Belize Off Road Team

What can i buy to upgrade my 3.4L?
replace ignition with MSD DIS4 system and NGK wires
K&N drop in or Injen cold air intake
TRD or K&N oil filter
best plugs E3 or Denso? if Denso which one?

What are things i can do to upgrade it?


Oh and my budget is pretty high for this project so i want best of the best.

mt_goat

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/s...thread-111739/

When it comes to upgrades for the 3.4, you can't beat being blown:

Belize Off Road Team

i already have plans for the S/C, URD upgrades, fuel system upgrades etc. but i want to know what i can do to the basic stuff. the stuff that normally does not come to mind but can help in power/economy

mastacox

You won't be able to find much in the way of worthwhile upgrades without a supercharger. Different plugs won't help, intake and exhaust likely won't do much (except maybe the deckplate mod and a Truflow Air Filter.)

My best advice is to keep up on your regular maintinenace like replacing the oxygen sensors, MAF sensor cleaning, TPS, and regular air filter and oil replacements.

mt_goat

My advice is to stay away from the K&N air filters. The MAF doesn't like oily filters. I get over 10 psi of boost with the stock air filter.

I've never heard of a TRD oil filter

Cold air intake is a pipe dream, only way to cool the intake temps with a SCer is water/meth injection. Look into that, especially if you want to go to a 2.1" pulley.

The URD upgrade should include new spark plugs. I believe its the Denso IK22, IIRC. http://www.densoiridium.com/

mastacox

Make sure you get the Copper Desno ones with your URD kit to ensure reliable ignition, Desno Iridium IK-22's are nice plugs but can play havoc with your igntion due to their screw-on top.

I had a hell of a time diagnosing the problem that eventually came down to the IK-22 spark plugs.
http://www.ultimateyota.com/index.ph...=2111.msg21919

And before you ask, changing to Copper Denso plugs will NOT help you right now, they are made for use with hotter intake temps (like with forced induction) to conduct heat away faster and avoid ping. Using them before you're supercharged will do nothing useful.

Belize Off Road Team

Ok, well everyone says bad things about K&N but i have had one in my 3.0L for 3 years going on 4 and i have had no problems and have had better air flow. regular maintenance keeps it good. ANYWAY.

So i will do what i was going to do anyway as that seems to be what everyone recommends.

But what does everyone think of the MSD DIS-4 system? does it help the motor at all?

Belize Off Road Team

And upgrading the small things does help alot with performance, look at my 3.0L, i get 125bhp and 25MPG. no turbo, no S/C, no major mods. that is why i was asking about the small things with the 3.4L

mt_goat

Your 3.0 didn't have a MAF though.

Belize Off Road Team

True enough, i might run it for a short while when i do the swap just to see what it is like, or i am looking into a TRD air filter for it or i am trying to see if a 4.0L TRD cold air intake will fit on the 3.4L

mastacox

Any way you cut it, K&N Filters are a POOR choice for a 3.4l when you can get a TruFlow foam filter. It's an excellent filter that filters better than the K&N without all of the nasty oil. For the 3.4l a TruFlow filter paired with a deckplate mod and ISR mod is the best choice. Dyno proven gain of about 6 hp, more than the K&N FIPK according to Gadget's dyno tests on his website.

I had a K&N drop-in filter in my 3.0l for a while but ditched it about 1 year later when I cleaned it one day and could see holes through the cotton material. Million miles my arse.

I haven't yet heard of any ignition system mods that help the 3.4l run better. I would guess it's because the ignition system is not the limiting factor in the engine's performance. Most people find the 3.4l runs best with OEM plugs and wires.

They're completely different engines, and I find that most people severely overhype the value of "upgrading all of the small things to get a big result." You're most likely to see a result by keeping up with your maintenance.

Belize Off Road Team

Thats what i thought about doing small things to the 3.0L but look what it got me. And your absolutly right 100%...nothing gives your more performance than having a extremely well maintained motor. That is where i think i get my performance from with my 3.0L, it is so well maintained that it runs better than new.

That's what i try and tell everyone who asks how i get 125bhp and 25MPG, regular maintenance, upkeep and TLC.

strykersd

Not sure if any companies that sell these, but these should be able to net you some more power
-cams (probably not cheap since you'll need 4)
-hi compression pistons

scuba

Im sure if you actually chop that top rather then just painting a picture of it will make that thing hella lighter

Good luck with the swap

gilby4runner

Not to be a jerk but if your 3.0 is doing so well why go to the hassle of the 3.4 swap? You will not get 25mpg's out of the 3.4.

Belize Off Road Team

I am going to chop, i am waiting for my friend from Toronto to come down. So soon. And i will be painting my truck all white, all the trim will be white as well. I am putting the motor in next month. Then the chop/paint is next in line.



You're not being a jerk in asking, it's a valid question.
I figure it wont be long till the 3.0L gets worse as it is approaching 200,000kms. and the 3.4L is more reliable, powerful and if i can get it running as good as my 3.0L i should get more than 25MPG before i S/C it.

Texas_Ace

Having tried all the "little upgrades" on my truck i can say that really they are a waste of $$$.

I have the MSD, i am now selling as soon as i get time to pull it off, it is already disconnected.

Already use AMSoil, good stuf good idea but ain't going to give you any more power. just will keep it running longer.

Air filter? not going to do much, espically once you SC it.

Really you have a few basic ways of making power with the 3.4, SC, SC and full set of mods to get the most out of the SC, SC and full set of mods and internal build to take more boost.

to get any more power NA you spend a LOT of $$$$ for not much return. the little things MIGHT get you 15hp tops. a SC will get you 75+

It really depends on price and what you want to do.

If price is no object, then overhual the engine with forged internals. pistons, rods. Then go to work on the head, P&P, new valves, cams, springs. Then headers and an open exahust.

Then put a SC on it with a 2.1 or 2.0 pulley, URD 7th, meth injection, maybe even a cryO2 system.

That will put you up at around 300hp at the wheels. but will cost you a LOT, we are talking $5000 - $10,000, which is more then your truck is worth and more then you could ever sell it for.

mastacox

It wouldn't cost anywhere near $10,000. Getting a supercharger (~$2000), URD 7th injector kit ($1000), pulley ($150), tuning equipment (~$500), and a W/MI system ($500) would only run you up to a little over $4000. Include a VB upgrade if you need it and you're just barely breaking $5000.

hross14

1uz upgrade and

cackalak han

Go FI or leave it stock. The End.

My $.02 -- Having had a TRD S/C'ed 3.4 and stock 3.4L (x2), I really think a well-running stock 3.4L has all the power I need for it's purposes as a truck engine. The SC was fun, but compared to my 600cc bike, I had problems trying to hold back the yawns.