I am thinking about selling my 94 4runner, for insurance reasons. its just to much for a college student.

Well My question is: Which would you get?

84-85 4Runner with a 22R; lifted 2" on the suspension and a 2" body lift.
OR
86-89 4Runner with a 22RE; lifted 2" on the suspension (BJ Spacers up front) and a 2" body lift.

Both are sporting 33s, and a rear locker. The rear suspension has equal specs/mods.

 

similar qustion got asked a lot on pirate and 4x4wire board.
The thing is no matter which one you get, you're gonna spend about the same amount of cash modifying it. ex:
with the 84/85 you gonna want hysteer and IFS steering box, wider rear axle from later yr, front spacer, EFI mod ( if it doesn't come with it), long field....

with the 86 -89, SAS with long field,.....

Common mod would be after market d-shafts, dual case, front locker, etc.........

Now, if you're just changing it for ins. reason then for out of the box offroad, find the 85 with EFI.

 

Personally, I would get the SA 84. Just my opinion...

 

Personally, I prefer fuel injection over a carb for any type of wheelin'.

Easy starts: starts in cold or hot weather, won't flood on off-camber stuff..........

Better economy........

Better for the motor- oil stays cleaner much longer...

And, honestly, are you gonna play in the rock piles enough to benifit from an SA rig? For 90% of wheelin', a IFS rig is more than capable. Especially if it's locked already....

PLUS, If you absolutely require it, the conversion to a SA is available

 

Carbs suck. Look for an '85 EFI 4Runner.

 

It's a wash either way (stock solid axle VS SAS) so go for the EFI and build it from there.

 

Huh? Other than the air/fuel system they're identical, including the EGR and PCV systems. Exactly how does having a carb cause your oil to not "stay clean longer"?

 

A properly maintained direct injection fuel system runs leaner and does a much better job atomizing of fuel than a carb. Those two factors along with better engine management via the newer computer systems contribute to less oil contamination.

A carb sprays a LOT more fuel into an intake than is required- some of which is washing down cylinder walls, intake runners, valves, all of which are contaminated w/ oil and other combustion by-products. All the junk ends up in the oil...........

The oil in my older carb'd vehicles (last one was a 1970 GMC w/ a new 350 crate motor, and a half dozen others I've owned) was visably dirty by about 2500 to 3000 miles. Our newer direct injected motors (1987 22RE, 1998 GM 7.4L, and a GM 5.3L) all show every little change in oil color at 3000 miles.

In fact, since the 5.3L has an onboard oil management system, http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/...or_041603.html we decided to see how long it would go before it determined it was time to change the oil. It monitors oil temps, RPM's, and other factors. At 5800 + miles, the oil was still very clear and slightly honey colored when it indicated it was time to have the oil serviced.

 

Well the 22RE in my truck turns the oil black within 1000 miles, I believe this has more to do with the condition of the rings and cylinder walls (blow-by) than anything. Carbs still have to pass the same emissions tests that EFI vehicles do, if they were running that much richer they wouldn't pass.

 

anyone tried to scale a hill with a carbeurated engine???

try to remember what happens when climbing a hill over 45degrees with a carbed 22r....it stalls. thats why i would always want an EFI engine for rock crawling-- no stalling and no carb to adjust. but thats just me.

T

 

I would go with the 85-89 EFI runner, It's like it's on the Atkins diet.....No Carbs!!! :pat:

 

id go with efi. since its going to be your only vehicle, then you really want the extra horsepower if nothing else. besides, toy IFS withstands 33's no problem as long as you are careful with the gas pedal and/or unlocked up front.

 

Wow... looks like the majority has spoken!

