I start wondering if the very poor choice of wire routing from my ECU to the starter solenoid is causing a voltage drop and I'm not quite getting the juice I need. So tonight I cut out the wire from my harness that runs from the ECU to the starter solenoid. For once I had tucked a wiring harness away and taped it up nicely. I cut it out and removed about 8' of unnecessary wire, cleaned all my contacts, turned the key, and she turns over but won't catch. sigh. A couple more tries and back to just hearing the starter solenoid click. Check voltage. 12.1 volts. Connect portable jumper and get it to turn over twice more before going dead again. Crawl back into the passenger kick panel and notice my carpet is wet. Upon further inspection it appears I took on a good bit of water while my hood was off, and a large portion of it was directed right down my wiring harness into the ECU. woops.
So I finished the night by pulling the back off my ecu and bringing it inside. I'll let it dry out for a couple days and try it Sunday before having to bailing town for work next week. One of these days I'm going to put some miles on this donkey.
Still feel like doing a 3.4 swap @Nikkshepherd?
I still recommend it. Just don't take your ECU swimming. Assuming that was my issue...
battleaxe
Captain Obvious
15-20 wires? Piece of cake! Lol.
I feel your pain Cascade... My 86 had all sorts of little problems here and there. Wish I had toughed it out and kept the stupid thing.