Vtec_Killer

what options do we have? I've been searching Google with little result. What have you guys done?

Does your exhaust drone?
Is it loud in the cabin?

Sorry, but I'm very new to the Runner scene and ask nOOb questions.

gwhayduke

Search here on 3.0 headers or 3vze headers. We've all written about this until our fingers are bleeding.

Welcome to the board!

MonsterMaxx

I can't speak for the rest, but I've spent a tremendous amount of $$ trying to get the 3.0 to make power.

The complete exhaust gave a noticeable boost (~5hp).
The headers (NWOR) did nothing were a bitch to install, NWOR had to replace them twice due to manufacturing defects.

Ad nausum.

If you are searching for HP from the 3.0 I think you will find the same thing I have - lots of $$ spent for very small results.

Consider a conversion before you get all wound up about getting power from your 3.0

Other things to consider is that the 3.0 has a pretty serious design flaw in the headgaskets. It's near 100% surity that your motor has had leaks at one time and done some damage. W/ that many miles you better expect to rebuild it w/in the next 50k. This is extremely expensive.

Combine this with getting screwed over by Tim at DOA and my 'rebuild' cost me over ten grand and nearly a year of downtime, ended up with a 3.0 that's marginal and makes ~20% more power than stock (low 100s hp on the dyno)

My experience was that all the time and money I've spent on the 3.0 has been a giant waste and that I should have dropped in a VORTEC and been done with it for less than half what I spent - would be in the 150hp range if I had.

Vtec_Killer

Thanks for the info guys.

Well, my engine had a rebuild 5K miles ago, so hopefully she'll last at least another 100K miles.

The reason why I'm changing the exhaust out is not really for want of power gain, but I have a small exhaust leak. I figured I would just change out the old one with a new aftermarket one.

MonsterMaxx

my truck was the gibson proto and sounds great.

more rumbly than borla and the borla turned into a very annoying tone after about 3 years.

I have a brand new in the box Borla for a 89-95 xCab.

gwhayduke

Not all of us have had MM's bad luck, but there are several here with varying degrees of it. Drive it like a truck, consider redline to be 4500 rpm, swap out your fluids to synthetic (that includes gears), and put an 18" MagnaFlow on it for a low, rumbly sound. All that has given me a good vehicle with 223,000 on just tonight, that still gets about 19 mpg intown and on the highway when it's loaded with about a half-ton of people, dogs and gear.

As a vehicle, I believe my 2nd gen is more solidly built than my 3rd gen. I sure do like the 3rd gen's coils all the way around and 3.4 V6 though.