July's issue of Four Wheeler (the one with the green Avalanche on the cover) had part of this debate in an article that had "experts" talk about the pros of their preferences:
__________________
Carburetor:
By now, you think that I'm severely afraid of technology, so much so that I retreat to a rustic cabin deep in the woods somewhere. Actually, that does sound pretty good; but I'm really not averse to this modern age of fax machines and instant Jello. I am just a big fan of reliability. And that is why I like carburetors. They are simple pieces of equipment that do not need hosts of wires, computers, and sensors to maintain order. They are easy to fix in the middle of nowhere should something go wrong. With standard tools and a bit of knowledge, they can be taken apart and rebuilt. You don't need a wiring diagram, code scanner, voltmeter and a laptop to figure out that something expensive you don't have with you has burned up and needs to be replaced.
OK, so I am backward. but I am not completely ignorant. I am well aware that fuel injection has the major advantage of off-camber performance over the venerable carburetor. yes, I am jealous of my friends as I watch them try some wildly off-camber obstacle or big climb. It amazes me that their vehicles keep running while they are rolling over onto their lids. However, in a way, my carb keeps me out of this kind of upside-down trouble. I will try one of the crazy obstacles and my carb will tell me it is not a good idea to proceed. It will do so by refusing to send the right amount of fuel to the engine. It might not be as glamorous as EFI, but the resulting coughs and sputters help keep my rig in one piece.
- Craig Perronne

EFI:
I see a no-carb diet for vehicles of the future. As with all new technology, there's a learning curve. the only possible argument for a carburetor (simplicity) is quickly becoming pointless. The stnadard fora ll new vehicles is fuel injection - not just because of the greatly improved exhaust emissions EFI makes possible, but also because of much better fuel economy.
As this technology is refined and improved upon, we'll see fewer and fewer reasons to stick with the old mixer. It's only a matter of time until every person has a handheld gizmo with which he can tune his EFI. This means that no matter how far away you are on the trail when your fuel injection decides to crash, you'll be able to point your gizmo at an infrared port under the hood and get hard factual data about malfunctions - and then fix them.
The owners of carbureted vehicles, meanwhile, will have to wait days for classic parts suppliers to find and ship discontinued relics of a past era. These suppliers will only exist in regions where the stubborn and backward seek refuge from progress - indeed, from reality. The cost of these outdated parts will rise as supplies diminish, and eventually the only realistic options for grandpa's old rust bucket will be an EFI conversion or the junkyard. You carburoids probably have 10 to 20 years left. So either change with the times or start looking for a cave in which to house your precious horde of float bowls and rebuild kits.
- Robin Stover
__________________

 

These engines are not direct injection to begin with. The new duramax diesels are direct injection (shoot directly in the comb. chamber). 22re's are port injection.

 

my 2 cents: FI is generally superior to carbs, I agree, but carbs do have advantages. I was recently on a site that had three different aftermarket carbs for the 22r, with varying venturi sizes, and performance increases; there was also a rejet kit; you are not able to modify fuel injection as you are with carbs. As for the fuel efficiency, yes, FI is more efficient, however that is a relative statement. When car companies design FI for an engine that was previously carbureted, the mileage of the FI engine will typically decrease 5 to 10 per cent, while the power output will increase 10 to 20 per cent in comparison to the carbureted engine of the same displacement. As for carburetors causing more dirt in the oil, I don't believe this to be a valid issue. I worked at a tune up shop for three years, changing oil on all types of cars every day, and any car, including GM's with the oil management system, will have black oil after 2 or 3 thousand miles, I don't care how clean running the fuel system is. Incidentally, this does not mean you need to change your oil every 3000 miles, this is a scam by jiffy lube and the oil companies. Consumer Reports did a study that indicated you don't get any more noticeable wear on your engine until you stretch your oil changes out to 12000 miles.

 

Here's the main thing. If you want EFI, and you want SAS, get an 85. Period. Then you have both an EFI, and a solid axle, and everything is dandy. HOwever, they only made so many 85's so if you can't find one of those, get EFI, because if you have the skills, you can build your own SAS for probably about 500 bucks, where as fuel injection is alot harder to do as cheaply.

 

I did an EFI swap on my 84 for about 200 bucks. i bought all the stuff off of a guy doing a v-8 swap on an 85. ti took some time and it was kind of a pain but i think it was well worth it to have efi. Also I am parting out an 85 EFI pickup so if you decied to get an84 and swap to efi or an ifs and go sa let me know if you need parts.

 

Same debate at the dragstrip too and EFI coupled with a competant ECU is becoming more and more common and this is on traditionally carbed vehicles.

EFI provides consistency,efficiency and the ability to monitor your cars vitals with optional equipment on many of todays cars and trucks.