I just recently bought a used 95 4runner with a 3.0L V6 and 4x4, but I feel like it is not enough power when trying to pass people on the highway and especially in tough offroad terrain. I love this car but I need some more horsepower. There is a K&N filtercharger already installed and I'm not sure whether that is stock or not but besides that, what can I do to "soup" up this engine and add power?? Thanks.

 

Hey,

Check out the performance category of the Tech section:

Link to performance area

It's nicely categorized & has some key items for your 3.0 V6.

Hope it helps.

Al

 

Well thanks HBoss but all of the mods on that website are for 3.6L engines..do you know of anything to help my 3.0?

 

Sorry, I basically meant the headers and an electric fan (the 2nd & 3rd items shown on that page). Those would help you get a little more kick. Air filter & performance exhaust system also.

Al

 

I feel your pain..
the largest changes can be illusions, it feels like it is handeling better so it must be stronger. or the road is litup so much brighter, the thing must have more power RiGHT?
the best thing I've done to date is the ADD to manual hubs I went WARN I think most here would advise AISIN hubs but I'm impatient and ORW had them on the shelf. from here you go big or learn to live with it. the 3.sl0w's next up's are things you need time and space for or a large wallet and a mic-in-ic you can trust not to screw you once the truck is apart. and one who will do the jobs as if he were working on his own rig.
getting a good header/muffler set up
re-gearing the axels to fit 32's and still hit 85 on a hill.
squeesing in a 4.1 could it possibly fit. who is going to do that write up??? CEBBY, COREY, UK.

 

You callin' me out? Huh? j/k

Not sure what motor the 4.1 is, but here's a few thoughts. I think there are a few phases folks go through with motor mods. Here's my take on it:

Easy/Simple Bolt Ons (little mechanical skill & short time to do)-
K&N FIPK
Cat-back exhaust (I have a Borla)
Flex-a-lite fan (reduces engine drag)
Upgraded Plug Wires (Not sure if this does anything)

More Complex Bolt-Ons (more time, or machine shop involved)
Overbored Throttle Body
Headers
Port and Polish Heads
Port and Polish Intake Manifold
Cams

Overboard (Engine Swaps - Toyota Engines only for me - American motor in Runner = Pig Heart in Human)
3.4 V6 out of a Tacoma or 4Runner
I6 out of a Supra (not sure of displacement)
4.7 V8 out of a Tundra (my personal quest)
Front Range is making or planning to make harnesses for the 3.4 and 4.7. They'll have a swap kit for the 3.4 they say.

I'm sure I didn't hit them all, but its a start. Hope this gives you a few ideas...

 

ya well 220...221 whatever it takes.
when I said 4.1 it was with the 4.7 in mind so I thought I would be cool and call it a # and well, that number was wrong.. but back to this pig heart in human thing, this could explain a lot for some of the people I've seen waddeling around.
if I want to call you out you'll know it, there buddy boy
High noon sidewall puncture test in the little sluce box...( hey can I teach my computer to whistle when I say something corney. it would be whistling now)
I was just thinking of the only people who would know how to even start this ? ah project. who else would try putting a nice big V-8 in a regular toyota, obviously you have given it some thought. Other than the huge price tag are there other major difficulties in the 3.0 to 4.7 swap, moving the firewall back4"'s type stuff?

 

I'm not sure there is that level of difficulty involved, although I've cut vehicles up for lesser reasons. There are people swapping the Supra inline 6 (5M-GE and/or 7M-GE) without touching the firewall. I need to confirm this, but I can't imagine the 4.7 V8 is longer in dimension than the I6.

Pricey, oooo yeh! I stopped at a place that specializes in foreign salvage, they wanted $1500 for a Tundra motor that was torched. This meant that I'd need all new electrics including harness, coil packs, etc. They considered this a premium engine they said. I found a place that does rebuildables last year. I need to keep in touch with them, since they quoted me $1500 for a 3.4, auto tranny and tcase with ECU, but no harness. I thought that was a steal.

Was that your best Clint impersonation? [clint]ya feelin' lucky, punk?[/clint]

 

After having to have the heads removed for a valve job, I had them ported and polished and had the cams reground. I also had installed a full 2.5" exhaust. All that did net some more torque and HP, but the mods alone cost between 1500.00 and 2000.00 when all was said and done. So now instead of a :pig: I now have a :beaver: which is not quite the I wanted. So now im I could have used the money for a or a :beach:

 

Dude your going to get this over and over. The 3.0 is not a powerhouse period dot..... However to get the most of it there are a few things you can do, most of which are mentioned here already. If you are truely dissatisfied with your power and have the money to burn it would be more worthwhile your time and money IMO to do a swap. A 3.4 supercharged in a 2nd Gen Runner would be savage and I am reading more and more that this mod isn't all that hard to do. Look at this swap thread Good luck with your quest.. BTW this is all my opinion. I have the K&N, Borla Cat, and NGK plugs and am quite pleased my 3.0 performance.. if only now the gas mileage didn't suck so bad.

 

foreigner, check my sig. The biggest performance gain is by far the Downey headers and exhaust system (did this all the same time). Next would be the throttle body bored out. The Downey air filter kit and flexalite electric fan replacement, done at separate times, was pretty much the same gains. All of these mods are very noticeable but the headers and exhaust system are a huge improvement!