347 V8 4Runner - Updated
07-24-2013, 07:22 AM
#41
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Although I cut up the factory center radio dash support section to fabricate this project I have a new one still wrapped in Toy plastic and also used another dash facia from a wrecked toyota meaning if ever needed I can return the dash and console back to factory at anytime as no major changes were made to the dash's integrity etc.
I also took the opportunity to add 4 switch panels into the dash facia panel before adding bling
.
The camera flash makes some plastics look slightly different but they are now all exact Toy gray matches along with the additional carpet.
Finished console frame. I ended up making the gauge panel separate so that it could easily be removed.
All finally fitted
The 4 dash switches shown here are ARB pump, ARB front airlocker, Rear Detroit Electrac Locker and Security.
Added some seats
For interest the seats are full electric from a local GM car, which I added years ago. They have up/down front and rear tilt, total height up/down and normal forward/reverse and rear swab lean. They are velour but I covered them with custom made sheepskins for extra comfort.
Not long after I made a new complete top section and incorporated the gauges in the one panel and bent this so it better matched the Ford side panels and you will see it now touches the side panels with no gap and this is how it looks at this moment.
The new radio has GPS, DVD,CD,Bluetooth,iPod,USB,Reverse camera etc etc. The gauges from the right are air/fuel ratio, mechanical oil pressure and vacuum, which I have connected to the sump as I have a system to provide a constant 8-10" of sump vacuum. A temp gauge is mounted next to the clock with a two way switch as I have a sensor in the thermostat housing and one in the engine block. I actually have a cold temp issue as the cooling system is way too efficient and another project in the future will be to design and fab a grill shutter system so I can make it run hotter as required etc.
The 4 center switches are, Bosch HID spotlights, Power to rear tyre pump, reverse camera and bypass switch to activate the air con fans should the viscous hub crap out etc.
A CB is behind the levers and I moved the cig lighter next to the rear window switches.
Now when I get in it does feel like a different rig so it achieved its purpose and having the whole console setup higher is a lot better.
Well there ya go guys and although this update is finished there is more to come
I am currently working on fitting yet another new manifold setup but this one is aftermarket but again its taking a lot of time and when I get to a stage of having some useful pics I will update.
JD
I also took the opportunity to add 4 switch panels into the dash facia panel before adding bling
.The camera flash makes some plastics look slightly different but they are now all exact Toy gray matches along with the additional carpet.
Finished console frame. I ended up making the gauge panel separate so that it could easily be removed.
All finally fitted
The 4 dash switches shown here are ARB pump, ARB front airlocker, Rear Detroit Electrac Locker and Security.
Added some seats
For interest the seats are full electric from a local GM car, which I added years ago. They have up/down front and rear tilt, total height up/down and normal forward/reverse and rear swab lean. They are velour but I covered them with custom made sheepskins for extra comfort.
Not long after I made a new complete top section and incorporated the gauges in the one panel and bent this so it better matched the Ford side panels and you will see it now touches the side panels with no gap and this is how it looks at this moment.
The new radio has GPS, DVD,CD,Bluetooth,iPod,USB,Reverse camera etc etc. The gauges from the right are air/fuel ratio, mechanical oil pressure and vacuum, which I have connected to the sump as I have a system to provide a constant 8-10" of sump vacuum. A temp gauge is mounted next to the clock with a two way switch as I have a sensor in the thermostat housing and one in the engine block. I actually have a cold temp issue as the cooling system is way too efficient and another project in the future will be to design and fab a grill shutter system so I can make it run hotter as required etc.
The 4 center switches are, Bosch HID spotlights, Power to rear tyre pump, reverse camera and bypass switch to activate the air con fans should the viscous hub crap out etc.
A CB is behind the levers and I moved the cig lighter next to the rear window switches.
Now when I get in it does feel like a different rig so it achieved its purpose and having the whole console setup higher is a lot better.
Well there ya go guys and although this update is finished there is more to come
I am currently working on fitting yet another new manifold setup but this one is aftermarket but again its taking a lot of time and when I get to a stage of having some useful pics I will update.
JD
07-29-2013, 04:46 AM
#43
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JC
Cheers mate.
Yep with decent hp under the right foot it is great to drive as everything is so effortless and when needed it has wicked acceleration.
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Ok here's the new manifold which is an aftermarket Trickflow Box R and again I will be using my old 5.0 as the assemby mule before swapping it onto the 347.
Normally this would be a simple excercise but being in a 4Runner there are some areas that will require a bit of thought etc.
With its longer runners it should make for a good increase in torque which will also translate into some more hp
When I have some useful pics I will update.
JD
Cheers mate.
Yep with decent hp under the right foot it is great to drive as everything is so effortless and when needed it has wicked acceleration.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok here's the new manifold which is an aftermarket Trickflow Box R and again I will be using my old 5.0 as the assemby mule before swapping it onto the 347.
