1986 4runner 22re to 5vz swap?

I recently purchased a 1986 4runner, 22re/5speed. currently it has 380Kmiles on it-not clear if any head gasket or if the motor has ever been opened-it is the original motor though.

it runs fine, and over all truck is in overall good/original condition-



My main intentions are for long term ownership, keeping as close to original in appearance as possible, while at the same time looking to make sensible/useable improvements and possibly improving reliability.
Main use will be as a forest road, fishing rig in the Pacific Northwest (rivers, mountains). Reliability is a must considering where some of the spots I go to are pretty remote. This gen of 4runner is great for size and the removeable top is a big plus.

Local to me in Oregon are a couple of shops that specialize in 5vz conversions for these trucks-and going this route is in my budget.

My big question is will this be viewed as a negative on resale or a positive? Given this is a shop install and not a shadetree or self install should hold some value, and going from 116HP to 193HP should be a big improvement.

Anyone have experience making the swap or input?

 

It depends on what you want to do with the rig with 380k miles I personally don't think anyone is going to bat an eye at the 3.4L. If it was under 100k and all origonal then yes. I dropped a 3rd gen motor into mine and haven't looked back. I make multiple trips a year from Bend to SFO in it without a problem. It's never left me stranded and i have over 25k miles on the build.

For the guys in Cottage Grove/Eugene area. They do good work and have done a lot of swaps i reached out to them when i was doing my swap to no avail. Hoping they are more responsive to you.

Good luck!

 

I just realized while driving through the outer reaches of my neighborhood that someone has (probably) the same year 4Runner, only in a rust-red color. Hoping to catch them outside and find out more information. Theirs looks to be in much rougher shape than what's pictured here. Quite a few neighbors on that particular street have 4Runners that look to be more recent years.

 

Decided to stick with the 22RE with a mild cam and some minor head work-should be good for about 130HP or so. Not really looking for a big HP boost anyways, mainly to keep the reliability that Toyota is.
Once I have it completed, I will update and show other projects that this rig will be getting.

 

I think it is a wise move to keep the 22re, much easier to service than the 3.0. I’ll race anyone changing spark plugs.