2000_4Runner

How much of a power gain do you get? Is it very noticeable? Also, what kind of supportive mods should I do if I am looking into this? Does the tranny need beefed up or do the internals need forged, torque converter etc? What all have you all done?

frodin1

YES YES YES.Search SC install and or removal I looked into it a year ago and
pretty much got shot down because I didnt want to spend 5 grand for 25hp
Valve body upgrade I think is around 6-800 dollars. Search and youll find. there was a thread of a guy taking one off earlier today. goodluck

mastacox

To properly install the supercharger (read: not destroy your engine), you need to make sure to get the supporting fuel mods, and an upgraded valve body for your transmission.

You can do a search for "supercharger fuel mods" and read all you want about the two options: URD 3.4l Supercharger Fuel Upgrade Kit, or TRD 7th injector w/ URD AIC.

Plan on about $1800 for the supercharger, $1100 for the fuel upgrades (possibly closer to $1300), $800 for the upgraded valve body, and $400 or so for the diagnostic equipment needed to tune the engine after installation. Grand total of about $4100, and that's if you do all the work yourself; plan on closer to $4500 when you include shipping charges, and even more if you get some stuff installed professionally.

That being said, it is generally accepted that a 3.4l V-6 with the Supercharger, URD Fuel upgrade kit, and URD 2.2" pulley (and a good tune of course) puts out about 320-330bhp at the crank, up from 185bhp stock.

Ric

thats all S/C puts out ? woow, never really looked into this

frodin1

I got a respose of do it right or dont do it at all. Or you will regret it. These poor guys buying a runner off the toy lot being told its gotta factory SC in it. Vrooom PINGPINGping is Not cool.

mastacox

lol it puts out a lot more than that! The TRD Supercharger by itself puts up about 75Hp, and with the URD kit/pulley and a good tune you will get about 140hp (over the base 185). Put on W/MI and you can push past a 100% increase in power over stock.

Ric

thats more like it.

maybe someone should do a write-up "Super Chargers for dummies"
or "Super-Chargers 101"

mastacox

I'm workin' on it, don't rush me

Soon I'll have a Supercharger-101/FAQ on my website.

Ron(Fla)

This poor guy has had his installed since 2002. The ping was fixed with 2 step colder NGK Iridium IX plugs. A TRD tran cooler went in at the same time as the SC'r. And syn oil every 4K miles. Also regular doses of Techron to keep the upper engine clean. I drive it conservatively, the same way I drove it the 2 yars before the SC'r. Then why the SC'r? Because now I have a Runner that runs like it has a mid-size 250 HP v8 in it. It's not a street racer because I didn't want a street racer.

No engine problems and no trans problems. Just what I expect from my 2K 4Runner, and what I also got from my '95 4Runner.

It's not a "do it all or it will blow up on you" situation. Not for me anyway. YMMV due to the size of your shoe and the weight of your foot.

ebelen1

Great post. I've been toying w/ the idea of a s/c for over a year and have had such conflicting messages. From the guys here trying to get to the 300 whp number, I think they are using their truck as a street racer; at least every so often.

I just want more power on the highway; that's all. I don't feel like drag racing anyone on the street so I'm still unsure as to fuel mods and valve body work. I have two friends that have had the s/c since day one on their Tacos w/ no problems and each are over 100k miles now.

You make me want to think about this harder...

Ron(Fla)

In 2002 I had the SC/T Cooler installed by my dealer. At that time TRD was recommending a NGK Platinum plug, 2 steps colder. I contacted NGK and explained my occasional pinging problem, and they recommended their Iridium IX plug because of the lower fireing voltage. This was because of the slight possibility of fouling due to the plug being 2 steps colder. Last year my dealer checked the plugs and said that they were like new.

Also, with the "free fmu", the "stock" fuel pressure at "vac" (on boost gauge) is ~37 lbs, "0 or atmosphere" is ~40 and "boost" is ~ 44. If I need to accelerate quickly while in "vac" I bring it up to "0" on the boost guage before punching it. I've been planning since 2002 to install a couple of check valves so the fuel regulator would only see atmosphere and boost. Maybe someday.....

And, as I said, no problems for me so far. But who knows what tomorrow brings......

Ric

sweet, let us know when its done, oh, and no hurry i cant afford it now anyways lol

same here, well been thinking about for about 2 years lol but my problem is i have 185000 miles on mine, Im thinking thats a little high for a S/C and i will need it going up the mountains pulling a trailer.

mastacox

The only times I've eve heard of someone having a supercharger by itself with no difficulties is when the people don't use it, or when they exaggerate the truth. I also haven't seen anyone post any kind of numbers in terms of their AFR or EGT's with the lone S/C, which in my opinion makes any claims of being "fine" circumstantial evidence and worthless. All they know is they haven't had a chatastrophic failure yet.

If you're wanting a S/C for the highway ride, plan on seeing high-gear/low-rpm ping. Plugs might do it for ya, but in the end your engine is still running lean and hot, not a good combination. If you want it for towing, you'll definitely want the URD kit because the engine is running lean for a forced induction application, and your EGT's will go through the roof. That and you could definitely see some major fuel pressure drops leading to complete loss of power and detonation

URD kit or not, always install a tranny cooler; if you get the URD kit plan on a VB upgrade unless you like pain and spending a lot on a new transmission.

This is making me work harder on S/C 101, all of these questions will be answered in there.

