i was towing my boat today with my '84 2wd, and i noticed it takes a looong time to get going, and the truck seems to really chug when going up even minor grades and higher speeds(50+). it also ran pretty hot, so i opened up the windows and blasted the heater to take some stress off the engine. i'm suprised, since it's not even a big boat, only a 13' aluminum with a 15hp outboard.

i was wondering, what can i do to increase my torque for towing? my friend recommended a cam/header/weber carb setup...would this kind of thing be worth it?

i'm asking mainly because i'm looking to buy a 1st or 2nd generation solid axle pickup, and while 96 hp is fine for towing my boat around town, i want to be able to take it across the mountains to eastern washington, and i'm scared to death of going back up vantage hill(big hill coming out of the columbia river gorge, some of you in the PNW might know it, it's a notorious car killer)

on an unrelated note, when i got home and tried starting my truck again, it made a "thudthudthud" noise like it does when it first starts, but it kept dying when i let go of the key. finally i would let off the ignition and coaxed the engine to run with the gas, it slowly got going...seemed a bit like it does when you push start it. my friend said it shot out a nice big cloud of black smoke

i've been also noticing a rattling noise coming from the engine occasionally when the engine is idle, and at some rpm ranges and gears(doesn't always do it). i know my belts could use adjustment, but i'm afraid of it being my timing chain wearing out. the noise seems to be coming a bit from the vicinity of the alternator. any ideas?

 

There's a shop sumwhere in these links (I'm sure someone will come up with it) that builds powerfull 22r and 22re engines. If no one mentions it, I'll get it for you when I get home (Im out right now). Other than a swap, I don't think there's much you can do for torque/power.

 

LCE? LC Engineering. I have heard very mixed reviews about their engines. And, its really expensive.

Here is my vote:

Intake, header, exhaust, cam, port and polish

Only problem: By the time this is all done, you could have sold your truck and got a new one with more power to begin with.

 

I like to tow with my '85 22RE. It doesn't have any problem with heat--it stays cool as a cucumber no matter how hard I work it. You might look into your cooling system to see if it's flowing alright.

I've noticed you can get extra torque by playing with the timing and mixture. I had my timing advanced more than factory and I gained torque by backing it up to factory spec. I'm pretty sure I also gained torque by leaning out the mixture. I haven't hooked up a trailer yet, but it sure feels like it has a much easier time getting the load rolling at lower revs now. I'd experiment with that stuff first before you do anything drastic.

Eric

 

You can get more torque by getting a heavier flywheel, correct??? or is that just more torque at low RPM ???

 

Yes. A heavier flywheel would provide more torque at low to mid RPM. You will lose some power at max rpm. That's one of the reasons diesel engines have a enormous amount of torque at low RMP. A diesel flywheel is about twice or more the weight of a equal size normal engine.