BACK ON THE TRAIL

Well it has been awhile since my last post!

So where to begin, after the expedition to the Brazos here in New Mexico the truck was getting a misfire heading back home.

I replaced everything and did a compression test… all good… still had a miss. So my guess was a leaky injector… we all know the 3.slow in the 90s toyota was one of the worst engines that was built, that has no power. I definitely felt no power lol So I didn’t want to invest anymore into a ticking time bomb.

So the hunt begin for a engine swap that was easy and reliable for the trail. Yes, I definitely wanted to do a diesel swap but I didn’t want the hassle of messing with wires and all that stuff. There wasn’t alot of blogs or help with a VW diesel swap like that on the internet. I also didn’t want to invent the wheel again if you know what I mean… so I found a 3.4 out of a 1999 toyota 4runner in Montrose CO and headed for it,  since it was a fairly easy swap!

Before i found the engine i did find a company called OFF-ROAD SOLUTIONS! they had everything you needed to do a 3.4 swap into an older toyota from engine harness, all the way to battery relocation and exhaust! Everything will be plug and play!

So after I crossed the rockys with my father to get the engine , I started to break it apart to do a full rebuild of the engine since I was waiting for parts to make the swap happen.

In my garage I cleaned and slaved for days measuring all the internals and valves. Long nights of just wishing it would be done already. long Nights in bed thinking of what I need to make this engine swap easy when the time came to pull the heart out of mine.

After making a “many” few big purchases the waiting game was playing. I was very happy with ORS and the customer service they gave me. Nonstop communication to help me in this build. after the internal engine parts came back I had the motor together in a weekend , all I was needing was the harness….

Staring at the engine for a few weeks, my email notification from OFF-ROAD SOLUTIONS “your harness was shipped!   

So now I have a hard date for the swap and the party begins…. the plan was to do everything in my garage…. but the truck was to high to pull engine so scratch that, maybe pull it outside with my dad’s tractor… nope to cold for me “and where the heck will i park the tractor at my house lol”. So one night having dinner at my friends house Gary the owner of FLO-TECH MOTORSPORTS invited me to do the swap that the shop! I was very appreciative of this and would get the job done soon then I figured!

The swap took 4.3 days (Friday night- Tuesday) to complete with installing/building exhaust and adding the axle anti wrap from Ruff stuff specialties.

We had the new engine started Sunday.

It wouldn’t have gone so easy if I didn’t have the ORS engine harness/parts for a plug and play and the shop I was in, with the friends that came to help!

That next weekend Me and Lee took it on a 300 mile camping expedition and it performed and out did the 3.0 by every standard! I would definitely recommend this swap to anyone that has a 3.slow.

Had to install a hood scoop due to the 3.4 engine is taller and had to cut hood.

Engine build list

.030 over on pistons, new stock rod bearing, new pistons/rings, new 3.0 oil pan, ORS oil pickup tube kit, aftermarket toyota high flow oil pump, decked heads/block, valves reseated, ORS dipstick kit, 3.0 engine mounts, MARLIN CRAWLER heavy duty 3.4 clutch with fly wheel, ORS engine harness,  ORS battery harness, K&N intake with box, 3 core radiator, ORS battery relocation, ORS fuel lines, ORS power steering lines, ORS headers with Y pipe, full stainless steel exhaust with muffer, Hood scoop, 1999 MT ECU.

I used OEM toyota for everything else like gaskets, belts, wires, sparkplug, etc

I will be doing a full electric fan if I can’t find a 2000s 4runner fan shroud.

I want to make special thanks too

Gary at FLO-TECH MOTORSPORTS

Derek at OFF-ROAD SOLUTIONS

Lee an Admin with NEWMEXICO-EXPEDITION

And all the NM-E member that came and helped!!

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME GET BACK ON THE TRAIL!!

 

 

COME JOIN US ON YOUR NEXT OVERLANDING ADVENTURE!

WWW.NEWMEXICO-EXPEDITION.COM