Looking for a rebuilt engine for an 80 Series 1997 Lexus LX-450 (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Feb 3, 2023
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Location
San Jose, CA
Website
dreamchaserondemand.com
I live in California. (Don’t hold it against me.”) I own a 1997 Lexus LX-450 with 200K miles. My truck was running HOT. I replaced the water pump, radiator (twice), fan clutch, and other parts. Then I had the head gasket repaired. When I picked up the truck after the head gasket repair, the truck overheated when going up a steep hill (high RPM). My mechanic took the head off again and checked everything (at his own expense). He took the truck for a 100+ miles test drive (mostly highway). The truck ran great. After he returned it to me, I drove it up the same steep hill (high RPM), it almost overheated when I turned around.

I would appreciate any suggestions on where I could buy a “reliable” rebuilt engine with OEM parts for my 1997 Lexus LX-450. I would also consider rebuilding my engine if I knew of a company that could do it.

The engines on eBay look like “scammers.” I spoke to a company based in southern California. He said their rebuilt 80 Series engines have a 2-year warranty and unlimited mileage. It sounded too good to be true. I put their company name in Google with the word “complaints.” Google listed a website “Rip-offs com.” There were too many posts by people that had been ripped off by them to read. The scammer company also operates another website with a different name doing the same scam.

I would appreciate any suggestions, please.

Thanks.

Michael
 
Running hot doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be rebuilt. You would want to rebuild the engine to address internal damage, components that are out of spec and similar. If it runs great most of the time but runs warm when pushed I'd take steps to ensure that the cooling system is up to specifications and that the tune is correct. Your issue could be as simple as a failed thermostat, worn out fan clutch or something cheap/easy like that.

For instance, you could put a brand new engine into a car with a clogged radiator and it would overheat in short order. Similarly, if you were to run an engine excessively lean (not enough fuel) it would overheat regardless of how new the internals were.

If your 80 runs well when cool then find a knowledgeable Lancruiser mech/expert to look it over or roll up your sleeves and work through the troubleshooting yourself. We can help.
 
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x2 for t-stat or fan clutch. The pair won't cost $100. Replace them both and carry on.
 
Need more data:
Stock vehicle?
How does the engine idle, accelerate (before it overheats)?
Will it overheat in slow traffic?
Will it overheat on a level highway at 70mph?
Any engine codes?
Is the oil pan full?
How long/high was the hill (?mountain), in what gear/rpms for how long??
Outside air temps when overheating occurs?
Radiator brand/part number?
Fan clutch brand, part number?
Fan shroud in place?
Correct fan (blades) installed?
New OEM Thermostat, installed properly (burp hole at 12 O'clock)?
Cooling system full (water, anti-freeze, mix ratio)?
 
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Thanks for the replies to my post.

This LX-450 is the second Land Cruiser I have owned in 20 years. It has been a solid truck. I am not a mechanic. But I know Land Cruisers. My truck OVERHEATS when going up a steep hill. It is not “running hot.” I’m not talking about going up a mountain grade for 10 miles and gaining 5,000ft of elevation. My truck overheats going up steep hills at (high RPM). The engine temperature is ok driving around town.

I trust my mechanic. I believe that he is honest. He has been fixing engines for 25+ years. No, he is not a “Land Cruiser expert.” He has replaced every part related to the cooling systems, including the thermostat, water pump, all hoses, fan clutch, and the radiator (twice). After the head gasket repair, and the mechanic taking the head off (for a 2nd time) and sending it back to the machine shop to “check it,” he thinks that my engine has a “crack” in the engine block that is causing the truck to overheat.

I would appreciate any suggestions on where I could buy a “reliable” rebuilt engine with OEM parts for my 1997 Lexus LX-450. I would also consider rebuilding my engine if I knew of a company that could do it.

Thanks.

Michael
 
Is he using oem parts in the rebuild? You say cooling system is good all oem parts there? If you what a rebuilt engine with all yota parts you will probably pay good price. Keep an eye on classifieds
What are you classifying as overheating? Are you running a water temp gauge? How is the power of the truck?
 
@LX450DreamChaser : Your mechanic might be on to something.

Does the radiator overlfow tank get overfull after driving?

For example: starting out with a cold engine and the fluid level in the overflow tank at the FULL line. (if it is above the full line cold either mark that level of remove some fluid from the tank).

Then after a drive (say 30+ minutes) is the tank way overfull? Normally that level should go up 1-2 inches tops with a hot engine, but if the fluid level
goes up to the very top and spills out the drain hose, that is not normal.

