This same scorching is common with 22Rs. It's way too common for these little engines to also get serious erosion of the water passages.

Don't get me wrong, the 22R is a great engine. But, it has the same basic flaws and strengths as the 3VZE.

I thought the same thing about the V6 when looking to buy my 1st gen. But I test drove a 3.0 and I really liked it, so I bought my 88 v6 and never looked back. I LOVE my V6.

when i was shopping for a new truck a few months ago, i test drove both 2.4 and 3.0 trucks(both of which i've never driven, only owned 20R and 22R trucks before). seemed to me that the 3.0 accelerated somewhat faster and held speed a little easier but wasn't much more impressive than the tried and true 4 banger. my 22R-E hold 75 on the freeway and go up hills without dropping under 70, but it probably has something to do with the 235/75R15 tires that are on it. probably going to leave it like it is...

i know the 22R long block like the back of my hand, i knew repairs would be easy. and as for the timing guides, it's a problem with a fix(steel guides), unlike playing russian roulette with the 3.0's torque to yield head bolts and gaskets.

Well, 3VZE has a design defect that the 22RE does not. It's debatable what that defect is, whether it was the gasket material/design as Toyota claims or whether it was a defective head design, lack of proper number of head bolts or inproper head torque, the motor has a design defect that could rear its ugly head at anytime and has on many thousands and thousands of motors. Because it occures on so many V-6s, the scorching is far more common on those motors.

The 22R series doesn't have this same defect at all. Of course, if a headgasket fails, it could scorch the cylinders, but the point is the 22R doesn't have that same design defect and therefore doesn't fail nearly often.

Every blown 22R headgasket that I've heard of can be traced to the motor overheating and the head warping. Since its an aluminum head on an iron block, this is to be expected. Sometimes the two events don't occur at the same time, so an earlier overheat is discounted as the reason for the current headgasket failure.

The main problem with the 3.0's is the tendancy to burn the #5 and #6 exhaust valves. As far as the HG, according to Toyota not all the 3.0's had the problem, it was only those series of engines from certain plants. I was told this by my local dealer when inquiring about my 3.0. To make sure I wasn't getting a line of crap, I called a couple other dealers in the area, and they all said the same thing, my Vin# wasn't from the production series that had HG problems. The burnt valve issue does arise from time to time(I have had 2 within 6 yrs), but it isn't bad if you have mechanical abilities and another rig while it is down.

As to power to weight ratio, the 3.0 is better for something like the 1st gen runner, or the 2nd X-cab's. The 3.0 in an auto is gutless, but then again so is the 22re(unless it is a turbo. On average, the 22re gets 2 mpg's more than the 3.0 fo the same type of vehicle w/5 spd. The trade off for more power is less mpg as is the case with any larger engine. My '90 x-cab with the 3.0 averages about 15-17 city(depending on how heavy of foot I use), and as well as 19-21 on the highway(get 23-24 when out of state). It used to do better, but we have so much crap in our ghas here in CA, that mileage has dropped of a few mpg's. The mpg isn't bad considering all of the extra drag I have, i.e., kc lights, roof rack. larger tires, bumper, and it weighs 1k lbs over stock. When loaded for long wheeling trips, the rig weighs in at just over 5200 lbs w/gear and passengers. With it weighing this much, I still get 17-19 on the highway and can climb the Sierra's at 70 mph or better. I have friends that have the 22re's in both trucks and 4-runners with gears/tires to match, and none of them can keep up.

I think most of those that hate their 3.0's either had it with the auto tranny, larger tires and stock gears, or were expecting something like the power of the Chevy 4.3, which didn't come along until later. I am quite happy with my 3.0 and the mod's that I have done to the engine(ignition, headers, cold air intake, etc.) have worked well, not huge power gains, but noticeable. I have owned it since it was new, and I still get the same mpg 15 yrs later as it did when it was new, eventhough it weighs more has more drag.

