So I finally picked up a tow rig!

Just drove this one home from Austin yesterday.

http://www.wrsautos.com/2007_Toyota_4Runner_Austin_TX_224236517.veh

Vehicle was just as presented, it's a damn nice truck. Stereo is awesome, V8 is great, soaks up highway miles with aplomb........I'm not disappointed this will also be the new DD.

Now, who needs a seriously clean, low mileage 2006 Miata?

How's the 4.7L V8 in that thing? I assume it feels pretty ballsy?

Nice,picked up my new to me '03 with just under 60k last weekend.Hit -30 all week up here and the 4.7 fired right up and purr'd nice and smooth.Goes in for timing belt and water pump on monday just to be safe,otherwise all is well and I quite like it.No VVTi in mine but its not too bad for power,sure don't need revs or lotsa throttle to keep up with traffic.

Autolex wrote: How's the 4.7L V8 in that thing? I assume it feels pretty ballsy?

Great TQ and mid range. Normal acceleration to keep up with traffic never requires going above 2200rpm's or so.

I kind of understand why people love these things. Once I got out of Denton, TX, just cruised 85 most of the way home. Quiet, comfy. Hand calcs show I even averaged 18mpg on the 2nd part of the trip, no idea how that happened.

Nice, we loved our 08 V6. Flawless vehicle, and great highway cruiser. Now we have the same 4.7 V8 that you have...in a Sequoia. Not quite as quick with an extra 800lbs being lugged around. Hand calculated I get about 16mpg at 75 average in that big boy, lol...

btw, Gates complete timing belt/water pump kit on Rockauto for that engine is only $150. I just received mine (doing it myself, vehicle at 90k). The "going word" on the Tundra forums is that basically nobody has broken one under 150k miles or more. My uncle's 4.7 Tundra has 230k on it and his original timing belt broke last month (and didn't damage the engine, oddly, even though they are interference engines...)

Mines only got 60,000 miles but that belt is 11 yrs old-I'm swapping it out.Much better than risking this low mileage engine.

I bought my '94 3.0 V6 5 speed with 40,000 miles on it and added another 200,000. Sold it to my son for $1.

He ran it for two years and sold it to some beach bunny on Long Island.

For us it was a GREAT vehicle.

FWIW: the Hispanic Cartel in NYC love these things! Dunno why.

Dan

irish44j wrote: btw, Gates complete timing belt/water pump kit on Rockauto for that engine is only $150. I just received mine (doing it myself, vehicle at 90k). The "going word" on the Tundra forums is that basically nobody has broken one under 150k miles or more. My uncle's 4.7 Tundra has 230k on it and his original timing belt broke last month (and didn't damage the engine, oddly, even though they are interference engines...)

You're a better man than I!

I've already talked to my trusted indy shop. To do the belt/water pump, tensioners, coolant flush, acc belt.......right at $1k. I'm ok spending that in 18-24 months.

Being that it will soon be my only vehicle, tackling stuff like that on a weekend is a drag.

z31maniac wrote:

irish44j wrote: btw, Gates complete timing belt/water pump kit on Rockauto for that engine is only $150. I just received mine (doing it myself, vehicle at 90k). The "going word" on the Tundra forums is that basically nobody has broken one under 150k miles or more. My uncle's 4.7 Tundra has 230k on it and his original timing belt broke last month (and didn't damage the engine, oddly, even though they are interference engines...)

You're a better man than I! I've already talked to my trusted indy shop. To do the belt/water pump, tensioners, coolant flush, acc belt.......right at $1k. I'm ok spending that in 18-24 months. Being that it will soon be my only vehicle, tackling stuff like that on a weekend is a drag.

Odd, the "going rate" for that job on the Tundra forums (same for other vehicles with that engine, like mine and yours) is $600-750 parts included.....

