Used 5th gen 4Runner and 1GR - anything particular to look for?

[Rednexus]

I'm going to be helping a family member purchase a used 5th gen 4Runner. I'm very familiar with the 120 and things that carried-over into the 150 platform (transmission, T-case, suspension, etc) from having DIY'd everything on my personal GX470. But, I've never worked on a 1GR-powered 4Runner before. My Toyota engine experience is limited to the 2UZ-FE.

We're hoping to find a Limited model with <100,000 miles on it. Is there anything in particular with the 1GR that needs to be looked at, other than regular service intervals? Are they finicky on needing close-together oil changes, coolant changes, etc? Are there any other common failure issues with these that I need to look at?

Also, do these include external transmission coolers, or are they internal-only in the radiator? I'll definitely check the condition of the transmission fluid, T-case fluid, and differential fluids.

 

[aztoytec]

Listen for a high pitch whining noise behind the timing cover. Pretty obvious around 3000rpms in park. Had a coupe that the timing chain idler gear wore out. Recently on a 2019 with only 80k. Take a look at some forums and you’ll see it’s becoming an issue. Not sure if it’s lack of maintenance or just a weak part.
These motors are little noise and do whine normally. This noise is definitely louder than expected.

 

[Rednexus]

Thanks! I'll definitely check for that. I can imagine removing the timing cover on a 1GR to be a relatively expensive job.

 

[aztoytec]

Very time consuming!!

 

[Rednexus]

Do you ever run across any valley plate leaks, head gasket failures, etc? GX460s are honestly the same price used in my area, but it seems they might be less reliable than a 4Runner due to the valley plate leaks and transmission problems.

 

[aztoytec]

No! Actually pretty good motors. Timing cover leak occasionally but that’s it.

 

[aztoytec]

I recently had a TRD PRO come through and really liked it. Factory rear locker, crawl control and all the bells and whistles are nice . Very tempting. It had 35k on it and we were in it 40k.

 

[Rednexus]

I recently had a TRD PRO come through and really liked it. Factory rear locker, crawl control and all the bells and whistles are nice . Very tempting. It had 35k on it and we were in it 40k.

That's a pretty good deal on a TRD PRO. A few of those have popped up in my searches and seem to sell used for $50K plus at that mileage.

This rig will be for a family member who lives in a rural area without much in the way of decent mechanics (although there is a small Toyota dealer near-ish). I ended up recommending a 5th gen as I could not think of a more reliable modern vehicle! They live several miles down a gravel road so the AWD T-case is the way to go as well (part-time 4x4 systems in RWD mode kind of suck on gravel roads honestly).