Builds SAS 89 Mini--Triple cased Mashed Potato (2 Viewers)

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great idea but 9K, no sweat. Honey, where the petty cash box??? :flipoff2: that'd be an expensive $5K truck.

there are options out there, +/-$1K to rebuild mine, $800+ for a used motor, $1100-1500 for a rebuilt short block or $2k for a replacement truck. Figured I'd find out whats going on with current motor before I make any hard decisions but a rebuilt short block seems attractive.


seems like as you noted a rebuilt short block or long block assembly would be a good option...especially since no other engine related mods would need to happen. Don't know if there are some good options out there in the re-build world...I assume new yota stuff would be $$. Or you do the rebuild locally or have a machine shop do it.
 
My only suggestion is to do something about that crossover pipe while it's out. Either reroute it, make it smaller, remove that cat(?), and/or heat wrap it.
 
My only suggestion is to do something about that crossover pipe while it's out. Either reroute it, make it smaller, remove that cat(?), and/or heat wrap it.

yes, been thinking abut that myself and have done a little investigating but not much. From what little reading I have done taking it down the passenger side conflicts with the drive line but I've not actually investigated myself.

had a guy shoot me text msg out of the blue the other night from Murfreesboro, TN trying to sell me a running 180K mile motor still in a 4R asking $800. Last night while perusing around the interweb I found the same dude (pics and all) is actually listing it on CL asking $600 so sounds like a standup guy. Might still take him up on it for the lower price though.
 
yes, been thinking abut that myself and have done a little investigating but not much. From what little reading I have done taking it down the passenger side conflicts with the drive line but I've not actually investigated myself.

had a guy shoot me text msg out of the blue the other night from Murfreesboro, TN trying to sell me a running 180K mile motor still in a 4R asking $800. Last night while perusing around the interweb I found the same dude (pics and all) is actually listing it on CL asking $600 so sounds like a standup guy. Might still take him up on it for the lower price though.
Haha. How did he find you to message you?
Sounds like a good deal for your situation though.

Crazy idea (aren't all of my ideas?):
If the exhaust manifolds happen to have the same bolt pattern (fat chance though), could you take a DS manifold and put it on the PS head to point the exhaust forward and wrap it around the front? It'll be a lot longer pipe, but a lot easier to work on - for other stuff too I imagine - and help eliminate heat-related issues of having it all tucked up into the firewall and back of the block so tight.
 
I have seen guys flange the passenger side and just extend that side down instead of across the back and then just blank off the rear cross-over connection on the DS. I would expect you could work it down the PS side and then either dual it all the way back or tie it back together aft of the t-case.

That cross-over is the main reason that those engines kill the #6 valve. It dumps into the manifold right on top of the #6 exhaust port. If you can figure out the exhaust routing, I would try to separate those when it goes back in.

And as far as voting, I would strip the intake and heads and pull the pan and remove the rod caps to see of the damage is visible. If you can find a reputable shop, and the crank and block are salvageable, my vote would be bore/hone/deck the block, turn the crank, new bearings, rings and pistons. Balance the rotating assembly while you're in there. Have the heads checked and decked. Put it back together with a quality gasket set, new water pump and timing set and then slam it back in and rock out.

If the engine is toast, then that $600 option sounds promising.

After that you are looking at getting into a swap of some sort.
 
I have seen guys flange the passenger side and just extend that side down instead of across the back and then just blank off the rear cross-over connection on the DS. I would expect you could work it down the PS side and then either dual it all the way back or tie it back together aft of the t-case.

That cross-over is the main reason that those engines kill the #6 valve. It dumps into the manifold right on top of the #6 exhaust port. If you can figure out the exhaust routing, I would try to separate those when it goes back in.

And as far as voting, I would strip the intake and heads and pull the pan and remove the rod caps to see of the damage is visible. If you can find a reputable shop, and the crank and block are salvageable, my vote would be bore/hone/deck the block, turn the crank, new bearings, rings and pistons. Balance the rotating assembly while you're in there. Have the heads checked and decked. Put it back together with a quality gasket set, new water pump and timing set and then slam it back in and rock out.

If the engine is toast, then that $600 option sounds promising.