Normally this would be a simple excercise but being in a 4Runner there are some areas that will require a bit of thought etc.
With its longer runners it should make for a good increase in torque which will also translate into some more hp
When I have some useful pics I will update.
JD
08-01-2013, 07:36 AM
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OK here's some first pics of the TFS manifold update.
Although it looked ok sitting on the old engine before doing anything I needed to see if it would actually fit in the 4Runners engine bay. After measuring its overall height I removed the existing top manifold and spaced the TFS on the 347 to where it would sit to get an idea of any issues.
Didn't take long to notice one The 4Runners heater return line will need a modification for clearance. Also I'm going to have to think about the hood as it just hits the front section of the manifold on the center crossbrace.
But nothing major so the decision was made to go for it. First off the upper manifold inlet ports needed some attention as TFS had just machined them square and as well all other areas inside had square edging so I've spent hours reprofiling them.
As received and the square edging is apparent,
They may not look much different in these pics but now all internal edging is rounded off and I have put a distinct bellmouth shape in all of the intakes. Internal airflow should be an improvement.
I've now started to match port all the actual runners.
JD
Although it looked ok sitting on the old engine before doing anything I needed to see if it would actually fit in the 4Runners engine bay. After measuring its overall height I removed the existing top manifold and spaced the TFS on the 347 to where it would sit to get an idea of any issues.
Didn't take long to notice one
The 4Runners heater return line will need a modification for clearance. Also I'm going to have to think about the hood as it just hits the front section of the manifold on the center crossbrace. But nothing major so the decision was made to go for it
. First off the upper manifold inlet ports needed some attention as TFS had just machined them square and as well all other areas inside had square edging so I've spent hours reprofiling them.As received and the square edging is apparent,
They may not look much different in these pics but now all internal edging is rounded off and I have put a distinct bellmouth shape in all of the intakes. Internal airflow should be an improvement.
I've now started to match port all the actual runners.
JD
Last edited by JD; 08-01-2013 at 07:41 AM.
08-03-2013, 06:32 AM
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Finished matching all the runner ports and I will have to do the head ports when I get to removing the tunnel ram setup although I suspect they will be match up fine as both manifolds have the same large port design.
Next was to start setting up the lower manifold and initially I started to set it up with longer Bosch 36lb injectors as if I used the existing smaller Dekar injectors there would be issues with sensor clearances and fuel rails on this manifold as it is built to use stock setups.
But this would mean I would have to get the ECU retuned with these Bosch injectors whereas if I use the Dekar’s then the current tune should be still be fine.
I then found a neat solution as I was able to source some trick injector spacers that sit on top of the smaller injectors to make them the same height as normal ones. Big win as they now fit as intended and I won’t need a retune.
Pic of injector spacers.
This pic also shows the water outlets I tap into the rear of each head so heat spots don’t form etc and it’s then connected to the heater return line.
Also been spending time modifying another injector harness to fit better and lower manifold now painted and injectors and harness fitted
JD
Next was to start setting up the lower manifold and initially I started to set it up with longer Bosch 36lb injectors as if I used the existing smaller Dekar injectors there would be issues with sensor clearances and fuel rails on this manifold as it is built to use stock setups.
But this would mean I would have to get the ECU retuned with these Bosch injectors whereas if I use the Dekar’s then the current tune should be still be fine.
I then found a neat solution as I was able to source some trick injector spacers that sit on top of the smaller injectors to make them the same height as normal ones. Big win as they now fit as intended and I won’t need a retune.
Pic of injector spacers.
This pic also shows the water outlets I tap into the rear of each head so heat spots don’t form etc and it’s then connected to the heater return line.
Also been spending time modifying another injector harness to fit better and lower manifold now painted and injectors and harness fitted
JD
08-04-2013, 05:39 AM
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JC
I’ve always used Holts Dupli-Color as its amazing paint and the car match colors is a bonus as the red I’m using is Toyota Mica Red same as my 4Runner.
Also even though it’s not marked as heatproof it kills everything else out there including the supposedly well known heat proof paints. Even after thousands of klm’s even the exhaust ports are still red with no blistering at all etc. Great stuff.
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Had a strenuous day trying to decide what to do with the distributor cap height. I’ve been using a Mallory with a small diameter cap option and was planning on also using it with this manifold set in its normal position. But then I found I wouldn’t be able to remove the distributor unless I first also removed the upper manifold and that sucked.
Fitting a Ford stock distributor made no difference so I then installed a 3/8” spacer and all was good but it made the hood clearance worse.
I then fitted the standard large Mallory cap and found by using a set procedure to remove 1 & 8 ignition lead caps it was possible to remove the cap first and then the distributor if the manifold was positioned in its normal lower height so I settled for this.
