Kingsac

Hi,

Looking to purchase a mid 90s Toyota 4x4 extra cab, 91-95.

What are the main differences between the V6 3.0 and the 4cylinder engines, should I favor one over the other?

I'll be using this truck mainly for trips up to Tahoe in the winter and as a daily driver. I'm leaning towards the 4cly, as I anticipate it will have better MPG. But will it be underpowered in the snow, I won't be 4 wheeling in the snow, just driving in it.

Also, any particular year or model I should stay away from, or go after? I've heard good things about the 1994.

Thanks,

Stephen

86toysr5

i didnt have a 22re in the snow but my 20r we transplanted into a 86 was awesome in the snow

stormin94

Go with the V6. If you're going to higher elevations, the good ol 22-RE will be a dog(more of a dog actually) The V-6 with the 5 speed manual in the pickup should give you about 15-16 around town( probably closer to 18 mixed with the freeways in Sac) and around 22-23 MPG on the Highway. If you get headers, and exhaust, expect 1-2 more MPG. Intake should give you about 40 more miles between fill ups mixed driving(at least thats what I get in my 4Runner with the same drivetrain) The 22-RE should add 2-3 MPG to all those numbers, but increase your 0 to 60 times by like five minutes..........

TNRabbit

Get ready for a FLOOD of bitching back & forth over the 3vze-vs-22re.

The bottom line is the 22re is prone to periodic timing chain issues (not a problem if timing chain maintenance is kept up) , while the 3vze is somewhat prone to head gasket issues (not an issue if you don't overheat it).

I am partial to the 3vze/5 speed for power. I wouldn't suggest EITHER engine with the automatic tranny, it'll be a DOG and get crappy fuel mileage.

Just be sure you check out the one you get THOROUGHLY. Learn the issues to look for (search function here works wonders!) that are common & check the truck out before you buy. Offer $$$ commensurate to fix any issues you find with it.

MMA_Alex

yeah i like the 22re because i have one, others will say 3vze because they have one.

as stated above, either way you'll want a manual.

Kingsac

Yes i will definatly be going with the manual setup. Judging the responses so far the v6 sounds like a good choice with the better power.

What about the years I selected, am i missing out on an amazing 96 or the stunning 89?

Is there a year that was considered the best Toyota truck?

Thanks,

Stephen

eightnine

yea any year that has the 22re will be good

seriously though, if you can get a deal on a 96 tacoma or something similar those come with the 3.4V6 which is a great engine and is MUCH better than the 3.slow that u will find in those pickups.

CoedNaked

People are forgetting that the Tacoma's weigh 400 pounds less than the Pickups, so they naturally have a performance advantage that way, PLUS that 400 pounds was taken off of the meat of the truck i.e. the Tacoma's don't have the frame the 86-95 Trucks have. But then you fail to realize the Trucks have better gearing (4.56-4.88) than the Tacoma's (4.10's usually) which translates to helping acceleration, giving the transmission an easier time, and better offroad crawl ratios and more torque in 4-lo.

I have a 3vze. I like my engine. It is not a bad engine. What you will find are a few things about the 3vze 1) A lot of guys in here are theorists - never owned one, but seem to know everything about it somehow and they exaggerate it's weak spots 2) Some people dick around with some crappy aftermarket parts which compromises the design and reliability of this engine in some cases. You should see the looks I've gotten from the tech's at the dealership I go to (where a family member of mine works) when I talk about all the problems the 3vze has that the people at yotatech talk about. They just don't see the problems that people advertise here, and they each work on dozens of these things per week. Probably because they're dealing with a lot of reasoonably or well maintained stock engines and stock parts.

The 3vze has more power and torque than the 22RE. A lot of people "SAY" they can mod a 22RE to have as much power as the 3vze, but it's gonna cost you a fortune to do that (cams, headers, exhaust, intake, you name it), and it'll still lack down low torque because the 22RE (2.4) lacks 0.6 liters of displacement compared to the 3vze (3.0). The 22RE isn't the perfect angel - while people with 22RE's will tell you the 3vze has head gasket problems, they seem to forget the 22RE's head gasket isn't a strong point either, nor will they mention the timing chain guides that the 22RE's aren't strong with either.

