2009 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L 4-cyl

Description

2009 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L 4-cyl — Project Truck — Needs Motor — $6,500 Cash165k miles. Regular cab, 4-speed automatic, 2WD. Clean title.THE STORY:Truck was inspected by a master mechanic, passed everything. I took it out on a road trip to Bend and the radiator's internal transmission cooler failed suddenly mid-trip. This caused rapid overheat and blew the head gasket.I towed it home and took the engine apart down to the short block. The head was tested by Aluminum Head Rebuilders here in Portland. Their conclusion is that the head cannot be salvaged and it's likely the short block should be replaced as well. At this point, this project has exceeded what I can do at my condo as I'm not equipped to pull an engine.ENGINE STATUS:Head is off, cams removedHead was evaluated by a machine shop — not salvageable, needs reman head or long blockBlock visual inspection: cylinder walls looked good, crosshatch honing still visibleMachine shop recommends further evaluation of bottom end given severity of overheatCrank turns freely, oil was clean, no metal debrisTransmission fluid was contaminated with coolant but drained immediately — no metal debris, needs flush and refill as there will still be contamination in the bell housing that needs to be purgedTiming cover off, timing chain removed but intactAll timing cover bolts organized and labeled on cardboard templates for reassemblyHave not removed the harmonic balancer chainTRUCK HISTORY:I purchased it used from Toyota of McMinnville back in 2016 at 23k miles and have been the 2nd owner ever since. This has been a super wonderful little truck up until this random catastrophic failure. If I had known this was even a possibility I would have swapped the radiator at 150k and I would not be here today posting the truck on Craigslist. But oh well — here we are.WHAT ELSE YOU'RE GETTING:BRAND NEW FULL SUSPENSION REBUILD & NEW TIRES LESS THAN A YEAR OLD (Oct 2025 @ 150k):front and rear shocksSway bar end links and bushingsTie rod endsFront control armsTires (Costco, 75k warranty)Alignment doneFront brakes (Raybestos)OTHER RECENT WORK:Coolant bypass line upgraded to aluminumNEW PARTS INCLUDED IN SALE (still in boxes):I was planning to do a full brake and engine drive hardware refresh this fall — now these come with the truck:Beck/Arnley brake master cylinderFront and rear brake hosesNew front rotors and drum brake service kitsRear wheel cylindersFel-Pro valve cover gasket setGates belt tensionerGates idler pulleys (2)Multiple oil filtersBOTTOM LINE:You're getting a Tacoma with new suspension, new tires, new brakes up front, and a box of parts. Needs a reman head or motor swap. Perfect for someone with access to a 2TR-FE motor, a shop looking for a solid project that will easily result in a fully functional Toyota pickup for years to come.$6,500 OBO. Cash only. No trades. You must tow.