5VZ-FE (3.4L) Lifespan
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I'm new to the 5vz family and maaaan. These things are truly an engineering marvel. Non interference belt driven nice torque having machines. Nothing bad to say about them.
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I have almost 320k miles on my 2001 4Runner. Needs things like a new timing belt/water pump, new radiator, and cat converters. Other than that, I’ve had the valve cover gaskets replaced. It’s starting to leak a little oil, but I think I can live with that
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My 02 V6 4x4 TRD has the original clutch, timing belt and water pump in it at 212k miles(probably higher due to changing tires to 285/75r16 after stock 265/70/r16 wore out at 35k miles). I admit i haven't been great on those things (changed oil every 10k with syn mobile 1), will be changing the clutch, headers(PS leak under load) and rest of exhaust system when I change it.
Not sure if I ever posted in this thread..
My 96 Taco 4x4 3.4 gave up the ghost at 230K a few months ago with a blown head gasket (actually drove it for years leaking water into the cylinder). Crank case full of sludge and it still ran great the day I pulled it out.
Went and picked up a used JDM engine for $1200, swapped a bunch of parts over and just fired it up yesterday and its smooth as silk. Did the timing belt, water pump, motor mounts and clutch while it was apart...should be good for another 100k!
My 96 Taco 4x4 3.4 gave up the ghost at 230K a few months ago with a blown head gasket (actually drove it for years leaking water into the cylinder). Crank case full of sludge and it still ran great the day I pulled it out.
Went and picked up a used JDM engine for $1200, swapped a bunch of parts over and just fired it up yesterday and its smooth as silk. Did the timing belt, water pump, motor mounts and clutch while it was apart...should be good for another 100k!
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235 Posts
Original owner w/ 221K miles, 01 Taco 3.4L. Valves minimally adjusted once, timing belt etc done twice. Small valve cover leak but otherwise going strong.
From here I'm avoiding doing valves or timing belt again, just wait till it dies and get a JDM replacement.
CEL on for the past 5 years so I know that's still working
From here I'm avoiding doing valves or timing belt again, just wait till it dies and get a JDM replacement.
CEL on for the past 5 years so I know that's still working
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1 Posts
Was the 2nd owner of 2000 3.4L 4Runner (2wd). I bought it with 40,000 miles on the odometer. Was still running/pulling great with over 280,000 miles when it was rear-ended & totaled because of some woman in a Mercedes dealership courtesy vehicle who had turned around to yell at her kid while driving. Really crappy thing is that she was driving a courtesy vehicle because her own vehicle was at the dealership getting work done because of another accident she had caused...
Preventive maintenance included, changing the oil & oil-filter every 5,000-ish miles with synthetic (usually Quaker State because it was the cheapest name-brand full-synthetic on the shelf unless something else was on special & regular old Fram oil filters unless anything else was on sale/special). Changed the timing belt, water pump, tensioners, & coolant every 100k. Changed the air filter every 2 years (CA smog test every 2-years so just did this prior to every smog test). Changed the spark plugs every 4 years (before every-other smog test). Changed the brake pads and resurfaced or replaced the rotors whenever needed. Changed the upper & lower ball-joints at 200k. And rotated & change the tires before they started to look like slicks.
Corrective maintenance included changing the valve cover gaskets, each side twice, both times lasted long, but they eventually got hard/brittle and started to leak slowly. Replaced ALL of the vacuum hoses in the engine compartment. One of the original larger diameter vacuum hoses developed a small tear just out of view, and I just about went nuts trying to figure out what was wrong with the truck... The CEL code suggested it could be the MAF sensor or dirty throttle-body so naturally I assumed the harder more expensive stuff to tackle first (clean then replace MAF and clean the throttle-body), but it turned out to be a stink'n vacuum hose, so I changed all the hoses. Changed the O2 sensors once (can't remember which went bad, but changed'em all). Did the Tundra front brake upgrade. Got a lot of use out of the truck to tow the desert toys through the SoCal mountains on weekends during the desert season and the stock sized rotors would warp pretty quick, so the thicker Tundra rotors and more brake pad surface area (larger pads) helped stop the truck with less effort & I got less rotor warpage. Had the front wheel bearings changed once (can't remember the mileage). Had the drive shaft u-joints replaced twice (they probably would have lasted longer, but I never hit them with a grease gun). Changed the catalytic converters for the last smog test right before it got rear-ended. I pulled those new cats off before the tow truck came to haul the 4Runner away, thinking that I might get another 3.4L Yota.
Aside from the high mileage, the truck was in great shape, and the insurance company actually surprised me with their pay-out being more than I could have ever sold the truck for. I used the pay-out toward the purchase of a 4th Gen 4wd 4Runner (got tired of stressing out with the 2wd when pulling the trailer through soft dirt & sand). Now I'm taking just as-good or better care of this one!
Preventive maintenance included, changing the oil & oil-filter every 5,000-ish miles with synthetic (usually Quaker State because it was the cheapest name-brand full-synthetic on the shelf unless something else was on special & regular old Fram oil filters unless anything else was on sale/special). Changed the timing belt, water pump, tensioners, & coolant every 100k. Changed the air filter every 2 years (CA smog test every 2-years so just did this prior to every smog test). Changed the spark plugs every 4 years (before every-other smog test). Changed the brake pads and resurfaced or replaced the rotors whenever needed. Changed the upper & lower ball-joints at 200k. And rotated & change the tires before they started to look like slicks.
Corrective maintenance included changing the valve cover gaskets, each side twice, both times lasted long, but they eventually got hard/brittle and started to leak slowly. Replaced ALL of the vacuum hoses in the engine compartment. One of the original larger diameter vacuum hoses developed a small tear just out of view, and I just about went nuts trying to figure out what was wrong with the truck... The CEL code suggested it could be the MAF sensor or dirty throttle-body so naturally I assumed the harder more expensive stuff to tackle first (clean then replace MAF and clean the throttle-body), but it turned out to be a stink'n vacuum hose, so I changed all the hoses. Changed the O2 sensors once (can't remember which went bad, but changed'em all). Did the Tundra front brake upgrade. Got a lot of use out of the truck to tow the desert toys through the SoCal mountains on weekends during the desert season and the stock sized rotors would warp pretty quick, so the thicker Tundra rotors and more brake pad surface area (larger pads) helped stop the truck with less effort & I got less rotor warpage. Had the front wheel bearings changed once (can't remember the mileage). Had the drive shaft u-joints replaced twice (they probably would have lasted longer, but I never hit them with a grease gun). Changed the catalytic converters for the last smog test right before it got rear-ended. I pulled those new cats off before the tow truck came to haul the 4Runner away, thinking that I might get another 3.4L Yota.
Aside from the high mileage, the truck was in great shape, and the insurance company actually surprised me with their pay-out being more than I could have ever sold the truck for. I used the pay-out toward the purchase of a 4th Gen 4wd 4Runner (got tired of stressing out with the 2wd when pulling the trailer through soft dirt & sand). Now I'm taking just as-good or better care of this one!
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235 Posts
Ever do any valve adjusts?
Still have the CATs?
I know I'm late here but IIRC, the 3.4's didn't require valve adjustment but maybe ShowStop can clarify.
I have an 03 with 250k miles, had to swap VC gaskets awhile ago but never burned anything ever. Still on original clutch.
The 3.4L engines do require valve adjustments. I'd check them at least every 100k miles. The higher the mileage, the more likely the valves will need some adjustment.
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