Ron(Fla)

Mine gets used everytime I drive it. My driveway is at 4000ft, and not much is level around here. And I don't need to exaggerate (lie) because I am speaking from my own experience. I don't have an agenda.

You're right. I haven't checked AFR and EGT's. And I haven't had a failure yet. And again, This is my experience with my Runner. I took the chance and it has worked fine for me. If anyone else wants to do the same, it's up to them.

Again, no ping or power loss for me towing. Although my towing is limited to one trip from Fla to NJ towing a 2000 lb U-Haul, crossing the Blue Ridge while going from I95 to I81, and again crossing the mountains on I80 thru PA. Boost while crossing the mountains was 3-5 lbs, and low boost most of the other times. Mileage avg'd 17mpg towing and 20.5 on the way back, not towing.

Good for you....

And enough from me......

xcmountain80

So if im in the same boat and am thinking about a SC,m the items already on my grocery list are URD injector kit $999 the SC $1800-$2800 and God only knows what the new mill will cost. I need to add a tranny cooler? What else. and as a side note my 3.4 will be swapped for a 50k or less 3.4. Because mine will hit 200k in the next 1.5 years. So its not a long term goal but a short one.
Aaron

frodin1

I figure 5 grand you could probably just do a small block and new tranny! Has anyone ever done this?

Stevo3

Then you can call it a Chevota

QSVeilside

Why do we supercharge?

There is a two ton SUV out there that comes with the horsepower of a civic, (180 HP at the engine crank with a 20% drivetrain loss = 144 HP at the rear wheel - RWHP), and the gas mileage of a V8 Chevy... It's called the Toyota 4runner.

This monstrosity has a 0-60 time of 10 seconds as tested by numerous sources, and as you can imagine, has a very difficult time getting on the freeway / passing people / towing / etc.

But gosh darn is it reliable!

The supercharger alone adds around 60 crank hp. You need to understand that crank hp is different from rear wheel hp. Most of the folks on here talk about rear wheel hp - measurable with a dyno. The supercharger doesn't make the 4runner a race car. It makes it a normal vehicle in terms of drivability.

It is an expensive decision. However, how much power you want is up to you. If you don't like tuning, and just want a plug and chug, get the supercharger with 7th injector kit, (TRD piggy back ECU with 160 deg thermostat included), with IK22 plugs. Every truck is different. Some have pinging issues which require timing control. Others have no problems whatsoever.

My personal experience with the supercharger has been nothing short of enjoyable. Initially when I had it installed with the 7th I felt it was weak for the amount paid. For $80, I was able to run the 2.2" pulley with the 7th inj kit with no problems. For a little more, I am able to run the 2.1" pulley with the 7th inj kit and 190 lph fuel pump, ($135+ $90), that puts out 290 hp at the crank. Now the truck probably does 0-60 in 7 second range. Sure, I still need to upgrade my valve body. Heat is what degenerates the tranny, and if you get a big enough trans cooler you can buy yourself some time for as little as $50. VB upgrade is next on my list of mods.

The folks on this thread are correct. It is an expensive decision that should be thought out. Consider the amount you will spend, and the possibility of trading in your truck. Consider how long you plan on owning your truck. That alone should make the decision clear.

Good luck!

frodin1

Well said! I keep hearing of people buying used 4Runners at the dealer and other places, being so proud of the SC. All to often to see them having problems right away because someone just threw one of these things on and did nothing else.

midiwall

You got a lot of words about performance but kinda' only a bit from Brian (mastacox) on tranny stuff.

If you're asking about a TC then I figure you're auto. You will want to drop $650 on getting the valve body ("VB") beefed up. This is a plate in the tranny that shuttles fluid from point A->B. There's a company on the east coast called IPT that's been the general go-to shop around here. There's an old thread here that explains a bit of the work, but a lot of it is kept as a business secret. No matter, the net result is that you will get stronger shifts and a much tighter lock-up.

If you don't do the work, and if you drive with your right foot, then you can expect the shift from 1st->2nd to get sloppy in about 10,000 miles. It'll be worthless at about 30k.

It's not a pain to pull the VB, but it's messy, you'll drop about 7 quarts of ATF. The downside of the process is that your truck will be undriveable while the VB is out. Depending on where you are in the US, that could add up to a week or so. IPT does the work VERY fast, usually same day, and people will generally take advantage of that by pulling the VB, shipping it FedEx overnight on a Monday and paying for the same return route. That'll get you the VB back on Wednesday. The problem here is cost - the VB is about 13lbs, and if you're shipping coast-to-coast, that'll cost ya'.

Remember also to include the price of 7 quarts of ATF for the reload.


You had asked what folks have done... I have a lot in my sig, but in regards to performance:

• TRD Supercharger
• 370cc injectors
• Perfect Power SMT5 timing/fuel controller
• URD 2.2" pulley
• Plasma Booster ignition kicker
• IK22 plugs (these are the "2 step colder" plugs)
• IPT modified valve body
• Long duration cams
• Walbro 190 fuel pump
• Level 10 modified torque converter
• Supra MAF
• Bored throttle body
• Deckplate mod
• Airaid MIT
• Hayden tranny cooler
• Downey headers
• Magnaflow free-flow cat
• 2.5" exhaust
• Methanol mister (spring-time install)

Power wise, I'm aiming for 400hp at the crank.

Kudos to you for asking before just dropping it on!