Hello all. I am a complete newbie from
Memphis, TN, who has the opportunity to be an owner of a 100 that’s currently sitting curbside with an apparently garbage engine. My folks bought it and after a series of trials and tribulations no longer have the patience or money for it. I would like to build it up for mild overlanding so my now 19 month old daughter can grow up seeing and learning the kind of things I did.
The truck has a bit over 120k miles. It’s in amazing cosmetic and mechanical condition except for said busted motor. When bought, it came with extensive maintenance records and seemed a perfect buy. And when the front diff went out Toyota even replaced it free of charge.
Shortly after the diff repair, the top enstarted making excessive noise which prompted another trip to the dealer. The first diagnosis was that the noise was harmless. Just “lifter noise” from an older motor. The second, which followed removal of the heads, was again that everything was fine. The day after the truck was returned from the dealer, I started it up and the engine immediately began shaking violently and every warning light lit up. The diagnosis is now that the heads are toast. Possibly the entire engine. And the cure is estimated to cost $6k.
My folks have moved on and bought something more suitable for their needs. The 100 is mine if I pay for the needed repairs. I’ve been told that the entire engine is likely toast. So, I’ve been looking at used ones to replace it. In the meantime I’ve been reading up and trying to learn as much as I can hands off.
If the cost of a new engine is worth it, it’s a otherwise a great truck that could be perfect for my family and our future expeditions. Any and all advice are more than welcome.
Memphis, TN, who has the opportunity to be an owner of a 100 that’s currently sitting curbside with an apparently garbage engine. My folks bought it and after a series of trials and tribulations no longer have the patience or money for it. I would like to build it up for mild overlanding so my now 19 month old daughter can grow up seeing and learning the kind of things I did.
The truck has a bit over 120k miles. It’s in amazing cosmetic and mechanical condition except for said busted motor. When bought, it came with extensive maintenance records and seemed a perfect buy. And when the front diff went out Toyota even replaced it free of charge.
Shortly after the diff repair, the top enstarted making excessive noise which prompted another trip to the dealer. The first diagnosis was that the noise was harmless. Just “lifter noise” from an older motor. The second, which followed removal of the heads, was again that everything was fine. The day after the truck was returned from the dealer, I started it up and the engine immediately began shaking violently and every warning light lit up. The diagnosis is now that the heads are toast. Possibly the entire engine. And the cure is estimated to cost $6k.
My folks have moved on and bought something more suitable for their needs. The 100 is mine if I pay for the needed repairs. I’ve been told that the entire engine is likely toast. So, I’ve been looking at used ones to replace it. In the meantime I’ve been reading up and trying to learn as much as I can hands off.
If the cost of a new engine is worth it, it’s a otherwise a great truck that could be perfect for my family and our future expeditions. Any and all advice are more than welcome.