The best person to decide between a 22re and a 3.0 1st gen Runner is you. I would drive them both and see what one you like better, which one fits your driving style.

a friend of mine had his 3.0l for several years when he had a blown head gasket he brought it to the dealership and i guess they re-build the 3.0's for free... thats why i wasnt too worried when i bought mine a few months ago.

Loved my 3.0. Had it for 8 years and 155,000 miles--it ran ever-bit as good as it did when it was new. The only problem it ever had was repaired under warranty (HG recall). I also had a 22R-E powered truck for four years and sold it because I hated the motor. It's simple to work on, I'll give it that, but it simply didn't make enough power to use it like a truck should be used and it was fairly noisy.

I have a 3.4-powered truck now and really like it. It's not as quiet as the 3.0, and it wasn't as large of a jump in horsepower as it was when I went from the 22R-E to the 3.0L, but I really like it.

Doesn't look like a 155k mile motor thanks to no engine leaks!

I liked my 3.0 in an XtraCab, 1989 model. OK power, decent mileage in an unmodified truck. I hated it in a 4Runner, 1990 model, terrible power, terrible mileage, worse when I lifted it (14mpg was unacceptable in a truck that still could not get out of it's own way in the Colorado mountain highways).

The 3.0 works decently in a lighter truck like the pickup or 1st gen 4Runner. By the way, I am 2 for 2 on 3.0s dying from bad headgaskets well prior to 100K miles, so that also jades me. My 22RE also died from a HG failure... at 145K miles, because the prior owner did not flush the cooling system, nor replace the timing chain per the book.

Oh, yeah, those 22RE plastic timing chain guides, they're junk - have to be replaced every 130K miles, sheesh... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> Quite unlike rubber timing belts at 90K miles.... Same/same. If you don't like them, use the metal backed ones. If you don't like 3.0 HGs, replace them, but you still have to hope a little even so due to the head design.

Nevertheless... If you found a truck that has everything you like, but it's a 3.0, buy it. I would.

The 3.0 to 3.4 swap is very straightforward, requiring only a harness. Another consideration.

Dude you need to drive both yourself. The 3.slow makes more torque at idle than the 22RE does peak. You cannot just bolt on mods to get the 22RE to make the power of the 3.0. Even if you do, you will not have the torque, it will be a high reving engine, and longetivity will be sacrificed. If you really need the MPG, and today that is an issue, go for the 22RE. Otherwise, the 3.0 is better.

I have 294,000 on my 3.0 right now and it runs perfectly.

The HG recall is performed by the dealer so you don't actually have to do anything. Most likely, any 3.0 you find will already have had the headgaskets replaced. The 22RE has it's issues too, timming chains, etc.. which you will fix yourself so you will work on it as well.

If you are looking for 4runners, the 3.0 is a good choice as they are heavier than pickups. In a pickup, a smaller engine is easier to live with.


Frank

The dealer won't do the HG recall more than once. I used to work at Toyota and have seen these trucks have HG's blow 2 or 3 times.

Having said that, I am looking for a 1989 to 1995 extra cab right now and I would buy either engine, but then again, I can do the gaskets myself and it's not so expensive. I have never owned a 3.0 but I have owned five 22re's and I love them, very simple and tough engines, but they are a bit weak for cruising 80mph back home to CO, although around town they are fine. Timing chains can be done in about four hours and with a steel backed guide this issue is minor.

While it's true that bolt on's won't equal the power, a cam, headers, and port job will come close, if you won't take my word for it, ask engnbldr. Also, you can do more work and get even more power out of a 22re, a 3.0 just isn't very suseptible to mods.

I had a 13 year toyota tech for an auto instructor in tech school and he thought that the crossover pipe had something to do with the 3.0 HG failure. He seemed to think that the rear cylinders were the ones that usually failed and it was caused, at least to some extent, by the heat from the crossover. If this is the case, headers would fix the problem. Has anyone else ever heard this?