Mine is working pretty well these days.....after doing a catback, custom intake, and electric fan. Also running stock 4.88 gears on 33x10.5 AT's.

If I had the extra money lying around I would SAS before I would repower.

 

262,000 on OEM HG.... main seal leaks like a seive, but she just wont stop. IF she ever does Ill be hard pressed to NOT put a 383 in it with a 4L60e....dunno...lol

the dead 3vze would be rebuilt and built up and used in a dune buggy just to see what it can produce...

 

New engine and tranny here...But drove mine over 400 miles on a bad knock sensor when I got it...That motor will take ALOT of abuse.

 

Well, my rear main seal weeps a bit, and up till this weekend I also had weepage on the front of the motor. Never enough to cause a drip. But this weekend its gotten worse on the front,it has started dripping. Can't quite see where it's coming from. Any of you 3.0 gurus know if the the oil pump and seals can be replaced easily like on the 22re, or is it an ordeal? Maybe time to think about doing the timing chain and whatever on the front of the motor? Opnions sought.

 

Not much help on the oil pump but I found out some of my seepage was coming from the drain plug where the washer/seal was worn...just replaced it. Ya gotta timing belt...gotta take everything off the front of the motor...buy all the gaskets that goes around the plastic housing and would recommend replacing tensioner and idler. I didn't do it...but might wanna think about the water pump. Cam seals if you can get the cam sprockets off. Might be where some of your oil is coming from the front too. Would replace all drive belts.

 

Sounds like your buddies Cherokee has a problem. I had 5" of lift, 33's, locked F&R on a heavier Grand Cherokee and I got ~16 mpg combined city/freeway.

I agree about the 3.0 being small for a 2+ ton truck. Think about this, it has less HP than a Honda Civic, with almost double the displacement, 2 more cylinders, and ~1300 more pounds Gotta love it.

 

It is certainly possible something is wrong with my friend's Cherokee but it does run great and has excellent torque. He is a maintenance nut and keeps it up very well. He has all the rock protection which does add some mass to the truck. Still 13MPG around town is what he gets. I get 15.

As for the Honda, don't compare HP, that's talking about how fast and engine can produce torque. Just look at the torque and where it is made and you'll see real quick why the honda engine would probably be unhappy in a 4runner or similar vehicle.

Frank

 

Hey all My little toy has 170000 miles and I can burnem in 1rst and 2nd..I do have a little work done to her but nothing that isnt bolt on. And she runs 33" treads. I love to freak out all the little hondas and such at lights when they think they want in front of me..Haaaaaa

Oh whell sorry for the rant...Jay....

 

so true

im new to the 3v, but ive wrenched on cars for about 15 years now, alot of them toyota, so from what ive learned so far id say its ok, not a great engine design, but not that bad. 3v-50hp per liter 61.6tq per liter, 5v-55.8hp per liter, 64.7tq per liter. noticible and worthwhile improvment, but not huge. a good chunk of 5v extra power comes from discplacement increase. thats why comparing the gm 4.3v6 probably isnt a fair comparision. a 3v 4.3l would make 215hp 264.88tq!! for me, the biggest problem is efficiency. the 3v while maybe 5% less efficient power wise than the 5v, is much worse with its brake fuel consumption.

 

What could any every find worng the the 3.0.........it is the best of all worlds.....

All the power of a big bore inline four
All the MPGs of a small block eight
All very tightly pack into a six

The best part about the 3.0.......it will more than likely out live every other engine produced the same year....baby that other engine all you want....it will still die long before an abused 3.0...we should change the name to 3.DIEHARD......They really are good, and torquey engines.....

 

torque is all u need! i got 450k on mine and its still "running"

 

I've has two 22re and the 3.0. All have been indestructable. I hate the fuel economy in the 3.0 but it does work hard for me. I plowed snow in the winter with it for 5 years and hauled trailers with bobcats and such, Yes way over the 3500 limit. Got 333,000 km (200,000 miles) out of the 1st clutch, it has never broken down on me and the only stuff replaced has been maintenance. The engine has never been opened other than the head gasket recall. The first timing belt was at the recommended time and the next one was done at 375,000 kms( 225,000 milrs). I can't complain with the abuse the old girl has seen. It doesn't own me a cent. So I bought a Sequioa and now the 4runner is my bush truck, Yet another transformation from daily driver & work truck to a really big Tonka toy!!!

Matt

 

I love my 3.0. VERY good torque and very good engine... no prolems AT ALL! The 3.0 gets picked on way too much and for what? Because a recall? Look up some recalls on any other car... you'll see that it doesn't have near as many. Also... I'd rather have a HG recall than the ball joint recall right now! I'd rather my engine get f-d up and fixed for free from Toyota than the ball joint giving out and me swerving off the road!

 

my 3.0 is dead

 

I think the v6 3.0 sucks. I just replaced the knock sensor and wire and am still getting a code 52. It was not an easy job. I got a 4x4 1988 and wish It was a four cyclender.

 

mines almost to 200,xxx miles =)

 

I just took about a 175 mile round trip in my '95 4runner yesterday. Going to atlanta, it wa smostly a small incline mot the way there with dips and what not. I hated everytime i hit a hill, i would have to floor it and it just felt bogged down. I couldnt keep 75 mph on a hill (small hill at that) and it was severly pissign me off downshifting and upshifting. Im about ready for a new truck. Maybe a 3rd gen 4runner, not gonna go with a 3.0 again. The only thing I like about it is that i have 155k on it now and nothing has been done to the engine, hasnt broken down once

 

i may be too late for this thread but, my 2 cents on this 3.0 discussion is this. is it under powered compared to a 3.4? yes. it is very reliable and will get you where you need to go? yes. i took my 4runner all the way from san Francisco to denver to yellowtone and back with out a single issue. the head gasket failed about 2 month a go and my wife unknowanly drove it for about 2 weeks like that. in about a week i fixed her up and have taken her out wheeling many of times. the engine may not be the best highway speed freak but on the trail it will never let you down.

 

mines got 240k miles.... still running great... yeah its the 3.slow but its always ready to go.......as far as head gasket issues... I noticed on a couple runners that the cooling system was overpressurizing due to the hood sitting on the rad. cap and not being able to relief, as mine did.... so thats what I know...