I thought that you had a rod knock. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/bird.gif" alt="" />



So using this rational he should get the largest displacement motor on his list, right? That definitely would not be the 3.0L V6. America builds four cylinder motors that big. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />



My motor only made 7 less ft-lbs of torque than your motor when stock and the peak was 600 RPM lower. And my 4 cylinder motor is lighter, easier to work on (or add dual batteries, on board air, etc under the hood), and comes backed with a gear driven transfer case that I just added 5:1 gears to. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Plus I have to wonder why there is virtually NO aftermarket support for the 3VZE if it is such a gem and there are so many of them out there. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Of all the motors you listed at the beginning of this thread, I think the 3.4 V6 would work best for truck/wheeling duty. But it is likely the more costly swap since you are starting with the 4 cyl. Next in line would be the 7M-GE. Sewing machine smooth inline-6 with great power torque and economy. I wouldn't rule out a 22R-TE swap either. You'll still have the ease of working on the motor with the highway power of the V6 and plenty more if you mod it. The 3.0 is tough as nails and after owning both, quite frankly I think it's a better motor than the 2.4, but probably not worth swapping in.

I guess it all comes down to money. If you're going to the trouble of doing a 7M-GE, you might as well get the GTE with big power capabilities on the cheap.

Actually, I recently purchased a turbo truck for the same reason you went with the v6, I just wanted some highway hill climbing power, which is where the 22re lags. I think the 22rte is the best of both worlds, feels the same as the v6 on the highway yet still very easy to work on and one can do a complete engine rebuild in a week or so if anything ever happened, milage is much better as well. I just can't stand having a vehicle thats a pain to work, and never know when the head gasket might go. Why can't you cruise at 75 up hill on the freeway with the 4cyl? The 22re in my 4runner does very well at highspeed going up hill, it's curvy steep passes that it doesn't do to well on. Having driven many different 4cyl's I can say the power really varies between trucks, some feel pretty strong while others will really be laggin, maybe you drove the crappy ones. Since the engine is so simple I don't see it as a mess of timing chain guides and headgaskets, you replace the guides once with metal ones and don't have to worry about them for a looong time, as opposed to "most" v6 head gasket blowing several times, you got lucky. Upgrades are very fun to do, you learn to work on your truck while increasing the power. Anyways back to the topic, like I said do the 2.7 taco swap, it hasn't "been done" by anyone known, so you can be the first. You end up with nearly the same ease and simplicity of the 22re with just as much power as the 3.0 stock.

Thanks for all the replies guys. Keep them coming. I am still doing a little research on prices for a few things. All the swaps are pretty neat but in the back of my head that 2.7 swap just sounds cool. It is probably going to be between the rebuild <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />, the 5.0 ford <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />, or the 2.7 <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />. There is one other swap that nobody has ever talked about - 3.8 ford. Before you go ranting on over the headgasket crap, that was the older 3.8's <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />. My wife has a 2000 mustang with the V6 - it rips for a small motor and 190hp. Hmmm, shorter than a V8, easier to cool, not as wide, same bellhousing as a 302 ford and one in my local pnp for cheap <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />. Why hasn't this option come up? Oh well decisions, decisions. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" /> One of these days I will figure out what to do.

P.S. And as for the title of the thread - I pulled the number out of my <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />.
What really is great is that my wife is cool with me actually doing this. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I seem to have a rod knock... she still seems to run really good despite! Actually, she's hauling butt right now 'cause the truck is so darn light. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Harry, come awwwwnn! A bigger motor does not mean THE biggest motor, I said I'd personally stay with Toyota just because. But A bigger motor will solve the problem which really boils down to the 2.4 being too small for the truck.

I'm confused on your specs, last time someone posted torque Vs RPM curvers here, the 3.0, being an undersquare longer stroke motor, made more torque at lower revs. In fact it has more torque at idle than the 2.4 did at peak. It sure drives like it does.

If the 2.4 is so darn great, you tell me why it ain't under the hood anymore??????? It's for the same reason the 3.0 isn't.. NOT ENOUGH PONIES!!!!!!!!! When you figure the Exporers and Blazers had 4.0 and 4.3 liter engines respectively with their smaller engine optoins in the 3 liter range, Toyota was just too darn slow.

BTW, I do not recommend swapping a 3.0, not enough aftermarket support or bang for the buck. I recommend either the 3.4 or the 2.7, depending on what you want out of the truck.

Here's some food for your 4 cylinder thoughts. Toys of old are from Japan..duh.. .which does not have miles and miles of autobahn style open roads. It is a small densely packed island where only the privileged few own cars and speeds are kept down. The market our trucks were sold into was at the time one where the national speed limit was 55mph. Now in Cali it's 65-70 and average speeds in the 65 areas are 75mph, 80+ in the 70mph zones. The 3.0 can handle that, though it does work, the 2.4 is swamped in a stampeed that once moved a LOT slower.

Anyway, I don't care what you all really do, as I said it's your trucks, but my advice is to upgrade to a larger newer motor. I think it would be money better spent.

Frank.

There is one other option out there that no one has mentioned... The 3.8 V6 from Buick. I know, I know, it's a domestic, and we'd all like to stay Toyota. But, there are a lot of 3.8's out there, you can buy conversion kits for them (even with 5 spd), and if you really want to go crazy, try to find one of the turbo 3.8's out of a Grand National or T-Type. There's power available there that could rival the turbo supra engine!

Sorry, I was posting specs for the 22RTE turbo motor, not the normal 22RE. All of the motor specs can be found in 4x4Wire's Toyota FAQ.

I rode along with Patrick last weekend in his pickup that has a basically stock 22R (it does have a header and exhaust) and we did 80 mph down the freeway without any problems. He is running 5.29s with 35" tires and was turning about 3400 RPM.

I think that this motor is a good option. They are relatively small and light and the late model 3.8L used in the base model Camaros makes 200 hp and 225 ft-lbs of torque. I'd stay away from a Grand National motor though, they tend to run hot and the lag on the turbo is pretty bad. They make a LOT of power but they have hardly any low end torque and the power is like a light switch- either on or off, no in between.

my vote is for the 225 hp 5.0 probably one of my all time favorite motors. i had a 190 hp 5.0 in my 2wd ranger and it was a BLAST. there is a really good write up on the swap somewhere, from a guy in New Zealand? if i find it i will pass it along to encourage you <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

It is right here on 4x4Wire. Didn't have to go far, did'ya? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />