2004 4.7 v8 blown head gaskets , repair , replace engine or scrap? (1 Viewer)

[Charles63]

Sons car overheated on the interstate last Friday. It sounds like a radiator hose or the radiator itself failed. He's 12 hours away from me, but says it still starts. All kinds of misfires and engine lights though. 240,000 miles. No rust. Transmission has been shifting fine. He just had tcase actuator replaced. Body is straight and interior is clean. Front end needs rebuilt. I like driving his 4runner better than my 03 gx470. He's thinking scrap it ( he was quoted $4000 for head gasket repair( Denver). I was quoted $1600( Arkansas). Thinking of having him ship it to me and trying to get it going. Worth it?

Thanks
Tom

 

[Charles63]

Sons car overheated on the interstate last Friday. It sounds like a radiator hose or the radiator itself failed. He's 12 hours away from me, but says it still starts. All kinds of misfires and engine lights though. 240,000 miles. No rust. Transmission has been shifting fine. He just had tcase actuator replaced. Body is straight and interior is clean. Front end needs rebuilt. I like driving his 4runner better than my 03 gx470. He's thinking scrap it ( he was quoted $4000 for head gasket repair( Denver). I was quoted $1600( Arkansas). Thinking of having him ship it to me and trying to get it going. Worth it?

Thanks
Tom

I know it's probably impossible to give an answer without a tear down of the engine. The car has 260,000 miles, but was running perfectly before it overheated. He said it still idles smooth but gets rough when you put in gear( drove it onto rollback ). Showing misfire codes for 2,4,6,8, no cat codes. Oil looks good. I'm trying to get him to find a place in Denver to fix it

 

[Rednexus]

If it was mine I'd find a good used engine from a salvage yard. 2UZ-FE's are fairly easy to find from a wrecked vehicle, you'd need a non-VVTI 2UZ-FE (aluminum intake manifold) from another 4Runner, Tundra, Sequoia, GX470, or Land Cruiser. I think that would be much less labor than trying to do a head gasket replacement with the engine in the vehicle. Overheating also might have caused other damage the bottom end of the engine. While the engine is out it would also be a good time to replace the exhaust manifolds or add headers to alleviate the dreaded exhaust tick.

Here are a few on eBay around the $1K mark. I would expect the labor for a engine replacement to be $1-2K, add another $1K to that if you replace the manifolds or add headers.

01 02 03 04 SEQUOIA LAND CRUISER LX470 4.7L ENGINE 90 DAY WARRANTY | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 01 02 03 04 SEQUOIA LAND CRUISER LX470 4.7L ENGINE 90 DAY WARRANTY at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Used Engine Assembly fits: 2002 Lexus lx470 4.7L VIN T 5th digit | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Used Engine Assembly fits: 2002 Lexus lx470 4.7L VIN T 5th digit at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Charles63]

If it was mine I'd find a good used engine from a salvage yard. 2UZ-FE's are fairly easy to find from a wrecked vehicle, you'd need a non-VVTI 2UZ-FE (aluminum intake manifold) from another 4Runner, Tundra, Sequoia, GX470, or Land Cruiser. I think that would be much less labor than trying to do a head gasket replacement with the engine in the vehicle. Overheating also might have caused other damage the bottom end of the engine. While the engine is out it would also be a good time to replace the exhaust manifolds or add headers to alleviate the dreaded exhaust tick.

Here are a few on eBay around the $1K mark. I would expect the labor for a engine replacement to be $1-2K, add another $1K to that if you replace the manifolds or add headers.

01 02 03 04 SEQUOIA LAND CRUISER LX470 4.7L ENGINE 90 DAY WARRANTY | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 01 02 03 04 SEQUOIA LAND CRUISER LX470 4.7L ENGINE 90 DAY WARRANTY at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Used Engine Assembly fits: 2002 Lexus lx470 4.7L VIN T 5th digit | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Used Engine Assembly fits: 2002 Lexus lx470 4.7L VIN T 5th digit at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I'm considering doing just that. I'm going to let him take my gx to Denver and maybe shipping his 4runner back here( vs going to get it myself on a car hauler, 24 hours of driving round trip through Kansas and Oklahoma wind doesn't seem appealing). I talked to a shop in Denver and he recommended getting it back here, said labor costs would be a lot higher in Denver. I don't think I'm capable of doing the work myself( as least not inclined to). Another thing I'm thinking about is getting an lx470 or land cruiser. By the time I put a used engine, shipping, timing belt ,pump , radiator, belts and hoses, alternator and fix the front end ; I'm going to have $5-$6k extra in a car not worth a whole lot more. Didn't even count the exhaust and lift kit. The thing that makes me ill, is we already did the water pump, timing belt on his and he just spent way too much to get the transfer case actuator replaced.

