5th Gen Cracked Block Diagnosis

Looking for Opinions and Advice on Cracked Block Diagnosis

Hey everyone, I'm looking to gather some thoughts, opinions, and advice from the community on a tough situation I'm facing with my 4Runner.

I’ve got a 2014 Toyota 4Runner with 220k miles on it. I've owned it since 160k miles and have always kept up with regular maintenance — oil changes every 5k miles and checking/replacing the coolant whenever the acidity levels got too high.

Recently, I noticed a coolant leak and brought it to Toyota for a diagnosis. Unfortunately, they found a crack in the engine block behind the starter (I'll be posting the video from Toyota with this post to show what they found).



Toyota has given me two repair options:

1. Engine Swap – Engine with 80k miles on it (comes with mechanical parts like alternator, water pump, AC compressor, etc.) – $12,000


2. Short Block Replacement – Brand new short block, but they would reuse all of my current engine components – $9,800



I also reached out to a local scrapyard, and they can get me a 2021 4Runner engine with 30k miles for $5,200. However, I don't have the time, tools, or knowledge to tackle this swap myself, so I'd still have to find a shop willing to take on the job.

I'm really torn on what direction to go, especially since the 1GR-FE motor is known to be one of Toyota’s more reliable engines. This situation has caught me completely off guard.

I'd love to hear any thoughts, advice, or personal experiences from anyone who’s been in a similar situation. Would you go the scrapyard route with a lower-mileage engine, stick with Toyota's options, or do something else entirely?

Any and all questions welcomed – I appreciate any feedback from the community!

 

How bad Is the leak? Are you constantly having to refill the coolant?

Maybe take it to a local shop(not a dealer) and see what they say.

 

First thing I would do is get a second opinion.

Then, if a new block is needed, I'd get a quote for the junkyard swap. Depending on labor costs, that might get close to the $9800 short block swap.

Any warranties on the engine or work from Toyota?

 

Okay everyone don't laugh to hard and I can't believe I am going to type this but here goes. If it is prepped right have you thought about using JB weld. I know that sounds crazy, but I had an older 02 civic I used for a work/run around car. The block cracked and a coworker mentioned to try it just to see what happened. It worked and I drove the car for five more years with no issues. Just a thought.

 

You might try looking into having that block repaired by TIG welding.

 

^agree. Try the simple things first.

 

Weak / old anti freeze most likely allowed the fluid to freeze and crack your block. The scrap yard motor is the best option, but …. I have personal fixed a cracked block with JB weld, it was a small crack. I drained the fluid by pulling bottom hose, then took a dremel and made a v along the entire crack, not too deep. Take an spray bottle with alcohol and spray the crack well to dry out any coolant, then simply fill the v and let cure for at least a full day. Then fill it up with fresh anti freeze. Good luck

 

From the video it looks more like a pin hole. I would see about having a professional welder take a crack at it, no pun intended.

 

Thanks everyone for the quick replies!

I've been having to top off the coolant about every 50 miles. Definitely a great idea to get a second opinion — I'll be calling around tomorrow to get quotes from some independent shops.

They mentioned there would be some type of warranty if I went with route 1 (the 80k mile engine swap), but they didn't have the exact details on what it would cover or how long it would last. The service advisor said they would need to check with the service manager tomorrow to confirm all the warranty specifics. I'll be sure to update with what they say.

Honestly, I really like this option — especially as a temporary fix to buy me some time to weigh my options without rushing into a $10k+ repair. I'll definitely be doing some research on the best JB Weld prep and application methods.

I agree — from the video, it really does look like a pinhole leak. I haven't seen it in person myself, so I'm not sure how accessible that area is or if welding would even be possible. I honestly hadn't even considered welding the block as an option, but I'll start reaching out to some local welders tomorrow to see what they think.

I truly appreciate everyone's input so far! I'm still completely open to any advice, questions, or discussion regarding this — all help is welcome. I'll be sure to update with anything new I find out tomorrow.

 

JB Weld can be a surprisingly long-lived repair. Not permanent, but nearly. I have lots of examples - but suffice to say that lots of oil and gas field equipment remains reliable and functional because of JB. We can't use it to repair a leak of a fluid (EPA and DEQ won't allow it), but it's great for fittings and other things that stress crack.

If you've never used it before, do some serious research before you attempt the repair as you'll have to grind it off if you don't get it applied correctly. Or, get someone to help you. You'll make an incision at the failure point (ie crack) to allow the JB to penetrate deep into the crack - essentially deepening and widening the crack. That will allow the JB to have a wider/deeper surface to adhere to. Then you'll want to allow it to cure for about a day before starting the engine. The area will need to be dry for best results.

The worst that can happen is that it doesn't work and you still have to replace the block (nothing lost in the attempt). But again, have someone help you who is an expert at JB Welding.

Note that this is only a suggestion and that your results may not be successful. IMHO tho... it's the first thing I'd try before dropping thousands.

 

Jb weld is great stuff. I had a 03 xterra I bought cheap. The oil pan was rusting out, so coated it with jb weld. Worked great. Just clean the area well with break clean take a wire brush to it and apply jb weld

 

You know as they say in the IT/software development world: “nothing is more permanent than a temporary fix”

 

If it were me I would try the cheap fix to get a little more life out of the vehicle and save the $10K for a down payment on a new vehicle.

 

Id slab some jb weld, or have some one TIG a booger on it, and drive it another 220k.

 

+1 on the JB Weld approach. From the video, it looks like it's a small hole leaking and the pressure is not very high.

See if you can drill or Dremel out a small indentation into the existing hole; get it squeaky clean; add the appropriate JB product for the engine (temperature, material); and let it cure. I predict it will fix the problem for years.

 

Another vote for JB Weld. On two different motorcycles I managed to crack the engine casing by hitting sharp boulders so that oil was leaking out. Applied a big patch of JB Weld to both. Both repairs were essentially permanent - lasted several years until I retired the bikes.

 

What does the rest of the truck look like? Any rust? Major rust is just about the only thing i would scrap a truck for, everything else is just maintenance. I would go with the JY block myself, but i do my own wrenching. Guessing there's more than one person that is thinking JB and sell, but i'm not that guy.