buying and R&R'ing a used 80 series engine? (1 Viewer)

[landcruiser3DP]

anyone got any advice on buying a used 80 series (i have an LX 450) and R&R'ing it over time in the very small space i think i can find in a shared garage? seems like this would let me keep driving my rig. let me get it done as a side project and not have to find a place to park my truck for three or four or five weeks. i mean i am starting to think i may want to head in this direction and i am wondering if anyone has any advice on this?

i /suppose/ i could buy an old 80 series and take the engine out and sell the rest of the truck for next to nothing but given the limited space here this seems like it is not going to fly just as a practical matter. if i was in BFI i could park it in the yard i guess and figure it out later but that is not going to happen any time soon i don't think.

anyway, anyone done this? any good links? anything to look for when buying one used? is it a non-starter for some reason?

not sure i trust the remanufactured route but if i was still able to get a new one i suppose i might bite the bullet and go that direction. but that train seems to have left the station five or ten years ago i guess.

THANKS

 

[JeepinPete]

Nothing wrong with that approach at all. If you were closer I'd have the perfect candidate for you.

 

[landcruiser3DP]

Nothing wrong with that approach at all. If you were closer I'd have the perfect candidate for you.

thanks. trying to pull it all together here. so do you know what kind of questions to ask? any ideas on what to inspect? how much of a nightmare would it be buying a whole 80 series and trying to make back your money parting it out. i guess i would need a garage or yard to park it in.

 

[maxamillion2345]

I think you’re better finding someone parting one out already and snagging the engine.


Come to Nevada, I have whole engine Id let go for a good price!

 

[landcruiser3DP]

I think you’re better finding someone parting one out already and snagging the engine.


Come to Nevada, I have whole engine Id let go for a good price!

thanks. which begs the question. what are they going for. and how do you evaluate their value or inspect.

 

[JeepinPete]

I've got mine up for $200 as a long block, no takers.

If I were buying a used engine, I'd want to check that is can be turned over with a wrench. After that I'd ask to check compression (bring a battery, jump the starter), and if that checked out, I'd be good to go, depending on price. IOW, at $200, I'd already be testing the sellers patience, and $1k, I'd insist on dropping the pans and checking bearings to make sure there was no damage to the crank.

 

[maxamillion2345]

I wouldn't pay more than $400 for a complete engine. You can try and compression test but you never know how the engine is going to be set up. I'd be very cautious about how it was stored. Was the hood on it? If it's outside, is it sealed up very well? Etc...

 

[ScubaSteve80]

I am currently selling an engine and a transmission from an LC we are parting out. The bottom half of the engine was rebuilt about 40K miles ago and so was the transmission. We have a video of the engine running before we removed it and have paper work to show that all the work I stated has been done. It's not $200 though... I have never heard of an engine going that cheap. You can check it out here : For Sale - Tuscaloosa, AL: Massive Part Out, Motor/Trans/X-fer/Interior/Body

Just throwing it out there if you are interested. I'm in AL.

 

[BILT4ME]

@arcteryx is in TX. He does truck and stuff. Maybe he can tell you an accurate price and what to look for.

 

[ajax1]

I picked up used in colo for 250 plus gas. Has 175k on it and was pulled for diesel swap and guy was tired of it sitting in the garage. I’m in for valve grind kit, 275 I think was price and do head job 400 bucks. You can still get a block and head brand new from Toyota

 

[landcruiser3DP]

I've got mine up for $200 as a long block, no takers.

If I were buying a used engine, I'd want to check that is can be turned over with a wrench. After that I'd ask to check compression (bring a battery, jump the starter), and if that checked out, I'd be good to go, depending on price. IOW, at $200, I'd already be testing the sellers patience, and $1k, I'd insist on dropping the pans and checking bearings to make sure there was no damage to the crank.

thanks a lot JP.
seems odd to me for sellers to be trying to get all the money for used LC engines but whatever.
so i got to thinking about this of course after i posted. you are going NEG pole to whatever is ground on the starter and then connect to the positive side of the starter and then - er what are you doing with the battery exactly? just touching it to the POS terminal on the battery and holding it to see if you hear the starter and then the engine turn over? and if it goes DOONK you know it is seized?
then on the other aspect you are draining the oil pan? taking it off? and inspecting the crank surfaces in some way? are there lifters to inspect in this engine? how do you inspect the bearings? shine a flashlight up in there and make sure there are some?
THANK YOU

 

[landcruiser3DP]

I picked up used in colo for 250 plus gas. Has 175k on it and was pulled for diesel swap and guy was tired of it sitting in the garage. I’m in for valve grind kit, 275 I think was price and do head job 400 bucks. You can still get a block and head brand new from Toyota

hey ajax. my "terminology fluency" is still a little weak. you are saying that rather than even worrying about the condition of the head or the condition of the block you could replace both with new? pull out all the old and put in it in the new block and head? and then it is valve seats at the machinist or you do these yourself if you are feeling particularly handy and can borrow or buy a tool? was there one more sort of higher level operation with this?
i guess there is a front main bearing and a rear main bearing? and there was some bronze bushing from landtank that joey is selling? or that comes in the new block i guess?
and what else are you worried about? the condition of the crank? so you look for pitting? i forget are there lifters to inspect? other?
THANKS