Anyhow, if you feel like saving $1k, it looks to be time-consuming but actually pretty straightforward. I found a really good how-to vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCTGHurWA1c

I did that job on my own 4.7 Tundra. It was a lot of work but not too difficult. Except getting the crank bolt out - that was a serious bitch. No way to get an impact in... tough to lock the driveline so the engine won't turn, etc... I ended up putting the belt back on and tightening it almost to the point of failure ... then making a Rube Goldberg machine of leverage with jack handles and strong arms - then jamming a screwdriver longways under the belt to lock it. I ruined the pulley... but those are practically free compared to the $900 the indy around here wanted. I think I spent a total of $300 for the whole timing belt job including while-you-are-in-there work like new idlers, hoses, etc. It took me something silly like a whole entire weekend though.

That motor/driveline was really great. If I hadn't bought too much trailer for it to pull I'd still have it (well, ... it probably would have rusted in half by now but you know what I mean).

Sounds like a job I'm glad to pay for.

Yeah, I mean I know I'm completely able to handle it. It's just the whole "if something goes wrong" it's soon to be my only vehicle, and I'd just rather not be in that spot.

We are about to swap the Miata engine for the 2nd time.

Had a 1996 4Runner Limited with the 3.3 V6. Noticed it was steering really wierd one day.

Rack and pinion had SPLIT right down the middle due to Toyota eliminating the steel end reinforcement ring.

Damn thing almost killed my entire family. Hence my distrust of all things Toyota.

Flight Service wrote: Had a 1996 4Runner Limited with the 3.3 V6. Noticed it was steering really wierd one day. Rack and pinion had SPLIT right down the middle due to Toyota eliminating the steel end reinforcement ring. Damn thing almost killed my entire family. Hence my distrust of all things Toyota.

Yeah and ford,dodge and gm have never ever under engineered something very important or said don't worry about it'll be cheaper to pay off a few victims than change every vehicle involved.

In reply to Flight Service:

Well considering this isn't a "tell me you horror stories with a 4runner thread" and no one was asking you to troll along in and provide your experience I don't think you were unfairly treated.

I've owned vehicles from chev,ford,dodge,honda,subaru,geo,bmw,volvo and yes Toyota so I think that gives me a fair sample of experience to spread.There must be some reason Toyota,lexus,honda and lately even Hyundai own the top 5 spots of auto makers with the least problems per 100 vehicles sold and have for about as long as they've been keeping track....I wonder whatever it could be?.

Back on topic(sorry Mr maniac),you haven't posted any pics of the new ride yet btw.

Flight Service wrote: Had a 1996 4Runner Limited with the 3.3 V6. Noticed it was steering really wierd one day. Rack and pinion had SPLIT right down the middle due to Toyota eliminating the steel end reinforcement ring. Damn thing almost killed my entire family. Hence my distrust of all things Toyota.

Yeah, that was a little much dude. You had a part fail just like millions of other parts have failed on every type of car known to man. It's not some sort of conspiracy to off your family on the part of the Toyoda ninjas.

My wife has 190k on her 2002 4runner. Recently I changed the (original) timing belt and vc gasket. Should have just tightened the gasket and it probably would have been fine. I know its a completely different beast than what you bought, but I heart 4runners. I don't have the same love for whoever came up with the mounting location for the rear shocks. hopefully they redesigned that on your generation.

Interesting fact, the 4runner hasn't killed us yet.

meh, whatever, I feel fine giving the warning has been given.

Just remember Toyota does the equation just like everyone else

In reply to Flight Service:

Yes but I think Toyota skews those equations a little differently.Everything breaks/wears out sooner or later...I just prefer the odds Toyota offers.

In reply to kevlarcorolla:

Unless you are 85 and forget which pedal the gas one is. I mean the gas pedal stuck.

In reply to lnlogauge:

Haha,yeah that one kills me.Love that video of the dude burning down the hwy for like 1/2 hour melting the brakes in his prius,even if it did stick(I think he was looking for some of Toyotas cash..I mean he filmed it all right?)how brain dead are people to not either shove the clutch in and shut it off or pop it in neutral with an auto and shut it off?. Once the media got ahold of that they sure wouldn't let it go.:)

I'm a fan but passed "boi" status a long time and about 20 vehicles ago.

Peace out.