Badfish740

Obviously there are a lot of variables when talking about how a 22RE performs on the road (vehicle weight, gearing, tire size, engine wear, etc...), but I'm trying to get a seat-of-the-pants idea of how my engine is doing. I still haven't been able to track down the source of my oil consumption (leak down test in the near future), but to me, at least, the truck feels strong so I'm hoping against hope that maybe the bottom end is fine and that when I pull the head off I'll see that the cylinders still have their crosshatching and that only the head is to blame. In that case I'll leave the bottom end alone, have the head redone, slap in an Engblder cam and call it a day. Here is some information on my truck along with some seat-of-the-pants performance figures-I'd like to see what others think of how well the engine is performing. Its hard for me to gauge because I have nothing to compare it to. I got the truck with 160K on it (engine is of unknown mileage), I've never driven another Toyota truck, and I used to drive a Ford Powerstroke that could do 70 MPH up a hill with a bed full of firewood turning just over 2000 RPM.

1991 Regular Cab Pickup
No A/C or really any other options besides power steering
4.10 gears
Manual transmission
235/75/15s (29") tires
215 lb driver
Full tank of fuel
200 lbs or so of firewood in the bed

This morning on the way into work I was presented with a slight to moderate grade (about 4%) that is just over a mile in length. I was able to maintain 60 MPH in 4th gear at about 3/4 throttle, maybe slightly more, but I never floored it. I did attempt 5th gear but found that with my foot to the floor I could only maintain between 50 and 55 MPH. Based on the statistics I gave, how does my engine sound? Strong, tired, on it's last legs? Part of what I'm trying to figure out is how much better performance I can expect from the truck with a rebuilt engine, 261C cam, and eventually 4.88s/33" tires. Would I be able to do the same hill in 5th gear at 60 MPH no problem?

tj884Rdlx

my old motor performed exactly the way you're describing. i had the head redone when the HG failed, but i didn't have the loot to do anything about the bottom end, which i was told was already redone at least twice and maxxed out. it didn't last a year before i had to put in a new longblock.

when the new engine went in, i expected a huge improvement in power. but my 'seat of the pants dyno' didn't really notice it. so i figured it was because i was rolling 33s with 4.10s. so when i finally got my 4.88s, i was really expecting a huge improvement in power. and it still wasn't there.

i was unhappy, but thought maybe the 22re is just a dog and i must accept it.

someone recommended a subaru performance shop to me so i took it there. they told me they tweaked the timing using their equipment, which was conflicting with what the marks on the engine were telling them. i wasn't sure what they meant by this, did it have wrong parts on it, or what? but when i drove it out of there, i was sold. the truck finally grew a set of balls, and pretty big ones at that.

now the truck will do 80 with half a pedal left and i'm afraid to go faster, but i know it will do more. and finally, it actually accelerates in 5th gear.

so, back to you: is your engine tired, or could you find some power in it if it's set up better? if compression test and leakdown test give positive results, then clean the throttle body, replace basic tune-up parts, and consider experimenting with your timing.

irab88

iTrader: (4)

sounds about right to me. that was going uphill with the firewood?

if the timing chain guide hasn't been changed, might be a good time to look at that...

Badfish740

Thanks for that post-it explains a lot. I didn't clean the throttle body (I will now) but when I got the truck I did do the following:

New plugs, wires, cap, rotor
New PCV
New battery
New air filter
Seafoam treatment in fuel, top end, and crankcase oil prior to changing it

All of that made the truck run a lot better (got rid off the rough idle/off-idle stumble, and fuel mileage improved), but I still have the lingering oil consumption issue. If I'm running around unloaded the truck will use about a quart in 500 miles. I did about 200 miles back and forth carting wood between my house and my parents house (fully loaded bed-probably pushing 800-900 lbs) and managed to use a quart in just that time.

I find this interesting because basically I'm planning on the same setup (4.88s/33s)-the major difference between our trucks of course is weight. I don't know the exact difference between a 4Runner of your era (with top) and my regular cab pickup, but I'm betting its a decent amount-around 500 lbs maybe? The timing thing is definitely worth looking into. I see that there are adjustable timing wheels available and will probably pick one up based on the issues you had with timing.

Yes-a 4% grade so not a super steep hill, but it's about a mile in length so I think its a good test. I didn't have a full load in the bed-maybe a little less than half full?

Definitely-its not making any noise but if I get into the head I'll just change it regardless.

*EDIT*

Just to be clear I thought I would point out that though I was using this test to gauge the relative health of the engine, on-road performance (being able to hit 80 on the highway, etc...) is not really what I'm looking for. I'm using the truck to commute to work right now, but once my wife gets a new vehicle, I'll be driving her Corolla as a DD. At that point I'll be more concerned with the ability of the truck to chug up a dirt hillside in 1st or 2nd gear/4WD HI with 1000 lbs of firewood in the back.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Your truck sounds about one would expect from a 22rec it will be a great firewood hauler.

This is after all what a truck is for You want something to cruise along in the morning rush hour traffic going east. you would need at least 500 Horse power just to keep up with traffic

bob200587

It's slow.

cman1

iTrader: (1)

x2,my 92 does as expected for a 22re, it aint no funny car.

bob200587

Yet I still have fun almost every time I go for a drive... Unless there's obscene traffic.

Badfish740

So maybe my engine isn't as bad off as I thought it was? Basically, would I be getting this kind of performance with a bad set of rings? I tend to think not since escaping pressure from the cylinders = low compression = low power right? Just for kicks I got out on a long straight stretch of road at lunch yesterday and did get up to 80. The truck did accelerate through 5th gear and I probably could have gone a little faster but it just doesn't feel all that stable past 75.

Luckily I don't do the dreaded "Route 78 shuffle"-I head south in the morning. There's still some traffic, but its mostly state and county highways through pretty countryside. I do have a lot of fun driving it too. Once my wife gets a new car the pickup will become a full time wheeling/hunting/firewood hauling truck with occasional bad weather duty. I will get the Corolla-not as fun but you can't beat the fuel mileage.

pruney81

That is a lot of oil consumption but I wouldn't expect a 22re to be a power house even if it doesn't burn oil.

I take it you live in PA, I just drove through there on my way out to Colorado and had to downshift to 4th quite often going through those hills on the 76. Out here I have to get into 3rd going 45-50 to get up the really steep climbs.

Mine doesn't burn any oil but it is still slow. I've had a few of these 22re powered trucks and I think it is just the nature of the beast. They will run for a long time albeit, slowly.

Are you sure you aren't leaking that oil eternally? Maybe the valve stem seals are bad?

Swimmerboy2112

iTrader: (2)

That is entirely too much oil to be burning/leaking!

You need to find out where it's going!

Power, er, lack-there-of, sounds about right.

Badfish740

I'm NJ actually, but close to the border with PA, so it's pretty hilly around here also. I'm not complaining that it's slow, I'm trying to get an idea of what baseline performance is for a 22RE in this configuration. It's a big change going from a 7.3L turbo diesel to a 2.4L naturally aspirated gasser. I'm trying to establish that this is normal performance for a 22RE in order to hopefully rule out bad rings.

Definitely no leaks-I haven't detected a drop coming from it anywhere. I'm thinking (and hoping) that it's valve stems. I should be able to do the leakdown this coming week. If it is the head my next call will be to Engbldr which should fix the problem.