3FE life expectancy?

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Long time reader, first time poster.
before posting I searched and checked the faq, but didn't see my exact Q.... so I apologize if this has been covered a million times.

what is the life expectancy on a fj62 3FE? I've got a good line on an 89 for cheap, but it's got 226k on the engine. How long can I expect that engine to last?

thanks!
 
Cruiser88 just retired his at 400 000 miles (I don't think he was having engine trouble though). I see the number 300 000 thrown around a lot. Mine is at ~175 000 right now.

Is the engine running? Can you run a compression or leakdown test on it?

*EDIT* D'oh, you talking about buying the whole truck, not just the engine, right? I'll second Doug's advice to give the transmission a good check, it seems they are always overlooked for maintenance, and commonly go before the engine.
 
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There are some threads on here with posts on milage. Lots of examples of 300K+ miles.

If the engine is well taken care of, and still has good compression, you're prolly fine in that department.

The auto tranny could fail sooner than the motor. That's one spot to check more carefully. Was the truck used to tow?

You can find that a higher milage engine is fine, but the accessories go, and that can add up. New Power steering pump ($300), new waterpump + fan clutch ($200), new smog pump ($100 @ napa or $800 OEM), new alternator ($200). You get the point. Then there's little things, worn emission components, etc.

All the above parts are available, and are essentially bolt on.
 
Re: RockDoc
I haven't seen it in person yet, but he clams it's running good with 150psi all around.

Re: lovetoski
good to know. not sure about the towing. I'll have to ask.

this may be a total newb question, but say the motor does go south, how many miles can you get out of a rebuilt 3fe? just trying to cover my bases. :)
I'm not really interested in doing an engine conversion as I already have a 4runner under the knife.
 
Are you looking at the cruiser for sale in Cayucos, CA? I haven't seen it in person but it seems like a good deal. If you get it let us know how it goes.
 
i seen 1.6 million km, and another 700k km, and a 3fe from an 80 is being retired in our garage this weekend, that one 450k miles...and it still runs strong!
 
I agree with all of the above. The engine is basically immortal if taken care of, but everything else slowly goes bad. Even with perfect maintenance the AT has a limited life span. Still, there are lots of ATs that come up for sale working and so not that big a deal if they go bad. Or, you can use the excuse of a dead AT to convert to a manual tranny.

I'd say 300k is easy, but at some point, it will need a valve job. That's expected/normal. Just keep doing the oil changes and it will likely serve you as long as you want it to.
 
My engine is at 280,000 right now. I'll second that the most expenisve fix for me personally will b when the transmission goes. My output shaft is worn and I feel it clunking when switching from park to drive or reverse. Check that in the truck you're looking at.

As of July 2017 i'm over 300,000 mi and still kicking. Compression numbers aren't great but it runs well.
 
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Right and that sucker was still strong.

I suppose a head gasket had been changed according to some paperwork I found but nothing else other than Pm stuff along the years.

Good maintenance and these rigs will never quit.




RockDoc said:
Cruiser88 just retired his at 400 000 miles (I don't think he was having engine trouble though). I see the number 300 000 thrown around a lot. Mine is at ~175 000 right now.

Is the engine running? Can you run a compression or leakdown test on it?

*EDIT* D'oh, you talking about buying the whole truck, not just the engine, right? I'll second Doug's advice to give the transmission a good check, it seems they are always overlooked for maintenance, and commonly go before the engine.
Click to expand...
 
cruiser88 said:
Correct. I think he A/t will out last the transfer
Click to expand...


Maybe-but if you look at the 3FE list, there are lots of stories of the trannies going bad, which is why virtually everyone adds a cooler if they want them to go a long way.

Plus, that wear problem on the output shaft is essentially universal-everyone gets that and eventually it leads to problems. My 62 has only 118k miles and I can feel the beginning of the clunk if I try. I want to do the McNamara gear thing if I leave it as an auto.

I agree, though, it's a durable automatic transmission, unlike most from the big 3. My plan is to do a fluid exchange once per year and try to keep it rolling a long time.

The original question was about the motor, and there is at least 1 2F on the 60 list that went to 440k miles before needing any engine work. If anything, a 3FE should do even better-it should be cleaner inside, and it feels better balanced from the factory. Durability is not really an issue-the motor will last until the truck rots away from around it.
 
Maintinence is key. If you don't respect it, things will wear and break.
 
Randy88FJ62 said:
I'll second that the most expenisve fix for me personally will b when the transmission goes. My output shaft is worn and I feel it clunking when switching from park to drive or reverse. Check that in the truck you're looking at.
Click to expand...

I've had both rebuilt (engine twice). The tranny was cheaper (the rebuilt torque converter, Rodney's Extreme ValveBody, an aux cooler, and McNamara T/C gear did push the price up some though :D). The first engine rebuild I paid too much for, the second was done by W and James at Over the Hill 4x4 and they are well known for having very good prices. Tranny was still cheaper, even with all the extras.
 
thanks for all the help guys.
after going and really looking it over, it really wasnt the deal I though it was.. it'd be a good project cruiser, but my 4runner already fills the "project" slot... ha.
 
we have a 62 and the 3fe has 500+ k's on it and still runs like a top
 
Over 310,000 mi on it now.
 
Our 88 had 380,000 on it when it got totaled by a kid. Trany had never been touched. Head was off at some point in the 200k. Bought from a friend that bought it new, had tons of records

Our 90 has 247k on it, AFAIK motor and trany never apart, got from local orignal owner who towed a small race car behind it, but mostly used as a commuter car.
 
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