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1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  williamb82 
#1 ·
hey guys i'm new to this forum, so howdy, but have some detailed threads on my truck on other forums. A little background, i have an '84 4runner with a 7mge and R150 Transmission. i've been running this swap for about 7 years and its been great. compared to the stock 22r that came in the truck, the 7mge has been a lot of fun to drive. However, in the last year or so it has started smoking a bit and i have a strong hunch that the compression numbers aren't where they should be as i've noticed a significant loss in power. The motor still runs but i've started the process of evaluating my options to move forward.
1. Rebuild the 7mge - by far the simplest option. Does anyone know a reputable shop in the denver area?
2. 2JZGE swap - there's currently an SC300 for 3k on C-List, i'm willing to put in the time for a swap but by looking at the numbers i wouldn't be gaining much in the way of performance. I do understand that its a bit more reliable of a motor though. Is it worth the effort???
3. 3.4 swap - this is the motor used in the older tacomas and is by far the most popular for applications like mine. However, i kind of like being the odd-ball with the "supra motor" and the 7mge has treated me well.

I thought i would lay out these options for you guys since your the pros and see what you recommend.
thanks

Edit: i should clarify that i am not strictly after performance. My priorities are in this order:
1. budget friendly
2. Reliability
3. Performance.
 
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#2 ·
The 2JZGE is a far better motor than what you have IMO. I don't think I'd buy the whole car though. Those engines are really common and a lot of people remove them to install 2JZGTEs and they aren't that expensive. The 2JZ is also much more integrated so there is a lot less other parts you need to do the swap. Depending on which oil sump you want buy the correct engine. SC is mid Sump and GS is front sump. Also the 2JZ is slightly longer than the M series motor so watch out for that.
 
#3 ·
thanks for the reply. Just curious, what are the reasons you think the 2j is so much better? Just trying to get clarification on all of this. I know the 7m has bad HG's but other than that it seems to be a fairly solid motor.
I really like your idea of buying the 2j engine and harness rather than the whole car, but that kind of scares me cuz there's always something missing....
 
#5 ·
...Just curious, what are the reasons you think the 2j is so much better? ...
Better head design, JZs have much better oiling systems, JZ have metal head gaskets and very few paper type gaskets, single serpentine built, R134 AC compressor from the factory, no accessory brackets, far less parts and places for things to leak from.

Downside it they are more expensive. M series swaps you can pick everything up for cheap at the junkyard. To bolt the JZ motors to a manual transmission you pretty much have to go to Toyota to buy a new flywheel and bellhousing. If you have the GTE US specific parts are rare/expensive used and usually you have to buy new from Toyota.

Personally I think unless you want to turbo the motor for more power the 1UZ V8 Lexus would be a better choice in the shorter engine bay. Honestly though if low cost is your main goal its generally cheaper to fix what you got.
 
#4 ·
"7mge and R150 Transmission. i've been running this swap for about 7 years and its been great"

Tried and true and you know everything fits and works. The HG issue can be resolved with the readily available upgraded studs and gaskets so a rebuild would be considerable less time and money than another swap. I would be inclined to search for a low mileage 7MGE or even 7MGTE, do the HG upgrade along with all gaskets and seals and be done with it. The 2JZ is certainly a nicer power plant in many ways but the 7M as you know is respectable and ultimately much cheaper for your application.

Good luck and keep us updated on your journey.
 
#6 · (Edited)
JDM importers usually have 2jzge complete swaps for $1k. Id do that before buying a full sc300 for $3k to swap from.

Also, might want to consider a 1uz since it is a truck, and you want to be different, though you then have the added cost for the r154 manual trans swap parts, but they are available. About $1k with clutch for the adapter, flywheel, and clutch. 1st gen ls400's are the better ones to get. Stronger rods, though you could go 3uz(300hp n/a) out of a ls/gs/sc430 as well. Motor mounts and trans adapter would be the same.
 
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