jamacee

Just sold our family wagon. Wife and I have been hunting around for basic grocery getting vehicles for her to drive while I drive our 3rd gen.

I found a pretty nice 2nd gen 4runner w/ 208k on body and 6mo.'s on the 22re rebuild. Now if everything is in fairly good shape what are the real world numbers mpg wise on this combo.

I had a 2nd gen w/ the 3.slo and early on before it blew the head got alright mpg for what it was. It was slow but it was alright.

So being that the 2nd gen is so much heavier than the minitrucks - what is it like DD one around? I did some searches on here and on the web and have seen numbers (mpg's) all over the place. The interweb thinks they get 17 city/20hwy. I suspect that's what they were in 1990 but what about now?

I would much rather have one of these than the subaru's we have been looking at.

BMcEL

I'm assuming you're talking about a 2nd gen 4runner since you mentioned 'grocery getter'. Mileage could be 10/12 bone stock on one and 18/22 bone stock on another. There is a reason it varies so much...depends on running condition, proper alignment, gearing, no brake or wheel bearing drag, etc. etc..

And if you thought the 3vz was slow...

jamacee

Yea my bad I did mean 4runner.

That is what I expected. I was just curious what the average was. I thought I remembered reading on here somewhere that the 2nd gen 4runner was actually heavier than the 3rd gen. I would have to double check but is that right?

daved5150

iTrader: (1)

I have had my 94 4Runner/22re/5 speed/4wd for a year now. It has the stock 4.11 gears and I run 235/75R15 tires which is one size bigger than the stockers (225/75r15). I bought it with 148k miles and it has over 163k miles now. I've been keeping track of mileage since I bought it. I also kept track of the mileage for my 88 4Runner. Without going and calculating the average mpg for the 94, I've had a high of just over 21 mpg to a low of just over 16 mpg (which that was taken in the winter when I was using the four wheel drive a lot). These figures include mixed driving of both highway and city. I put Aisin hubs on at 150670 miles. If I was to calculate the average mpg, I would have to say just over 18 mpg. Now mind you, these figures were taken when I would and still do use "Mexican overdrive." I got that term from my father who drove truck for many years. It means putting the truck in neutral and gliding down the hills. I also do it when I am coming up to red lights, or a stop sign, etc. It does help add miles to the gallon. I don't think I would be able to get over 20 mpg without using neutral.

I also ran the "Condensator" on my 88 and transferred it to the 94 when I bought it. Google it for explanation. It goes between the PCV valve and the intake manifold. It collects all the oil and crap from the head that normally goes into the intake to be burned in the engine and clogs up the throttle body and manifold. It's similar to an airline filter which collects the moisture in the lines. I've seen forums where guys have built them themselves. It does collect some pretty nasty stuff which is pretty cool. When I first ran it on my 88, I would be able to take the ramp off the highway in fourth gear instead of third. It's supposed to help with mileage but I really didn't see any difference other than the motor running a little better because the crap was being kept out of the intake and air/fuel mixture. If you have any other questions about it, let me know.

I modded my stock air box by first taking out the 90 degree elbow at the bottom which is probably in there to keep intake noise to a minimum. Then I added sheet metal to the bottom which started at the intake towards the front of the truck and angles up to the back of the box to bring the air straight up to the new K & N filter that I put in. I sealed all the pieces with aluminum tape. It seems to have added a little power as felt in the "butt" dyno. I go up a hill that I take to work a little faster in the 3rd gear then I did before. The next thing I will be adding is a 3" tube and getting rid of the stock plastic intake tube to the throttle body. I may even get a 5m-ge AFM from the 82-85 Supras and the Cressidas also (to 88). You have to swap the circuit board in the later years of the Supra 83-85 though not exactly sure about the Cressidas. Sorry to go out on a tangent here but if you do get a 2nd gen/22re, hopefully you can use the tips.

My 94 also has the stock muffler system which I am going to be replacing with a free flow muffler (probably a welded muffler from Summitracing.com and a 2" tailpipe from them also). I bought it with a straight pipe where the cat converter was so that maybe helps also. I hope this helps you out. I have seen some mileage claims that I think are a little exaggerated. While these little motors get decent mileage, our trucks are essentially bricks with wheels with no aerodynamic features at all. So you can't wish for higher mpg's. I also hear that the 2.7's get better mpg than the 2.4's and have more power to boot.

jamacee

Thanks Polish Sausage as I am reading this my 11yr old son is hanging over my shoulder laughing about your avatar.

See I have had a 22r in my 86 minitruck and I have had the 2.7 in my single cab taco. They were worlds apart and I completely noticed it when I was driving cross country.