However, due to the manifold being lower it now showed up other clearance issues that would be hard to rectify so I’ve decided to go with the spacer as the hood issue can be rectified a lot easier. Had me going in circles for hours
Mallory distributor fitted with its normal larger cap without the additional 3/8” spacer. Notice the 3 bumps with threaded ports on the top side. I've ground these off for reasons that will become apparent later. I also ground a portion of the top raised lines off.
Managed to also bend the heater pipe using a rounded edged piece of solid alloy rod and a propane heater.
JD
I’ve always used Holts Dupli-Color as its amazing paint and the car match colors is a bonus as the red I’m using is Toyota Mica Red same as my 4Runner.
Also even though it’s not marked as heatproof it kills everything else out there including the supposedly well known heat proof paints. Even after thousands of klm’s even the exhaust ports are still red with no blistering at all etc. Great stuff.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Had a strenuous day trying to decide what to do with the distributor cap height. I’ve been using a Mallory with a small diameter cap option and was planning on also using it with this manifold set in its normal position. But then I found I wouldn’t be able to remove the distributor unless I first also removed the upper manifold and that sucked.
Fitting a Ford stock distributor made no difference so I then installed a 3/8” spacer and all was good but it made the hood clearance worse.
I then fitted the standard large Mallory cap and found by using a set procedure to remove 1 & 8 ignition lead caps it was possible to remove the cap first and then the distributor if the manifold was positioned in its normal lower height so I settled for this.
However, due to the manifold being lower it now showed up other clearance issues that would be hard to rectify so I’ve decided to go with the spacer as the hood issue can be rectified a lot easier. Had me going in circles for hours
Mallory distributor fitted with its normal larger cap without the additional 3/8” spacer. Notice the 3 bumps with threaded ports on the top side. I've ground these off for reasons that will become apparent later
. I also ground a portion of the top raised lines off. Managed to also bend the heater pipe using a rounded edged piece of solid alloy rod and a propane heater.
JD
Last edited by JD; 08-04-2013 at 05:41 AM.
08-04-2013, 07:29 PM
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Nicely done
Wow.
I feel proud of myself when I think things need to be changed, and I get as far as having a few beers and changing my T-shirt.
Looks worthy of HotRod or such.
PS. How's the work on that magnetic flux capacitor coming?
I feel proud of myself when I think things need to be changed, and I get as far as having a few beers and changing my T-shirt.
Looks worthy of HotRod or such.
PS. How's the work on that magnetic flux capacitor coming?
08-06-2013, 06:19 AM
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Cheers guys.
Man I’ve been flat out for the past few days and progress has been slow as the jobs I’m currently doing are very labor intensive and I’ll have some pics shortly. Also I keep changing my mind.
However, to keep things rolling here’s some earlier work I did on designing an engine cover similar to what is currently on it. But due to the top section of the TFS being completely different and also hood clearance it couldn’t be completely covered although it wasn’t essential as the top TFS section does look great.
I had to have a couple of tags welded to the TFS to support this. Also it has to be made as 3 separate pieces in order to be able to fit and remove whereas the current one is able to be lifted off as one piece due to being all square etc.
I started making this in its final form in alloy earlier but stopped to move onto the wiring and fuel rails etc but I'm now finishing this off. Also have done some preliminary work on designing a new airbox as the previous dyno tune showed my current airbox was limiting airflow so I need to fix this for this new manifold.
If all goes to plan I will be removing the tunnel ram setup on Thursday as its now got to the stage where I need to be able to sit the various parts actually on the engine in order to be able to progress further etc.
Then I should have some good pics
JD.
Man I’ve been flat out for the past few days and progress has been slow as the jobs I’m currently doing are very labor intensive and I’ll have some pics shortly. Also I keep changing my mind
.However, to keep things rolling here’s some earlier work I did on designing an engine cover similar to what is currently on it. But due to the top section of the TFS being completely different and also hood clearance it couldn’t be completely covered although it wasn’t essential as the top TFS section does look great.
I had to have a couple of tags welded to the TFS to support this. Also it has to be made as 3 separate pieces in order to be able to fit and remove whereas the current one is able to be lifted off as one piece due to being all square etc.
I started making this in its final form in alloy earlier but stopped to move onto the wiring and fuel rails etc but I'm now finishing this off. Also have done some preliminary work on designing a new airbox as the previous dyno tune showed my current airbox was limiting airflow so I need to fix this for this new manifold.
If all goes to plan I will be removing the tunnel ram setup on Thursday as its now got to the stage where I need to be able to sit the various parts actually on the engine in order to be able to progress further etc.
Then I should have some good pics
JD.
Last edited by JD; 08-06-2013 at 06:23 AM.
08-07-2013, 06:38 AM
#54
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Basically now finished the main cover and I've made it in 3 sections. Man I'd forgotten how much work is involved in fabbing this stuff . Have to now incorporate a TB and TPS cover section and then get to designing and fabbing a larger airbox.
