Engine swap or replace?

So I may have blown an engine....
Well, it's knocking. Shoulda bought a snorkel. Hindsight....

Dealership quoted 11k to swap the engine (6k engine 5k labor)

I don't want to get rid of it, so I'm gonna try to get it fixed.

Is this a perfect opportunity to drop a LS in it? Or am I better off just replacing the 1grfe?

Need some gearhead opinions. I was raised by mechanics so I'm not stupid but I'm a chef by trade.

Help friends!

-HK

 

#1, do you have smog checks where you live?

 

0% care about smog. My chevy is straight piped and sends shots like Chicago.

But I'm wanting real pros/cons on this. I don't want to fuck my car up more. Lol, breaking our toys for fun.

Yes, I will be buying a snorkel....

 

Cheapest bet is to replace the 1GRFE.

If you want to retain a 4WD system its gonna be way more expensive to "drop an LS into it"

If you wanted to swap it, you may as well for the Tundra's 5.7L... It's a much better engine than an LS imo.
Either way the rig will turn into a project that will cost tens of thousands of dollars. You'll have to get another daily driver because this thing (again) will be a constant project.

If it was me I'd just replace it with another 1GRFE or buy another 4Runner and move your mods over to the new rig...

 

https://trail4runner.com/2021/09/05/rsg-off-road-t40r-v8-sas-straight-axle-swap-5th-gen/

 

I'd buy an engine from Copart and do the work myself...or, I'd buy an engine from Copart and have an independent shop do the work.

The swap should take 15 hours, more or less. At $125 - $150/hour, you're looking at closer to $2k than $5k from the stealership. I bet you could get it done at an independent shop for half what the stealership quoted.

 

Gotta keep 4wd. My 99 silverado is my daily (reliable, made 3 trips from Texas to Kansas in the past 5 weeks) but I need the 4runner back. I love that thing.

 

If you are doing it, you can go either way but there are no bolt in mounts or adapters that I know of. If a shop is doing it then 1GR swap it.

 

If I can buy a remanufactured 1grfe with 134k miles (same as my 5th gen) with a 7year/million mile warranty for an extra $750 and I have an independent shop install it will my warranty from the supplier still be valid? I've been doing some browsing on engines already

 

It's not remanufactured if it has 134k miles on it... Am I missing something?

I'm in the business of engine remanufacturing but most of our work comes from the "Big 3"

We don't do any work for Toyota

 

https://shop.powertrainproducts.net/product/8-9-2017-1grfe/

You're right. That's my dumbass over thinking my post. Is that link sketch?

 

If you want to retain PTP's warranty it will have to be installed by a professional, with all the paperwork to match. Make sure to read the fine print in their warranty contract.

I don't think they're under contract with Toyota. I believe Toyota still does most of their own remanufacturing.

All the work will need to be meticulously documented. If you need the engine warranty, they will fight you for it.
You'll have to prove the intake manifold was clean, fuel system is working properly, cooling system was cleaned and working, etc.

That said it's not a bad option. Just flush the oil first thing. Do it a couple times within the first few hundred miles. I'd rock a PTP engine all day.

But if I was gonna do the work myself I'd just hit a junkyard and find a low mileage 4R that was crashed out. Since the warranty will not exist if you install it yourself.

 

Knocking? Snorkel? What’s the story…

 

I'm good doing almost all of my own maintenance but not a full engine swap. Don't have the space or time either unfortunately. It'll be done at a professional shop.

The toyota dealership I had check it initally after I got stuck in some very soupy mud said everything else was in fine working condition, but I got a good knock in one cylinder with some metal particulate in. Probably bent a rod, I knew that going in. I could smell it.

But they only offered a 1year/12k mile warranty on their engine and there ain't no way in hell I'm accepting that bullshit for 11k.

So would you recommend having the shop I choose to trust with the install to verify those aspects going into a swap?

 

The story is a pit of mud that used to be very manageable got wallered out way more than I realized going in.

