1st Gen 4Runner Nightmare 1988 Please help

Bought this 1988 3vze 3.0 Sr5 4Runner. It ran terrific and started right up. When summer came along and it got humid, whenever it was most humid during the day and it was idling the engine would shut off. Or when it rained. I took it to a mechanic and they told me I needed a new distributor.they changed it and told me to pick it up. When I started it , it was hard to start and the engine was making a knocking noise I never heard before. I drove it down the road and it overheated. I called the mechanic they told me to bring it back. I let it cool down then drive back to the mechanic. It kept stalling every minute. The mechanic called me weeks later and told me the engine had no compression and I needed a new engine. I was surprised because I had drove this 4Runner thousands of miles already and no issue except the humidity thing where it would shut off. I purchased a remanufactured engine and they put it in. They told me that it doesn’t start when cold and they have to spray starter fluid into it to get it started but once the engine is warm idly starts right up and it runs smooth while driving. Anybody know what the …. Is going on? Thank you so much.

 

Did you end up figuring out the problem?

 

Did they run a compression test on it with all the spark plugs out and fuel pump off? If they just called it a day at needing starting fluid when cold then it needs to have a compression test done. I do know the 3.0 is prone to overheat, usually from head gaskets which could cause low/no compression.