Toyota 4-Runner motor Swap - need a mechanic

Or a garage hobbyist looking for a winter project!

I am seriously thinking about getting an 87 4Runner, and swapping in a Hilux diesel engine (2L-TE) in order to get way better mileage and run bio-diesel.

The trouble is I have neither the skills nor the tool set to do it! 

Any recommendations of someone who knows Toyota's and diesel's and who would do a good job at a fair price?

Any comments as to whether this is a good idea or a moment of temporary insanity???

Peter

Obkook I have four years experience at a Toyota dealership as a service manager.  I'm sure we could find someone but I'm not sure I would do that.  One reason is that you are going to have to do lots of work on most cars that old as they are more that twenty.  I have some really good tech friends that might do that sort of work cheaply but they would probably take a fair amount of time.  One good friend of mine buys 4runners and beefs them up and puts Chevy engines in them.  The other is a really smart guy who's into building electric vehicles and bikes in his spare time.  Let me know if I can help.   Andy   

Andy just curious what would the Smog implications be on that kinda swap ?

After I asked the question, I did some more web surfing and found that I'm not the first one to think of it - there are  a few companies out there doing turnkey installations, but they're pretty pricey. I also found this primer on it which had a lot of info.
http://vpizza.org/~jmeehan/toyotadiesel/

I also found that there seem to be quite a few people putting VW diesels into Samurais. I guess it would make sense  - better gas mileage, and more torque for off roading. But it's just too small a vehicle for me.

I see more diesels in the Hilux and Surf (what they call 4runners in Australia and Japan) than I do petrol engines, so I know they are a perfectly valid choice for that vehicle. IT's just too bad that America never really embraced the diesel.

and ya, a mid 80's truck is old, but hey - its a Toyota!

I had an eighty six four runner that needed a lot of suspension and other work in 98.  Not that I'm complaining because I really don't pay much to have work done.  I believe that with a diesel swap you need to have a referee check and approve it, and then a sniff test.  I don't think there super strict from what I've heard.  If its gasoline to gasoline swap it has to be same or newer year with same or less pollution.  I was considering doing something similar with a 99 I land cruiser I got from Canada.  It was diesel already.  I think Canada was the only country with diesels in that body style. 

Obkook you're right. Toyota's are great.  I had a 2000, 2002 2010 camry this year and a 2000 4runner but I sold one and the other was totaled.  Mickfish I will ask the one and only tech Bakersfield Toyota has when I'm getting some service this week.  We used to servise 5000 cars a month and only had one smog tech certified guy.  He's super smart though so I'll ask what him what he thinks. 

Andy just curious what would the Smog implications be on that kinda swap ?

Funny, I was reading an article in a diesel  magazine (don't ask me, it was laying around the support shop at my National Guard Unit)  that was talking about swaps.  Its get into was the motor complaint for its year, was it a regulated motor as opposed to non regulated (one of the pictures it had was a Ford mini truck with a d motor from a forklift, something that does not have to meet EPA compliance, and for all practical purposes not valid for on road use).  The article went into the legal debate, a a 2005 diesel was legal in a 1932 truck, but a 1932 diesel in a 2005 truck was not. 

Send me an email and I will send you some contact info on this, I Know a Platoon Sergeant in the Guard who lives for this stuff, and he is the subscriber to the Diesel mag, he may still have it laying around.