Looking for Tundra 4.7

I'm going to finally get away from sedans and I'm thinking of getting a 2nd gen Tundra. A grade DC model will suit me just fine, since I would prefer having the bench seat and the extra bed space. Like I care about soft leather seats and sunroofs in a TRUCK. 07-13 only; 14+ got a touchscreen and again it's a TRUCK lol no thanks.

I also would like to focus on finding one with the 2UZ. In my view that is one of the very best engines ever built, back when Toyota overbuilt things. What was the take rate on the 2UZ? I know it was only offered from 07-09, so I may not have many choices considering I want a DC bench seat. Bonus for me would be the 5-speed transmission, since I believe anything more is too many gears.

Timing belt? No problem. Rather deal with that once every several years and be done than worry about a stretched chain causing all sorts of damage. Also timing belt engines are smoother and quieter. You can't kill UZ engines!

 

You just need to look for base model double cabs, column shifter, bench seat, 4.7

mine is a Regular cab long bed with the 4.7

 

How has the 4.7 been? If I were to tow something one day, it wouldn't be particularly heavy so the 5.7 would be largly unnecessary.

Man I would absolutely be in love with a DC 8' bed. They made those right?

 

I wouldn't worry about either power plant being an issue. Stretched timing chain hasn't popped up here once since I've been on. I've owned both engines and found the 5.7 with the 4.30 rear end to be a towing beast. My 2000 with the 4.7 (pre-vvti and 5 speed) tows my 5000# camper fine. Slows down on the big hills, but moves along fine otherwise. I wouldn't hesitate to own either in a DC 2nd gen. If towing heavy (more than 3-4k# on a regular basis) I would go 5.7 all day.

 

Okay, good to know. Maybe then the 4.6 wouldn't be a bad option. How is the 6-speed? I figured 5 was better to avoid gear-hunting around town. That and the 10-14 Camry had issues with the 6-speed and I have an 11, so I'm kind of soured on them unless it's totally different in a truck...

 

The 6 speed in the Tundra is solid. Not the absolute smoothest shifting, but definitely not harsh, and mine did not hunt for gears with the 5.7. The 4.6 isn't much of an upgrade over the 4.7. It's a destroked 5.7. All three motors are solid and would be a fine choice, just buy what fits your use case to avoid regret. Most that tow heavier would regret not having the extra power from the 5.7.

 

Hmm okay, thank you. It would seem that a 4.6 (offered longer than the 4.7, thus creating more opportunity) is what I'm looking for. I also don't need 4-wheel drive, since I don't live in a snowy climate and even if we do get snow, I can always throw chains on my tires as well as throw some bags of cement in the bed. It seems I can save quite a bit of money just by simply getting what I want: a base DC, no 4-wheel drive, no 5.7.

How long did it take you to get used to how far away the radio controls are? Some base models had audio controls on the steering wheel but most did not.

 

I had a 2019, so the controls were different. In a gen 2, you have more years of 4.7 than 4.6.

 

Yeah they did, they’re rare just like regular cabs

4.7 is good, super reliable but not the best towing capacity, I would definitely recommend adding a transmission cooler to yours before you tow

 

I thought the 4.7 was from 07-09 and the 4.6 was from 10-13.

 

I wouldn't let what v8 is in the truck make or break the sale. They are all good engines. 5.7 wins for power, 4.7 for being smooth and longevity. 4.6 makes the least sense to me but that's probably why I've had multiple 4.7s and 5.7s and never a 4.6.

 

You're right. It's not like we're in 2009 and I can order exactly what I want. I did do a search, however, and it does seem that the 4.7's are out there. Mostly limited to fleets but still. Now if it were a Nissan or some domestic brand, I would never consider one because they just don't hold up but since we're talking about a Toyota, there may not be too much risk in a fleet truck or one used for business if it wasn't abused, still looks good, and the mileage is relatively low. Same with accidents listed. A lot of times there is no visible damage but an accident will be listed, thus the reason for a lower asking price.

 

The 4.7 is pretty excellent overall, but they just feel anemic as far as power compared to the 5.7. I see a lot of first gen Tundras pulling some outrageous stuff though. The 5.7 is such a pain in the ass to work on, maybe just my opinion though. I guess you have to compromise somewhere.

If you're going to consider a 4.6, you might as well just get the 5.7.

 

Yeah like somebody mentioned earlier, I shouldn't let an engine make or break. I guess if I'm in a perfect world I would no doubt go for the 4.7. I suppose I should just get whichever is in the best shape closest to me that has the options that I want, which aren't many

 

To be fair, they are all good engine options.

 

4.6 was introduced 2010 wasn’t it. So it’s 3 years of 4.7 vs 4 years of 4.6. First 3 years had best sales, so could be a pretty even mix

 

Tundra Engines

2007–2009 model years

• 4.0 L V6 GR engine 236 hp (176 kW) and 266 lb⋅ft (361N⋅m)
• 4.7 L V8 UZ engine 276 hp (206 kW) and 313 lb⋅ft (424N⋅m)
• 5.7 L V8 UR engine 381 hp (284 kW) and 401 lb⋅ft (544N⋅m)

2010–2013 model years

• 4.0 L V6 GR engine 236 hp (176 kW) and 266 lb⋅ft (361N⋅m) (2010)
• 4.0 L V6 GR engine 270 hp (201 kW) and 278 lb⋅ft (377N⋅m) (2011-2013)
• 4.6 L V8 UR engine 310 hp (231 kW) and 327 lb⋅ft (443N⋅m)
• 5.7 L V8 UR engine 381 hp (284 kW) and 401 lb⋅ft (544N⋅m)

The 4.6 has 34 more horsepower than the 4.7 with similar torque ratings. It also has hydraulic valve actuators (no shim under bucket requiring camshaft removal to adjust vlave clearances) and timing chains, not belt. The belt needs to be replaced every 90,000 miles.

