Engine swap without doing any work to the (new to me) engine? (1 Viewer)

[Blade 80LC]

My '95 Landcruiser makes a bad knocking sound. (It seems up high on the engine as if hydraulic lifters had collapsed.) I took it to a shop and he pulled the valve cover and looked at the top end. The mechanic found nothing wrong up top, so he said he'd need to pull the engine to see where it was knocking. It occurs to me that landcruisers get parted out all the time, although I didn't see one near me when I searched today. I am considering trying to find an engine in a running (but perhaps rolled or crashed) truck and seeing if the owner would not only pull their engine to sell to me, but also do a swap. I have this idea in my head that anyone who could pull an engine, could also put one back in. They'd still have an engine to sell someone who wants it as a "core", and I'd have a truck that ran (well?) again.

Obviously having the engine rebuilt while it was out would make long term sense, but I was wondering y'alls thoughts about the idea as a super low budget fix?

 

[BILT4ME]

Are you sure it's the engine and not the power steering pump gear?
Any other work recently done?
Any oil analysis done?
Any analysis done other than pulling apart things?
Done an oil change to view the oil?
Oil pressure at idle and at 3000 RPM?
Run a compression check?
Post pics of the spark plugs?
Remove the belts to isolate external influences such as idler pulleys, AC compressors, and accessories?
Post a video of the noise for the armchair mechanics here?

This is an overhead cam engine. There are no hydraulic lifters.

 

[bhsdriller]

It would have to be someone close by to get your truck to them but other than that it would just take money and i'm sure they'd do it

 

[MickeyB]

Good luck with this plan. Around me there are no Landcruisers to get parts from much less trying to find someone to get an engine in out and back into one. You will find most shops won’t want to work on it and the ones that do are going to charge accordingly. The bigger question is maybe you should sell it or put in storage until you can get funds together for this project. If you buy used on the internet they will sell you complete garbage with no return policy. Not trying to be negative but it is really challenging to keep these trucks going when you don’t have access to a shop or have locals with a club.


You just have to understand people post pics and a bunch stuff to say look at me I did this it’s was so easy. You can do it to no problem.

I was trying to get my rims changed out to another set I bought. Was like hell trying to find a shop to do the switch.

 

[Feistl]

If you are going to own and use a 80 series landcruiser you either need to take the plunge and start working on the vehicle yourself, OR have very deep pockets, OR buy an 80 series that has had a lot of work already done to it and is in mint condition. Buying a “cheap” vehicle and then paying someone to baseline it is going to cost you an absolute fortune and end up far more expensive than just buying something premium to start with.

the big advantage of an 80 series is the home mechanic can do just about every job on it with relatively minimal tools, and the parts are easy to find at very good prices. However it’s still a 25-30 year old truck, so it will need a lot of maintenance and money to make it reliable.

the advantage to doing the work yourself is you’ll learn what the parts are/how to fix them, and then you’ll know for sure what has been done. Once you fully baseline your vehicle, you can be confident of many years trouble free use.

one thing I say to anyone trying to take on a project is buy the very best you can afford in the first place, start with a solid base before pouring in money. Saving $5k in purchase price but then having to deal with rust and engine swaps is just uneconomical...

(Edit - not trying to put you off, just trying to save you going down a very expensive path you may regret. Also, when looking for a car I’d recommend searching the entire country (especially southern vehicles that don’t deal with salted roads) rather than just locally. Spending a weekend flying out and road tripping a car back for a good deal is much better than spending weeks of your life dealing with rust)

 

[Heckraiser]

Assuming that joe blow with an engine to part out is also willing to do work on somebody else's vehicle is probably a false assumption. I would take it to a shop or do the work yourself, even if you source your own used engine. The only exception in my mind being a local MUDder or TLCA member might be willing to help. But you'll still need to pitch in on the work, I would think.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

The mechanic found nothing wrong up top, so he said he'd need to pull the engine to see where it was knocking

Take it to a different mechanic and get a second, hopefully better diagnosis.

Check out the local cruisers club forums and try to find a good reputable cruiser mechanic in your area.

Or maybe someone else will chime in with a good suggestion for a tech in North Cali.

 

[LandLocked93]

... was wondering y'alls thoughts about the idea as a super low budget fix?

Well, relative to a swap and the trappings involved thereof, a second opinion would definitely fall under "super low-budget fix".
Did your mechanic suggest it was "lifters"? Even after taking the valve cover off?

