GTI-88
Active member
Ha I can totally appreciate that. I will be in the market for one in a few years hopefully, let them get the kinks worked out and have the platform in the public and aftermarket hands for a few years.
First Foray into 4Runners - My 1st Gen Build
- Thread starter Summit Cruisers Jr
- Start date
Ha I can totally appreciate that. I will be in the market for one in a few years hopefully, let them get the kinks worked out and have the platform in the public and aftermarket hands for a few years.
UglyObeseTraveler
New member
Loved this entire build. I rebuilt a 1g Toyota truck so it brings back many memories. Thanks so much for sharing everything. Nice Yeti as well 
corax
Explorer
You won't regret it, I recommend going with an R trans for a bit more drivetrain strength if you can. I went with the VVTi version for the extra 50 hp and kept the immobilizer so I know the truck will stay where I parked it.
When you get to that point, everything you need to know about wiring it is here:
Summit Cruisers Jr
Well-known member
I’ve followed your thread on mud for a long time and it’s partially what convinced me on the 1uz. It’s a super great read so that’s for posting all that up. I’ll definitely be going with an R series when I do go down that path. One of my good friends is diving into his swap right now so I can’t wait to see how that turns out. He’s LT IFS and has zero intention to do a body lift on it like myself. It’ll be awhile before I’ll have the time and funds to get after it on mine. Maybe a next fall/winter project.
Anyways, the runner has been parked in the garage for the past couple weeks and off the snow and salted roads. Before that, I managed to put about 3k miles on it in a month with driving for the holidays and a couple really fun trips.
About a month ago, I had a lead on a peridot mica GX460 with the sepia interior. I’ve been eyeing one of these for the better part of the year but each one I inquire about was sold almost instantaneously with its listing being posted. I was talking to the dealer and he said 100% that it would be there when I showed up in the morning so right after work I went to the bank, went home, threw the sleeping bag and pillow in the back and hit the road for a town in NE Arkansas not too far from Memphis. I camped up on a mountain top cleared by a logging operation late that night around midnight and was back on the road by 5 am to get there when they opened. Anyways, I almost didn’t want to buy it but I shrewdly negotiated their price way down to one of the lowest prices I’ve seen a GX of this range go for regardless of mileage haha. So after that I slapped the runner on a u haul auto transporter and drove home in more comfort and at a better pace than the runner drove itself.
This one was low mileage ~77k miles, completely rust free, a base model, but had some minor damage to the passenger side reported on carfax. It looks like it lost a battle with a few shopping carts but most I was able to buff out. The rest isn’t really noticeable until you’re close up but it’ll all get fixed up in time.
I’m going to keep this thing mostly stock but I do have some 5th gen wheels I’m going to paint gloss black along with a lot of the chrome on this thing and slap some ATs and a mild lift on it.
Then the next weekend I drove out to Little Sahara in NW OK for a weekend of playing in the dunes. It was honestly some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a vehicle but the front suspension’s damping abilities (well lack of them) and the 22re being wrung out in 4 low all day really highlighted the weak spots of this build.
And my brother slapped together a little edit from some footy he got.
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corax
Explorer
If I had to do it over, I might go with a 3UZ - it's the same exact dimensions and offers more torque with the same HP. Added benefit is that is uses AFS exhaust sensors (aka, wideband) instead of oxygen sensors for better fuel economy, but requires an electric accelerator pedal (no cable to run). JDM engine prices are about the same. The 3UZ ECU can be remapped for a small boost in power (~20hp from the dyno sheets I've seen) and throttle response (throttle response controlled by wiring in a "SPORT/ECO" switch).
On the flip side, I saw Yuri Baranov and Kelvin Glover chatting about using a 3UZ ECU to control a 1UZ VVTi for the same benefits, could use the 1UZ throttle body (throttle cable type electronic) but would need to change the ignition coils to the later style.