So I'm stuck in about 3ft. of slop without a mounting point for the winch, too deep for the traction boards, and had to wait till the next morning to get a buddy to pull me out.

It was a blast at first

 

Should be fine just verify with PTP which shop will be installing the engine and that you're warranty will be retained. If they recommend a shop in your area that's even better. Less for them to fight you on if you ever need that warranty.

 

It's always fun, until it isn't

 

And your engine got destroyed how?

 

Right! I knew I'd break it eventually. Didn't think I'd blow an engine....

Didn't want the snorkel, I think most of them make the vehicle look ugly, imo. But now I can honestly say I'll live by the snorkel, and die by a snorkel. Most people buy them and never do anything remotely close to needing one, but I'm not gonna keep blowing engines.

I am however going to continue to bathe that baby in mud pits

 

Also be mindful that they will likely only pay half of the labor cost if you need a warrantied replacement down the road. Their warranty contract likely says they will cover about $75/hour.
Most shops will charge 125-150/ hour. So you'll have to eat that cost.

Hopefully though, you'll never need to.

PTP offers good stuff. Again, just be sure to ask them about a break in oil change. Verify with them personally and follow their instructions. Document everything.

Should be fine.

 

I’d just drop a junk yard 1gr and call it a day. I’ve had buddies who did the ls swap in their jeeps and they’re fabricators and mechanics by trade and they still have gremlins they constantly chase (usually electrical and wiring)

the cost to do an ls swap will be way higher than a used 1gr and the resell value will tank, everyone wants a v8 but they’ll all be skiddish of the labor

 

If I owned a fully equipped shop and had free time (60 hour weeks are about my minimum) and a bit more knowledge I wouldn't directly say the engine is destroyed.

I'm a chef by trade, not a mechanic. My grandfather was a mechanic his whole life, and my dad runs a manufacturing plant. I'm knowledgeable and pretty capable, but not enough to do a full engine tear down and rebuild.

And I don't need the metal particulate circulating through the rest of my engine because I tried to be cheap and only have the one cylinder fixed. It's a bad knock...

I'd rather pay to have it done right if I can't do it myself.

 

Bro is great at being vague as fuck.

I don’t think you understand what a snorkel is primarily used for, nor do I understand how being in mud destroyed your engine, but ok, yes chef.

 

Why you angry bruh? How long should I sit here and type for you? How long would you like my post to be?

Completely bogged down in very soupy/muddy water/ mud/ shit. Intake pulled water through the filter, sifted out the shit, water/oil mix emulisfied in the engine. Compressed the dense mixture in the engine, most likely bent a rod or fucked up a cylinder. Got pretty glittery oil circulating through the system.

The water that made the mud is what ruined my engine. I was in a little too deep. You need a snorkel to stay above a water level do you not?

I asked for a little help and opinions. You can leave the chat if you'd like

 

Have you done an oil analysis to confirm it mixed with water, and what type of particulates, and that they match the "mud"? Just kidding.

 

I tried to send a sample to NCSI to have analyzed but they told me the water level wasn't deep enough to qualify for the navy. I got transfered to homicide

 

This what it says on their website concerning the warranty and who installs it.

https://shop.powertrainproducts.net/our-warranty/

"*What's The Catch? Where's The Fine Print?
It's one thing to say we have the industry's best warranty, it's another thing to prove it.

Here's why our warranty is the best:

• We don't exclude commercial use (only we do warranty it differently)
• We don't exclude DIY'ers or self-installers from warranty coverage
• We answer the phone when you call - we don't outsource our warranty to a third party or force our customers to do everything "online."

 

and I asked you what happened, but you wanted to be as vague as possible.

if you were deep enough to reach your intake, you would have a plethora of other issues besides your engine.

Snorkels are for cleaner air in desert/sandy/dusty settings. If I try and cross water that is as high as my snorkel, my entire 4runner is fucked.

 

Here's the way I see it, Ted. Guy puts a fancy guarantee on a box 'cause he wants you to feel all warm and toasty inside. Oh wait, that doesn't really apply here.

 

Ok, I'm confused....who's Ted???