How does that price line up against the cost of a new short block from Toyota?
Rebuild head or whole engine (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter MattMud
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Short block is about $4300’ish. Depending on where you get it
I spoke with a Jarco rep in Aug 2020 when considering my options. No doubt the rebuild would be top notch. The catch was a customer had to go thru a dealership to get the work done. I could ship my engine to them or wait for them to source a engine locally. Time in this case was the limiter. Original engine had 209K miles and was SCd last 110K on original HG. Soooooo.
New short block and new head. And no worries about getting the remanufacturing company to honor a warranty.
New short block and new head. And no worries about getting the remanufacturing company to honor a warranty.
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Exactly. It shouldn't even be a question....if one is going to turbo or supercharge with those kind of miles. Rebuild or buy a new short-block.
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Exactly. It shouldn't even be a question....if one is going to turbo or supercharge with those kind of miles. Rebuild or buy a new short-block.
is there ANY number of miles, greater than zero, where a turbo could be added? i'm sure there are other threads covering this but i haven't searched and don't want to bring any more back from the dead
i'm as interested as the OP, as i'm sure others are on the fence with adding this $6k kit to our ever aging 1FZ's. i'd wager that all the candidates are +/- 200k, with a "recent" HG job, and a slew of maintenance/baselining efforts on the coolant system, etc.
Of course there are. But mileage alone only speaks to the likely 'average/general' wear on the engine. Of more importance is the maintenance history of the vehicle, how it was driven and if it had ever been overheated or had other serious events.is there ANY number of miles, greater than zero, where a turbo could be added? i'm sure there are other threads covering this but i haven't searched and don't want to bring any more back from the dead
Just because an engine has say (316K miles) on it....like mine did when I replaced the Head Gasket. Had (and still has) 190 psi compression on all cylinders and the cylinders still showed cross hatching, doesn't mean the lower end bearings do not have significant wear. If you are going to add boost to an already high mileage engine....it would be wise to know its actual condition.
And I don't mean sending a sending an oil sample off to Blackstone....I mean a physical/visual inspection and measuring.
Surely, there are engines in good enough condition to add a turbo-charger. But we cant summarily say that an engine with 200k miles on it is OK to boost vs one with 250-300K. We can only say that on 'average' it is a better candidate. I've had my L/C since it was 3 years old and purchased it as it was turned in from a Corporate Vehicle Lease. I've done all the maintenance and repairs on it since that time (the last 22 years). So I know the history and condition of mine.
But most folks have an 80 series that has been through multiple owners, varying degrees of maintenance (some with little to no maintenance history) and have no idea how the vehicle was driven. I don't drive mine real hard. Sometimes it is called upon to haul a trailer load of something. I fully expect mine to go another 100K before needing a rebuild (I'm at 330K now).
Conversely, had my Brother-in-Law owned it (from 3 yrs old) it would have been in the scrap yard at least 21 years ago.
I'm just saying 'know' the condition of the engine before boosting it....if you want it to last long term.
There is the matter of what you 'Can Do' (read get away with) and what you 'Should Do'.
- Thread starter
- #27
All of your comments and insights are helpful to me. Thanks. There is a spectrum of choices and risks. One guy indexes and color codes his cotter pins. The next guy makes his from bailing wire. By way of background, I have a very risk tolerant wife. She drives the same high mileage cruisers I do and has for 30 years with babies and all. She knows to watch the temp and it it creeps she pulls over right then. PHH failure, heater control valve - she's lost both on the road, pulls over, calls me, nothing toasted and she just has a soda while we get it on a trailer. She simply is awesome and loves cars with soul. I'm the same way and our high tolerance for roadside repairs drives many of our decisions. Said differently, we don't need things to be perfect. We do a lot of multi-week trips all over the country with the high mileage ones. We know worst case is something can't be fixed on the road, you tow to town, rent a Uhaul and trailer it home.
My 97 with 350k and the much lower compression has been with us since 50k miles and has the orig HG. It's been cared for and maintained but driven hard and I have asked a lot of it. My other one was a trusted friends, has 385k miles but was driven around our county to give estimates on tree removal. Easy service life and I have the receipts for 3500 mile oil changes. It is quite, runs sooo smoothly, shifts as it should, etc.
Please understand, I get other people and their desire to have everything super tight and every preventative in order at all times.
