‘YotaTech’ Member Chronicles ’92 Toyota Pickup’s 3.4 Swap
Things go south quickly after YotaTech member picks up a new Toyota project, but he turns them into pure lemonade.
Engine swaps are pretty common here in the YotaTech forums, for a number of reasons. Many of these old trucks have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles, so a lot of members are simply looking to extend the life of their pickups. And in some other cases, members are just looking to instill a little more power in their rides. In the case of 92-5vze‘s 1992 Toyota pickup, this ongoing 3.4-liter swap can be attributed to both.
“I purchased my 1992 Toyota truck with 130k miles for the purpose of bringing my Honda XR650L back from Denver to Vermont after a 6,000 mile off-road adventure. Almost right away, the clutch started to slip hard near Omaha. So I replaced it with a kit from Marlin Crawler when I got home. Within two months, the head gasket was fried and it was losing a gallon of coolant a minute through the exhaust. I tried the Blue Devil head gasket fix for fun with no luck. Rather than spend the time to fix the 3VZ-E, I figured it would be more fun to toss it and go the 3.4 swap route.”
It didn’t take long before the OP found a suitable swap candidate. There was just one tiny problem.
“I found a 2004 3.4 5-spd Tundra 1.5 hours away from me with 90k miles. It had been hit in the front but ran perfectly. I had to pick it up during the largest ice storm in the recent past. I rented a U-Haul and borrowed a trailer. After a few hours of white knuckle driving through the mountains of Vermont, I had it home. The ice build up pictured is from my ride back and I am not sure I would do it again, given the opportunity. I was able to get the rig for $800 + $120 for the rental.”
After that harrowing trip, the OP was able to get both Toyota trucks in his garage and start the process.
“I was unsure about what wiring I would need, so I took everything. In the interest of saving time. I cut the accessory lines with my angle grinder and the front diff shaft since it was rusted. I then took a sledge hammer to the front so I could pull the trans + engine in one solid shot. The wiring was a pain, but the rest went smoothly.”
With the old engine out, the OP is working on his Toyota’s suspension before installing the “new” 3.4. This project has been moving quickly so far, however, so we expect it to be done pretty soon. So, be sure and head over here to stay tuned for future progress!
Photos: YotaTech Forums
Join the YotaTech forums now!