Summit Cruisers Jr
Well-known member
Interesting on the 1UZ updates - I briefly looked at the 4.3s but saw more info on the 1uz’s with available wiring harnesses etc but I’ll definitely be doing some research on it if it really is the same size overall. I figured it would have been larger because of the larger displacement but 0.3L wouldn’t make sense to develop a whole new motor. I feel like we’re kind of getting to the point where full donors for 1UZs are getting a little scarce and the 3UZs are now at that point where they’re more available and cheap.
Summit Cruisers Jr
Well-known member
Utah was pretty sick. The ol’ runner drove great up until the very end. I left work Friday afternoon and hit the road to get as much of the way through Kansas as I could. The goal for the evening was to get to a state park 45ish minutes southwest of Hays to meet up with my parents and brother. As I was rolling into Hays, KS, the rain started pouring down as the sky to the west looked ominous.
I stopped in Hays for dinner and to let some storms blow through so I didn’t get caught out in the middle of nowhere in a hail storm. Once I was out in the middle of nowhere, the storms redeveloped, and I quickly found myself in a hailstorm with quarter sized hail. Luckily the hail was fairly soft, and the only damaged sustained was mentally to me.
The runner did great driving on I70 west until Denver maintaining 80-83mph.
After waking up, the majority of the next day consisted of driving to BLM land near the 18 road trails in Fruita for biking and camping. The runner did pretty good in the mountains too! Much better than my cruiser, and I hit Eisenhower tunnel at around 45mph vs like 15mph in low range in the cruiser.
After fruita, we left for 4 nights in Moab. Unfortunately, my parents were still working on this trip so that cut our day trips short and we ended up not being able to run the entire white rim trail or top of the world like I had planned, but we still got out and enjoyed what we could! Once again, the runner was in its element, and I was so glad to not have to deal with tight trees and pinstripes. I’m sure the 4runner added to its collection of rock chips though, but I haven’t really been able to check it out too closely.
Our final big day of driving consisted of over 700 miles of driving from around Pagosa Springs, CO to OKC. Around 75 miles from OKC, the 4runner began experiencing intermittent power loss where some hills it struggled to pull at 55-60. I didn’t think much of it as we were trying our best to stay awake and jamming out to tunes. I attributed it to the Oklahoma wind that I’ve been slowed down by time and time again.
After making it into my parents place in okc and a nap, I woke up later that morning to drive the final leg to KC. I fired it up, and it was clear I was down a cylinder. After pulling the plugs, it was apparent something wasn’t right with cylinder 2. It had spark so we suspected it to be something to do with the injector. After running some injector cleaner through them to no avail, we pulled them. As it turns out 85-87 injectors are one type, 88 are their own type, and 89-95 are another type so being an ‘88 I was hosed when it came to trying to quickly source one to throw in.
Anyways, I left the truck at my parents, and my dad took the injectors to a shop to be tested and cleaned out. #2 came back as originally being weaker than the others, and with them all freshened up, my dad put the truck back together only to find out it didn’t run any better. It’s got the symptoms of a burnt valve so I’m going to end up trailering the runner back to my place here in a couple weeks and start looking for a 1uz/3uz donor vehicle so I can hopefully get going on a swap sometime this fall/winter. I’m kind of gutted, but I kind of figured from the get go I’d be lucky to get another 30-50k miles out of the 200k mile 22RE. Coincidentally, it failed right after hitting 230k.
I stopped in Hays for dinner and to let some storms blow through so I didn’t get caught out in the middle of nowhere in a hail storm. Once I was out in the middle of nowhere, the storms redeveloped, and I quickly found myself in a hailstorm with quarter sized hail. Luckily the hail was fairly soft, and the only damaged sustained was mentally to me.
The runner did great driving on I70 west until Denver maintaining 80-83mph.
After waking up, the majority of the next day consisted of driving to BLM land near the 18 road trails in Fruita for biking and camping. The runner did pretty good in the mountains too! Much better than my cruiser, and I hit Eisenhower tunnel at around 45mph vs like 15mph in low range in the cruiser.