However then we are talking about swaps and I have neither the time nor the money for that yet. I am not even sure I could convince the wife to take the 3rd gen for hauling kids and just let me get this 2nd gen 22re to DD. I have 2700 to work with to find a fairly decent 2nd vehicle with decent mpg. When I say decent I mean better than my 89 suburban that we just sold. So I have a lot of options there lol. However my options in my price range for a wagon type car or suv are limited + these 2nd gen 4bangers are super hard to find around here.

daved5150

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Polish Sausage as I am reading this my 11yr old son is hanging over my shoulder laughing about your avatar.


Glad he enjoyed...but you can call me Dave. Or Polish Sausage if you prefer... That's a shirt design from here in the Buffalo, New York area. Homemade smoked Polish Sausage is the best. Did you see the hockey stick in there? Let me know if you need any more info on polish sausage....

I paid $2600 for my 4Runner. I had to drive to Ohio to get it. If I had to do it again and had more money, I would buy a 3rd gen 4Runner with the 2.7/5speed which is harder to find then the 2nd gen 2.4/5speed, I think. Yea you def. have to look around for the 2nd's and 3rd's with L4's. Obviously the 3rd gen's with the 2.7 are more money. I'd love to get my hands on a 3rd gen with the supercharged 3.4/5speed/4wd. But I'd also need the money which I need to spend on other things. So your wife doesn't like the 3rd gen huh? How many kids do you have?

I know what you're talking about with the 89 Sub. I have a 96 F350 with a 351 gasser. It loves the gas...loves it.

A swap is doable but again...time and money. Good luck on your search. Let me know what you guys decide to do, bro. Keep in touch.

jamacee

LOL. Yea my family is from Chicago. We were up there for easter and my Aunt is polish and Chicago is the 2nd largest polish population next to warsaw. Needless to say the easter dinner appetizers were huge plates of different flavored polish sausage.

Now the Hockey stick I actually thought was a wang and that the avatar was kind of a tongue in cheek joke. My bad.

Back to the yota's. Wife loves the 3rd gen but she loved the burb more. The issue would have been convincing her out of a subaru in favor of me getting a 4banger 4runner.

All this came up when I found a 2nd gen 22re b/c I needed the 4 doors. Wife, Kids 11yr son, 3.5yr old daughter, and 17mo. son, dog, camping gear, climbing gear, or what we haul mostly My carpentry tools or Baby gear.

In the end what will probably happen is I will find a nice subaru 5spd for the economical family vehicle and I will save a little and sell my 3rd gen auto in favor of a lower model 5spd 3rd gen.

However if anyone is interested in the 4runner I am talking about http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/2902111691.html

I have been emailing back and forth with him. I know for a fact he will take 3,750 but I saw him post it for 3500 but I still think he is a little high. I was thinking 2500-3k depending on actually seeing it.

Hey if it is out there and I can't get it maybe one of the yotatechers might want it.

daved5150

iTrader: (1)

Your fam is Polish, huh? You ever go out drinking on Dyngus Day? Here in Buffalo it's huge. Check this site out: http://www.dyngusdaybuffalo.com/
I don't how many Polacks there are in Chicago but we have our own Dyngus Day website here in the "Queen City." I love eating borsh but my wife eats the pig's feet. And don't forget pierogies. I'm Polish/German on my Dad's side and Serbian/Croatian from my Mom. Serbs got good food too. And the funny thing is that I look Italian...

Back to the trucks....too bad you did have the time and money to convert the 'Burb to diesel with a Cummins 5.9. A lot of people are doing it. That's what I want to do in the future with my F350. I can see how she would have a hard time going from a full size "SUV" to a 4Runner...

I checked that 4Runner out...no rust...nice reason to live in Dixie land. The truck is sweet but I do agree he wants too much for the year of the vehicle. Because of the shape of the body and the fresh motor, I would say no more that 3K. Mine was right in line with the KBB value. Has some rust but underneath is in good shape. Need to get into the motor and replace TC because rattles on start up. I have a LCE dual row conversion kit that I never put in the 88. It's going in the 94 for sure. I want to make her last and that will be my 13 yo's first truck. Got some stuff to do to her for sure but that's goes along with everything else I own...it all needs work.

Those Suburu's have their own following also. Those rotary valve motors are like 2.4 or 2.5's. I drove my one of my cousin's. Nice power for a small motor. I hear those go and go also like our trucks. But it's not as cool looking as the 4Runner....

P.S. Let me know if you want to see any more of the Buffalo tshirts designs. There's some good ones. I'll PM to you.

jamacee

No Czech but surrounded by poles.