 

[Rednexus]

You could also sell the 4Runner as a mechanics special. It would probably sell for more in Denver than in AR. Fully running it's probably worth 8-10k, so it might be a wash to unload it now and buy something else vs. getting a new engine in it. I would think it's worth 3-4k as a mechanics special if it's in good shape otherwise.

 

[Charles63]

You could also sell the 4Runner as a mechanics special. It would probably sell for more in Denver than in AR. Fully running it's probably worth 8-10k, so it might be a wash to unload it now and buy something else vs. getting a new engine in it. I would think it's worth 3-4k as a mechanics special if it's in good shape otherwise.

Those numbers are pretty close to what I was thinking as well. It's parked at his house in Denver now. So we have time to think about it. I bought my gx470 almost a year ago, water pump, timing belt , alternator , all belts and hoses, front suspension redone with bilstein 5100 , rear air bag delete. I think I followed your advice on most of the parts. One thing I didn't do was radiator( it was late shipping). New one is supposed to be here today, I think it's just leaking around the cap, but it's too inexpensive to not change it at this point. Thanks again. I went with denso

 

[rexington14]

3 options IMO

Sell as-is (get a couple quotes)
Used 2uz swap (get a couple quotes)
DIY the head gasket repair

Run the numbers / time required for each and I bet it will become pretty clear to you what you should do

Paying a shop to tear into it for the head gasket seems like a very slippery slope (expensive). Even more so if you don't have a shop you've used in the past and trust. $1600 for a head gasket repair is unheard of - most T dealers won't even do the timing belt service for that

 

[Charles63]

3 options IMO

Sell as-is (get a couple quotes)
Used 2uz swap (get a couple quotes)
DIY the head gasket repair

Run the numbers / time required for each and I bet it will become pretty clear to you what you should do

Paying a shop to tear into it for the head gasket seems like a very slippery slope (expensive). Even more so if you don't have a shop you've used in the past and trust. $1600 for a head gasket repair is unheard of - most T dealers won't even do the timing belt service for that

I paid $500 labor ( plus all the parts on my gx back in January. That was at an independent shop . There’s a certified Toyota mechanic an hour from me that does the timing belt/ water pump including aisin parts for $700. Again independent. Still the juice is probably not worth the squeeze

 

[rexington14]

Not familiar with your area but it sounds like you've escaped the significant inflation the majority of the country has experienced these past few years.

If you trust the $1600 won't balloon up once its torn apart, and that they are competent to do the job why would you not move forward with that option?

 

[Charles63]

Not familiar with your area but it sounds like you've escaped the significant inflation the majority of the country has experienced these past few years.

If you trust the $1600 won't balloon up once its torn apart, and that they are competent to do the job why would you not move forward with that option?

It doesn’t feel like we have escaped the inflation, pricing battery for the gx now, yow! I am in Arkansas, about an hour west of Little Rock. I trust the price of $1600 for the labor for head gaskets, or engine swap. I’d still have an extra $1000 to get it here. Roughly $1000 in belts, hoses , radiator, alternator. If I did the head gasket, I’d replace the starter too. If I swapped the engine add another minimum of $1700( would want a new water pump/ timing belt). Still have time to think about it. I don’t really need the 4Runner, it’s just a toy/ project. Although I drive my gx pretty much everywhere unless I tow heavy ( 2020 ram 2500 cummins for that)

 

[Rednexus]

If you don't need it I'd suggest the mechanic's special route. It would be a good opportunity for someone else with the right skills to get a V8 4Runner cheap or make some $$ flipping it.

 

[vipergrhd]

It looks like you are just going to sell it, sometimes you just have to let it go. Just for chits having the HG done is not a bad idea if you can keep the cost down my 4runner is pushing 325k on the original engine and transmission you can't kill these engines so easily.

 

[Charles63]

It looks like you are just going to sell it, sometimes you just have to let it go. Just for chits having the HG done is not a bad idea if you can keep the cost down my 4runner is pushing 325k on the original engine and transmission you can't kill these engines so easily.

