3rd gen 4runner tune up questions

Howdy folks!

I've got a 2002 4runner with 266xxx miles that i just purchased. wondering what direction to take on a few items.
previous owner rode her hard and put her away wet.

best way to deal with engine sludge?
is it wise to run an engine cleaner and if so what have other used?

Ignition coil?
OEM or Denso?

spark plug wire?
OEM or NKG

new OEM ball joints ready to go in (not looking to die in a crash)

valve cover leaking replacement ready to go in.

rack and pinon bushings are toasted. going to replace this week.

she runs strong down the road but has a few things that need attention.

thanks internet friends!

 

Welcome

 

Welcome

 

90919-02212 coil OEM $110-ish denso $60-ish

$101 19037-62010 Toyota Genuine Spark Plug Cord Set

19037-62010 wires OEM $90-ish ngk $35-ish
Your call. About $100 difference. I could go either way depending on the circumstances.

Welcome.

 

You can create a LOT more problems trying to clean out sludge than if you had just left it alone. If the sludge is solidified in place, it's really not harming your engine, the dirt that is circulating in your oil is the bigger problem, so oil change should be first on your list. The other consideration is where is the sludge, if it's in your valve covers, ya, once you have those off when you replace those gaskets, get them nice and clean, won't hurt anything, but unless you're wanting to remove the heads, I wouldn't try cleaning out any sludge built up on top of your heads because once you start trying to remove it, you might end up with chunks breaking off places you couldn't get to very well, and if those start circulating through your engine, it can create a serious oiling problem quickly. You try using Valvoline Restore and Protect oil, its advertised to remove deposits (slowly) but other than that, I wouldn't try scraping it out unless you're disassembling the engine. Same goes for using those engine cleaner, unless you get ALL the sludge out (how do you know anyway?), there might be some that's now loose, and it may break off later into your engine oiling circuit. There's also the issue of whether engine cleaners create unnecessary wear and tear since they're designed to break down sludge, it breaks down the oil too while you're running the engine to circulate it through everywhere, and that's just generally a bad thing IMO.
You may want to clean out your combustion chambers and valves by spraying some Seafoam into the intake.

Go with OEM Ignition coil, but plug wires are not rocket science and I've used aftermarket wires successfully for years. I wish I remembered the brand I have on mine now, just make sure the boots on the ends make good tight connection to the coil pack and the plugs.

Good luck with your restoration!

 

Denso is OEM-ish right? Thought they made a lot of the OEM parts.

For engine sludge i would either try running the recommended amount of SeaFoam in the crankcase (1oz. per liter of oil?) but only run it like that for a very short time, like 20-50 miles? Or, just use a high quality "high mileage" oil moving forward. The high mileage oils have more detergents and seal lubricants (just what the internet tells me) which will slowly help over time.

 

I would agree on the sludge. Just run oil with a solid detergent package and let it do it's thing - slowly and gently.