Welded up
Hours of sanding down ready for final prep but first I will need to do an actual test fit on the 347 so tomorrow the tunnel ram setup comes off.
JD
. Have to now incorporate a TB and TPS cover section and then get to designing and fabbing a larger airbox.Welded up
Hours of sanding down ready for final prep but first I will need to do an actual test fit on the 347 so tomorrow the tunnel ram setup comes off.
JD
08-08-2013, 05:30 AM
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I’ve made a TB and TPS cover. Initially I made it so it cleared the TPS but it didn’t look right as it was all higher than the manifold and then I came up with the idea of just having a small separate cover for the TPS on top of the main cover .
Tunnel ram is now also off and on the shelf with the others.
New lower manifold fitted.
I prepped the upper and test fitted.
Also did another small job due to you guys driving on the wrong side of the road. The 90mm Accufab TB is designed to pull on the RHS so I had to cut it up and make and weld a lever designed to pull from the LHS. Also added a section for the cruise cable as I intend to refit that at some stage
All good so I gave the upper a preliminary paint and trial fitted the cover sections so I could fit the TB and then got to designing a new larger airbox using wood as it’s easier to make changes etc. I decided to make this one with one 90 degree bent tube rather than two bends as it means the MAF and tube will be centrally located and its easier
The dyno pull showed I was losing 14rwhp with the current smaller airbox and this manifold should flow even better. Also I’ve gone up from an 80mm TB to a 90mm so I’m using a 4” tube with this setup versus the previous 3 ½” tube.
Pretty happy with this basic design and will now fab one in alloy.
JD
Tunnel ram is now also off and on the shelf with the others
.New lower manifold fitted.
I prepped the upper and test fitted.
Also did another small job due to you guys driving on the wrong side of the road
. The 90mm Accufab TB is designed to pull on the RHS so I had to cut it up and make and weld a lever designed to pull from the LHS. Also added a section for the cruise cable as I intend to refit that at some stage All good so I gave the upper a preliminary paint and trial fitted the cover sections so I could fit the TB and then got to designing a new larger airbox using wood as it’s easier to make changes etc. I decided to make this one with one 90 degree bent tube rather than two bends as it means the MAF and tube will be centrally located and its easier
The dyno pull showed I was losing 14rwhp with the current smaller airbox and this manifold should flow even better. Also I’ve gone up from an 80mm TB to a 90mm so I’m using a 4” tube with this setup versus the previous 3 ½” tube.
Pretty happy with this basic design and will now fab one in alloy.
JD
08-14-2013, 06:08 PM
#56
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Sorry guys I've been having server issues and still am but hopefully this will now post.
Man the airbox took some time. Previously I used to clamp bits together and get those welded and then clamp others on and get them welded etc etc so it was a slow process. But now I cottoned onto a smarter way by bolting it together using small ally angles. Also means I can set it up in its final form and have it welded in one hit.
It took awhile to get the final angles right but here’s the airbox in various stages of contruction following the wood mockup design.
Welded up.
Now constructing lid
Welded
The messy part of sanding the welds and trial fit.
Also got to painting the insides of the manifold with Glyptal.
Now all I need is some freaking sunshine so I can slap some bling onto them and start this puppy.
JD
Man the airbox took some time. Previously I used to clamp bits together and get those welded and then clamp others on and get them welded etc etc so it was a slow process. But now I cottoned onto a smarter way by bolting it together using small ally angles. Also means I can set it up in its final form and have it welded in one hit.
It took awhile to get the final angles right but here’s the airbox in various stages of contruction following the wood mockup design.
Welded up.
Now constructing lid
Welded
The messy part of sanding the welds and trial fit.
Also got to painting the insides of the manifold with Glyptal.
Now all I need is some freaking sunshine so I can slap some bling onto them and start this puppy.
JD
08-14-2013, 09:23 PM
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Absolutely top notch work sir. I absolutely commend your dedication on not only your truck, but keeping the cyber-world updated with your latest work. Thanks for sharing this, it is truly inspiring to see.
Keep it up!
Keep it up!
08-15-2013, 05:41 PM
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Cheers guys, glad to see it’s of some interest.
We’re having some serious rain and wind at the moment so it’s hard to get the finishing touches done and I’ve screwed a few attempts. But I’ve managed to at least now prep it but will wait for some sunshine to finish it off.
This is a shot looking down the intake port and the shadow just covers the back of the valve so it’s a nice passage.
Prep pics.
JD
We’re having some serious rain and wind at the moment so it’s hard to get the finishing touches done and I’ve screwed a few attempts. But I’ve managed to at least now prep it but will wait for some sunshine to finish it off.
This is a shot looking down the intake port and the shadow just covers the back of the valve so it’s a nice passage.
Prep pics.
JD