It looks like you are just going to sell it, sometimes you just have to let it go. Just for chits having the HG done is not a bad idea if you can keep the cost down my 4runner is pushing 325k on the original engine and transmission you can't kill these engines so easily.

I am still thinking about keeping it and trying just the head gaskets. But I’m also eyeing lx470/ lc

 

[alia176]

I'm way too late to the party but if it's indeed a head gasket, any thoughts to introducing Barr's stop leak into the radiator to see if it can be at least driveable? This worked for a 1FZ-FE from Mesa, AZ to ABQ, NM when the HG blew. Anyway, just a random suggestion!!

 

[Charles63]

I'm way too late to the party but if it's indeed a head gasket, any thoughts to introducing Barr's stop leak into the radiator to see if it can be at least driveable? This worked for a 1FZ-FE from Mesa, AZ to ABQ, NM when the HG blew. Anyway, just a random suggestion!!

I’m in the process of deciding whether to get rid of the 4Runner or have it shipped to me. I’m letting my son take the gx470 to Denver. If he thinks the gx is all that much better; I will have him sell the 4runner

 

[DesertRat31]

240k on a 4.7 is not bad at all. With all the other stuff that had been done on it, I would be seriously considering doing the HG. The knowledge of the vehicle history is pretty valuable IMO. If you like that truck I think you should consider what the replacement costs are with another vehicle rather than resale value. Anything newer is still sky high. Another used, while not as bad since you are not shy about working on it yourself, is still an unknown about how well it was taken care of. But I get that a HG job is a big job. For me and my v6, If I had a major problem occur, Given car prices, I am almost 100% that I would go as far as a new motor because everything else is a known variable, Transmission, transfer, axles, body, etc.

 

[Charles63]

240k on a 4.7 is not bad at all. With all the other stuff that had been done on it, I would be seriously considering doing the HG. The knowledge of the vehicle history is pretty valuable IMO. If you like that truck I think you should consider what the replacement costs are with another vehicle rather than resale value. Anything newer is still sky high. Another used, while not as bad since you are not shy about working on it yourself, is still an unknown about how well it was taken care of. But I get that a HG job is a big job. For me and my v6, If I had a major problem occur, Given car prices, I am almost 100% that I would go as far as a new motor because everything else is a known variable, Transmission, transfer, axles, body, etc.

Yeah, I got a quote for $800 to ship it. Denver shops are way higher for labor. I can’t decide between 4Runner and lx470. I’m missing my gx470 for sure

 

[DesertRat31]

Yeah, I got a quote for $800 to ship it. Denver shops are way higher for labor. I can’t decide between 4Runner and lx470. I’m missing my gx470 for sure

I hear you. Are you n a position to do the HG as a "project?" As in, you don't NEED it as a DD? Back when I got my 08 v6, could find a v8 and I didn't know much about LX/GX's so I didn't know I could've found a v8 pretty easily. Oh well. The other thing I'd like to do is put a supercharger on mine, just to do it really. I'm sure I would kick myself afterwards with higher fuel costs, etc. But the cool factor would be off the charts. It would be a killer learning experience at a bare minimum. I don't have that much cash to burn. I passed on some used SC's because I had no background knowledge on if the prices were reasonable and how to evaluate a good or bad deal. My wife probably thinks I'm nuts... Maybe I think I'm nuts... LOL, but nobody can accuse me of not having a "can do" attitude...

 

[Charles63]

I hear you. Are you n a position to do the HG as a "project?" As in, you don't NEED it as a DD? Back when I got my 08 v6, could find a v8 and I didn't know much about LX/GX's so I didn't know I could've found a v8 pretty easily. Oh well. The other thing I'd like to do is put a supercharger on mine, just to do it really. I'm sure I would kick myself afterwards with higher fuel costs, etc. But the cool factor would be off the charts. It would be a killer learning experience at a bare minimum. I don't have that much cash to burn. I passed on some used SC's because I had no background knowledge on if the prices were reasonable and how to evaluate a good or bad deal. My wife probably thinks I'm nuts... Maybe I think I'm nuts... LOL, but nobody can accuse me of not having a "can do" attitude...

For sure I have the time, totally a secondary ( really a 3d car). I’ve got a 2020 ram 2500 ctd 4x4( talk about high fuel costs). Wife has a 2013 suburban 4x4 with 50,000 miles ( bought it new). I don’t need another vehicle at all, but I pretty much drove the Lexus for a year unless I was towing heavy ( rare)