is it worth it to replace my engine or is it over for my truck?

last summer i bought a 2000 4runner in seemingly good condition with roughly 230000 miles on it...drove it cross country multiple times, took it everywhere, slept in it under the stars, etc etc. recently it started leaking oil really badly to the point where the light was coming on every few days and i could see oil dripping out whenever i drove anywhere. I kept putting oil in it of course, but obviously i was worried and kept an eye on it. last weekend i had to drive to a job that was about 15 hours away from where i was living and on the 2nd morning the oil light came on, started flashing, then my car stopped running in the middle of nowhere 10 hours from home and 4 from my destination. i put more oil in and managed to get it to roll into a shop where i was told that my engine was depressurized and that my car was a lost cause. is this true? is it worth it to try to fix? is that even possible? do i need a new engine/what would that entail if i wanted to diy it or would i need a shop? basically is it worth it to try and save my car.....keep in mind i love it deeply and its pretty much my dream car barring a 90s hylux lol

 

Depending on the condition of the rest of your 4Runner (and only you can decide that) it would be far cheaper to replace / fix your engine than to purchase a new 4Runner today. I would even go so far as to say cheaper than buying a newer used 4Runner. Ultimately you will have to decide if it is worth it to fix.

 

You can get a quote to repair it. The shop should be able to tell you what it needs. Otherwise, and maybe less expensive, you can replace the engine with either a used engine from a salvage yard, or purchase a new or rebuilt (called a reman/remanufactured) engine.

Repair, or replace, whatever makes most sense to you; however, you should also consider that every other mechanical part has roughly 250k miles on it.

 

the shop already said they arent willing to repair it, and its so far away from where i live i wouldnt even want it to be done there. are there good places online to source used or reman engines or would i just have to call around local places?

 

Sorry to hear about the 4runner. It sucks that it’s so far from home. It sounds like you may have run the engine out of oil. They told you it “depressurized”…I’m not sure what that means, but maybe they meant to say it has zero oil pressure…or zero compression on the cylinders. Either way that’s bad, and might mean an engine replacement is the quickest way to deal with it.

The bigger problem is the distance from home. I think I’d rather have it at home to get it repaired. If it’s too expensive to ship it back to you at home, then it might mean relying on a shop far away to finish a complex job. Well, the job isn’t super complex if you have an engine ready to drop in, but it’s time consuming, and it might not be a bug free install the first time around. So you may not be able to afford going back and forth to have the shop sort any post-install problems. Finding a suitable engine may take a bit of work itself.

It’s not a good sign the shop didn’t want to do the job. You other options are to sell it “as-is, where is”
Or ship it back to you to sell, part out, or repair at your convenience when time/money allow.

 

DIY this is not something you want to take on if you have zero experience working on cars. Nor if you need the vehicle as a DD.

Now if your an experienced mechanic and it’s a second vehicle and have the right equipment it could be a lot of fun, but is going to be a full overhaul.. I.e. Pull the engine, take it all apart, replace all main bearings and seals, probably send the block and heads to a machine shop (and at that point pray that it’s salvageable via boring the cylinders over and or sleeving it). New rings , new pistons (if bored over). Putting it all back together with new oil pump, new water pump, new timing belt, etc.

Edit to add, once it’s apart you would also have to have it inspected to make sure there is no catastrophic damage like a cracked block.

 

By the time the oil light comes on, there's a good chance you've already done some damage. But over and over? That engine is toast with that much abuse. It was probably the rear main seal which would have been an expensive repair but nowhere near the cost of a replacement engine.

Get the estimate but an engine replacement will be at least $6k. Shipping the rig back to your home 10 hours will probably be around $1k.

I'd probably try and sell it as is, where is for $1-$2k if you can.

 

Where is it located, I might make you an offer.

 

If it were me, with the rest in good, known condition, my first thought would be towing (or at least getting a quote on that first) and then getting quotes and comparing that plus the rest of the vehicle’s condition with how much it’ll take to find something else up to your requirements.

Assuming you have the leeway and cash that gives you breathing room to decide.

 

Just rent something to tow it back home for a couple hundred bucks. Then you can sit and think about it. Its worth fixing/rebuilding/replacing engine if its in good shape otherwise, and you have alternative transportation.

 

If your frame is in good condition I’d just throw a new motor in, you can pick up a JDM for ~$3k, then plan for about 1k-2k in various items like hoses plugs and gaskets etc. shop time for the engine swap is $3k

all in think ~6-8k

 

Lost cause to repair the existing engine. Only economically sensible option is to find a used salvage yard engine with fewer miles and swap it in. Go on car-part.com and find an engine close to your location.