What they also forget is the 3vze has the best manual transmission Toyota has ever put in any truck - the R150. It's reliable, bullet proof, and simply rock solid. It's also a very efficient transmission.

The one saving grace the 22RE has is it's simplicity to work on and common aftermarket parts following. It's also a smaller engine so it uses less gas, but it's still pulling around 4000 pound truck so performance isn't it's strong point. If you want to tow - the 3vze equipped trucks will do it confidently up to 1500 pounds and can "get the job done" from about 1500-2500 pounds if required. The 22RE and towing shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.

Now having said all of the above - I would say find yourself a good TRUCK and test drive it. Check the maintenance of the truck - how has it been maintained? Look for common wear items - for example on the front suspension it may need new ball joints or an idler arm if there is some steering play. The rear leaf springs may be slightly saggy. Check for oil leaks - especially around the rear main seal area (where the transmission bolts to the engine) as well as around the oil cooler and oil pan. Also check for valve cover leaks. These are things to look for. They're not bad neccessarily, just seals dont' last forever. How is the trucks service history - those types of things.

Another thing is you will find more popularly optioned trucks in the 3vze engines. You'll find the SR5 packages (power, sunroof), and A/C on more 3vze equipped trucks than 22RE. The 3vze's are geared stock for bigger tires stock as well. These are all things to consider. But don't be afraid of the 3vze. It's a good engine - just make sure the cooling system is in top shape and the oil's changed and this engine will get you home everyday.

shoes138

^^^^DAMN........i cant compete. But which ever way you go you wont regret it cuz its a yota!

the_gunslinger

22r-e, while a gutless underpowered 4 banger is actually a hell of an engine. it's lack of power (decent torque rating for an early nineties 4 cyl.) matched up to a 5-speed would make it fun. but i'd expect you'd have to be pretty ruthless on the clutch to take it off-road.

eightnine

in my personal experience i know 3 people with toyota trucks other than me all of which have the 3.slow in there trucks. One of my buddies owns two 89s with the 3L and the other two have 88s with the 3L. My buddys trucks have all maintained by either their previous owners or himself and have lasted just as long as my 22re (actually MUCH longer). The other two have had simlar experiences expect for one of my buddies truck having oil leaks all the time. The bottom line is that since these engines are all getting really old now, you have to find one that has been maintained from day one. My trucks 22re was never maintained and now im feeling the afteraffects. It runs like crap but wont give up surprisingly. Whatever your choice is, just pick a truck with a maintained engine.

toy_tek

I liked my 87 w/22RE. But I like my 3.4 much better. In my biased opinion, I'd recommend considering a 96-97. They are coming down in price and you may find something that meets your budget.

Kingsac

Wow coed, that's a great and detailed response, thanks

I'm going to focus now on the 3.0 and look for a truck that won't have any problems in the areas you mentioned.

I already have a 1988 Toyota Reg Cab 2wd 22r truck, and I understand that it's reliable, but underpowered. I thought moving up to a 94 or so would be more efficient and powerful. I did however have to have the engine replaced at about 160K when the head gasket blew up.

I'll keep you folks posted as I narrow down my search. I live in San Francisco, and I figure I can come away with a good 4x4 ext cab V6, for about 5500, maybe a 95?

ssupercoolss

ok...here's my 2 cents. i know nothing about the 3.0 or the 3.4. i have a 93 p/u 4x4, 22re. true, this little motor wont be burning the tires at every stop light. yep, towing aint the best either going up hills. for me, the fuel mileage stacie gets out weighs all the other stuff. i repeatedly get 25 mpg highway, and have even gotten as high as 29 mpg. i run stacie up to the mountains just about every weekend, 170 miles round trip. my thoughts are this....how many miles are you going to spend towing something, or loading the bed up with rocks? is it really worth spending more on gas 90% of the time to have a little extra power for towing 10% of the time? this is pretty much a decision only you can make, with some guidance and some suggestions from members of this board. there is a wealth of knowledge on this board, but the debate about the 22re and 3zrwhatever can go on forever. i think most people on here will agree that the 22re will for the most part get better fuel mileage, and the 6's will get you there a couple minutes sooner.