 

[Blade 80LC]

The mechanic did not say it was the valve lifters. I said the noise sounds like an engine with collapsed valve lifters. I figured it was a noise that many people could imagine in their heads. It is a tap, tap, tap noise that increases in frequency with engine RPM. It is present when the engine is cold, and remains when the engine warms up. The mechanic owns a shop that specializes in Toyotas (Toyota Pro). The mechanic in the general area that has an excellent reputation is Georg at Valley Hybrids. (That is NOT the shop where I took my Landcruiser.) When I spoke to someone at Valley Hybrids, they told me that if my truck needed a new engine, they suggested I bring it to a shop called Yota1. Yota1 told me they'd be able to build me an engine within 26 weeks, but that it would be November before they'd have time on their schedule to install it. (That's further out than I'd hoped.) I've spoken with Gary at Mudrak (another shop that gets general praise from Mud members). Gary actually suggested using a used (and un-rebuilt) engine as a possible low budget fix. Of course he also was prepared to replace the engine with a rebuilt engine if I'd prefer. Gary has also emphasized that replacing the engine was a "worst case" scenario. If I bring him the truck he can give a better opinion about whether some other repair option makes more sense.

 

[LandLocked93]

If I bring him the truck he can give a better opinion about whether some other repair option makes more sense.

This sounds like the best way forward to confirm the actual issue.

 

[Blade 80LC]

I uploaded a video of the engine running to YouTube. I shot from up top and from below the engine. Volume on the video seems balanced, but to my ear it sounds a bit louder up top nearer the valves.

I first heard the noise after hitting the throttle hard to get on the freeway several months (and perhaps 1000 miles ago). The engine stalled, and when I was able to start it back up after 2 or 3 minutes, I noticed the engine was clicking. I have not noticed the noise getting any worse since it first started. Performance of the engine (power and MPG) dropped off since the noise started.

I have not done a compression check or oil analysis. The oil is dirty (has not been changed in the last 5,000+ miles) but not milky so I expect no water intrusion. There has been no recent engine work on the vehicle. The only things done on the engine in the last 7 years/10,000 miles was to replace a knock sensor about 3 years ago.

 

[Feistl]

Not trying to have a go at you personally, but if your driving and something happens (eg your engine stalls and starts making a noise) STOP DRIVING IT IMMEDIATELY.

I'm consistently astounded by the number of people who'll keep going until the thing finally dies, then take it to a workshop. What could be something simple can lead to massive engine damage in a very short time frame. EG I friend of mine had a cracked radiator, kept driving home (rather than stopping) and overheated the engine. Ended up needing a full engine rebuild (over $8k) for the sake of $150 radiator which needed to be replaced anyway.

In your case something has broken and the more you run the engine, the more chance the failure could lead to something catastrophic requiring a full engine swap. And as above, if you are paying a workshop to swap the engine your most likely looking at a $5k+ bill. It could be a sub $1k fix depending what is causing noise.

Now after looking at your video I'll just say a few things... Aluminum transmits noise differently to steel. Even though the noise appears to be coming from above, that could just be because of the aluminum head transmitting the noise more than the block.

Go to your local parts store or jump on ebay and buy yourself a mechanics stethoscope (either manual or electronic). They are cheap and work really well at isolating where the sound is coming from, that will help you diagnose where the problem is coming from.

 

[BILT4ME]

What oil filter do you have on there? Please be specific.

 

[flintknapper]

From the very onset.....has the engine made that 'knocking' sound? Didn't start out as tapping/ticking noise and get worse?

I ask because normally on these engines....IF you have valve-train noise it manifests as a tapping noise and will be at 1/2 engine speed.

Yours sounds like a 'knock' and full engine speed, suggesting something in the lower end or a rotating accessory.

Definitely get it to someone familiar with the 1FZ-FE engine and have them look at it.

 

[LongDuck]

I watched your YouTube video, and here's what I have to offer;

1) these are not super-low-budget vehicles. I've skimped on preventative routine maintenance and regretted it. It gets expensive to replace parts, and the engine is the most expensive part - whether it's a direct swap or a rebuild.

B) that sound is pretty loud. I had 2 scored cylinders after a severe overheat and it sounded about like that. Once the engine was out and the head pulled, it was obvious. Previous diagnosis was wrist pin knock, but the rings and cylinders 4 & 5 were pinched just enough to cause friction at close to TDC. When I added full synthetic oil, it got much quieter. I also had 3 loose spark plugs which were adding to the rattle-battle.

III) finding a lower mileage replacement engine AND a hobbyist that is willing to trade you while doing all the work is exceedingly rare. You're looking for a unicorn who only takes payment in hens teeth and magic beans.

Four) down on power and mileage? Compression check across all cylinders would tell you a lot. Based on the result, you may find that you're going to need to make a hard decision about keeping or selling.

Upshot; OEM Factory short blocks are still being produced and shipped over! Do some basic non-invasive diagnosis and an oil change and go from there. I have a feeling you're headed toward this;

 

[graham5david]

Check your harmonic balancer. They get old and the rubber starts to protrude out the back of it. It then slaps the timing cover on every revolution. Just crawl under and have someone one bump the starter over and over while looking at tge backside of the balancer. It may also be leaving markings on your timing cover. Keep it in park, don't run yourself over. It could also be the power steering pump gear if replaced recently.