After fruita, we left for 4 nights in Moab. Unfortunately, my parents were still working on this trip so that cut our day trips short and we ended up not being able to run the entire white rim trail or top of the world like I had planned, but we still got out and enjoyed what we could! Once again, the runner was in its element, and I was so glad to not have to deal with tight trees and pinstripes. I’m sure the 4runner added to its collection of rock chips though, but I haven’t really been able to check it out too closely.
Our final big day of driving consisted of over 700 miles of driving from around Pagosa Springs, CO to OKC. Around 75 miles from OKC, the 4runner began experiencing intermittent power loss where some hills it struggled to pull at 55-60. I didn’t think much of it as we were trying our best to stay awake and jamming out to tunes. I attributed it to the Oklahoma wind that I’ve been slowed down by time and time again.
After making it into my parents place in okc and a nap, I woke up later that morning to drive the final leg to KC. I fired it up, and it was clear I was down a cylinder. After pulling the plugs, it was apparent something wasn’t right with cylinder 2. It had spark so we suspected it to be something to do with the injector. After running some injector cleaner through them to no avail, we pulled them. As it turns out 85-87 injectors are one type, 88 are their own type, and 89-95 are another type so being an ‘88 I was hosed when it came to trying to quickly source one to throw in.
Anyways, I left the truck at my parents, and my dad took the injectors to a shop to be tested and cleaned out. #2 came back as originally being weaker than the others, and with them all freshened up, my dad put the truck back together only to find out it didn’t run any better. It’s got the symptoms of a burnt valve so I’m going to end up trailering the runner back to my place here in a couple weeks and start looking for a 1uz/3uz donor vehicle so I can hopefully get going on a swap sometime this fall/winter. I’m kind of gutted, but I kind of figured from the get go I’d be lucky to get another 30-50k miles out of the 200k mile 22RE. Coincidentally, it failed right after hitting 230k.
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Summit Cruisers Jr
Well-known member
Also just before the trip, i swapped out the leaky clutch master cylinder for a new Aisin unit, replaced the engine and t case oil, greased the drivelines, and gave everything a once over. I also had 70% ceramic tint installed on the front two windows to help block as much heat as possible, and I had the rear roll up window tinted to match the rest with a 50% tint iirc.
I carried a spare idler arm, upper and lower ball joints and inner and outer tie rod ends. Luckily I didn’t have to use any of it, but one of the inner tierod ends did get sloppy after a long day of fast driving outside of Moab.
I carried a spare idler arm, upper and lower ball joints and inner and outer tie rod ends. Luckily I didn’t have to use any of it, but one of the inner tierod ends did get sloppy after a long day of fast driving outside of Moab.
thezentree
pretend redneck
Part of me thinks that's such a bummer, but the rest of me is REALLY excited to see you put a V8 in this.
Summit Cruisers Jr
Well-known member
Exactly. I’d be more mad if it were the 3FE in my cruiser, but I don’t really have any attachment to the 22RE. It’s been good, but far from great and really restricts the fun that this truck is capable of...And the engine bay on this thing needs to look more like something in a Ferrari vs a tractor so you can bet I’ve got some pretty wild schemes in mind.
At least I’ve got a lot of things on my agenda so I’ll have some time to really do my research and really determine if I want to go with a 3UZ over a 1UZ. I want to be swapping in the most modern obdII drivetrain I can, but sometimes simplicity is key. With the downtime, I’ll probably address some rear suspension improvements and hopefully get the front on coilovers too. Then with power and suspension, I can get to adding weight to the truck and go after my camper top build.
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thezentree
pretend redneck
Post all the pictures while you do it.
All of them.
All of them.
dajobo
New member
Love the build. Was going to say I live in Grand Junction CO, you were out in my neck of the woods!
djschlo
TBD
Looks like a fun trip! Bummer about the 22RE but at least I didn’t fail on the way out. A UZ is going to be sweet! I’m committed to the 5VZ swap but if i wasn't id go UZ. I’ve done some research on UZ swapping as a future option.