And one thing that can cause that is a crack in a cylinder wall which allows pressurized combustion gases to enter the water jacket (around the cylinders inside the engine block) and that pressure forces coolant out of the cooling system into the overflow tank and then out on the ground.

Then instead of coolant/water surround the cylinders and head you have gas which can't remove heat from the engine.

This scenario happened to one of my 80's but the crack in the cylinder wall was obvious once the head was off. The mechanic should know this however ie: rotate the engine (with the head off) and look and feel the cylinder walls for cracks. Your fingers can feel fine cracks that your eyes may not see.
 
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You could reach out to @Fj80oregon and see if he could assist as well if timing and logistics worked out.
 
a crack in the block would lead to a very noticeable loss of coolant...
Is that occurring?

I'd recommend a real temp gauge, or a scan gauge plugged into your obd to see real numbers.

As mentioned, lean running will cause hotter temps. Since this is happening at high rpm (=max fuel flow requirements) Perhaps the fuel system needs a look.
New filter, read plugs, AFR readings...etc
 
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Thanks for the replies to my post.

I will repeat myself by saying that I trust my mechanic. He has been fixing engines for 25+ years. Does a mechanic have to be a “Land Cruiser expert” to be able to diagnose and fix the problems with a 1997 Lexus LX450? He has been my mechanic for five years. With that said, I probably should get a “second opinion” on my truck before replacing the engine.

Almost all of the parts in my truck are OEM Toyota. However, because my truck was HOT (close to overheating), my mechanic installed an electric dual fan clutch and BIG radiator. Again, my mechanic knows enough to troubleshoot if that was causing the problem.

I did speak with a “Land Cruiser expert” on the telephone. He said three times, “I think your problem is electrical...not the engine block.”

I will contact Yota1 on Monday. Modesto, CA is only 99 miles from where I live.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
We get that you trust you mechanic and that you have owned two 80s
But you still have not said what temperature your truck is getting two and what you consider overheating.
 
We get that you trust you mechanic and that you have owned two 80s
But you still have not said what temperature your truck is getting two and what you consider overheating.
I think what he's trying to say is he doesn't want any advice, he wants the name of a rebuilder or source for rebuilt engines. All the forum's collective knowledge and experience be damned. I mean, I know that an engine that requires a rebuild is going to have other issues than overheating, and that overheating by itself isn't generally a symptom of wear, but he obviously doesn't want to hear my opinion, so since I don't have the info he does want, I'm not going to bother trying to talk sense into him.
 
I think what he's trying to say is he doesn't want any advice, he wants the name of a rebuilder or source for rebuilt engines. All the forum's collective knowledge and experience be damned. I mean, I know that an engine that requires a rebuild is going to have other issues than overheating, and that overheating by itself isn't generally a symptom of wear, but he obviously doesn't want to hear my opinion, so since I don't have the info he does want, I'm not going to bother trying to talk sense into him.
I think your right :beer:
 
If I thought I needed a new engine and people with infinite knowledge of my truck were telling me that it may not be the case I would definitely be receptive to what they are saying....
 
Thanks to everyone for the excellent replies to my threads. I appreciate your effort and knowledge.

I tried to be very clear in my first and second posts when I said, “I would appreciate any suggestions on where I could buy a “reliable” rebuilt engine with OEM parts for my 1997 Lexus LX-450. I would also consider rebuilding my engine if I knew of a company that could do it.” So, I am sorry if I “offended” anyone by not answering their questions.

Regarding the engine temperature, please see the attached photo as one example of my engine running HOT.

Thank you to “Outsane” for mentioning Yota1. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with them today. The lady was VERY professional and knowledgeable. They are located 100 miles from where I live in San Jose, CA. They sound like an excellent shop. I do not want to spend the money they said it would cost to rebuild my motor or put one of their engines in my truck. But it was clear they are the “real deal” regarding rebuilding Land Cruiser engines. I am going to give Yota1 serious consideration.

I will let everyone know what I end up doing. Hopefully, I will be able to upload a photo to Ih8mud of my rig this summer taken at 11,000ft in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Thanks.

Michael

20221205_132231-small.jpg
 
@LX450DreamChaser : Curious, can you tell us what the estimate was for rebuilding your engine and what did that include ie: simple rebuild reusing most of the old parts, or complete ovehaul ie: over-boring the cylinders, grinding the crank, all new oversize pistons, polishing and porting the head, new valves and springs, --- ??
 
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