96redtoy

i have a 96 tacoma single cab with the 2.7l 4 banger 5speed in it and i could not be more happy with it even though it doesn't have the same gears as the earlier models it makes it up with the extra power. i tow an 18ft center console almost weekly and it does just fine does't tow like a fulsize truck but it gets the job done. i get around 20mpg around town. the only real problem with it is high way it goes 70 just fine but really doesn;t want to go that much faster(i am very careful and most people would probable nerer notice that it doesn't like to go fast i just don't like pulling more than 3grand for that long) also the 3.0 amd 22re are all amazing engines. also if this helps i kicked my bodys 4runner with the 3.0 in its, butt stop light to stop light

crolison

at 3grand i am running 76ish on the highway with my 3rz. At 3500 i am running right under 90.

Kingsac

No, I won't be towing anything.

The real need for 4x4 is for snowboarding season, where at times 4x4 is required.

Does anyone want to chime in on the 3.0 vs the 22R in the snow.

THanks

JeffsToy

I'm in San Carlos, CA and looking for a good Toyota mechanic to work on the engine in my '86 4 runner Turbo. Anyone have any suggestions.
I may need an engine rebuild or just a head gasket.
(Toyota 101 quoted me $4k to replace the head gasket!)

This will probably be a good time to replace the turbo (180K miles),
so I'm considering rebuild Toyota Turbo or an after market unit.
Thanks.
-Jeff
jeffsasaki@yahoo.com

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

The 22re is fairly easy to work on. I drive one and it seems to have a nice flat torque curve - it will chug around on trail rides at 1100 rpm but will climb a steep hill at 50mph if I let it wind out to 4500rpm. It's solid, reliable, parts are CHEAP (see engnbldr.com), fuel economy is pretty good (I'm running 33" tires and I get 20mpg).

On the other side I did own a 3.0/auto truck and I liked it too. It had 190,000 miles but was still smooth and strong. Fuel economy was not great (15 in city, 19 or 20 on highway), however, and from the little I've seen I imagine the 3.0 is a little more difficult to work on.

I doubt one is going to perform a great deal differently from the other in the snow. However, if you're planning on *abusing* it in the snow, then I would go with the 22re simply due to stoutness and ease of maintenance. But like Coed alluded to, don't let it overheat or overrev or it WILL blow its headgasket.

aviator

Here's my 0.02 since you asked for it...
I have a 3.0 with a free flow cat, oversize "2.5"" exhaust, K&N cone air filter and am getting an average of 20.8 MPG at about 70/30 hwy/city driving.
The 3.0 is a good engine if you maintain it... stay on top of the oil changes (every 5k or so) and timing belt (80k -100k) and it will run for ever with good perfromance. just don't overheat it [too badly... it can stand it as long as you STOP right away]
The 22RE is an absolutly bullet proof engine... again stay on top of the oil changes and timing chain [120k] and it will go for ever. I had a 22r in my 87 and it was rock solid. my friend's 86 22re could walk mustang 5.0 at the lights in 4wd [they just spun tires while he pulled away lol].
The 22re will loose power a bit more noticably at alt. but here is it's plus... you can through a turbo on it very easily and then you get 3.0 performance without the 3.0 fuel hit.
It all comes down to what you can find however and what kind of maint. the truck has recieved. You'll probably find a 3.0 a lot more easily than a 22re.
Hope this helped aviator
oh yeah! like the previous poster mentioned the 22re is a dream to work on everything is accessable, the 3.0 is a royal PITA to work on something or other is always in the way, or you have to remove perfectly good parts to get to the one what needs fixin'.