my 4runner is dead!

Hey everyone! I just blew the headgasket in my 88 4runner v-6. Any suggestions? I just put $700 dollars in the Tranny and newer tires and lots of other things as well. Is there anyway I can get any money out of this thing or should I just send it to a junk yard?
My mechanic said that I should just rebuild the whole engine because the truck has so many miles on it.

Any help thanks-------------ty

Hello,
I just did a complete rebuild on my 92 V6 a year ago. by the time I was done I was out $4,800 but the truck is in great shape and had just replaced the transmission.

It's not an easy decision without a motor cant get much as a whole. But you never know.

Do you have the time to part it out and sell pieces online? I actually got some good components off eBay.

My head gasket allowed enough coolant in to the cylinder to cause a hydro block and my #1 rod broke in three pieces and put a 4 inch hole in the side of the block so,.... complete rebuild.

If your bottom end was quiet and you were running good oil pressure might be able to squeeze a few more miles out of with just a gasket replacement as long as there was no damage to the block or head were the gasket compromised.
Needed:
Gaskets: head, intake, exhausts, fuel injector boots, valve covers. Timing belt, crank oil seal, definitely the knock sensor wire(just the wire from the harness to the sensor, brittle and they break when moved). Then you start getting into, do you have the injectors cleaned & tested while they're out and are the head gasket decks true or need machining (has it ever been really over heated? warpage).

This is just off the top of my head and there is probably more....

Good luck.

There is a recall on your engine and Toyotas can get over 300 000 miles easily:

24 Toyota headgasket & oil sludge recall sites:

http://www.brian894x4.com/V6headgasketrecall.html
http://home.off-road.com/~kemanuel/V6-HG.htm
http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/info/recall.htm
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/4runner/topqs.html
http://www.yotatech.com/~corey/4runner_faq.htm
http://www.off-road.com/toyota/4runner/topqs.html
http://www.thecomplaintstation.com/cgi-bin/datacgi/database.cgi/Forum/Subtopic/TopicID=0515/SubtopicID=00035588/firstrecord=0/finalrecord=14/
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic110028.htm
http://www.alldata.com/recall/make/Toyota_Truck.html
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/60/94601650.html
http://www.yotarepair.com/Campaigns.html (3.4L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://home.off-road.com/~bibelheimer/3.4v6_headgasket.html (3.4L,V6,headgasket recall)
http://home.4x4wire.com/erik/t100/3.4v6_headgasket.htm
http://www.jasperengines.com/pdf/5SFECoolantLeaksTB.pdf
http://www.lemonaidcars.com/secret_warranties.htm
http://www.nordicgroup.us/oil.htm#Toyota%20Sludge
http://www.toyota.com/about/news/product/2002/04/03-1-consumer.html
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/04/04/toyota-sludge.htm
http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=23
http://www.petitiononline.com/TMC2003/petition.html
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/TSBScans/sb621323.pdf
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/TSBScans/sb628694.pdf
http://groups.msn.com/ToyotaOwnersUniteforResolution/headgaskettsb.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/ToyotaOwnersUniteforResolution/headgaskets.msnw
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ic/ic100052.htm

Sidney® ™
Repairs tv's,vcr's,home/car audio out of my home
E-mail:sidneybek@yahoo.com
Dartmouth,Nova Scotia
Canada
1985 Toyota 4-Runner,solid front straight axle,factory cruise control,sunroof,22R-E,W56,RN60LV-MSEK,rusted rear step/towing chrome bumper with 246 000 KM

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Thanks for the input but, it seems like my Runner is out of the 8 year limit. Damn! I wish I would of known before I bought it. Thanks, Ty

The "service campaign" ended years ago it was never a formal recall.
It is not so much a gasket issue as it is the head interface to the gasket and block.
Your cylinder that had the problem was #1 or #6 on the front of #1 cyl or the back of #6 cyl?
Even the new gaskets WILL fail, depending on wheather the work done was complete, (both decks suraced) or not and daily operation.
Well any way good luck.

Install a used 22R and sell it as a running truck. It will probably be worth more than just a parts truck. And with the price of gas it would make sense. Don't waste time with a 3.0 V6 they are the Yugo of Toyota engines. Bad mileage, low HP and head gasket problems.