My current thinking is to swap the 385k mile motor/trans/transfer into my preferred 97, install the turbo (Joey has made it very straight forward), and see how it runs and does. I have no intention to romp on it. If it gives me a solid year of good service (or longer) then great. If I blow the motor, my wife and I are comfortable with that risk. Said differently, we'd rather save the $6k-$10k for a rebuild and see how it goes. If the 385K didn't have the decent compression and smooth power that it does, I don't think I would do it this way.
I welcome other thoughts and critiques. I know very little compared to many of you and I don't intend to be disrespectful by discounting anyones input.
Thanks.
My 97 with 350k and the much lower compression has been with us since 50k miles and has the orig HG. It's been cared for and maintained but driven hard and I have asked a lot of it. My other one was a trusted friends, has 385k miles but was driven around our county to give estimates on tree removal. Easy service life and I have the receipts for 3500 mile oil changes. It is quite, runs sooo smoothly, shifts as it should, etc.
Please understand, I get other people and their desire to have everything super tight and every preventative in order at all times.
My current thinking is to swap the 385k mile motor/trans/transfer into my preferred 97, install the turbo (Joey has made it very straight forward), and see how it runs and does. I have no intention to romp on it. If it gives me a solid year of good service (or longer) then great. If I blow the motor, my wife and I are comfortable with that risk. Said differently, we'd rather save the $6k-$10k for a rebuild and see how it goes. If the 385K didn't have the decent compression and smooth power that it does, I don't think I would do it this way.
I welcome other thoughts and critiques. I know very little compared to many of you and I don't intend to be disrespectful by discounting anyones input.
Thanks.
Bludozer
SILVER Star
Wouldn't be the way I would go about it but I understand your perspective. I'm honestly interested to see how it does with those miles and a new FI set-up.
I feel an "I told you so....." coming.
Honestly, it sounds to me as if you should take the 6K and just refresh one of the engines. Doesn't sound like you 'need' a Turbo (though just wanting one is good enough).
And I can pretty much guarantee you, if you boost the engine you WILL romp on it (even if not all the time).
Honestly, it sounds to me as if you should take the 6K and just refresh one of the engines. Doesn't sound like you 'need' a Turbo (though just wanting one is good enough).
And I can pretty much guarantee you, if you boost the engine you WILL romp on it (even if not all the time).
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South Texas 97
GOLD Star
What a wonderful civilized discussion. I wish all the forums I frequent were as good as this one. I like Mattmud‘s approach to risk.
- Thread starter
- #31
We Cruiser heads are a civilized breed! Per flintknapper, I may well have an “i told you so” coming my way, or several. Perhaps a nuance I left out was that I do expect that after some miles I will rebuild it. If i get a year or two more out if it id be happy. Also, think of all the extra time and emotional energy i’ll have to do this project if i stop getting angry about all the FB posts on tire size, wheels, kinds of bumpers, etc (insert laugh track).
What kind of oil are you running?
Seems like your risk calculus is sound as long as you don't plan on any remote off-road trips. I'm ok DDing mine at 230k but I'm not sure I'd trust it crossing the Kalahari
Why not? What signs are there telling you your rig is not up to a long trip? Mine is at 307k. The wife and I have taken it on multi thousand mile road trips loaded down and then head into remote areas alone. Are you not aware of how many 80’s are still running well at over 400k miles?
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Not much honestly, just some of the Cruiser stuff (upper pan leak, intermittent P0401). Bur I keep it topped up and sounds like a sewing machine when I let it idle. Might do an oil analysis soon to get an idea of bearing wear.
I just heard the head gasket material tends to start disintegrating around this mileage, although there's no signs of HG issues either for now. PO maintenance is a little sketchy though and the old coolant was in there for a while.
No transmission fluid change since at least 130k either.
IF you are still on your original Head Gasket....I would consider that a legitimate concern.
Mine went 316K miles before giving up....and even then happened during an engine flush which suggests the material had degraded over time. I am at 330K miles now with a new HG and all else is running fine. I think nothing of taking it on trips since I know the general health/condition of the vehicle.
First of all check your carfax and also put your vin into the Toyota service portal to see any dealer services. I’m not sure if you’d be able to see any evidence on the head/block interface though.
What is your oil consumption like? If you are burning through a quart every 1000 miles then the likelihood is the valve stem oil seals need replacing which would be some indication that the head gasket hasn't been touched in 100-150k miles or more.