The 1UZ and 3UZ came in the Lexus GS, SC and LS V8 models in the US. The 1UZ came in the 400 models through the 90s while the 3UZ came in the 430 models through the 2000s. Both should be easy to find a wrecked lower mileage donor vehicle are be reliable when maintained.
I’ve seen the 1UZ swapped in not just 4runners and pickups, but also Corollas and other fun street vehicles. People love them and they sound awesome!
The 3UZ offers performance advantages over the 1UZ but may require more work to swap. According to the internet, if you want to build the engine for big power, the 3UZ is limited to 500-600 hp before the thinner cooling jacket can’t keep up.
The 1UZ and 3UZ came in the Lexus GS, SC and LS V8 models in the US. The 1UZ came in the 400 models through the 90s while the 3UZ came in the 430 models through the 2000s. Both should be easy to find a wrecked lower mileage donor vehicle are be reliable when maintained.
I’ve seen the 1UZ swapped in not just 4runners and pickups, but also Corollas and other fun street vehicles. People love them and they sound awesome!
The 3UZ offers performance advantages over the 1UZ but may require more work to swap. According to the internet, if you want to build the engine for big power, the 3UZ is limited to 500-600 hp before the thinner cooling jacket can’t keep up.
Summit Cruisers Jr
Well-known member
Ope I’ve been slacking on updating this. I swapped out the head back in October/November of last year. After getting some feedback from some others who had good success, I also decided to go with a new evergreen head paired with an oem headgasket. I also got their timing chain/guide kit, and water pump. I did reuse my cam and and rocker arm assembly on the new head as I had heard a couple stories of faulty cams.
It was my first time tearing into a motor so I was a bit slow making sure I understood what was going on with all the timing components and followed the fsm everywhere else. The only thing that wasn’t quite right with the head was the mounting for the front engine hook. It wasn’t a large enough machined spot, but a cut off wheel and 2 minutes cleared enough of the face off to bolt it up.
he truck has never run better, quieter, or more responsive. I honestly used to hate the 22RE, but how it is now, is not bad at all.
My intermittent miss fire that always happened after it would warm up also went away with the new head. I suspect it was indicating that the valve wasn’t quite sealing that well after the motor got up to temp. Then a 700 mile highway day and a weakened fuel injector finished it off.
Luckily there was no damage to the cylinder walls or pistons so I didn’t have to do anything there.
Anyways, weather has been crap in KC so the truck has been squirreled away in the garage for most of the winter but I did drive it on some trips with nice weather around the holidays and have now put a couple thousand miles on it. I’m debating driving it out to Moab here in a couple weeks, but I have yet to decide on that yet.
It was my first time tearing into a motor so I was a bit slow making sure I understood what was going on with all the timing components and followed the fsm everywhere else. The only thing that wasn’t quite right with the head was the mounting for the front engine hook. It wasn’t a large enough machined spot, but a cut off wheel and 2 minutes cleared enough of the face off to bolt it up.
he truck has never run better, quieter, or more responsive. I honestly used to hate the 22RE, but how it is now, is not bad at all.
My intermittent miss fire that always happened after it would warm up also went away with the new head. I suspect it was indicating that the valve wasn’t quite sealing that well after the motor got up to temp. Then a 700 mile highway day and a weakened fuel injector finished it off.
Luckily there was no damage to the cylinder walls or pistons so I didn’t have to do anything there.
Anyways, weather has been crap in KC so the truck has been squirreled away in the garage for most of the winter but I did drive it on some trips with nice weather around the holidays and have now put a couple thousand miles on it. I’m debating driving it out to Moab here in a couple weeks, but I have yet to decide on that yet.
thezentree
pretend redneck
I saw a clean 1st gen in traffic earlier and it made me wonder about this thing.
It's still my favorite 1st gen build. Please post more pics!
It's still my favorite 1st gen build. Please post more pics!