Numbchux
Member
I'm bored at work today, and too swamped at home to get any work done, so I thought I'd start a thread on here about my 4Runner and it's colorful past. I've owned it for over 14 years, only driven it a few thousand miles, and had 4 different engines in it....
Started life as a top-of-the-line 1987 4Runner SR5 Turbo, digital dash, automatic, power windows/locks, everything.
According to a VIN search, it was repo'd for nonpayment in 1988.
Sometime around 1997, it was stolen, crashed through a store front and left. Insurance totaled it and auctioned it.
An acquaintence of mine bought it, fixed it up, put some aftermarket wheels, tube bumpers and step bars on it, and sold it to his sister-in-law. She took it out to Colorado, where the turbo was a huge help up in the mountains. She put the majority of the miles on it. So, despite it spending most of it's time in MN, it doesn't have the rust we're used to seeing here.
In about 2004, it had about 160k miles on it and needed some work, she brought it back to my friend, who put a reman head and new radiator in it, among other things.
About a year later, her boyfriend at the time changed the oil for her. About 300 miles later, it had rod knock.....
My friend built her a newer 4Runner, and got this one back, and listed it for sale. And I bought it.
2021-01-19_03-42-45 by Numbchux, on Flickr
I dropped the oil pan, and found all 4 thrust washers, one very badly deformed, in the pan:
combined by Numbchux, on Flickr
I slipped new thrust washers in it, tested the rod and main bearings, which came up within acceptable tolerances, put it back together for a test run. Still knocked a bit, and I brake boosted it and when it got into boost it blew smoke out of the tailpipe.
It was about that time that I saw a very rusty and mildly crashed 4Runner parked on the side of the road, I left a note, and a couple weeks later ended up buying it for a few hundred bucks. It was an '86 with a 5-speed. I chucked that whole motor in, painted the wheels black and got to drive the truck for awhile.
DSCF0686Medium by Numbchux, on Flickr
I got about 1500 miles on it, and the head gasket blew. Started taking it apart, and found numerous wrecked and not- or incorrectly-repaired threads in the engine (including a head bolt!). I decided the work to repair it didn't make sense just to have a 22RE/A340H truck. Before long....
DSCF0883Medium by Numbchux, on Flickr
For some reason, I was afraid of electronically controlled transmissions, but I wanted the most "modern" fuel injection. This meant a 1992 (and only 1992) S-10 Blazer. CPFI, aka early Vortec/spider injection, 4.3 and the 4L60. Lots of parts, lots of time, lots of pizzas delivered in my other cars, and it was in:
IMG_0989 by Numbchux, on Flickr
It comes to life!
At the same time, I did a 2" body lift, treated some of the wheel well/rocker rust with POR15 and did a bedliner 2-tone. 4Xinnovations rear bumper. and 35" Cooper Discoverer STTs
2017-07-25_02-29-26 by Numbchux, on Flickr
This setup did not prove to be completely reliable, but I got a few trips in
969736_10200669039921227_240595646_n by Numbchux, on Flickr
I had plans to swap in an FZJ80 rear axle, which required 16" wheels. So I got some 16s, with 315/75r16 Duratracs
IMG_52134495177976 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Which were stolen while we were moving.
20161006_131241 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Picked up some used 33" ProComp Xterrains on wheels, POR15d the frame, and went after the rock in the backyard of my new house:
2017-07-10_10-30-27 by Numbchux, on Flickr
After many years of testing, experimenting, replacing parts and not trusting that engine combination (never ran great, would randomly stall and just as randomly restart. Nightmare to diagnose) I gave up. My biggest theory is that despite the FSM saying it should do nothing but throw a code, the ECU was not liking that it was missing the second knock sensor, which is mounted between exhaust ports on this motor, and did not clear the block hugger headers. Despite how common the 4.3 is, this ECU was only in some Blazers in only 1992, so finding concrete information on them is tough. I decided to go back to Toyota, and settled on either a 5VZFE 3.4l V6 or the 1UZFE 4.0 V8. When the right deal popped up on this:
2019-01-21_08-35-58 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Complete engine/accessories/transmission/wiring/ECU from a 1994 Lexus SC400. Modified the wiring, and test ran it on the stand
With some modification, Toyota T100 transfer case bolts right onto the Lexus RWD transmission:
20190519_143126 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Despite having a ~1 month old son, I was laid off for about a month last spring, so I geared up to get some work done:
2020-04-26_09-58-27 by Numbchux, on Flickr
And just like that...
Back out in the daylight last summer:
20200801_073307 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Using Tacoma shifter and dual-cupholder shifter trim!
2020-08-24_09-42-32 by Numbchux, on Flickr
While swapping from the SC400 mid-sump to the LS400 front-sump oil pan, I decided to reseal the oil pump. Somehow I managed to slip the oring for the high pressure port into the block off where it should be, and had oil spraying out of the side of the pump. Since I've been back to work, and 2 young kids, progress has slowed considerably. I resealed the pump, but haven't put the timing back together. I am in the process of sourcing connectors so I can build a completely new harness for the front of the motor for the crank and both cam sensors.
