Thanks to a fellow who couldn't spell very well ("fore runner"), I got a pretty nice, rust-free 220K miles 4Runner for $80 and change on ebay. We call her "Ocho Zero".

The redneck who owned it put a short block in and couldn't get it to run right again. Started running hot, so they did a head gasket (not sure if he had a good reason to do that), and never worked right again. Wifey didn't like the old truck making the bank's McMansion look run down, so she made him unload the Toy and borrow 30K to buy a Durango, which started falling apart at 20K miles. Bummer for him.

I found a big crack in the downpipe from exhaust manifold and replaced it, but it still ran like crap. Unexpectedly got another Toy to restore, so this one got shoved in the garage for 3 years.

Thanks to a stupid lady who doesn't know how to drive, our daily driver was brutally killed 4 months ago. It's great to be rid of the Chevy Blazer, which was doing the standard GM self-destruct, but my girlfriend was hurt real bad. Thankfully, it looks like she'll be driving again in another month, so it's time to resurrect a 4Runner.

I dropped the fuel tank and cleaned it out, new Denso fuel pump, injectors serviced by Witchunter Performance, fuel filter changed and, of course, relocated to fender well. Intake cleaned, TPS painstakingly set, all the other little things checked. Found some misrouting on the vac hoses, cracks in others. Autolite plugs replaced by NGK, of course, NGK plug wires, too. Infamous injector splices in harness beefed up. Valves carefully set (cold) to factory spec.

She fired right up and purred at idle, but the timing chain rattle at start up was insane, lasting about 3 seconds. Set timing to spec using jumper, held steady, idling nice. I was quite pleased.

But, giving her throttle, she rattles bad, increasing with more throttle. Stethoscope tells me it's timing chain slap....I think.

Turned her off to round up diagnostic gear, and she wouldn't start again! Aftermarket key cylinder froze up. Couldn't even get it to ACC position for easy removal. D'OH! Waited for used OEM ignition switch, cheap from ebay.

Fired her up again a week later, same brief chain slap on start up. Like a can full of rocks gettin' shook. Chain guides are OK, USA stamp on cam gear indicates replacement when engine cracked open by PO.

Turn engine with wrench to zero timing mark, it took about 15 degrees backing up before the rotor moved. That sure don't seem right.

It's not the top oil pump bolt thing - I looked down there, pretty sure I don't see it protruding. I suspect the PO used an impact wrench to put the timing chain tensioner on, or at least overtorqued it. Perhaps it's a bum aftermarket part, but at this point I strongly suspect a problem with the tensioner.

Compression test - 170 on 2, 3, and 4. 100-105 on #1. Wet test, #1 jumped to 140-150. Leakdown, air hissing out of oil cap at BDC and a good ways before and after from a mere 25 PSI.

I'm skeptical of a suggestion that the ring's ain't seated. Compression way too low, and letting out light air pressure way too easy. The second gauge on my leakdown tester went knobs-up on me, so I lack precise data, but I've shot enough air into enough engines to know this ain't right.

The replacement short block has very few miles on it and came from a crank-em-out fast urban engine mill. They have a slightly better reputation than many, but I wouldn't have used 'em. I think the installation of the rings was botched. I've seen that happen before.

So, the engine's gotta come out, which is no big deal for me.

Since it's coming out, and the head is the original one, she's getting an EB head and stick, and upgraded exhaust to match my other 2 22RE rides. I'll get the deck height/quench dialed in real nice-like and stick it all together with some ARP stuff.

I'm inclined to replace the timing kit with EB's stuff, OEM tensioner torqued to 12 ft/lb. When I crack it all open, I'll post some photos and measurements of what I find in #1. Hopefully, new rings for #1, an extra set of bearings, and some Plastigauge will do the trick, but I'm far from an expert on evaluating what's up inside the cylinders.

The PO and his buds were terrible wrenchers. Many fasteners missing, oil filter way too tight, lots of little stuff like tranny cooler lines not secured, parts not cleaned, etc. They did the bare minimum to have a crack at driving the thing around the block. Me, I'm a fanatic about that stuff and have gone to great lengths to remedy it all. Good thing I like doing this.

So, opinions on what I've found so far are greatly appreciated. I'll update this thread until she's running good as new.

This will be the daily driver for a super-cool chick who hates shopping and talking on the phone, but loves football, camping, fishing, and 4-wheelin'. She'll happily hop out of bed in a garter belt and thong to hand crank an engine while I pull torque converter bolts. She thinks it's great when I buy tools and engine lifts, and is pretty much a cool guy in a hot chick's body. Never said no to me in 8 years, and has been crippled and beset by suffering for 4 months (again, 100% due to an idiot stranger). Unlike the vast majority of women I've known, she's literally irreplaceable. Once, and only once, she's gotten mad at me - I didn't wake her up for Monday Night Football when she was near-death from the flu.

So, I wanna build her a sweet ride. She deserves it, and, no matter what I have to do, it looks like the cost will be pleasingly low compared to the burden of buying a modern day dungbox, which I'll NEVER again even consider.