Johnboy21

iTrader: (-1)

This thread is for all those frustrated 3.0 v6 owners who want more power out of there v6. I own a 1989 toyota 4runner with the notorious slug the 3.0 v6. Im here to tell you its not impossible to get power out of your v6. the 3.0 v6 has lots of potential I know because ive been building mine since junior year of high school 2003 till present. The heart of the problem with the 3.o v6 is the exhaust manifold. If anyone out there has taken the time to look at it the passenger side exhaust manifold comes off the cylinder head wraps around the back of the engine and meets up with the driver side exhaust manifold where they both flow out one tiny hole and out your tail pipes. Basically the saddest bit of engineering I have ever seen in my life. A set of headers is the number one recomendation for any 3.0 v6 owner who wants more power. Headers are made by several different companys for the 3.0 v6. After i rebuilt my engine senior year I ordered a set of downey headers through downey off road along with one of there k&n intakes. after throwing the headers and the intake on I went down to the local exhaust shop and had a 2 and a quarter inch flowmaster exhaust installed. All I have to say is WOW!!!!! After getting this installed I finally got that throw you back in your seat throttle response and power. I can claim an honest 11 horsepower gain in this process. I was able to fry my old 31" tires into second gear. Now she sits a bit taller with a pro comp lift on 33" xterrains and 4.88 yukon gears. The motor is now currently making about 190 horsepower over the stock 150 thanks to doa racing throttle body, flexalite electric fan, tweaked cams, msd ignition, and rebuilt fuel injectors, Oh yeah and the engine was bored out a bit. Anyway here are some of the websites that made this engine modification possible...

www.doaracingengines.com

www.downeyoff-road.com

www.performancecenter.com

www.nortwestoffroad.com

www.summitracing.com

If anyone has any questions about what Ive done or has any issues with their v6 just drop me a line enjoy the web sites!!

TOY89

I want to get headers, but they're pretty expensive....

Elton

still glad i dont have my 3.slow anymore

rdhill

I was hoping to see a video of a thermite grenade eatinng its way through a 3.slow block.

bigtrucknwheels

no one ever gives this engine credit. Glad to see someone has spent time building up a 3.0 rather than opting for the 'default' engine swap.

say what you want about polishing poop, but at least he isn't dropping a Heavy Chevy Turd into HIS engine bay..

This summer, if all goes according to plan, look forward to a buildup of my engine. Maybe some FI, cams, block rebuild, upgraded injectors, a little head work. We'll see...

But I totally agree with the headers.

crolison

so what exactly have you done to the 3.0 to gain 40hp?

elripster

Cool, do you have any dyno charts? It would be good to compare stock Vs. yours.

Frank

Johnboy21

iTrader: (-1)

I got the engine bored out when I rebuilt it, I got a k&n intake, downey headers, 2 and quareter inch flowmaster exhaust, DOA racing throttle body, flexalite electric fan, rebuilt injectors, MSD 6a ignition, MSD Blaster 2 coil, MSD Wires, Iridium plugs, I tweaked my cams a bit and regaped all my plugs to about .40 to get a more complete combustion in each cylinder. Yah she gets down and dirty with it

tc

How much did all this cost?

What kind of gas mileage are you getting?

Because if you spent more than $2000 and are getting less than 15 or 17 MPG, a swap would be cheaper...

rdhill

My 3.0 isn't that bad. It has actually come to life since I put the headers on it. I agree that the swap is the easy way out. I have been prepping for a rebuilding another 3.0 for the inevitable engine change.

But you have to agree, seeing a thermite grenade bore a hole through the block would be cool.

rentedmule

1) you "tweaked" your cams??? please give some details here, I'm sure Weazy would love to know more too since he's been working on 3.0 cams for years.

2) if the exhaust is such a problem on the 3.0 why did you only go 2.25" in diameter??? not exactly huge for a "190 hp" motor. search the forum for reviews on headers for the 3.0, you won't find alot of people raving about the cost/benefit although they are a good idea for head gasket life. as for your muffler choice, flowmasters are one of the worst flowing "performance" mufflers available, look up the numbers. if you say it gave you exactly 11 hp then you can obviously support that with the dyno chart, so post it up!

3) it's also common knowledge that an ignition isn't going to do squat for power unless you're pushing serious boost, high RPMs, or your stock ignition was shot. An MSD box and pretty red wires look good but don't add HP unless something was broken to take it away in the first place. I had no trouble spinning my 3.0 to redline with a stock ignition and it ran perfectly smooth.

4) a bored throttle body isn't going to do much behind the restrictive trap-door style air flow meter on the 3.0 either, did you manage to swap to a heated wire style MAF meter?

5) how did you tune the pcm for the extra fuelling needed for the "tweaked" cam and the extra 40hp?

I don't mean to be a jerk but it's easy to surf manufacturers websites and add up all of the HP gains they claim their products will give. PLEASE prove me wrong and post up the dyno charts for your build - alot of 3.0 owners want some evidence that the investments the make in their engine are going to pay off.

Azusacanyonbogger

that must be a miracle motor because mine still has no power with the downey headers no cat and exhaust. these motors in my opinion are junk.. .they run okay, besides blown headgaskets! they drink Gas and have no power.... i'm REALLY on the way to saying F this garbage and getting the 3.4... or the 7MGTE..

AlladdinSane

Truck or 4Runner?

yotasavg

johnny, there will many skeptics to follow, but i agree in that you need to prove yourself. dyno it or something.

rentedmule

I'm not crapping the 3.0, I know there's potential there. I just get skeptical when people make broad claims about exact power increases without showing a dyno chart. I know dyno time is not cheap - if you paid to have your rig dyno'd you're usually more than willing to show off a chart to prove it!

Jay351

I would really like to see a dyno chart.

Did you upgrade your valves, or are you still on the stockers?

4Hummer

So thousands of dollars later, and all you have is an extra 40HP? On the same Head gasket eating 3.0 Liter Engine.

I'll stick with my 22RE thanks

elripster

4Hummer, he had more power than you to start. Thousands of dollars later has even more power than you do. Why is that bad? Upgrades cost dough.

Frank

phenob

my 3.0 is like life: sometimes you've got the mind and the means to swap it out the way you'd like. other times, whether for curiosity, necessity, pride, or love, you just roll with what you have. even if it blows up every few years.

nate V

The 3.0 does suck I have blown up 2 in the same truck over that span of 3 years. Tell you what Im not too inclined to do any upgrades to the next 3.0 I will be installing in my truck in a few weeks. Call me crazy for installing another V6 in my old ass truck but I just cant seem to get over the fact that I can pull those 4 bangers all around town in an axle pull.