I did buy an elocker rear axle to swap in it. Came with a few extra parts:
2020-07-01_11-29-42 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Started life as a top-of-the-line 1987 4Runner SR5 Turbo, digital dash, automatic, power windows/locks, everything.
According to a VIN search, it was repo'd for nonpayment in 1988.
Sometime around 1997, it was stolen, crashed through a store front and left. Insurance totaled it and auctioned it.
An acquaintence of mine bought it, fixed it up, put some aftermarket wheels, tube bumpers and step bars on it, and sold it to his sister-in-law. She took it out to Colorado, where the turbo was a huge help up in the mountains. She put the majority of the miles on it. So, despite it spending most of it's time in MN, it doesn't have the rust we're used to seeing here.
In about 2004, it had about 160k miles on it and needed some work, she brought it back to my friend, who put a reman head and new radiator in it, among other things.
About a year later, her boyfriend at the time changed the oil for her. About 300 miles later, it had rod knock.....
My friend built her a newer 4Runner, and got this one back, and listed it for sale. And I bought it.
2021-01-19_03-42-45 by Numbchux, on Flickr
I dropped the oil pan, and found all 4 thrust washers, one very badly deformed, in the pan:
combined by Numbchux, on Flickr
I slipped new thrust washers in it, tested the rod and main bearings, which came up within acceptable tolerances, put it back together for a test run. Still knocked a bit, and I brake boosted it and when it got into boost it blew smoke out of the tailpipe.
It was about that time that I saw a very rusty and mildly crashed 4Runner parked on the side of the road, I left a note, and a couple weeks later ended up buying it for a few hundred bucks. It was an '86 with a 5-speed. I chucked that whole motor in, painted the wheels black and got to drive the truck for awhile.
DSCF0686Medium by Numbchux, on Flickr
I got about 1500 miles on it, and the head gasket blew. Started taking it apart, and found numerous wrecked and not- or incorrectly-repaired threads in the engine (including a head bolt!). I decided the work to repair it didn't make sense just to have a 22RE/A340H truck. Before long....
DSCF0883Medium by Numbchux, on Flickr
For some reason, I was afraid of electronically controlled transmissions, but I wanted the most "modern" fuel injection. This meant a 1992 (and only 1992) S-10 Blazer. CPFI, aka early Vortec/spider injection, 4.3 and the 4L60. Lots of parts, lots of time, lots of pizzas delivered in my other cars, and it was in:
IMG_0989 by Numbchux, on Flickr
It comes to life!
At the same time, I did a 2" body lift, treated some of the wheel well/rocker rust with POR15 and did a bedliner 2-tone. 4Xinnovations rear bumper. and 35" Cooper Discoverer STTs
2017-07-25_02-29-26 by Numbchux, on Flickr
This setup did not prove to be completely reliable, but I got a few trips in
969736_10200669039921227_240595646_n by Numbchux, on Flickr
I had plans to swap in an FZJ80 rear axle, which required 16" wheels. So I got some 16s, with 315/75r16 Duratracs
IMG_52134495177976 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Which were stolen while we were moving.
20161006_131241 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Picked up some used 33" ProComp Xterrains on wheels, POR15d the frame, and went after the rock in the backyard of my new house:
2017-07-10_10-30-27 by Numbchux, on Flickr
After many years of testing, experimenting, replacing parts and not trusting that engine combination (never ran great, would randomly stall and just as randomly restart. Nightmare to diagnose) I gave up. My biggest theory is that despite the FSM saying it should do nothing but throw a code, the ECU was not liking that it was missing the second knock sensor, which is mounted between exhaust ports on this motor, and did not clear the block hugger headers. Despite how common the 4.3 is, this ECU was only in some Blazers in only 1992, so finding concrete information on them is tough. I decided to go back to Toyota, and settled on either a 5VZFE 3.4l V6 or the 1UZFE 4.0 V8. When the right deal popped up on this:
2019-01-21_08-35-58 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Complete engine/accessories/transmission/wiring/ECU from a 1994 Lexus SC400. Modified the wiring, and test ran it on the stand
With some modification, Toyota T100 transfer case bolts right onto the Lexus RWD transmission:
20190519_143126 by Numbchux, on FlickrDespite having a ~1 month old son, I was laid off for about a month last spring, so I geared up to get some work done:
2020-04-26_09-58-27 by Numbchux, on Flickr
And just like that...
Back out in the daylight last summer:
20200801_073307 by Numbchux, on Flickr
Using Tacoma shifter and dual-cupholder shifter trim!
2020-08-24_09-42-32 by Numbchux, on Flickr
While swapping from the SC400 mid-sump to the LS400 front-sump oil pan, I decided to reseal the oil pump. Somehow I managed to slip the oring for the high pressure port into the block off where it should be, and had oil spraying out of the side of the pump. Since I've been back to work, and 2 young kids, progress has slowed considerably. I resealed the pump, but haven't put the timing back together. I am in the process of sourcing connectors so I can build a completely new harness for the front of the motor for the crank and both cam sensors.
I did buy an elocker rear axle to swap in it. Came with a few extra parts:
2020-07-01_11-29-42 by Numbchux, on Flickr
