88 alltrac engine replacment issues/questions

[edt77]

I was talking to a mechanic today about replacing the engine on my newly acquired 88 camry alltrac 5sp.

He said to replace the engine the tranny has to come out as well-(from the bottom due to the extra componets added for the alltrac) and that this is a timely process and would cost lots of $$$.

He told me I would be better off buying an old suburau legacy...more reliable...WTF?
needless to say I am now a little worried?
Dont worry about the suburau comment I am a toyota lifer. I am not made of money at this point and require a reliable car!

Anybody have any insight or experiences doing this engine replacment?
Any idea of the cost to replace the 3s-fe?
I am looking at the JDM engines from ebay I can pick one up less than 100 miles from my camry outside Chico, Ca.

Any insight from you guys would be much appreciated,

Thanks again,

Ed

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Why are you convinced that you need to replace the entire engine? It's very rare for a 2nd gen (3s-fe) engine to require swapping.

Assuming that there's a catastrophic problem that cannot be resolved by repair, I would ask around your town to find a reputable mechanic who does only mechanical work (no computer diagnostic equipment in the shop means low, low shop rates). The mechanic I occasionally deal with charges only $35/hour because his equipment costs are so low. He generally can do an engine swap for under $400.

I don't know for sure that the transmission would have to come out--maybe another All-Trac owner might know. But for a mechanic to recommend a Legacy seems unusual. 1988 Legacys definitely are NOT more reliable than Camrys of the same era. Just walk the scrap yards and compare the mileage you see on Legacy odometers vs Camrys.

[white90dx]

The engine and transmission does have to come out as a complete unit through the bottom of the car... It is not much more difficult than doing it on a FWD car as long as you have a litft. The extra effort is a few bolts for the rear driveshaft, a few more supports and stuff for the transfer case and a more difficult re-assembly of the motor to the transmission. At max, I would say it is an extra hour of work for an experienced mechanic with the right tools.

www.alltrac.net has a good writeup for engine removal in the general maintenance section of the forums as a guide to what has to happen.

-Charlie

[edt77]

This weekend I will have the car looked at by a local toyota guru hopefully he will sort me out without breaking my bank!

Ed

[boi_si]

yes even to replace the clutch its easier to take the whole thing out from the bottom... trust the alltrac owners... its been said and done...