Hey thanks for all the replies. Do you guys know of any places in the Seattle area that sell the older models with the 22e motors? I've been going through craigslist for the last couple weeks and haven't been able to find anything thats in good condition.

 

Impossile to offroad easy b/c of its width and wheelbase. Been there done that and I am gonna build up a late 80/early 90 truck or runner to be a trail truck.

One things for sure the trans behind them is super tough and its a very tough truck. I like it, but I sure wish I had a stick! Makes a good tow rig for its size too!

 

Heres a good link that shows from 79 - 95 what changes were made ect. Forgot to post it before.

http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/faq/

Man I love the Hilux.

 

We have some of that here too. The wiki page FAQ section.

https://www.yotatech.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

 

First off, whoever the Headgasket problems on the 3.0 are because of a cast iron block and aluminum heads has no idea what they are talking about. Toyota has used plenty of aluminum heads on newer engines without headgasket issues. I honestly think a 3.0 will last every bit as long as a 22RE reliability wise, as long as you keep the cooling system it absolute top shape, and maintained, and you change your oil regularly.

Secondly, You will spend thousands of dollars in time and performance parts to get 22RE where a 3vze is power and torque wise, when as mentioned above a 3vze has a much beefier transmission behind it that is bulletproof, and is more commonly available. But you still can't get the low end torque the 3vze has because the 22RE lacks a bit of displacement, plus it also lacks 2 extra cylinders. Also, 3vze's equipped with manual transmissions actually don't get that bad of gas mileage compared to a 5vzfe (3.4) with manuals. I have a buddy with an '03 Tacoma that weighs about 400-500 pounds less than mine (my truck has fully boxed frame, his does not, plus a few other heavier duty items). His truck and my truck get very similar gas mileage -he's maybe slightly better than me, but otherwise the 3vze equipped with older SOHC technology can still get decent mileage. The 3vze's equipped with auto's are the bane and offer the poor reputation for mileage the 3vze gets. Because this auto transmission has more drive train loss than a manual. For example an auto has around 104-105 HP at the rear wheels, the manual around 121-125 HP at the rear wheels. Big difference when you're talking drivaeability and mileage.

 

I was waiting for someone to bring up the tranny difference. It often seems we have an apples to oranges comparison between a 4 cylinder 5 speed and V6 auto. That is not a valid comparison at all, the auto has gearing issues related to the OD.

I would suggest driving comparable vehicles with each engine. Washington has fairly low speed limits but it is hilly. In SoCal the speeds are high and the terrain is very hilly. For many of us down here, a 4runner with a 4 banger is just unacceptably slow. I lighter pick up on the other hand can be fine. Also, the 4 cylinder engine in the heavier 4runners with larger tires, etc... does not as long as the 3.0 in similar trim. The smaller engine is constantly producing max power and that wears out any engine faster.

I think it is a fallacy to believe you can simply cheaply and easily bolt on modifications to get the power from the 2.4 one gets from the 3.0. To do so requires serious engine building and that power is a result of moving the torque curve towards the higher RPM range sacrificing low end torque (of which the 2.4 has very little). You will need to gear down the diffs accordingly to take advantage of this and that is in itself expensive although you might elect to do it do to larger tires anyway.

You will find if you research that the 3.0 makes more torque idling than the 2.4 does peak and that says a lot of how the two engines will interact with your truck's driveability.


Frank

 

I fully agree. The headgasket issue is due to a poor design, not because of the aluminum head and cast block. The 22RE has an aluminum head and cast block too. So don't millions of other vehicles on the road. The different metals issue went the way of the dodo bird and the Chevy Vega.

 

I'd need to see a dyno run of the 3.0L, but I agree that it isn't realistic to think that you'll get similiar numbers out of the 2.4L with bolt on modifications.

A mild cam, header, reasonable exhaust system and you'll get better power across the board. I wouldn't claim that it'd be the same dyno as a 3.0L.
It will however, get better gas mileage.

If you actually look at a 22RE dyno (there are a few on my website) - you'll find that the 2.4L produces great torque down low. It's designed as a truck motor - most of the torque is from 1000-4000 rpm and everything starts to drop hard after 4500. This sounds a bit lame, but when you recognize that the vast majority of your driving is in this rpm range, it makes sense. These motors are the polar opposite of the the variable valve timing motors that we see today.

The 3.0L can go 200k+ miles. To do so, it'll need to have the original headgasket defect resolved (most do) and you'll need to change the timing belt twice to be safe.

Note, I've owned 2 x 22R, 2 x 22RE, 1 x 3.0L v6, and I've driven both the naturally aspirated and supercharged 3.4L. I prefer the 22REs to the 3.0L: It's cheaper, it's easier to work on, and it gets better mileage... To make it more powerful than a 3.0L, it's not cost effective.


Drive them both.. It comes down to personal preference.

 

Guys, this is a great wealth of info, especially from the people who can truly benchmark the differences.

Ironically enough I was just about to post this same question yesterday and noticed this thread.

I was torn between the 22RE and the 3.0. I'm currently looking at a number of 1st gen 4runners and this will help in my decision. Increased gas mileage to me is at the top of the list along with reliability.

Thanks guys.

 

Absolutely right. Both are good motors, but there are peaks and valleys for each. good thread guys.

 

Agreed. But the biggest design flaw with the 3vze is the exhaust manifold design. It tends to collect major amounts of heat due to the constrictive flow of the manifolds. I've been preaching about headers on this site ever since I joined. IMO, a full exhaust modification (headers, no cat, 2.25" catback setup) does WONDERS for the 3.0

 

Similar

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...s-22re-114231/

 

My 3.0 V6 burns lots of oil and i have blown it once because of that. my 22r doesn't burn as much oil but still does. the 22r can really take a beating. and the 22r is much less weight on the front of my truck. At high RPM's there really is no difference.

 

Ok i'm just crazy cause i have a slight overbore 22re with minor exhaust mods like a perf. cat and 40 series flowmaster and i have way more power than my friends 3.0 v6 and it has a k&N and a muffler also he just has the stock cat.

22re has a lot of room to do things fast and quick in the engine bay. Especially essential if your on the trail. I work on both mine and my friends and really his is a pain to work on. No room at all i usually have to remove objects just to get to other parts. And i really like the timing chain rather than the belt.

And it truely comes down to preference i guess.

 

I have owned both... the 22re was louder and under powered... but never had a problem with it. The V6 has good power/torque imo... not sure why they call it a 3.slow or whatever... it is wayyyy more powerful then the 22re

I think both are great motors... just people like to say one is better than the other.. but by no means are either junk. After all they are both toyota

 

Holy thread bump!

I have yet to encountner a 22re that could pass me

 

The 22RE has more room in the engine bay, which is nice because you can fit a York compressor and have cheap on board air. I've found to be reliable, but my buddy's 3vze has 250K on it and its doing fine.

 

Mine has just about 150k on the new shortblock.

 

Put that heartbeat in it,, chevy powerrrrr!!!!!!!!!!! V8 swapppp

 

A chevy small block 350 fits PERFECTLY in the engine bay. Dooo it. You'll never wanna go back to a yota motor (unless you happen to have a sc 3.4 sitting around).