After that you are looking at getting into a swap of some sort.

Tore it completely down today and everything looks pretty good actually minus the new rod bearings installed a few months back so this is the exact path I'm taking. Gonna grind the crank, new pistons, rings etc. and add a new oil pump just to round things out and carry on about my business.

First though, I'll de-grease and pressure wash everything so I can get 300K mile of crud removed. Paint colors? Toyota pink with metal flake maybe or should we go with the unmentionable paint code?
 
If your having the block honed and decked, have them hot tank it for you. That will make sure to get all the gunk off. Glad to hear the insides were good enough for you to rebuild.
 
Are there any internal mods you can do to the coolant passages while it's apart to make cooling more efficient?

You didn't mention what your plan is for the crossover pipe either. Just gonna wrap it or what?
 
Leaving the block alone, no indications of head gasket or heat issues so think illI be safe.

Spent 2 hrs pressure washing this morning and youd think 3500 psi would remove everything but nooooo, cant have that.

Steve just hit upon the question I've just now started pondering myself, what "must have" mods should I do while I have it out? No plan for exhaust yet.
 
From my research I am not sure there are a ton of mods for the 3.0, internal or otherwise. Balancing the rotating assembly would be a start. Outside of that, oversized valves used to be available, but I looked the other day and didn't see any listed anywhere. I don't recall reading any water passage or internal cooling work that can be done. And as far as the head gasket issue, from everything I read that was a mid production issue. The early 3.0s (88-89) and later ones (94-95) seemed to be less prone than the mid production units (89-94) seems Toyota made a change in HG material in there and ot took several years to get to a material that lasted. I would try to get the OE head gaskets for the rebuild as they seem to be solid since the recall.

The 3.0 in my opinion was hurried to market to compete with the small ford and Chevy v6s that were coming to the market. I haven't verified it, but wouldn't be surprised if it were a NA motor that the rest of the world never saw. It isnt a bad motor, just not an exceptional motor either.

And from what I recall, other than making sure you have a tight bottom end (insert off color comment here) and good block/head connection, then the only other thing I have seen is getting the crossover reworked to get it tied in off of the #6 exhaust port.

I will dig around and see if I can find anything else I had researched when I was working on my 3.0
 
notes to self

new Main bearings -.010 over
piston rod bearings - .020 over

also:
 

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How’s motor repair going?


waiting on parts but they are trickling in. Unfortunately the new pistons look like they could still be up to another week away. To date with crank grinding and parts I'm right at $500 into it.
 
Tried to find the most obnoxious color i could. Think i pulled it off.

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As much as I am going to catch hell for it, I like it!
 
For some reason I heard Barry White's voice "Yea Baby".
 
told you guys it would take awhile but im about 90% there. Heads are on, water pump etc all bolted on. Stopped only so i could pick up a new thermostat since Toyota put it in such a convenient location.

might be able to reinstall next weekend.

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time for an update, short version is its gonna be close if I finish before GSMTR but I'm tryin.

But first, only a couple of you guys know "Ed" who has been a staple at John's shop the last 9 or 10 years. He was a freelance Toyota forklift mechanic by day and our part time motor magician on the weekends. Ed was on of those guys with spooky talent that could simply look at a motor and tell you the problem, so good in fact that we often joked we needed to shove him into a tool box and bring him along just in case we had issues. For this, his only fee was (up to) 2 Michelob lights and not more than.

Sadly, Ed passed away about 3 weeks ago just days after helping me hone my block. He will be missed so :beer::beer: to ya ED!!!!!


Anyway, Ryan (right) stepped in and has helped out a great deal (in Ed's absence) and while it's been a slow process we finally got the thing dropped in the truck late Saturday evening.

Since I've basically run out of time any small concerns over aesthetics have given way to a faint whiff of panic so the perty burnt copper got all covered up with wire brushed crap and the task of making it run has taken over.

It's in now, just have to install all the ancillary things and cross my fingers...

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Sorry to hear about Ed. Sounds like a good guy that will be greatly missed.

And glad to see the motor is back together and home. And that feeling when you turn the key over and wait to see if you got everything back together right is a real gut check.
 

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