I owned a 2006 (4.7) for 12 years, now have a 2018 (5.7). Gobs of power!

Dan

 

• Frame condition / rust
• Avoid FFV variants
• No accidents
• Make sure it was maintained

Solid powertrains on the Tundra, those are the bigger issues.

 

What is FFV?

 

Flex fuel vehicle. A truck manufactured capable of running E85 corn juice.

 

Oh okay got it. Was the FFV offered only in the 5.7? If so I don't know if I have too much to be concerned about, since it appears that the trim I want (base with bench seat) was offered mostly with the 4.7 if I focus on just 07-09.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/2007-rcsb-sr5-trd-off-road-17k-obo.162168/#post-3999836

 

Yes, my point is, don’t get hung up on the engine, they are all reliable. The other issues are more Tundra weak points.

 

What kinds of issues? I hope that by 2007, Toyota took care of any potential rust issues. I'm in western WA so chances are any truck I look at will have lived on the west coast.

 

Found a 2011 double cab with the 4.6. Has 135k miles and they are asking 18.5k. SR5 trim with bench, which is exactly what I want. 2WD which is fine since I don't live in a crazy climate, the 2WD is better on gas, and one less thing to worry about breaking. I'll just throw some winter tires on it, put 300 lbs worth of bagged cement in the back and be good.

Going to check it out Friday. I would go tomorrow but I'm tied up all day. The only thing I don't particularly care for is it's white. I wonder if I can get some inspiration by checking out other folk's white Tundras and seeing what kind of tire/wheel setup they have...

On the positive side: it has the 6-disc CD changer! Yes, I know that will generate a bunch of laughs but I'm proud to say I'm old school to the core. CD's are just easier to deal with than playing around on a phone, especially while driving.

 

18.5 sounds pretty dang high for a 2WD, 14 year old truck, even for 135K miles. you gonna try to talk the seller down?

 

Yeah it is a bit high. Just purchased the carfax and it's been through two owners. First one lived in OR and the 2nd in WA. At least I don't have to worry about rust, at least major rust, flooding, hurricanes, etc. I guess that counts for something?

And it's at a stealership but what can do you do? These trucks are getting harder to find in clean condition with a double cab/bench seat configuration, at least where I'm located.

 

Update time: drove the truck Friday after work and the radio doesn't work. Dealer didn't make note of it, but I guess why would they? Also has some kind of steering issue. He had me take the freeway for a few miles, which is pretty straight, and it seemed to want to steer to the left pretty badly. Other than that everything else worked. Offered 14.5k for it but the GM had left by then, so he told me he would ask him Monday and get back to me. Hopefully just a speaker problem and just needs an alignment...

Next day I drove a 2020 CrewMax with 65k miles for the heck of it, see how it compared. Almost double the price! Much, much prefer the interior of the 11, although it wasn't completely fair because this one didn't have the bench, but still. Cloth in 11 felt nicer, I prefer the old school setup without the screen, instrument cluster doesn't have a bunch of features, etc. And no CD player in 20! Back seat is huge obviously, but my kids aren't 8 feet tall lol. Double Cab has plenty of room and I'd rather have the bigger bed. Did drive very nicely, much better than the 11 which obviously has issues.

 

No deal. They came down $500 based on those aformentioned issues, so they can screw off. Guess I'll keep waiting. Too bad, truck was in very nice shape cosmetically and had nice (not too big) tires.

 

I just picked up a 2008 BASE Double Cab with around 172K miles. Has the 4.7, 2wd, Cloth Bench, 6.5ft bed. They're out there but you have to keep your eyes out. I will say it was at a dealer, and they weren't negotiating much at all. I will say they had proactively done most of the common stuff.

Antifreeze Flushed and Changed
Oil and Filter Changed
Four Tires Replaced
Brakes and Rotors replaced
Drive Belt Tensioners replaced
Cabin Air Filter Replaced
Driveshaft replaced
Serpentine Belt Replaced
Timing Belt Replaced
Shock Absorbers replaced.

The truck was 17yo and has been in the sun a long time (paint is not horrible, but has little dings here and there but not major dents), but the dealer had pretty much done about everything mechanically that people say cause issues. Figure it should run trouble free for a long time as my weekend projects truck.

Only thing I've done thus far is put in the Dasaita radio to get Navigation and Wireless CarPlay, and got Husky front and rear floormats, and the hump cover.

No complaints yet other than the Dasaita does occasionally seem to hang-up on shutdown and sometimes takes a while to come back up. Biggest feedback I have for ya is I found that they don't negotiate much at all right now. Best I was able to do is get them to do the advertised price on the website (15K) as "out the door"... without all the little fees they like to tag on. Didn't want to pay that much for a vehicle that old with all those miles, but ultimately with all the stuff they'd done maintenance wise, I felt it was probably worth it, only time will tell.