I have a 1997 but I have an opportunity to buy a 1994 - QUESTION (1 Viewer)

[jpoole]

The A442F is much more reliable than the A343F.

I question the accuracy of this statement. Any proof for it?

In comparable condition I'd pick the later model every time, personally.

ODB2 is probably the biggest difference that I care about though parts availability and the easier to manage headliner are relevant as well. The ODB2 benefits for me are that I can easily scan/monitor codes and other outputs from my phone (via bluetooth connector). It also means that the FI system is easier to maintain overall as there is no NLA/hard to find AFM, hard to source o2 sensors, etc. like the earlier 1FZs have. If you've been involved with long term FI system troubleshooting on an earlier 1FZ (which I have) the value of ODB2 and the later system only increases.

If one or the other is in better condition to a relevant extent (maintenance, rust, cosmetics, miles, etc.) then I'd pick it every time, regardless of the year/setup.

The main benefit of the earlier models that I see are the manual/cloth seats but that's personal preference and one could argue for either seat being superior.

 

[Malleus]

Yeah, the literally thousands of A442Fs all over the world in various trucks and buses, compared the the fewer A343Fs installed only in the 80/100 series. I know the A3xxs were installed all over the place, but the four wheel drive variant is a horse of another color. And have much higher documented failure rates, according to the dealers I've spoken with.

 

[effjay80]

Therefore, I concede that '93 is the best year.

My 94 was built in 93 so I covered both bases.

 

[DirtyPepper]

Via V8 swap of course

Yeeeeeah, I watched the financial hole my dad went into in the early 90's converting the Fj40 with a corvette 350 with 202 heads which was bored out to be a 400 (IIRC)...behind that was a TH400 auto trans with a shift kit, and behind that was an NP205 TC...AND BEHIND THAT was the family suburban (1977) rear end (that I just happened to flip and roll out by the air force base) which had been cut to match to a toyota along with custom racing axles. Not to mention all the high end (then) VDO gauges, new suspension, diamond plating, and 4 core radiator with dual electric fans, custom drivelines, custom wiring, custom fuel tank, etc.

I mean, he had roughly $8k in the engine alone...which did not make my mother happy at the time. It caused major problems between them, and financially, for the family.

But, it's where I cut my teeth on learning about cars...between that Cruiser, my Power Wagon, and the family suburban before I flipped and rolled it into an embankment (I was a kid showing off for my friends at the time...learned my lesson).

In the end though, the machine shop did the job TOO well and instead of it being at 9:1 compression like he asked, it was at 13:1 compression...the damn thing literally ate itself. But she was fun to drive before she went. The front end would pop up by a few inches if you stood on the gas.

It was scary.

He vowed "the next one" would be stock and he stood by that with the 1983 FJ60 he bought AND the 80 series that followed.

No swapping for me. Like him, I'll get into it and go, "Well, if I'm going to do this and I'm in here already, I might as well spend even MORE money and do THIS also..."




BUT...For the record...I do love seeing the swaps people do.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

I have heard rumors and whispers over the years stating that Toyota redesigned the head gaskets in 1996 so 96's and 97's have less head gasket failures. I do not know how accurate this is but it might be worth considering.

 

[ppc]

As I recall there were revisions to the head gaskets during that time period but were revised again after production of 97 models. Maybe @cruiserdan or Onur can confirm.

In my observations on this forum there have been just as many or more failures in the later model years. The first failure that I was personally aware of was in 2000, I had taken a 97 model with 43k miles for a test drive at a local Lexus dealer. Opening the hood I found the telltale signs of the head gasket repair. The sales person provided me the complete documentation of the labor and parts used by that dealer for the repair trying to convince me the repair was properly completed and there was no reason to be concerned. Needless to say I passed and continue to own my 94 with no head gasket issues to date.

 

[cruiserdan]

The head gasket change came out after the end of 80 Series production. Additional metal was added around the end-cylinder fire-rings so that the head bolts captivated the fire-rings.

 

[flagstaff]

I have also had both. One thing not mentioned was my 94 had manual cloth seats while my 97 has power seats.

I actually like the manual seats a bit more. Most upholstery is for the power seats so recovering the manual seats may be harder to find.

 

[Kabanstva]

Why is having a CDL button so important that you've mentioned it regarding both vehicles? What am I missing here?

 

[Kabanstva]

Awesome...thanks for the reminder about the OBD setup...that's nothing too major, as far as I can tell, but something to keep in the back of the old noodle.

I thought about putting a supercharger on my '97 but after going down the rabbit hole about it on this site, I think I'm going to pass on that kind of update.


Thanks!

IDK the laws in Oregon but I specifically bought a pre-OBD2 vehicle to avoid Illinois emissions. I plan to keep the 80 and if I ever do a motor swap, I don't have to worry about jumping through hoops to avoid taking emissions tests here.

 

[cruiserdan]

Why is having a CDL button so important that you've mentioned it regarding both vehicles? What am I missing here?

If the "button" is in a 93-94 that is an indication that the truck is one of the few that is missing ABS, full-float rear axle, and rear disc brakes. Unless the button was added after-the-fact.

 

[Kabanstva]

If the "button" is in a 93-94 that is an indication that the truck is one of the few that is missing ABS, full-float rear axle, and rear disc brakes. Unless the button was added after-the-fact.

Good info. I appreciate it. I confirm, my 94 doesnt have a button and has ABS and rear discs.

 

[SaturnAscends]

I’ve heard the 95-97 1fz got larger coolant passages on the head gasket, but I’m not sure if this helped with longevity.

 

[gummycarbs]

If the "button" is in a 93-94 that is an indication that the truck is one of the few that is missing ABS, full-float rear axle, and rear disc brakes.

Do they still have the same diameter front rotors and the viscous coupling in the transfer case?

 

[cruiserdan]

Do they still have the same diameter front rotors and the viscous coupling in the transfer case?

Front brakes are the same. No coupler in the transfer case. The coupler is there to facilitate ABS function.

 

[SaturnAscends]

Yeah, the literally thousands of A442Fs all over the world in various trucks and buses, compared the the fewer A343Fs installed only in the 80/100 series. I know the A3xxs were installed all over the place, but the four wheel drive variant is a horse of another color. And have much higher documented failure rates, according to the dealers I've spoken with.

I've also heard of dealers supposedly seeing failures of the 343 under 200k miles, which puzzled me since you just don't hear about them breaking, at least not on the forum. In fact if anything there's more threads on the solenoids going out on the 442.

I searched for threads on 343 rebuilds and failures and all I found were a few threads talking about how reliable they are. Mis rock solid at 232k and only one fluid change in its life that I know of.

Maybe there were a few lemons from the factory, or some people ran them out of fluid? I would think complete failures would be quite rare on either transmission compared to other vehicles; nothing like the 4l60 I'd expect. Could be wrong though.