 

[ajax1]

Yes you can get a short block which is the bottom end from Toyota brand new. I believe you can buy a head also brand new which is long block from Toyota.
i bought a used engine with 175k on it, bottom end looks fine in fact every head job I’ve done the bottom looks great. Now you could have issues when you buy one who knows. But mine all I’m in for is redo valves on head which is a head job, and buying parts. If you bought new short block from Toyota you don’t need bronze bushing. On mine I’m not changing it either
it will all depend on what ya buy used or new or how far you want to go. When I used to do rebuilds in 2016 a full rebuild which was nothing extra just basic stuff in parts was 3500 bucks from Toyota for parts only. A full engine rebuild with parts and no extras started at 10k.
On my engine with purchase I’ll probably have about 1000 bucks, this will be head redone , valve grind kit from Toyota new timing cover, and I’ll put it back together myself. Hope that helps. Then if you can pull yours that’s free too. If you have to pay someone prob 2k. I would prob buy new harness too while your there if 95 and newer.
You can buy a 95 to 97 engine and swap to 93 94 easy . Not so easy the other way

 

[landcruiser3DP]

Yes you can get a short block which is the bottom end from Toyota brand new. I believe you can buy a head also brand new which is long block from Toyota.
i bought a used engine with 175k on it, bottom end looks fine in fact every head job I’ve done the bottom looks great. Now you could have issues when you buy one who knows. But mine all I’m in for is redo valves on head which is a head job, and buying parts. If you bought new short block from Toyota you don’t need bronze bushing. On mine I’m not changing it either
it will all depend on what ya buy used or new or how far you want to go. When I used to do rebuilds in 2016 a full rebuild which was nothing extra just basic stuff in parts was 3500 bucks from Toyota for parts only. A full engine rebuild with parts and no extras started at 10k.
On my engine with purchase I’ll probably have about 1000 bucks, this will be head redone , valve grind kit from Toyota new timing cover, and I’ll put it back together myself. Hope that helps. Then if you can pull yours that’s free too. If you have to pay someone prob 2k. I would prob buy new harness too while your there if 95 and newer.
You can buy a 95 to 97 engine and swap to 93 94 easy . Not so easy the other way

thanks a LOT ajax. there is a lot to chew on here so i have to dig into it before asking anything.
but i just happened to run into this on the partsouq page doing something else. this is the short block? you buy the head and it goes along with the short block and they call it a long block? or is that not right? and it is the whole engine that is NLA? is that right? i'm a tad confused obviously as again the terminology is tripping me up.

 

[landcruiser3DP]

Yes you can get a short block which is the bottom end from Toyota brand new. I believe you can buy a head also brand new which is long block from Toyota.
i bought a used engine with 175k on it, bottom end looks fine in fact every head job I’ve done the bottom looks great. Now you could have issues when you buy one who knows. But mine all I’m in for is redo valves on head which is a head job, and buying parts. If you bought new short block from Toyota you don’t need bronze bushing. On mine I’m not changing it either
it will all depend on what ya buy used or new or how far you want to go. When I used to do rebuilds in 2016 a full rebuild which was nothing extra just basic stuff in parts was 3500 bucks from Toyota for parts only. A full engine rebuild with parts and no extras started at 10k.
On my engine with purchase I’ll probably have about 1000 bucks, this will be head redone , valve grind kit from Toyota new timing cover, and I’ll put it back together myself. Hope that helps. Then if you can pull yours that’s free too. If you have to pay someone prob 2k. I would prob buy new harness too while your there if 95 and newer.
You can buy a 95 to 97 engine and swap to 93 94 easy . Not so easy the other way

man, i have a binder here for parts for engine rebuild i am trying to collate and a binder for mud threads about engine rebuild i kept after reading. then i have whats his name's videos i need to finish reviewing. but i sure wish i had a list of what is in these two task lists so i could dig into the fiche with it and take a look around. i am sort of flying blind when someone like you says something like this:

"When I used to do rebuilds in 2016 a full rebuild which was nothing extra just basic stuff in parts was 3500 bucks from Toyota for parts only. A full engine rebuild with parts and no extras started at 10k."

 

[landcruiser3DP]

@arcteryx is in TX. He does truck and stuff. Maybe he can tell you an accurate price and what to look for.

thanks boss. he's got a yard was that the guy?

 

[panamacruiser]

If you were here, there are selling one, it is still inside the car as it is running...but you may not like it that much...is a 1HZ inside a 105 series...

 

[Howard705]

I picked up used in colo for 250 plus gas. Has 175k on it and was pulled for diesel swap and guy was tired of it sitting in the garage. I’m in for valve grind kit, 275 I think was price and do head job 400 bucks. You can still get a block and head brand new from Toyota

good call on the gaskets and head work since they all suck oil through valve guide seals once old . 250 is rock bottom dirt cheap core pricing for a 175k mi engine these days.

 

[Saito]

Found my spare complete engine here on mud. 300$. Shipped up from CO through Fastenal was 250$ or so.